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The Casey Demons maintained their undefeated run and top spot on the VFL ladder after a bruising game against Richmond VFL at Punt Road yesterday but it wasn’t without its moments of doubt. The team was greeted by clear windless weather and sunny skies at Tigerland, a far cry from the prevailing conditions at their fortress in outer suburban Melbourne at Casey Fields. Things looked very bright in the early part of the game when Jimmy Munro got things under way with the opening goal from a free kick but things turned gloomy when the home team piled on six goals for the rest of the quarter, interrupted only by a couple of steadiers from Tom McDonald. The Tigers’ lead was stretched from 21 points to 26 by the 5 minute mark of the second term but from that point on, the Demon defence, led by Adam Tomlinson (till half time), Fraser Rosman, Deakyn Smith and Corey Ellison held them to just two goals for the remainder of the game (including a consolation goal late in time on at the very end). Tomlinson was unseen after collecting his 17 touches to half time, apparently taken off to be the emergency for the later game across the park at the MCG. Tomlinson’s presence might have been missed due to a few injury scares in the tough going later in the game but the classy Casey forwards ensured the win with two productive bursts - one in the second half of the second quarter and the other in the final term. Jake Melksham fired the team up with a goal of his own and was inspirational in the team’s revival. Goals from Munro and McDonald further narrowed the gap before Andy Moniz-Wakefield flew to mark and goal to give the Demons the half time lead. A dour third term followed in which both defences were on top and scores were level at the final break. Casey took the ascendancy early through a goal from dependable skipper Mitch White who was the best on ground and it was time for the visitors to run the Tigers ragged. Oskar Baker turned in an excellent four quarter performance and some late goals to promising youngsters in Bailey Laurie and Jacob Van Rooyen were very encouraging. The 23-point victory lifted the Demons to the status of the only team in the competition with full points from all matches after the Giants drew their match with Sandringham at Blacktown on Saturday and sets up an interesting encounter next week against the Box Hill Hawks at City Oval, Box Hill. Casey Coach Mark Corrigan would have come away happy at the way his charges overcame those early moments of doubt and turned the momentum their way and into a comfortable victory in the end. Casey Demons 3.0.18 7.6.48 8.7.55 13.9.87 Richmond VFL 6.3.39 7.4.46 8.7.55 9.10.64 Goals Casey Demons McDonald 3 Munro White 2 Brown Chandler Laurie Melksham Moniz-Wakefield Van Rooyen Richmond VFL Lefau 2 Aarts Clark Henderson Johnson Olden Stack Tucker Best Casey Demons White Rosman Melksham McDonald Tomlinson Baker Chandler Ellison Richmond VFL Street Aarts Ryan Sonsie Martyn Clarke Statistics Oskar Baker 17 kicks 7 handballs 24 disposals 7 marks 4 tackles 95 dream team points Riley Baldi 6 kicks 3 handballs 9 disposals 5 marks 6 tackles 63 dream team points Jake Bell 2 kicks 1 handballs 3 disposals 1 tackle 3 hit outs 11 dream team points Mitch Brown 1 goals 2 behinds 10 kicks 1 handballs 11 disposals 7 marks 59 dream team points Kade Chandler 1 goals 1 behind 9 kicks 8 handballs 17 disposals 6 marks 6 tackles 93 dream team points Majak Daw 6 kicks 5 handballs 11 disposals 2 marks 3 tackles 31 hit outs 79 dream team points Corey Ellison 9 kicks 3 handballs 12 disposals 8 marks 2 tackles 65 dream team points George Grey 9 kicks 4 handballs 13 disposals 1 mark 2 tackles 46 dream team points Ryan Koo 3 handballs 3 disposals 1 mark 2 tackles 17 dream team points [injured] Bailey Laurie 1 goal 1 behinds 7 kicks 7 handballs 14 disposals 1 mark 4 tackles 59 dream team points Tom McDonald 3 goals 1 behind 9 kicks 4 handballs 13 disposals 3 marks 1 tackle 6 hit outs 65 dream team points Judd McVee 1 kick 6 handballs 7 disposals 4 tackles 32 dream team points Jake Melksham 1 goal 15 kicks 4 handballs 19 disposals 8 marks 6 tackles 99 dream team points Andy Moniz-Wakefield 1 goal 5 kicks 6 handballs 11 disposals 4 marks 1 tackle 49 dream team points James Munro 2 goals 5 kicks 10 handballs 15 disposals 7 tackles 69 dream team points Fraser Rosman 17 kicks 4 handballs 21 disposals 5 marks 1 tackle 78 dream team points Miles Shepherd 6 kicks 5 handballs 11 disposals 5 marks 5 tackles 64 dream team points Deakyn Smith 5 kicks 8 handballs 13 disposals 5 marks 2 tackles 51 dream team points Roan Steele 10 kicks 2 handballs 12 disposals 5 marks 2 tackles 59 dream team points Adam Tomlinson 15 kicks 2 handballs 17 disposals 6 marks 1 tackle 68 dream team points Jacob Van Rooyen 1 goal 1 behinds 3 kicks 2 handballs 5 disposals 2 marks 2 tackles 34 dream team points Mitch White 2 goals 1 behind 15 kicks 11 handballs 26 disposals 3 marks 2 tackles 96 dream team points Taj Woewodin 7 kicks 2 handballs 9 disposals 4 marks 3 tackles 43 dream team points

