THERE'S not much of Clayton Collard. The AFL media guide lists the Richmond rookie as being 182cm and 90kg, but that is clearly incorrect. He's more like 175cm and 70kg. But the little  forward gave a towering performance for Coburg on Saturday to inspire the Tigers to a one-point win over the Casey Scorpions at Casey Fields. 

 By Paul Amy- Leader News

Closing in on the 25-minute mark of the final term, Collard tackled Scorpions defender Matthew Ferguson and was rewarded with a free kick. With it he drilled  his sixth goal and put the Tigers in front. It was the last score of the match.

 At siren's end ABC commentator Ross Both rushed over to declare him man of the match. The loss sent the Scorpions to fifth on the ladder, a game behind Werribee, putting their double-chance bid in jeopardy.

It will all come down to Saturday's final round, when Casey plays Collingwood at MC Labour Park and Werribee visits its western suburbs rival Williamstown. If the Scorpions win and the Bees lose, it will boil down to percentage, and Casey's is far superior.

Saturday's match at Casey Fields began with a series of ball-ups. It was ugly to watch, but the match  flourished  into a gripping encounter between two finalists. The Scorpions had to persist after they were outplayed in the first half. If not for James Wall, who regularly popped up with intercepting marks (he finished with 30 disposals and 14 grabs), they would have trailed by more than 21 points at half-time.  But they kicked the first five goals of the third quarter, finding some run and kicking to two worthy tall targets in Ben McEvoy and Jarryd Allen. Coburg replied with two late ones, but Allen sent the home club into the last change with a buzz after dribbling through a goal from close to the boundary. It was straight off a Peter Daicos highlights reel.

The young Saint then marked at the top of the goalsquare to give Casey the lead early in the final term. Collard chipped in for his fifth, but Jarryn Geary replied for the Scorpions at the 13-minute. For the next 10 minutes or so the teams went at it full bore. Here was a good example: Casey skipper Kyle Matthews charging at the ball and flicking a handball out to Stefan Garrubba, whose kick was smothered, the ball spilling over the boundary line.  It was time for everyone to catch some breath.Casey's pressure was unrelenting, pinning the Tigers deep into defence, but it was unable to kick the goal that would have broken Coburgs resistance. Instead Collard popped up to complete an outstanding performance and leave Casey with it all to do in Round 20.

The Scorpions should at least regain Alex Silvagni, who hasn't played since taking a heavy hit against Box Hill in Round 16.  

Casey had another first-gamer on Saturday in Scott MacLeod and he did well in defence. MacLeod joined the club from Mulgrave  three years ago. 

 Casey Scorpions   3.2  5.6  11.8  13.10 (88)Coburg Tigers   6.1  9.3  12.5  14.5 (89) GOALS: Casey Scorpions: Allen 4 McEvoy 3 Fisher  Ferguson  Geary  Armitage  Dunne  Garrubba. Coburg Tigers: Collard 6 Caruso  Tivendale  Liddle  Caruso  Meyer  Hughes  Vasilevski  Oakley-Nicholls  BEST: Casey Scorpions: Fisher Wall Geary Armitage Panozza Ferguson. Coburg Tigers: Howat Collard Shelton Rance Tivendale Horne

$1000 Leader player-of-the-year award (votes by Paul Amy): 3 James Wall,   2 Evan Panozza, 1 Leigh Fisher.

Progressive:  

14 Birss, 9 Silvagni, Rix, 7 Wall, Armitage, Gwilt, McQualter, 6 Clarke, Jones, 5 Matthews, Geary, 4 Gardiner, 3 Panozza, Fisher, Ferguson, R Clarke, 2 Steven, Taylor, Dunne,  Milne, Armitage, McEvoy, Allen, 1 Howard.Reserves - Casey Scorpions   2.2  5.6  9.9  10.12 (72) lt Coburg Tigers   3.7  9.12  15.15  22.21 (153)