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By KC from Casey Things weren't looking very good for the Casey Scorpions during the first break of their game against the Werribee Tigers at Avalon Airport Oval, Werribee. The team was coming off a hiding a fortnight earlier at Williamstown, had been temporarily banished from its home ground at Casey Fields on account of its poor condition and it was already 19 points in arrears of the Tigers after a fifth consecutive single goal quarter. The opening half hour of the game had seen a team bereft of confidence in the face of intense Werribee pressure, conceding the first four goals of the game before a late major from Rohan Bail, who along with the busy Michael Stockdale had been the Scorpions' best player for the term, at least made the scoreboard respectable.
Coach Brad Gotch calmly addressed his players at the huddle, giving them instructions and requiring them to increase their intensity and apply more pressure on the opposition. He pushed Cale Morton behind the ball, gave Michael Newton the relief rucking role to help out young Jack Fitzpatrick and generally opening up the forward line. The effect was immediate.
The game had begun in reasonably good conditions with the ground mainly firm under foot apart from a bit of a gluepot in the centre. The Tigers had the early advantage of the wind but, with the change of ends, the Scorpions took the initiative with Colin Sylvia and Liam Jurrah in devastating form up forward. Sylvia booted two goals and Jurrah one in the first nine minutes and the gap had been bridged.
Together, the duo set the game alight and returned life to their team. Suddenly, players were running, switching the play and using all their skills to advantage. Newton was giving a lot of drive and Jurrah was back to his magical best kicking goals, setting them up and giving them to teammates. Ryan Macreadie and Danny Nicholls were also important players and acting skipper James Wall was steady and strong in defence. By half time the locals were left stunned in the wake of Casey's seven goal to nil second quarter.
The Tigers were not done yet. After an early goal to Newton, Werribee retook the initiative with four consecutive goals to creep to within eight points before the Scorpions regrouped with a series of goals later in the term to give them a strong lead of 29 points at the last change.
Injuries to James Strauss, Austin Wonaeamirri and Luke McDonald left Casey with a bench of only two. With limited rotations, the final quarter became something of a slog as the darkening light was replaced by the Werribee floodlighting and Casey cruised to a 41 point win.
The win lifted the team's percentage above 110% after last week's debacle but left it in third position with 9 wins and 2 defeats. Next week the Scorpions visit lowly Frankston but it must not let its guard down against its neighbouring traditional rival. With some doubt about the status of its home games in coming weeks, Casey will need to make every post a winner in the road home to the finals.
Casey Scorpions 1.4.10 8.8.56 13.12.90 17.15.117
Werribee Tigers 4.5.29 4.10.34 8.13.61 10.16.76
Goals
Casey Scorpions Jurrah Sylvia 3 MacReadie Newton 2 Bail Fieldsend L McDonald Miller Nicholls Wall Wonaemirri
Werribee Tigers Chisholm 3 Castello 2 O'Keefe Obst Priest Prismall Sharp
Best
Casey Scorpions Bail Wall Sylvia Newton Morton MacReadie
Werribee Tigers Dickson Obst Castello Tarrant Sharp Rockefeller
The reserves played third placed Werribee and stayed with the Tigers in the first half but fell behind when the "hosts" produced a stunning eight goal third quarter to put the game beyond their reach.
Casey Scorpions 3.5.23 6.9.45 7.11.53 13.14.92
Werribee Tigers 4.2.26 7.5.47 15.9.99 21.11.137
Goals
Casey Scorpions Hillberge 4 Blease 2 David Bell Jones Martin Patti Petropoulos Purdy Smith
Werribee Tigers Henderson Perkins 5 Denton 3 Laidlaw 2 Baddeley Bongetti Garland McKerracher Meredith Moloney
Best
Casey Scorpions Patti Smith Costigan Weekes Cleven Tapscott
Werribee Tigers Moloney Harrison Denton Henderson Hartigan Baddeley |
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