RARITY by KC from Casey

The match up of teams competing in our great Aussie game at its second highest level is a rarity for a work day Thursday morning but the blustery conditions that met the players at a windswept Casey Fields was something far more commonplace.

They turned the opening stanza between the Casey Demons and a somewhat depleted Richmond VFL into a mess of fumbling unforced errors, spilt marks and wasted opportunities for both sides but they did set up a significant win for the home team which is exactly what transpired on this Anzac Day round opener.

Casey opened up strong against the breeze with the first goal to Aidan Johnson, the Tigers quickly responded and the game degenerated into a defensive slog and the teams were level when the first siren sounded.

The Demons kicked four straight when their time with the wind came while the Tigers barely troubled the scorer and the progression continued after half time with Casey handing out Richmond’s biggest defeat in the current form of competition.

By the end, it seemed as if it was a training drill against witches hats but it was hard to believe the opposition won their first three outings and looked the winner at the final break last week while Casey had succumbed by nine goals on this ground five days ago.

First and foremost, the win was a triumph for the recruitment efforts of the Casey Demons with the top possession winners, Riley Bonner (44), Mitch Hardie (34) both lured from AFL clubs and Riley Baldi (32 and equal third with Bailey Laurie) back from a stint in the bush, all outstanding from go to whoa. Bonner had 28 touches at half time and looked to be on world record pace. Hardie was also outstanding and kicked three goals in the second half while Baldi’s work rate set an impressive example for his team mates.

Last year, the club was crying out for exactly this sort of talent and for this game, they were accompanied by a couple of VFL premiership players in Melbourne listers Jack Henderson and Johnson who kicked five goals between them. The latter was somewhat off target kicking three goals from his eight shots at goal but was a prominent feature in a forward line that produced an impressive inside 50 count of 64 to 26.

Paddy Cross was another VFL lister who stood out. He chimed in for a couple of majors at the end.

Another big inclusion has been journeyman ruckman Tom Campbell, now at his fourth AFL club who shone in the ruck with 17 touches, 20 hit outs and a goal in his 150th VFL game. He is also doing great things mentoring Will Verrall who is increasing in confidence and form on a weekly basis.

And on that note, some big news for Melbourne fans and that is the first signs of a return to form and renewed confidence in key forward Jacob van Rooyen who became the team’s third player to kick five goals in a match which is a sure-fire sign that selection at AFL level is imminent.

After a shaky start in the blustery conditions, the blond key tall took command of proceedings in the second term with three goals showing great mastery in the air and with his kicking skills, adding another two in the third quarter. He was robbed of a third by an off the ball indiscretion from Laurie who could be forgiven for that because he otherwise played well and added a couple of goals of his own at the end.

Taj Woewodin (28 possessions, 7 tackles) and Kynan Brown (24,5) also had excellent days out with the latter putting in an excellent third quarter performance. Jack Billings and Jai Culley were solid contributors.

Casey had the luxury of 16 AFL listers at its disposal with Blake Howes participating only in the first half for 13 touches before heading back to town to fulfill an emergency role for the AFL team.

Although, a one-sided game of this nature would not necessarily highlight big performances from defenders, there were some real positives to take out of the match with a couple of youngsters in Jed Adams and Ollie Sestan finally showing that they have grown into their roles of senior level football and are ready to take the next step up. Matt Jefferson and Luker Kentfield are a few steps behind them but it’s still very much a learning process for them and for the lightly built Rick Mentha Jr.

The only disappointment that the 118 point win brought was that for the second time in a month, the team goes into recess for another bye next weekend.

This element is a rarity for most serious sporting competitions and can hardly be conducive to maintaining team cohesion and momentum.

CASEY DEMONS 1.2.8 5.8.38 12.11.83 21.17.143

RICHMOND VFL 1.2.8 1.3.9 2.6.18 3.7.25

GOALS

CASEY DEMONS van Rooyen 5, Hardie, Johnson 3, Cross, Henderson, Laurie 2, Brown, Campbell, Jefferson, Verrall

RICHMOND VFL Colina, Hayes-Brown, Raso

BEST

CASEY DEMONS Bonner van Rooyen Hardie Baldi Laurie Brown

RICHMOND VFL El nour Smith McCarthy Smillie McAuliffe Wilson