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If the publicity ahead of Queens Birthday Monday was all about the Big Freeze and the game to follow the pre-game entertainment then the hardy group that braved the country’s cold snap to travel out to the windy plains beyond Cranbourne were given an early taste of what was to come in the Casey's big 52-point win over Collingwood VFL. The day started well with the Demons comprehensively beating the VFLW Magpies in the curtain-raiser elimination final and then their male counterparts donned the traditional Springvale heritage kit to dominate their rivals in the VFL match. With Melbourne holding back three players for emergency duties (Baker, Chandler and Tomlinson), Casey was left with 11 AFL-listed players but the VFL boys blended perfectly with them in what was a dominant display in the wild, woolly and freezing conditions. They were out of the blocks quickly in a 6 goal to nil opening term with the young and the old of Casey featuring. Youngster Roan Steele from Frankston YCW started things off with a left foot snap followed by Jimmy Munro’s long 50 metre goal. A couple of Casey talls in Jack Bell and Josh Smith chipped in among a great soccer goal from dangerous young Demon Jacob Van Rooyen and nippy forward Andy Moniz-Wakefield. A feature of the first quarter was Casey's deadly accuracy in front of goals. When the teams changed ends, Collingwood rallied briefly with the wind and were competitive for a while but the avalanche continued with more individual goals from Taj Woewodin, late inclusion Riley Baldi who was having a break out game, Luke Dunstan who was having a blinder and Sam Weideman who had played strongly for limited results on the scoreboard. By half time, when the rain had well and truly arrived to douse out any chance of a Magpie revival, the game was all but over. Coach Mark Corrigan would have been pleased with the fact that only one of his team’s 11 goals had come from a multiple goalkicker - Van Rooyen. The rest of the game turned into a dreary slog in the wet and when conditions moderated there was no pot of gold under the Casey rainbow for the visitors. The second half was an even arm wrestle but the Demons could be well satisfied going into the bye round undefeated and well on top. Dunstan rounded off a four quarter performance with 38 possessions, seven clearances, six tackles with solid contributions from Trent Rivers, Bailey Laurie, Taj Woewodin and Andy Moniz-Wakefield and Jayden Hunt. Toby Bedford also impressed with his strong tackling. Van Rooyen showed his versatility after kicking his two first half goals by backing up in the ruck when Josh Smith injured his meniscus. Casey’s skipper Mitch White added two goals in the gloom of the third quarter while Jimmy Munro was the perfect foil for Dunstan with 28 disposals. Jack Bell had a huge game in the ruck with 29 hit outs and 14 possessions and, as mentioned earlier Baldi produced an excellent all round game, the best of his brief VFL career. Another excellent performance came from Corey Ellison who held sway in the key defensive position in the absence of Tomlinson and Daniel Turner. In the end, it was another big, albeit early freeze for a visiting team at Casey Fields. CASEY DEMONS 6.2.38 11.3.69 13.8.86 14.10.94 COLLINGWOOD VFL 0.2.2 2.5.17 4.6.30 6.6.42 Goals Casey Demons Van Rooyen White 2 Baldi Bell Dunstan Laurie Moniz-Wakefield Munro Josh Smith Steele Weideman Woewodin Collingwood VFL Wetering 2 Fowler Hustwaite Roberts Voulanis Best Casey Demons Dunstan Baldi Bell Munro Rivers Woewodin White Collingwood VFL Brown Carmichael Poulter Bianco Tardrew Hustwaite Statistics Riley Baldi 1 goal 6 kicks 15 handballs 21 disposals 2 marks 4 tackles 1 hit outs 79 dream team points Toby Bedford 1 behind 6 kicks 6 handballs 12 disposals 4 marks 8 tackles 70 dream team points Jack Bell 1 goals 8 kicks 6 handballs 14 disposals 3 marks 4 tackles 29 hit outs 95 dream team points Matt Buntine 12 kicks 4 handballs 16 disposals 5 marks 5 tackles 79 dream team points George Churchill Grey 1 behind 10 kicks 3 handballs 13 disposals 3 marks 44 dream team points Luke Dunstan 1 goals 23 kicks 15 handballs 38 disposals 5 marks 6 tackles 138 