The Casey Scorpions made the trip into town to take on the Richmond Tigers at the ME Bank Centre in Punt Road for the first time and lost their sixth game on the trot. The result, a 35 point defeat in dismal conditions was rather flattering for a team that struggled to put together any semblance of cohesive football for the first three quarters. The undermanned Scorpions who already had many of their usual VFL-listed players missing with injury, had to make do with a reduced number of Melbourne players when two emergencies were taken to Darwin and Jimmy Toumpas pulled out through illness. It was a slow start under gray skies with rain threatening and the Tigers were up and about with the opening two goals. Casey struggled with its usual array of miskicks and mistakes and lost Max King early when he limped off with a knee injury. It was past the halfway mark of the first quarter, that Casey finally kicked its first goal through Michael Evans and Jake Best chipped in to level the score at 2.3.15 apiece moments later. Unfortunately, that was the last time for the day that the Scorpions were really in the game. The Tigers kicked two more for the opening term and led by 15 points at the break. Richmond had a tall side out on the park while Casey was light on for height especially with King out of the game. The home team also enjoyed an advantage in size and bulk and they out bustled and worried the lifeless Scorpions into error after error as they pushed to a handy 34-point lead at half time. There was a slight improvement in intensity from the visitors after half time but they failed to gain any reward on the scoreboard with only five behinds for the third term that saw them fall in arrears by 51 points. There were some rays of light for the ailing Scorpions which have not won a game for two months. Young midfielder Ed Morris who won the Gippsland Power Under 18s best and fairest last year, put in a stunning performance with 28 disposals, 12 tackles and a goal and was outstanding in the final term along with Nathan Page who added two to finish with three goals. Skipper Evan Panozza and defender Troy Davis were the team's workhorses setting an example for their inexperienced teammates, many of who appeared overawed but not fifth gamer Andrew Godfrey. The Scorpions added six goals for the final term with Daniel Welsh chipping in with his maiden VFL goal at the end. The Demon listed players were hot and cold all day, the best being Aidan Riley while Sam Blease worked hard with his pace to try to lift the side. Casey travels further afield next Saturday to Queen Elizabeth Oval in Bendigo to take on the winless Bendigo Gold who will be folding at the end of the year. On current form they should not take this game for granted. 2014 Peter Jackson VFL Casey Scorpions 2.3.15 4.5.29 4.10.34 10.11.71 Richmond Tigers 4.6.30 9.9.63 12.13.85 15.16.106 Goals Casey Scorpions Page 3 Best Blease Evans Kennedy-Harris Morris Strauss Welsh Richmond Tigers McBean 5 Lloyd McDonough 2 Darrou Edwards Gordon Griffiths Lennon Stephenson Best Casey Scorpions Morris Riley Page Godfrey Nicholson Davis Richmond Tigers Wynne Lloyd Darrou McDonough McBean Barlow Statistics * Sam Blease 1 goal 1 behind 21 disposals 17 kicks 4 handballs 4 marks 4 tackles 96 Dream Team Points * Mitch Clisby 1 point 24 disposals 16 kicks 8 handballs 6 marks 2 tackles 92 Dream Team Points * Michael Evans 1 goal 15 disposals 6 kicks 9 handballs 4 marks 2 tackles 60 Dream Team Points * Jack Fitzpatrick 2 points 11 disposals 8 kicks 3 handballs 4 marks 2 tackles 21 hit outs 75 Dream Team Points * James Harmes disposals 10 kicks 5 handballs 5 marks 1 tackle 58 Dream Team Points * Jay Kennedy-Harris 1 goal 18 disposals 6 kicks 12 handballs 3 marks 5 tackles 80 Dream Team Points * Max King 1 tackle 4 Dream Team Points [injured very early] * Viv Michie 18 disposals 11 kicks 7 handballs 5 marks 1 tackle 62 Dream Team Points * Dan Nicholson 1 point 20 disposals 8 kicks 12 handballs 7 marks 4 tackles 86 Dream Team Points * Aidan Riley 1 point 24 disposals 12 kicks 12 handballs 4 marks 9 tackles 104 Dream Team Points * James Strauss 1 goal 17 disposals 9 kicks 8 handballs 4 marks 1 tackle 66 Dream Team Points The development league team received a reward for persistence when they chased down the Werribee Tigers after a slow start. AFL Victoria Development League Casey Scorpions 1.1.7 4.2.26 8.3.51 11.8.74 Werribee Tigers 4.2.26 6.7.43 7.9.51 8.13.61 Goals Casey Scorpions Drew Lang Rennie Waters 2 Davidson Paredes Saunders Werribee Tigers Robinson 2 Burton Harper Henderson Iles Sharp Taylor Best Casey Scorpions Paredes Drew Jackson Waters Shiels West Werribee Tigers Harper Iles Graham Lang Buchanan Robinson