NOT EXACTLY BACK IN TOWN by K C from Casey

The Casey Scorpions made the trip into town to take on the Richmond Tigers at the ME Bank Centre in Punt Road for the first time and lost their sixth game on the trot.

The result, a 35 point defeat in dismal conditions was rather flattering for a team that struggled to put together any semblance of cohesive football for the first three quarters.

The undermanned Scorpions who already had many of their usual VFL-listed players missing with injury, had to make do with a reduced number of Melbourne players when two emergencies were taken to Darwin and Jimmy Toumpas pulled out through illness.

It was a slow start under gray skies with rain threatening and the Tigers were up and about with the opening two goals. Casey struggled with its usual array of miskicks and mistakes and lost Max King early when he limped off with a knee injury. It was past the halfway mark of the first quarter, that Casey finally kicked its first goal through Michael Evans and Jake Best chipped in to level the score at 2.3.15 apiece moments later.

Unfortunately, that was the last time for the day that the Scorpions were really in the game. The Tigers kicked two more for the opening term and led by 15 points at the break.

Richmond had a tall side out on the park while Casey was light on for height especially with King out of the game. The home team also enjoyed an advantage in size and bulk and they out bustled and worried the lifeless Scorpions into error after error as they pushed to a handy 34-point lead at half time.

There was a slight improvement in intensity from the visitors after half time but they failed to gain any reward on the scoreboard with only five behinds for the third term that saw them fall in arrears by 51 points.

There were some rays of light for the ailing Scorpions which have not won a game for two months. Young midfielder Ed Morris who won the Gippsland Power Under 18s best and fairest last year, put in a stunning performance with 28 disposals, 12 tackles and a goal and was outstanding in the final term along with Nathan Page who added two to finish with three goals. Skipper Evan Panozza and defender Troy Davis were the team's workhorses setting an example for their inexperienced teammates, many of who appeared overawed but not fifth gamer Andrew Godfrey.

The Scorpions added six goals for the final term with Daniel Welsh chipping in with his maiden VFL goal at the end. The Demon listed players were hot and cold all day, the best being Aidan Riley while Sam Blease worked hard with his pace to try to lift the side.

Casey travels further afield next Saturday to Queen Elizabeth Oval in Bendigo to take on the winless Bendigo Gold who will be folding at the end of the year. On current form they should not take this game for granted.

2014 Peter Jackson VFL

Casey Scorpions 2.3.15 4.5.29 4.10.34 10.11.71

Richmond Tigers 4.6.30 9.9.63 12.13.85 15.16.106

Goals

Casey Scorpions Page 3 Best Blease Evans Kennedy-Harris Morris Strauss Welsh

Richmond Tigers McBean 5 Lloyd McDonough 2 Darrou Edwards Gordon Griffiths Lennon Stephenson

Best

Casey Scorpions Morris Riley Page Godfrey Nicholson Davis

Richmond Tigers Wynne Lloyd Darrou McDonough McBean Barlow

Statistics

* Sam Blease 1 goal 1 behind 21 disposals 17 kicks 4 handballs 4 marks 4 tackles 96 Dream Team Points

* Mitch Clisby 1 point 24 disposals 16 kicks 8 handballs 6 marks 2 tackles 92 Dream Team Points

* Michael Evans 1 goal 15 disposals 6 kicks 9 handballs 4 marks 2 tackles 60 Dream Team Points

* Jack Fitzpatrick 2 points 11 disposals 8 kicks 3 handballs 4 marks 2 tackles 21 hit outs 75 Dream Team Points

* James Harmes disposals 10 kicks 5 handballs 5 marks 1 tackle 58 Dream Team Points

* Jay Kennedy-Harris 1 goal 18 disposals 6 kicks 12 handballs 3 marks 5 tackles 80 Dream Team Points

* Max King 1 tackle 4 Dream Team Points [injured very early]

* Viv Michie 18 disposals 11 kicks 7 handballs 5 marks 1 tackle 62 Dream Team Points

* Dan Nicholson 1 point 20 disposals 8 kicks 12 handballs 7 marks 4 tackles 86 Dream Team Points

* Aidan Riley 1 point 24 disposals 12 kicks 12 handballs 4 marks 9 tackles 104 Dream Team Points

* James Strauss 1 goal 17 disposals 9 kicks 8 handballs 4 marks 1 tackle 66 Dream Team Points

The development league team received a reward for persistence when they chased down the Werribee Tigers after a slow start.

AFL Victoria Development League

Casey Scorpions 1.1.7 4.2.26 8.3.51 11.8.74

Werribee Tigers 4.2.26 6.7.43 7.9.51 8.13.61

Goals

Casey Scorpions Drew Lang Rennie Waters 2 Davidson Paredes Saunders

Werribee Tigers Robinson 2 Burton Harper Henderson Iles Sharp Taylor

Best

Casey Scorpions Paredes Drew Jackson Waters Shiels West

Werribee Tigers Harper Iles Graham Lang Buchanan Robinson