DAY OF THE MOOSE by KC from Casey

The Casey Demons celebrated stalwart Jimmy Munro’s 150th VFL game with a pulsating 34-point victory over the Sandringham Zebras at the Trevor Barker Beach Oval on Sunday. The win was the club’s third in succession and more importantly, saw it return to the top four on the competition ladder.

The visitors were never headed through the game and had winners all over the ground with the exception of in the ruck where the Zebras’ seasoned big man Tom Campbell used his vast advantage in size and experience to control the ruck duels and often giving his teammates the first use out of the stoppages. However, his opponent in the absence of regular ruckman Jack Bell was not disgraced. Rookie ruckman Will Verrall battled manfully to accumulate 15 possessions to go with his 15 hit outs and six tackles. It was an education that will hold him in good stead in the future.

Elsewhere around the ground, it was the Demons who were doing most of the teaching. Playing in the key forward role, Josh Schache kicked four goals straight which will not hurt his AFL prospects given the club’s issues in finding the best connection between its midfield and its forward unit. Jacob van Rooyen had his moments but was beaten early and played better when further afield. He finished with just one goal. Other Melbourne  youngsters with future forward potential in Matt Jefferson and Oliver Sestan were quiet.

The best of the Melbourne listed players are all closing in on veteran stage. Adam Tomlinson, unlucky to be out of AFL action at the moment, picked up 27 touches and nine marks playing deep in defence, James Harmes collected 26 touches, had six clearances, eight tackles and kicked a goal while former Saint and Zebra Luke Dunstan had 22 disposals and nine tackles. Blake Howes matched that number of possessions but went off injured late in the game with what has been reported as a severe cramp.

Rookies Deakyn Smith, busy with 19 disposals and nine marks and Andy Moniz-Wakefield two goals, were handy contributors.

But the day belonged to 150 gamer and Casey premiership player “Moose” Munro who put in a typically hard performance with nine kicks, eight handballs and nine tackles, a performance he would have relished particularly as it was against his original team Sandringham for who he played 22 games a decade ago.

Tom Freeman with 19 touches and Tyler Edwards (two goals) both produced their best games for the club in a pleasing effort for the Demons who have a bye next week. 

Unfortunately, this means they will lose their hard fought for position in the top four because they are equal on points with Box Hill and North Melbourne who meet each other in the next round.

CASEY DEMONS 4.6.30 6.8.44 9.12.66 13.15.93

SANDRINGHAM 2.0.12 3.4.22 4.7.31 8.11.59

GOALS

CASEY DEMONS Schache 4 Edwards Laurie Moniz-Wakefield 2 Harmes van Rooyen White 

SANDRINGHAM Heath 3 Gawn Hipwell Hotton Keeler Peris

BEST

CASEY DEMONS Harmes Tomlinson Schache Dunstan Freeman Munro

SANDRINGHAM Campbell Bytel Clark Highmore Hayes 

Statistics 

Jed Adams 10 kicks 3 handballs 13 disposals 8 marks 5 tackles 80 dream team points
Riley Baldi 3 kicks 4 handballs 7 disposals 2 marks 3 tackles 32 dream team points
Kade Chandler 9 kicks 7 handballs 16 disposals 4 marks 2 tackles 61 dream team points
Luke Dunstan 1 behind 12 kicks 10 handballs 22 disposals 2 marks 9 tackles 93 dream team points
Tyler Edwards 2 goals 13 kicks 1 handballs 14 disposals 4 marks 3 tackles 77 dream team points
Tom Freeman 13 kicks 6 handballs 19 disposals 11 marks 1 tackles 89 dream team points
James Harmes 1 goal 2 behinds 9 kicks 17 handballs 26 disposals 6 marks 8 tackles 115 dream team points
Blake Howes 1 behind 14 kicks 8 handballs 22 disposals 5 marks 4 tackles 82 dream team points
Matt Jefferson 5 kicks 1 handball 6 disposals 4 marks 1 tackle 34 dream team points
Bailey Laurie 2 goals 7 kicks 8 handballs 15 disposals 3 marks 6 tackles 76 dream team points
Tom Macrae 1 kick 3 handballs 4 disposals 9  dream team points
Andy Moniz-Wakefield 2 goals 2 behinds 8 kicks 3 handballs 11 disposals 3 marks 7 tackles 81 dream team points 
Ned Moodie 7 kicks 7 handballs 14 disposals marks 53 dream team points
James Munro 3 behinds 9 kicks 8 handballs 17 disposals 2 marks 9 tackles 83 dream team points
Josh Schache 4 goals 10 kicks 2 handballs 12 disposals 8 marks 4 tackles 3 hit outs 103 dream team points 
Oliver Sestan 4 kicks 2 handballs 6 disposals 1 mark 1 tackles 23 dream team points
Deaykin Smith 14 kicks 5 handballs 19 disposals 9 marks 79 dream team points
Roan Steele 12 kicks 6 handballs 18 disposals 2 marks 2 tackles 64 dream team points
Adam Tomlinson 21 kicks 6 handballs 27 disposals 9 marks 94 dream team points
Ryan Valentine 4 kicks 1 handballs 5 disposals 4 marks 1 tackles 8 hit outs 35 dream team points
Jacob van Rooyen 1 goals 1 behind 6 kicks 3 handballs 9 disposals 4 marks 5 tackles 45 dream team points
Will Verrall 1 kicks 14 handballs 15 disposals 6 tackles 15 hit outs 70 dream team points
Mitch White 1 goal 7 kicks 5 handballs 12 disposals 1 marks 3 tackles 52 dream team points