SECOND WIND by KC from Casey

[Demonland 73,106]

If embattled Demon coach Simon Goodwin is looking for answers on the vexing question of how his charges should handle windy conditions, he could do worse than consult his colleague Justin Plapp at Casey. 

Plapp's Casey Demons were well and truly under the pump by half time at Trevor Barker Beach Oval on Saturday after Sandringham dominated the opening two quarters, mastering the windy conditions to hold a 28 point lead. Yet it was the visitors who triumphed in the end by 10 points despite the fact that they trailed by a point at the final break with three players already out of the game through injury and facing the prospect of 30 minutes kicking directly in the face of a wicked north wind. 

Early in the game, the Demons struggled to adapt to the windy conditions. They did manage the opening two goals to Bayley Fritsch and James Munro to lead by 13 points a mere six minutes into the game but they were then stopped dead in their tracks by the determined Zebras who played extra men down back, bottled up play in the defensive pockets and turned the game into a scrappy affair making it difficult to score even with the aid of the wind.

A late goal to Angus Scott just before the quarter time siren helped the home side to a 15 point lead but Sandy took little time to whittle away the deficit. They kicked the next six goals before Bayley Fritsch dribbled one through at the 30 minute mark but a goal just before the half time siren gave them a big lead.

Ben Kennedy was quick off the mark early in the third term, followed by one from Liam Hulett but when the Zebras responded with two goals of their own, they still led by 27 points with half the quarter gone. 

It was at this point that the entire complexion of the game changed. First, a great pack mark from Declan Keilty in the goal square, followed up with a goal lifted the team spirits and suddenly long, direct kicking for goal became the order of the day. Ben Giobbi, Will Collis and Sam Weideman all kicked long goals and the scores were level. Sandy kicked a late point to lead by a point at the final siren.

The opening two goals of the final quarter were crucial. They went to Scott and Fritsch and Casey now held a two goal lead before Sandringham fought back with two of their own. Despite the fact that the Demons had lost Joel Smith, Jake Spencer and James Munro and their rotations were limited, they dug into their reserves of energy and from that came goals to Scott and Ferreira to sew up a famous 10 point victory. 

Jay Kennedy-Harris' 40 plus possession game was enormous while Angus Brayshaw and Billy Stretch were all class with their ability to find the football. Young ruckman Mitch King was important in the ruck contests while Fritsch and Scott were both damaging around the goals to set up the win.

A win at home next week against the Northern Blues should just about seal another place for Casey

Peter Jackson VFL 2017

Casey Demons 3.3.21 4.3.27 10.7.67 14.9.93

Sandringham 1.0.6 8.7.55 10.8.68 12.11.83 

Goals 

Casey Demons Fritsch Scott 3 Collis Ferreira Giobbi Hulett Keilty Kennedy Munro Weideman 

Sandringham Cook Holmes Lonie Rich 2 Bailey Battle Long Phillips  

Best 

Casey Demons Stretch Brayshaw Keilty Kennedy Kennedy-Harris Fritsch

Sandringham Lonie Long Weickhardt

Statistics
 
Angus Brayshaw 1 behind 16 kicks 18 handballs 34 disposals 6 marks 5 tackles 117 dream team points 
Liam Hulett 1 goal 1 behind 6 kicks 6 disposals 2 marks 1 tackles 33 dream team points
Dion Johnstone 1 behind 10 kicks 14 handballs 24 disposals 1 mark 56 dream team points 
Declan Keilty 1 goal 9 kicks 3 handballs 12 disposals 6 marks 3 tackles 66 dream team points 
Ben Kennedy 1 goals 15 kicks 16 handballs 31 disposals 5 marks 4 tackles 109 dream team points
Jay Kennedy-Harris 19 kicks 24 handballs 43 disposals 3 marks 9 tackles 147 dream team points
Mitch King 4 kicks 3 handballs 7 disposals 2 marks 6 tackles 24 hit outs 66 dream team points
Joel Smith 2 kicks 3 handballs 5 disposals 2 marks 18 dream team points [injured]
Jake Spencer 4 hit outs 4 dream team points [injured]
Billy Stretch 1 behind 9 kicks 13 handballs 22 disposals 2 marks 9 tackles 97 dream team points
Jack Trengove 1 behind 8 kicks 16 handballs 24 disposals 1 marks 4 tackles 73 dream team points
Sam Weideman 1 goal 1 behind 5 kicks 4 handballs 9 disposals 3 marks 3 tackles 3 hit outs 55 dream team points

The Development League team booked its finals place in the historic last season of this competition with an emphatic 49-point win over Sandringham. Yillber Zijai impressed with four goals for the Demons.

AFL Vic Development League 2017

Casey Demons 3.3.21 7.9.51 11.10.76 15.14.104

Sandringham 3.2.20 3.2.20 7.5.47 8.7.55

Goals 

Casey Demons Zijai 4 Di Pasquale 3 Briggs Byers Cox Foote Gardiner Hillard Lefau Vander Haar

Sandringham Smith 5 Cathcart Iudica Pavlou

Best 

Casey Demons Zijai Freeman Byers Lovett Di Pasquale Dan Johnston

Sandringham Iudica Verma Hooy Thompson Smith Butler