dream team points Corey Ellison 11 kicks 4 handballs 15 disposals 3 marks 1 tackle 54 dream team points Jayden Hunt 12 kicks 4 handballs 16 disposals 3 marks 53 dream team points Bailey Laurie 1 goals 6 kicks 17 handballs 23 disposals 2 tackles 63 dream team points Tommy McRae 6 kicks 1 handball 7 disposals 3 marks 1 tackle 30 dream team points Judd McVee 3 kicks 2 handballs 5 disposals 1 mark 1 tackle 20 dream team points Bryce Milford 1 kicks 6 handballs 7 disposals 15 dream team points Andy Moniz-Wakefield 1 goal 1 behind 9 kicks 6 handballs 15 disposals 6 marks 58 dream team points James Munro 1 goals 9 kicks 19 handballs 28 disposals 1 marks 2 tackles 75 dream team points Trent Rivers 1 behind 17 kicks 4 handballs 21 disposals 8 marks 3 tackles 93 dream team points Miles Shepherd 2 kicks 4 handballs 6 disposals 1 marks 1 tackle 21 dream team points Deakyn Smith 5 kicks 4 handballs 9 disposals 3 marks 4 tackles 48 dream team points Josh Smith 1 goal 1 behind 3 kicks 1 handballs 4 disposals 3 marks 2 tackles 6 hit outs 41 dream team points Roan Steele 1 goal 10 kicks 6 handballs 16 disposals 5 marks 1 tackles 65 dream team points Jacob Van Rooyen 2 goals 8 kicks 6 handballs 14 disposals 6 marks 2 tackles 2 hit outs 67 dream team points Sam Weideman 1 goal 2 behinds 10 kicks 4 handballs 14 disposals 7 marks 1 hit out 69 dream team points Mitch White 2 goals 13 kicks 5 handballs 18 disposals 5 marks 3 tackles 82 dream team points Taj Woewodin 1 goals 10 kicks 4 handballs 14 disposals 5 marks 1 tackle 61 dream team points

It is truly amazing what a difference eight days can make in the life and times of a football club. It was a little over a week ago that the Casey Demons side were literally crushed into submission by the Werribee Tigers at Avalon Airport Oval. The losing margin in that game was not huge but the way they struggled to produce and cohesion in their play was obvious for all to see. On Sunday at Casey Fields as part of heritage week, the team wore the Springvale FC jumper and made its own turnaround in time against Collingwood VFL. And it was a dramatic turnaround that was told on the scoreboard in terms of a 63 point win that might well reignite the club’s season. The difference can be explained mainly in terms of the number of AFL-listed players available to Casey Demons head coach Jade Rawlings and to the infusion of a wealth of experience at the highest level which they brought with them in the game. This automatically added to the confidence level of every player and they were all able to take risks and produce efforts that have simply been out of the question over the past couple of months. The return of Jordan Lewis from a suspension brought with it a significant amount of on field leadership and flair. Lewis himself spent a great deal of time in the midfield where he picked up 30 possessions, took eight marks and controlled the game’s proceedings. The team’s intent was on display from the beginning as it attacked constantly in difficult conditions and against a cross wind that slightly benefited the visiting team. Six minutes into the game, Casey had three goals on the board and led 20-0. The Pies fought back but the home side maintained control with a three goal burst in the middle of the second term seeing them off to a handy 34 point half time lead. Throughout the day, the defence led by Harry Petty was superb as it strangled the life out of the Collingwood attack. Having forced the opposition into submission, the Casey Demons turned the second half into a cakewalk as they coasted away to a comprehensive 15.12.102 to 6.3.39 in which the incoming talent flourished. Apart from Lewis, Kade Kolondjashnij was a standout showing glimpses of his early form at the Suns and collecting 28 touches. Jay Lockhart (24 possessions) underlined how much he has improved with a few AFL games under his belt, as did Corey Wagner who was brilliant in accumulating 27 touches. The Demons would also be pleased with mid season draft pick Kyle Dunkley who booted three goals, accumulated 21 disposals and showed enough to suggest that he might be heading for AFL honours at some stage as the season progresses. Dunkley’s three goals were matched by skipper Mitch White who was strong in the air (10 marks) and around the ground. Jimmy Munro and Will Collis were also strong contributors for the Demons. The Casey Demons cause was enhanced by the strength of Braydon Preuss in the ruck and around the ground. He was capably backed up by Declan Keilty while lightly built ruck rookie Austin Bradtke also showed promise in his maiden VFL appearance after spending some time in the NAB Under 18 League. The team has a bye next week and then faces up to the difficult task of pushing a claim from a long way back for finals honours. 