RABBITS OUT OF A HAT by KC from Casey

They were somehow a goal up at the main break although they weren't playing all that well so we thought that Casey would come out after half time and do what they had done for most of the season in these circumstances - they would pull a few rabbits out of a hat, turn things around and win comfortably as they did in the qualifying final three weeks ago.

Unfortunately, on this occasion and in the most important game of the year, it was out of the question. The Bulldogs were on a high and on a ground that suited their running style to perfection and in what has become the premiership quarter. They squeezed the life out of the Scorpions to keep them scoreless while they surged and surged and surged to record 18 more inside-50s and kick eight goals four behinds. 

Now, to outscore an opponent by 50 points in one quarter of any game is really something but in a grand final it's sensational.

The Scorpions looked sluggish from the start and were well and truly out pointed in the first quarter but the Doggies simply couldn't get enough goals on the board so that when Casey counter attacked in the second, mainly through the on ball brilliance of Clayton Oliver and the strength and marking ability of Tim Smith and Sam Weideman, it looked as if a big Scorpion second half and a predictable finish to a glorious season was on the cards.

It was not be. One of the hallmarks of the team over the past two seasons has been ruck dominance which has given the on ball division an armchair ride. For the most part of this game, that was missing. Jake Spencer and young Oscar McInerney were well beaten by the Bulldogs' big men, both in the ruck contests and around the ground in marking duels. In a game of percentages, that led to a far reduced impact from the Casey midfield in terms of both number and quality of possessions. 

Some of the usually steady players who racked up big numbers during the season for Casey were down and under pressure. They were run off their feet and  in that third quarter, even the strong defence gave way and crumbled.

There were no rabbits to pull out of the hat.

Peter Jackson VFL 2016

Casey Scorpions 2.1.13 6.3.39 6.3.39 10.6.66

Footscray Bulldogs 2.7.19 4.9.33 12.13.85 13.19.97

Goals

Casey Scorpions T Smith 3 Weideman 2 Hulett Newton Scott Trengove White 

Footscray Bulldogs Jamieson 3 Campbell Long 2 Dale Hannan Lynch Nash Tashevski-Beckwith Williams

Best

Casey Scorpions Oliver T Smith Dunn J Smith Kennedy Newton

Footscray Bulldogs Jong, Stevens Russell Campbell, Webb Barry

Statistics 

Lynden Dunn 21 disposals 18 kicks 3 handballs 7 marks 5 tackles 101 dream team points
Colin Garland 15 disposals 10 kicks 5 handballs 5 marks 3 tackles 67 dream team points
Jack Grimes 24 disposals 11 kicks 13 handballs 3 marks 5 tackles 88 dream team points
Liam Hulett 1 goal 2 behinds 9 disposals 6 kicks 3 handballs 3 marks 41 dream team points
Matt Jones 27 disposals 16 kicks 11 handballs 2 marks 4 tackles 93 dream team points
Ben Kennedy 24 disposals 16 kicks 8 handballs 2 marks 3 tackles 80 dream team points
Viv Michie 21 disposals 10 kicks 11 handballs 3 marks 3 tackles 71 dream team points
Alex Neal-Bullen 22 disposals 14 kicks 8 handballs 3 marks 6 tackles 92 dream team points
Ben Newton 17 disposals 9 kicks 8 handballs 6 marks 6 tackles 79  dream team points
Clayton Oliver 31 disposals 12 kicks 19 handballs 3 marks 6 tackles 1 hit out 105 dream team points
Joel Smith 18 disposals 7 kicks 11 handballs 2 marks 2 tackles 57 dream team points
Jake Spencer 4 disposals 1 kicks 3 handballs 5 tackles 23 hit outs 46 dream team points
Dean Terlich 12 disposals 9 kicks 3 handballs 2 marks 4 tackles 40 dream team points
Jack Trengove 1 goal 20 disposals 11 kicks 9 handballs 5 marks 2 tackles 3 hit outs 84 dream team points
Sam Weideman 2 goals 2 behinds 12 disposals 6  kicks 6 handballs 6 marks 2 tackles 71 dream team points
Mitch White 1 goal 14 disposals 8 kicks 6 handballs 2 marks 5 tackles 68 dream team points