Demonland

LEADERBOARD AFTER ROUND 16 162. Max Gawn 97. Christian Petracca 83. Steven May 82. Jack Viney 80. Alex Neal-Bullen 50. Kysaiah Pickett 48. Clayton Oliver 47. Trent Rivers 44. Christian Salem 40. Jake Lever 31. Bayley Fritsch 29. Tom McDonald 27. Judd McVee 24. Ed Langdon 17. Tom Sparrow 14. Kade Chandler Jacob van Rooyen 11. Blake Howes Daniel Turner 10. Jack Billings 9. Adam Tomlinson 8. Caleb Windsor 4. Harry Petty 1. Jake Bowey

The Casey Demons overcame their inaccuracy and the wet inhospitable conditions to overrun the lowly Northern Bullants at Genis Steel Oval in Cramer Street, Preston on Saturday. It was an eerie feeling entering the ground that in the past hosted many VFA/VFL greats of the past including the legendary Roy Cazaly. The cold and drizzly rain and the sparse crowd were enough to make one want to escape to the nearby Preston Market and hang out there for the afternoon. In the event, the fans who stayed to watch the game were treated to a close but somewhat lacklustre exhibition in which the Demons were superior for most of the day and proved that when they ran away with the game in the final quarter to win by 28 points. Early in the game, the teams traded goals and the home team keep their noses in front with a 4 point lead at the first break. The conditions and some puzzling umpiring were making things difficult for the players but the old adage about the team with the greater skills winning out in the wet started to prove true. With 12 AFL listed players, Casey gradually worked their way to square the game at half time with players like the strong tackling Bailey Laurie and Kynan Brown (who had a cameo performance much further north the night before) winning the ground ball and Tom Fullerton having one of his better games in the ruck. The experience of Jack Billings and Lachie Hunter were invaluable at this stage. The game became pretty much a slog in the murky wet conditions after half time with only one goal scored in an ugly quarter of football. That goal came from Shane McAdam after five minutes and it put Casey six points in front. Despite dominating the play, Casey could add only six points, half of them rushed, to the Bullants’ single behind for the term and Casey led by 11 points at the final break. The Demons got their kicking boots on in the last when, after a day of rain, the real deluge began in terms of goals scored. The first two came in quick succession from Oliver Sestan who was really relishing the conditions. Matt Jefferson, who presented well up forward all day, iced the game when he was well rewarded with a nice goal and McAdam dribbled one through late in proceedings for his third which saw the Casey Demons safely home for their fourth victory of the season. Laurie was the star of the day with his 23 possessions and a massive ten tackles, while Blake Howes had 22 touches and rookie Kynan Brown finished with 20, as did Fullarton in the ruck adding to his 29 hit outs. Mitch White and Ned Moodie were the best of the VFL list. The team heads much further north - to Brisbane next Saturday afternoon at Brighton Homes Arena for a tough assignment against a genuine flag contender.
 CASEY DEMONS 3.3.21 5.8.38 6.14.50 10.15.75 NORTHERN BULLANTS 4.1.25 6.2.38 6.3.39 7.5.47 GOALS CASEY DEMONS S. McAdam 3 M. Jefferson 0. Sestan 2 J. Billings H. Neocleous J. Schache NORTHERN BULLANTS J. Jorgensen 3 M. Goodman 2 C. Kosmas J. Velissaris BEST CASEY DEMONS B. Howes B. Laurie M. White M. Jefferson N. Moodie K. Brown NORTHERN BULLANTS C. Franks E. Mantas F. Dreher P. Fairlie J. Velissaris Statistics Jed Adams 10 kicks 10 disposals 4 marks 42 dream team points Jack Billings 1 goal 1 behind 14 kicks 5 handballs 19 disposals 4 marks 68 dream team points Kynan Brown 15 kicks 5 handballs 20 disposals 5 marks 6 tackles 95 dream team points Tyler Edwards 2 behinds 10 kicks 3 handballs 13 disposals 2 marks 1 tackle 48 dream team points Tom Freeman 10 kicks 3 handballs 13 disposals 5 marks 2 tackles 60 dream team points Tom Fullarton 12 kicks 8 handballs 20 disposals 3 marks 2 tackles 29 hitouts 92 dream team points Max Gregory 6 kicks 2 handballs 8 disposals 4 marks 5 tackles 55 dream team points Blake Howes 17 kicks 5 handballs 22 disposals 5 marks 1 tackle 82 dream team points Lachie Hunter 6 kicks 8 handballs 14 disposals 1 mark 37 dream team points Matt Jefferson 2 goals 7 kicks 2 handballs 9 disposals 5 marks 2 tackles 60 dream team points Luker Kentfield 1 behind 3 kicks 1 handballs 4 disposals 2 tackles 15 dream team points Eddie King 1 behind 2 kicks 2 disposals 1 tackle 11 dream team points Bailey Laurie 13 kicks 10 handballs 23 disposals 2 marks 10 tackles 97 dream team points Shane McAdam 3 goals 1 behind 9 kicks 3 handballs 12 disposals 4 marks 3 tackles 70 dream team points Ned Moodie 10 kicks 4 handballs 14 disposals 5 marks 2 tackles 61 dream team points Harvey Neocleous 1 goal 8 kicks 5 handballs 13 disposals 2 marks 4 tackles 58 dream team points Josh Schache 1 goal 2 behinds 11 kicks 3 handballs 14 disposals 3 marks 2 tackles 3 hitouts 70 dream team points Ollie Sestan 2 goals 1 behind 11 kicks 3 handballs 14 disposals 5 marks 6 tackles 88 dream team points Roan Steele 15 kicks 3 handballs 18 disposals 3 marks 4 tackles 76 dream team points Mitch Szybkowski 1 behind 7 kicks 5 handballs 12 disposals 1 mark 5 tackles 53 dream team points Ryan Valentine 3 kicks 3 handballs 6 disposals 1 mark 1 tackles 20 dream team points Mitch White 15 kicks 3 handballs 18 disposals 9 marks 5 tackles 92 dream team points Kai Windsor 3 kicks 4 handballs 7 disposals 3 marks 20 dream team points

