GREY INTO WHITE by KC from Casey

[Demonland 73,106]

The rains came as predicted to Casey Fields on Sunday along with a fair lashing of wind that made for the type of game that you expect in such inhospitable conditions - a grim, dour festival of scrappy football made for strong-bodied sides such as the undefeated competition leaders. And so it came to pass that the Casey Demons were able to trample over Carlton’s VFL side in the final half of their Round 21 match up to maintain their undefeated record for 2022.

The victory under grey skies was a perfect 100 VFL game milestone outcome for skipper Mitch White Mitch who has been a stalwart for the club since making his debut for Casey in 2015. White amassed 21 kicks and 8 handballs and laid 8 tackles to share best on ground honours with James Harmes (35 disposals) on a day that was made for players of their ilk. Another veteran, James Munro was also in his element in the tough early going along with ruckman Jake Spencer, the big man having been seconded into duty after playing suburban football for most of this year. 

Fittingly, the opening goal of the game was scored by yet another veteran in Mitch Brown very early in the opening stanza with the Blues responding with theirs late in the term. Casey threatened in the first half of the second quarter with goals to Blake Howes and Joel Smith but the more accurate Carlton was not to be denied and staged a three goal comeback to lead by a point at half time. 

The home team was missing its main running players in Bedford and Chandler and their inaccuracy was hurting them. Scoring was tough but a Sam Weideman shot for goal looked good before it was declared to be touched. Weideman was in the thick of things all day and his efforts, though unrewarded in terms of goals, was noticeable on the day. Casey inched past the Blues with point after point before the hardworking Bailey Laurie broke the goal scoring deadlock inside time on. He was rewarded for a perfect tackle when he slotted through a difficult set shot that gave his team a 9 point lead at the final break. 

The Blues had been totally smothered in the wet during the third quarter scoring only a single point but they refused to go away with a goal four minutes into the final term raising some flutters in the Demon camp as the minutes ticked by with neither side able to trouble the scorers. In the end, it was a couple of youngsters in Roan Steele and Jake Bowey who came to the fore with two more goals and Casey emerged from the grayness of a cold, wet day with a 16 point victory and its 17th on the trot, a fitting outcome for the skipper’s 100th game.

The game was Casey’s last home and away match for the season as they travel to Brisbane next week for thir final round game against second placed Lions Reserves at Moreton Bay Central Sports Complex on Saturday morning.

CASEY DEMONS 1.4.10 3.7.25 4.12.36 6.13.49

CARLTON VFL 1.1.7 4.2.26 4.3.27 5.3.33

Goals 

Casey Demons Bowey M Brown  Howes Laurie Joel Smith Steele

Carlton VFL De Koning Dozzi Fogarty Glass-McCasker Sanders 

Best 

Casey Demons Harmes White M Brown Buntine Howes Bowey Tomlinson

Carlton VFL Fogarty Carroll Dow Hayes Trudgeon

Statistics 

Oskar Baker 1 behind  16 kicks 8 handballs 24 disposals 3 marks 1 tackle 71 dream team points
Jack Bell 3 kicks 5 handballs 8 disposals 2 marks 1 tackle 23 hit outs 44 dream team points
Jake Bowey 1 goal 16 kicks 7 handballs 23 disposals 5 marks 4 tackles 101 dream team points
Mitch Brown 1 goal 1 behind 10 kicks 2 handballs 12 disposals 3 marks 3 tackles 61 dream team points
Matt Buntine 13 kicks 2 handballs 15 disposals 6 marks 3 tackles 73 dream team points
Luke Dunstan 10 kicks 4 handballs 14 disposals 2 marks 7 tackles 68 dream team points
Corey Ellison 8 kicks 1 handballs 9 disposals 4 marks 39 dream team points
Kobi George 2 kicks 1 handballs 3 disposals 2  tackles 16 dream team points
James Harmes 17 kicks 18 handballs 35 disposals 6 marks 7 tackles 129 dream team points
Blake Howes 1 goals 7 kicks 11 handballs 18 disposals 5 marks 3 tackles 76 dream team points
Bailey Laurie 1 goals 9 kicks 10 handballs 19 disposals 2 marks 6 tackles 82 dream team points
Judd McVee 4 kicks 3 handballs 7 disposals 1 mark 1 tackles 25 dream team points
James Munro 6 kicks 12 handballs 18 disposals 2 marks 6 tackles 70 dream team points
Deakyn Smith 6 kicks 2 handballs 8 disposals 3 tackles 31 dream team points
Joel Smith 1 goal 1 behind 6 kicks 3 handballs 9 disposals 6 marks 5 tackles 60 dream team points
Jake Spencer 1 kick 3 handballs 4 disposals 2  tackles  20 hit outs 38 dream team points
Roan Steele 1 goal 11 kicks 1 handball 12 disposals 2 marks 49 dream team points
Adam Tomlinson 19 kicks 2 handballs 21 disposals 5 marks 2 tackles 80 dream team points
Daniel Turner 1 behind 11 kicks 3 handballs 14 disposals 5 marks 3 tackles 62 dream team points
Jacob Van Rooyen 1 behind 1 kick 7 handballs 8 disposals 3 tackles 4 hit outs 34 dream team points
Sam Weideman 2 behinds 12 kicks 10 handballs 22 disposals 6 marks 2 tackles 86 dream team points
Mitch White 1 behind 21 kicks 8 handballs 29 disposals 4 marks 8 tackles 124 dream team points
Taj Woewodin 10 kicks 6 handballs 16 disposals 4 marks 6 tackles 66 dream team points