MUD HEAP by KC from Casey

In the opening round of the 2018 VFL season, the Casey Demons enjoyed an emphatic 107 point victory over Coburg at Piranha Park. The team was loaded with Melbourne listed players (half a dozen of them were in the team that beat Fremantle on Saturday) and the side was in its way to a grand final appearance. A season and a half later, the club returned to the same venue in the hope of kick starting a season that had gone somewhat awry under new coach Sam Radford and while they tasted victory (as you always do in those circumstances), the 15 point win was far from convincing.

It should be said that the Demons were the dominant side on the day. They dominated the inside 50 count by 52 to 28 and doubled the Tigers in the number of scoring shots by 20 to 10. They won the marks and thanks mainly to Braydon Preuss totally eclipsed the opposition in hit outs but at the end of the day had less disposals and scored only one goal more than the plucky home side in what was a dull, scrap played on a mud heap in cold and misty conditions. They even scored than that losing Coburg team managed in last year’s opening round drubbing. 

Coburg adopted a defensive stance from the beginning by flooding their back line and the tactic work with three straight first goals on the rebound while the visitors managed only two goals from their many forays in attack to trail by 2 points at the first break. 

The classiest player on the ground by far was veteran Jordan Lewis who was simply sublime in the way he dictated proceedings and set up numerous attacking moves. It took until the last ten minutes of the half for the Demons to take control and move to a 26 point lead with three goals late in a term in which Coburg was held goalless. 

The rest of the game was nothing to write home about - a defensive affair played in a bit of a glue pot where the local’s accuracy saw them remain in close enough to wind the Demons back late in the game to a final margin of 15 points at a cost of what should have been a valuable percentage gain against the second from bottom side.

The better players for Casey (apart from Lewis) were Preuss with 55 hit outs, Jay Kennedy Harris who was full of class, Corey Wagner and Corey Maynard while Kade Kolodjashnij also had his moments. Kyle Dunkley kicked an early goal and was busy early. The Demons would be very happy with his composure and form at this stage of his career.

The Demons are a game and percentage out of the top eight and must beat last year’s premiers, the Box Hill Hawks at Casey Fields next Saturday to remain in the race.

2019 Hard Yakka / Totally Workwear VFL

Casey Demons 2.4.16 6.8.44 7.11.53 9.11.65

Coburg 3.0.18 3.0.18 5.1.31 8.2.50

Goals 

Casey Demons Bedford Bradtke Dunkley Kolodjashnij  Maynard Preuss Quigley C Wagner White 

Coburg McEvoy Stroobants 3 Carroll Podhajski

Best 

Casey Demons J Lewis C Wagner Maynard Preuss Vella Bedford

Coburg Bunker Lentini Exon Nolan Foster Binion

Statistics 

Toby Bedford 1 goal 1 behind 5 kicks 7 handballs 12 disposals 7 tackles 66 dream team points  
Austin Bradkte 1 goal 2 behinds 6 kicks 2 handballs 8 disposals 1 mark 2 tackles 11 hit outs 50 dream team points  
Heath Briggs 6 kicks 3 handballs 9 disposals 2 marks 1 tackle 34 dream team points  
Kade Chandler 2 kicks 1 handball 3 disposals 1 mark 2 tackles 19 dream team points  
Wayne Collis 8 kicks 1 handballs 9 disposals 2 marks 2 tackles 41 dream team points  
Kyle Dunkley 1 goal 12 kicks 5 handballs 17 disposals 3 tackles 66 dream team points  
Tom Freeman 10 kicks 3 handballs 13 disposals 4 marks 50 dream team points  
Jack Hutchins 6 kicks 4 handballs 10 disposals 1 marks 4 tackles 43 dream team points  
James Jordon 1 behind 9 kicks 2 handballs 11 disposals 2 marks 4 tackles 55 dream team points  
Declan Keilty 1 kick 5 handballs 6 disposals 1 marks 8 tackles 12 hit outs 61 dream team points  
Jay Kennedy Harris 1 behind 14 kicks 7 handballs 21 disposals 3 marks 3 tackles 78 dream team points  
Kade Kolodjashnij 1 goal 15 kicks 6 handballs 21 disposals 5 marks 4 tackles 95 dream team points  
Mykelti Lefau 2 behinds 5 kicks 2 handballs 7 disposals 5 marks 2 tackles 38 dream team points  
Jordan Lewis 19 kicks 20 handballs 39 disposals 8 marks 2 tackles 129 dream team points  
Corey Maynard 1 goal 1 behind 13 kicks 14 handballs 27 disposals 8 marks 3 tackles 105 dream team points 
James Munro 5 kicks 5 handballs 10 disposals 2 marks 2 tackles 37 dream team points  
Braydon Preuss 1 goal 8 kicks 6 handballs 14 disposals 6 marks 3 tackles 55 hit outs 121 dream team points
Aiden Quigley 1 goal 4 kicks 12 handballs 16 disposals 2 marks 1 tackle 50 dream team points 
Charlie Spargo 4 kicks 7 handballs 11 disposals 2  marks 4 tackles 48 dream team points  
Cory Stockdale 7 behinds 4 kicks 11 handballs 15 disposals 4 marks 1 tackle 45 dream team points 
Anthony Vella 6 kicks 8 handballs 14 disposals 3 marks 1 tackle 48 dream team points  
Corey Wagner 1 goal 1 behind 14 kicks 4 handballs 18 disposals 3 marks 12 tackles 110 dream team points  
Mitchell White 1 goal 1 behind 7 kicks 4 handballs 11disposals 5 marks 1 tackle 55 dream team points