Somehow, the Melbourne Football Club managed it twice in the course of a week. Coach Simon Goodwin admitted it in his press conference after the loss against the Brisbane Lions in a game where his team held a four goal lead in the third term: "In reality we went a bit safe. Big occasion, a lot of young players playing. We probably just went into our shell a bit. "There's a bit to unpack in that last quarter … whether we go into our shells a bit late in the game." Well … actually … that’s exactly what happened on the previous Saturday night when his charges went far too early into a save the game mode after leading by 39 points in the shadows of three quarter time. Admittedly, the Demons’ line up is very young and missed the experience of premiership defenders in Christian Salem and Jake Bowey (not to mention the other Christian at the club) but, really, you have to learn from your mistakes in this caper and the way things unfolded, it all seemed like insanity (and no offence intended here to the mentally ill). The same tactic when the team’s energy was sagging and some extra run was needed, and the same, very, very late decision to bring on a fresh speedy substitute in Kynan Brown. "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." The above words have been attributed to theoretical physicist and genius Albert Einstein but fact checkers say there is no evidence he ever said this. There’s no doubt however, that he developed the theory of relativity and my thought patterns didn’t have to travel at the speed of light when I saw the repeat of last week happening in slow motion as the final quarter unfolded. Not to mention that a more attacking disposition in those two games might easily have seen Melbourne sitting in fifth place and breathing right down the necks of a couple of top four sides. The Lions’ comeback was assisted by their midfield lifting its work rate in the second half as well as some generosity and largesse from the umpires. Certainly, it could be argued that the vital decisions that went their way were there to be paid but others of similar ilk were not and it hurt Melbourne this week, as it always does in such close games. Earlier, the Demons did well to control a strong start from the Lions in the opening quarter. In the second term, they overwhelmed their opponents with new-found ferocity around the ball through Jack Viney, Clayton Oliver and emerging midfielder Trent Rivers. Thanks to some great finishing work from the unstoppable Kozzie Pickett and the accuracy of Jacob van Rooyen, they added 8.2 for the quarter. Ironically, they managed only 2.8 for the rest of the game with a few of those shots coming tantalisingly close in the game’s final moments. The Lions were also inaccurate in front of goal all night but a lot of that can be attributed to the Demons’ pressure. Unfortunately, the team also had its offenders in front of goal with Harry Petty’s 0.4 and Bayley Fritsch’s 1.3 contributing to the mess. Petty, in particular, missed some sitters that might have resulted in icing the game by the early stages of the final quarter. And speaking of icing, one wonders at the strategy of having a player with a recent history of foot injuries, going up in ruck contests. You might think this is a bit insane, but I would not be surprised if Petty earns the title of mystery injury of the week next Thursday night and ends up among the missing for a little while. Along with the spirit of the second quarter, there were still a number of encouraging signs from the game. In particular, the younger brigade. Caleb Windsor continues his fine early work and remains well up there among the competition’s rising stars. Koltyn Tholstrup is moving up the ranks as he gains confidence and looks to be a real prospect who should not take very long to progress through to a midfield berth and there was first gamer, Andy Moniz-Wakefield. The young man with the hyphenated name has been forced to bide his time in his three seasons at the club after his selection as a Category B Rookie, via the club’s connection to its Next Generation Academy. The knock on him was his disposal and decision-making but he did himself proud on Friday night and fully justified his selection. They say that Melbourne’s season is hanging by a thread but there’s still time for Goodwin to unpack things and make the changes that will help the fans and the club restore their sanity. They should all be sufficiently rested by Sunday afternoon when they take on the Eagles in a rare contest with them at the MCG. That would be their time to make a start. MELBOURNE 1.5.11 9.7.61 11.11.77 11.15.81 BRISBANE LIONS 3.7.25 5.8.38 8.14.62 11.20.86 GOALS MELBOURNE Pickett 5 Van Rooyen 2 Chandler Fritsch Oliver Turner BRISBANE LIONS Cameron Daniher Rayner 2 Ah Chee Berry Hipwood Lohmann McLuggage BEST MELBOURNE Pickett Viney Oliver van Rooyen Petty Rivers BRISBANE LIONS McCluggage Neale Dunkley Hipwood Starcevich Zorko INJURIES MELBOURNE Nil BRISBANE LIONS Nil LATE CHANGES MELBOURNE Jake Bowey (back) replaced by Kynan Brown BRISBANE LIONS Nil REPORTS MELBOURNE Nil BRISBANE LIONS Nil SUBSTITUTIONS MELBOURNE Kynan Brown (replaced Harrison Petty in the fourth quarter) BRISBANE LIONS Jaspa Fletcher (replaced Logan Morris in the third quarter) UMPIRES Matt Stevic Andrew Stephens Nathan Williamson Cameron Dore CROWD 29,617 at the Gabba