2019 Hard Yakka / Totally Workwear VFL Casey Demons 4.5.29 7.11.53 9.11.65 15.12.102 Collingwood VFL 2.0.12 3.1.19 5.2.32 6.3.39 Goals Casey Demons Dunkley White 3 Chandler Lefau C Wagner 2 Lockhart Neal-Bullen Preuss Collingwood VFL Reid 2 Cameron Gallucci Hellier Oxley Best Casey Demons Lockhart Petty C Wagner J Lewis Dunkley W Collis Collingwood VFL Reid Scharenberg Hustwaite Glover Gallucci Lane Statistics Toby Bedford 3 kicks 3 handballs 6 disposals 2 tackles 20 dream team points Austin Bradkte 4 kicks 5 handballs 9 disposals 3 marks 4 hit outs 35 dream team points Heath Briggs 4 kicks 4 handballs 8 disposals 2 marks 2 tackles 35 dream team points Kade Chandler 2 goals 1 behind 8 kicks 6 handballs 14 disposals 6 marks 4 tackles 80 dream team points Wayne Collis 9 kicks 4 handballs 13 disposals 4 marks 1 tackles 49 dream team points Kyle Dunkley 3 goals 17 kicks 4 handballs 21 disposals 4 marks 5 tackles 112 dream team points Tom Freeman 3 kicks 2 handballs 5 disposals 1 tackle 14 dream team points Jack Hutchins 11 kicks 5 handballs 16 disposals 6 marks 62 dream team points James Jordon 1 behind 12 kicks 3 handballs 15 disposals 3 marks 3 tackles 64 dream team points Declan Keilty 7 kicks 6 handballs 13 disposals 7 marks 6 tackles 14 hit outs 93 dream team points Jay Kennedy Harris 1 behind 19 kicks 6 handballs 25 disposals 11 marks 3 tackles 115 dream team points Kade Kolodjashnij 2 behinds 17 kicks 11 handballs 28 disposals 6 marks 4 tackles 109 dream team points Mykelti Lefau 1 goal 1 behind 6 kicks 1 handballs 7 disposals 5 marks 4 tackles 58 dream team points Jordan Lewis 11 kicks 19 handballs 30 disposals 8 marks 3 tackles 106 dream team points Jay Lockhart 1 goal 17 kicks 7 handballs 24 disposals 11 marks 7 tackles 127 dream team points James Munro 16 kicks 11 handballs 27 disposals 8 marks 2 tackles 99 dream team points Alex Neal-Bullen 1 goal 1 behind 8 kicks 7 handballs 15 disposals 2 marks 8 tackles 72 dream team points Harry Petty 10 kicks 8 handballs 18 disposals 6 marks 4 tackles 77 dream team points Braydon Preuss 1 goal 3 behinds 13 kicks 6 handballs 19 disposals 6 marks 6 tackles 40 hit outs 140 dream team points Cory Stockdale 9 kicks 4 handballs 13 disposals 2 marks 41 dream team points Anthony Vella 9 kicks 2 handballs 11 disposals 4 marks 1 tackle 45 dream team points Corey Wagner 2 goals 1 behind 20 kicks 7 handballs 27 disposals 5 marks 8 tackles 137 dream team points Mitchell White 3 goals 13 kicks 10 handballs 23 disposals 10 marks 1 tackle 108 dream team points

Casey struck the first blow in the weekend's Demon/Magpie rivalry battle with a 23-point win over Collingwood VFL on Saturday at Casey Fields to take its winning streak to five games. The Demons wrestled away the lead early in the game and held their opponents goalless in the first term but the Pies challenged with three late second quarter goals to trail by just four points at the main break. Casey responded strongly with the only goals of the third term and another two immediately after the start of the final quarter to hold firm against a determined foe that was desperate to hold onto their spot in the VFL top four. The 23-point win was set up by a clinical performance in the midfield from Dom Tyson (35 disposals) who was simply outstanding in the clinches and maintained a high standard of efficiency and decision-making throughout. His work was emulated by Tom Bugg (34 touches, 2 goals) and Jay Kennedy Harris (32, 1 goal) who returned to his best form of last year. Their dominance in the midfield was offset to some extent by the strength of the Collingwood defence which cut off Casey's marking options but