The scoreboard at the end of yesterday's VFL Second Elimination Final  told most of the game's narrative: 

Collingwood 26.21.177 

Casey Scorpions 9.8.62

The match up for the game was just as Scorpions coach Peter German  described it - a real "David versus Goliath" battle. The Scorpions  have overcome such adversity on previous occasions but this time the  Davids from Casey arrived without a slingshot and were barely able to  do any damage to a rampant Collingwood. 

There was a wide gulf between the two clubs in terms of AFL  credentials because of the widely different status of the lists of  their AFL aligned entities. The Scorpions had one senior listed player  in Michael Newton plus two rookies in Shane Valenti and Trent Zomer.  Of the 13 Demons eligible to play finals, ten had been forced out by  post-season operations and other injuries. 

Newton managed to recover in time from an Achilles injury that kept  him out of action for three weeks but other eligible players like  beanpole ruckman Jake Spencer, Kyle Cheney, Jordie McKenzie and Paul  Wheatley who all played against St. Kilda last week failed to make it  across the line this week. 

On the other hand, the Magpies had 15 AFL senior listed players and  six rookies in their side and they even had the luxury of leaving out  Sharrod Wellingham for emergency duties in the AFL Qualifying Final  The only non AFL listed player was former Bomber Damien Peverill whose  AFL 144 games alone exceeded the entire Casey total by in excess of  100 games. 

All that aside, the Scorpions have laboured under the weight of injury  for several weeks but only a fortnight ago they were able to knock  then top placed Williamstown off its perch in a thriller at Casey  Fields with just two Demons including one rookie lister. This time  they hit a brick wall. 

Casey fielded the following team: - 

 Backs Stockdale Chivers Taylor

Half backs Panozza Faulks Lees

Centreline McGough MacReadie Wall

Half forwards Matthews Waite Creed

Forwards Scanlon Newton Smith

Followers Mohr Silvagni Valenti

Interchange Blaser Collins B McDonald Zomer 

The game was a struggle for Casey right from the opening bounce.  Collingwood's Cameron Wood was dominating the ruck duels against the  Scorps undersized "big man" brigade and this gave his team control of  the contests in the middle of the ground. In addition, the  differential in terms of experience, physical strength, fitness and  overall ability was telling early. With several Magpies in contention  for places in their senior team's finals campaign, they exploded out  of the blocks with a 4.7.31 to 0.1.1 first quarter. 

Casey tried hard to regain some composure and a goal in the opening  minute of the second term from Ben Waite was a momentary team lifter  but the Pies were not going to allow their grip on the game to loosen  and they came back with two quick answering goals. Casey fought back  with an opportunistic goal off the ground at the 17-minute mark  followed by a mark and goal a minute later.

When James Wall goaled to  make it three in a row the Scorpions had narrowed the deficit to 27  points but Collingwood came back to stretch their lead to 35 points at  the main break. 

There a brief moment of optimism after the main break when a pass from  Valenti hit Ryan Creed for first blood of the second half but there  was to be no miraculous recovery this time around. Half an hour later,  Creed roved a pack to kick his second for the term but in between, the  Maggies had booted eleven unanswered goals with the aid of the breeze  to completely ice up the game and end Casey's season. The only interest in the final quarter was whether Casey could avoid a  100-point defeat. T

here were goals to Blaser, Taylor and Newton but it  was all junk time as Collingwood coasted to a 115-point victory. Despite the size of the defeat, the Scorpions had some hard workers.  Shane Valenti put in a gutsy 28 possession effort, captain Kyle  Matthews (24 touches) and James Wall (27 disposals) were consistent as  usual while Evan Panozza toiled manfully all day. 

A frustrated Peter German told reporters after the game: "If I knew that was going to be the story of the day, you'd actually  rather not make the finals because I just think it's really done some  harm to our footy club today." Despite the fact that his team played poorly against the odds, he will  realise in the clear light of day that he has achieved some great  things in 2009. After all is said and done, the season ended for the Casey Scorpions  in the same way it started.

 Way back in Round 1, the team ventured out  to Trevor Barker Beach Road Oval and received a 103 point caning at  the hands of the Zebras. A week later, the team regrouped but fell  tantalisingly short of victory against Port Melbourne in the first of  four defeats for the season by a margin of less than one solitary  goal.

 Last week, they also lost by a similar margin at Box Hill and on  Saturday, it was another 100 point plus thrashing. In between those bookends however, Casey would have made German  immensely proud. The other side of the coin when you are suffering  from a glut of injuries is that opportunities are given to young  players. The Scorpions successfully integrated many new faces into  their team in 2009 and the dividends for that will be reaped in the  years to come.

 Casey Scorpions 0.1.1 4.3.27 6.4.40 9.8.62 Collingwood 4.7.31 8.14.62 19.20.134 26.21.177 

Goals Casey Scorpions Newton 3 Creed 2 Blaser Taylor Waite Wall 

Collingwood Dick 5 Stanley 4 Blair Corrie 3 Bennell Cook Rounds  2 Barham Blight Bryan Dawes Reed

 Best Casey Scorpions Panozza Valenti Matthews Wall McDonald Faulks