DELUGE by KC from Casey The Casey Demons overcame their inaccuracy and the wet inhospitable conditions to overrun the lowly Northern Bullants at Genis Steel Oval in Cramer Street, Preston on Saturday. It was an eerie feeling entering the ground that in the past hosted many VFA/VFL greats of the past including the legendary Roy Cazaly. The cold and drizzly rain and the sparse crowd were enough to make one want to escape to the nearby Preston Market and hang out there for the afternoon. In the event, the fans who stayed to watch the game were treated to a close but somewhat lacklustre exhibition in which the Demons were superior for most of the day and proved that when they ran away with the game in the final quarter to win by 28 points. Early in the game, the teams traded goals and the home team keep their noses in front with a 4 point lead at the first break. The conditions and some puzzling umpiring were making things difficult for the players but the old adage about the team with the greater skills winning out in the wet started to prove true. With 12 AFL listed players, Casey gradually worked their way to square the game at half time with players like the strong tackling Bailey Laurie and Kynan Brown (who had a cameo performance much further north the night before) winning the ground ball and Tom Fullerton having one of his better games in the ruck. The experience of Jack Billings and Lachie Hunter were invaluable at this stage. The game became pretty much a slog in the murky wet conditions after half time with only one goal scored in an ugly quarter of football. That goal came from Shane McAdam after five minutes and it put Casey six points in front. Despite dominating the play, Casey could add only six points, half of them rushed, to the Bullants’ single behind for the term and Casey led by 11 points at the final break. The Demons got their kicking boots on in the last when, after a day of rain, the real deluge began in terms of goals scored. The first two came in quick succession from Oliver Sestan who was really relishing the conditions. Matt Jefferson, who presented well up forward all day, iced the game when he was well rewarded with a nice goal and McAdam dribbled one through late in proceedings for his third which saw the Casey Demons safely home for their fourth victory of the season. Laurie was the star of the day with his 23 possessions and a massive ten tackles, while Blake Howes had 22 touches and rookie Kynan Brown finished with 20, as did Fullarton in the ruck adding to his 29 hit outs. Mitch White and Ned Moodie were the best of the VFL list. The team heads much further north - to Brisbane next Saturday afternoon at Brighton Homes Arena for a tough assignment against a genuine flag contender.
 CASEY DEMONS 3.3.21 5.8.38 6.14.50 10.15.75 NORTHERN BULLANTS 4.1.25 6.2.38 6.3.39 7.5.47 GOALS CASEY DEMONS S. McAdam 3 M. Jefferson 0. Sestan 2 J. Billings H. Neocleous J. Schache NORTHERN BULLANTS J. Jorgensen 3 M. Goodman 2 C. Kosmas J. Velissaris BEST CASEY DEMONS B. Howes B. Laurie M. White M. Jefferson N. Moodie K. Brown NORTHERN BULLANTS C. Franks E. Mantas F. Dreher P. Fairlie J. Velissaris Statistics Jed Adams 10 kicks 10 disposals 4 marks 42 dream team points Jack Billings 1 goal 1 behind 14 kicks 5 handballs 19 disposals 4 marks 68 dream team points Kynan Brown 15 kicks 5 handballs 20 disposals 5 marks 6 tackles 95 dream team points Tyler Edwards 2 behinds 10 kicks 3 handballs 13 disposals 2 marks 1 tackle 48 dream team points Tom Freeman 10 kicks 3 handballs 13 disposals 5 marks 2 tackles 60 dream team points Tom Fullarton 12 kicks 8 handballs 20 disposals 3 marks 2 tackles 29 hitouts 92 dream team points Max Gregory 6 kicks 2 handballs 8 disposals 4 marks 5 tackles 55 dream team points Blake Howes 17 kicks 5 handballs 22 disposals 5 marks 1 tackle 82 dream team points Lachie Hunter 6 kicks 8 handballs 14 disposals 1 mark 37 dream team points Matt Jefferson 2 goals 7 kicks 2 handballs 9 disposals 5 marks 2 tackles 60 dream team points Luker Kentfield 1 behind 3 kicks 1 handballs 4 disposals 2 tackles 15 dream team points Eddie King 1 behind 2 kicks 2 disposals 1 tackle 11 dream team points Bailey Laurie 13 kicks 10 handballs 23 disposals 2 marks 10 tackles 97 dream team points Shane McAdam 3 goals 1 behind 9 kicks 3 handballs 12 disposals 4 marks 3 tackles 70 dream team points Ned Moodie 10 kicks 4 handballs 14 disposals 5 marks 2 tackles 61 dream team points Harvey Neocleous 1 goal 8 kicks 5 handballs 13 disposals 2 marks 4 tackles 58 dream team points Josh Schache 1 goal 2 behinds 11 kicks 3 handballs 14 disposals 3 marks 2 tackles 3 hitouts 70 dream team points Ollie Sestan 2 goals 1 behind 11 kicks 3 handballs 14 disposals 5 marks 6 tackles 88 dream team points Roan Steele 15 kicks 3 handballs 18 disposals 3 marks 4 tackles 76 dream team points Mitch Szybkowski 1 behind 7 kicks 5 handballs 12 disposals 1 mark 5 tackles 53 dream team points Ryan Valentine 3 kicks 3 handballs 6 disposals 1 mark 1 tackles 20 dream team points Mitch White 15 kicks 3 handballs 18 disposals 9 marks 5 tackles 92 dream team points Kai Windsor 3 kicks 4 handballs 7 disposals 3 marks 20 dream team points