the home side managed to find enough avenues to goal to win the day. The Casey team was smartly decked out in the uniform of its predecessor Springvale Football Club in honour of the Vales' 1998 premiership celebrations. Most of that team was on hand for the pre game festivity and at the end of the day to cheer the current team in the rooms. The Demons fielded 14 AFL listed players with two held back for the Queens Birthday game with Tim Smith apparently rested after copping a couple of knocks last week against the Bulldogs. They still managed to put a strong defensive line up on the ground with Sam Frost, Declan Keilty and Harry Petty performing the big man duties and Jayden Hunt and the improving Dion Johnstone providing the run out of the back line. After half time Frost was moved forward where he showed his versatility, kicking the goal that broke the early deadlock in the second half and proving a nuisance with his height and run. Redhead Oskar Baker showed out with his pace and provided a highlight with a brilliant interception that he just failed to cap off what would have been goal of the day. The return of Casey skipper Jack Hutchins was a welcome one. Whatever the Demon big men couldn't stop was often mopped up by the captain and the pressure he and James Munro (13 tackles) were instrumental in their team's victory. Mitch Lewis was very lively early until injured and Goy Lok was brilliant at times but marred his efforts with some missed in front of goal. Casey goes into next week's bye as one of the form teams of the competition along with Richmond and face lowly Coburg first up after the break with eyes firmly placed on a top two finish and the right to a home final. Peter Jackson VFL 2018 Casey Demons 3.2.20 4.6.30 6.8.44 11.10.76 Collingwood VFL 0.2.2 4.2.26 4.3.27 8.5.53 Goals Casey Demons Balic Bugg 2 Baker Frost Kennedy Harris Lewis Lok Scott J Wagner Collingwood VFL Blair Borthwick Crocker Gallucci Hetherington McLarty Sier Wellings Best Casey Demons Tyson Kennedy Harris Baker C Wagner Bugg Weideman Keilty Collingwood VFL Hetherington Sing Tardrew Wellings Hore Blair Statistics Oskar Baker 1 goal 1 behind 18 kicks 4 handballs 22 disposals 5 marks 4 tackles 94 dream team points Harley Balic 2 goals 13 kicks 9 handballs 22 disposals 7 marks 3 tackles 106 dream team points Tomas Bugg 2 goals 18 kicks 16 handballs 34 disposals 6 marks 6 tackles 140 dream team points Lachlan Filipovic 3 kicks 4 handballs 7 disposals 1 mark 4 tackles 14 hit outs 44 dream team points Sam Frost 1 goal 1 behind 11 kicks 3 handballs 14 disposals 4 marks 4 tackles 74 dream team points Jayden Hunt 6 kicks 9 handballs 15 disposals 1 mark 5 tackles 53 dream team points Jack Hutchins 5 kicks 4 handballs 9 disposals 3 marks 4 tackles 46 dream team points Dion Johnstone 7 kicks 5 handballs 11 disposals 1 mark 4 tackles 45 dream team points Declan Keilty 5 kicks 3 handballs 8 disposals 5 marks 2 tackles 44 dream team points Jay Kennedy Harris 1 goal 16 kicks 16 handballs 32 disposals 8 marks 3 tackles 121 dream team points Mitchell King 1 behind 2 kicks 7 handballs 9 disposals 1 tackle 29 hit outs 49 dream team point Mitchell Lewis 1 goal 1 behind 6 kicks 3 handballs 9 disposals 4 marks 3 tackles 55 dream team points Jay Lockhart 8 kicks 4 handballs 12 disposals 4 marks 3 tackles 56 dream team points Goy Lok 1 goal 3 behinds 10 kicks 5 handballs 15 disposals 1 mark 3 tackles 61 dream team points James Munro 3 kicks 15 handballs 18 disposals 1 marks 13 tackles 91 dream team points Mykelti Lefau 6 kicks 3 handballs 9 disposals 4 marks 2 tackles 40 dream team points Harrison Petty 1 behind 11 kicks 7 handballs 18 disposals 5 marks 6 tackles 91 dream team points Aidan Quigley 2 kicks 3 handballs 5 disposals 1 tackle 13 dream team points Angus Scott 1 goal 8 kicks 7 handballs 15 disposals 4 marks 1 tackle 57 dream team points Dom Tyson 19 kicks 16 handballs 35 disposals 5 marks 7 tackles 131 dream team points Corey Wagner 16 kicks 6 handballs 22 disposals 5 marks 7 tackles 105 dream team points Josh Wagner 1 goal 11 kicks 6 handballs 17 disposals 4 marks 5 tackles 79 dream team points Sam Weideman 8 kicks 3 handballs 11 disposals 7 marks 2 tackles 2 hit outs 61 dream team points