NOT ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPT by KC from Casey

If ever a game didn't go according to the script, it was this one. The Werribee Tigers were coming off a midweek Foxtel Cup defeat on the other side of the continent, a game played in driving rain, and had to front the second placed Casey Scorpions with 15 AFL listed players (and the luxury of being able to leave a couple in the Development League). Casey dominated the first seven or eight minutes of the game scoring 3.1.19 to nothing with the aid of the breeze and appeared set retake top spot on the ladder with an easy win.

Then everything went wrong for the Scorpions and fifty minutes and ten unanswered Werribee goals later, they were staring down the barrel of a damaging defeat.

Although the Tigers have been the Scorps' bogey team in recent years and Avalon Airport Oval hasn't been a happy hunting ground for them, the Scorpions had every reason to be confident with their flying start but perhaps they got ahead of themselves and forgot that you need to work hard in difficult conditions such as those that prevailed at Werribee yesterday. The home side certainly took note and dug deep to reel back two goals in the last twenty minutes of the opening term before taking complete control of the game in the second to open up a 47-point half time lead. They did it with strength, played direct football and used their knowledge of the local conditions to good advantage.

In many respects this game was similar to the round six loss at the hands of the Box Hill Hawks which also came off a week's bye and in which the damage was caused when the team lost all momentum in the second quarter and then fought grimly to prevent an all out massacre.

As coincidence would have it, Cam Pedersen was also Casey's best that day as he was against the Tigers in yesterday's clash. This time, with teammates going down like nine pins, Pedersen was forced to fill the gaps, even taking his turn in the ruck against bigger opponents. Skipper Evan Panozza also worked hard to keep his team in the game and Dom Barry produced some classy bursts but with Tom Couch injured, Danny Nicholls out and James Magner well covered most of the time, the Casey midfield was well below its best. Compounding the woes was the constant stream of injuries, all to AFL-listed players (Davis, Sellar, Rodan, Couch and later Macdonald) which left the team without interchange and bereft of the opportunity to rotate players other than on the ground itself. In the circumstances, the team did well to limit the damage to a 56-point defeat.

Notwithstanding, there needs to be a fair amount of soul searching at Casey with some tough games in the run home to the finals. They simply need to work a lot harder if they want the rest of the season to go according to the script.

HOW THE DEMONS FARED

Not particularly well.

Apart from the stats as below, there were a few injuries. Troy Davis was doing well until he copped one in the ribs in the first quarter. James Sellar was involved in a head clash and appeared concussed. David Rodan last a little under a half before hurting his hamstring. Tom Couch was also off with a hammy and it was reported late that Joel Macdonald also suffered a groin or quad injury.

Jesse Hogan's three goals were achieved without any service from downfield and at times he wandered far and wide at times to gather possessions.

Dominic Barry 14 kicks 9 handballs 23 disposals 4 mark 3 tackles 1 goal
Thomas Couch 9 kicks 9 handballs 18 disposals 1 mark 2 tackles 1 behind
Troy Davis 7 kicks 2 handballs 9 disposals 5 marks 1 tackle
Thomas Gillies 9 kicks 11 handballs 20 disposals 6 marks 1 tackle
Jesse Hogan 10 kicks 4 handballs 14 disposals 5 marks 1 tackle 3 goals
Joel Macdonald 7 kicks 6 handballs 13 disposals 1 mark 1 tackle 1 behind
Jordie McKenzie 10 kicks 13 handballs 23 disposals 2 marks 3 tackles
James Magner 17 kicks 10 handballs 27 disposals 5 marks 3 tackles 1 behind
Cameron Pedersen 14 kicks 8 handballs 22 disposals 8 marks 3 tackles 19 hit outs
David Rodan 6 kicks 5 handballs 11 disposals 3 marks 1 tackle 1 goal 1 behind
James Sellar 3 kicks 5 handballs 8 disposals 2 marks
James Strauss 11 kicks 10 handballs 21 disposals 4 marks 2 tackles
Luke Tapscott 7 kicks 6 handballs 13 disposals 3 marks 1 tackle 1 goal 3 behinds
Joshua Tynan 9 kicks 9 handballs -18 disposals 3 marks 4 tackles
Jack Viney 10 kicks 6 handballs 16 disposals 5 tackles

Casey Scorpions 3.2.20 4.5.29 6.9.45 8.10.58

Werribee Tigers 2.2.14 12.5.77 13.6.84 17.12.114

Goals

Casey Scorpions Hogan 3 Hill 2 Barry Rodan Tapscott

Werribee Tigers Maric 5 Brown Castello Daw Harper McKinley McMahon Mather Meredith Ross Sierakowski Warren Wright

Best

Casey Scorpions Pedersen Panozza Strauss Barry J Tynan Macdonald

Werribee Tigers Maric Daw Clouston McMahon Sodomaco Ross

Unlike its senior counterpart, the Casey AFL Victoria Development League team handled the ground, the conditions and the opposition with polish and turned an early deficit into a solid 46-point victory against fellow finals contender Werribee.

CaseyScorpions 2.1.13 8.4.52 12.5.77 16.10.106

Werribee Tigers 5.2 6.4.40 8.10.58 8.12.60

Goals

Casey Scorpions Fowler 4 Hughes Riseley Taggert 3 Anderson 2 Lang

Werribee Tigers Hicks Tudor 2 Bolton Kershaw Sullivan White

Best

Casey Scorpions Clay Lindsay Taggert Blackie Fowler Hughes

Werribee Tigers White Hicks Fairley Bolton Sullivan Laracy