Lol

The Demons return to Melbourne in Round 17 to take on the Eagles on Sunday as they look to bounce back from a devastating and heartbreaking last minute loss to the Lions at the Gabba. Who comes in and who goes out?

The Demonland Podcast will air LIVE on Monday, 1st July @ 8:30pm. Join George, Binman & I as we analyse the Demons loss at the Gabba against the Lions in the Round 16. You questions and comments are a huge part of our podcast so please post anything you want to ask or say below and we'll give you a shout out on the show. If you would like to leave us a voicemail please call 03 9016 3666 and don't worry no body answers so you don't have to talk to a human. Listen & Chat LIVE: https://demonland.com/podcast Call: 03 9016 3666 Skype: Demonland31

Captain Max Gawn has a considerable lead over the injured reigning champion Christian Petracca in the Demonland Player of the Year Award. Steven May, Alex Neal-Bullen & Jack Viney make up the Top 5. Your votes for the loss against the Lions. 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

The Demons once again went goalless in the last quarter and were run down by the Lions at the Gabba in the final minutes of the match ultimately losing the game by 5 points as their percentage dips below 100 for the first time since 2020.

May held it as long as Omac

Miss by Lingers could cost us the game

Non frees killing us

Petty’s just not a goal kicker.

Perry’s foot again 😱

The non paid frees killing us

Oliver in slow motion then

How is that not a block?

No kicking in danger?

They got a huge 50 before. We get a tiny one.

Need guys like McVee delivering into forward 50 more

Welcome back Chandler

Still only 1 free