|
by KC from Casey The Casey Scorpions cruised their way into the VFL finals series with a 38 point win over the Werribee Tigers at Avalon Airport Arena at the weekend - a similar result give or take a few points to their last encounter at the same venue earlier last month.
And the similarities didn't end there - just as the Tigers put up a great fight last time they met, Werribee gave the visitors a tough welcome and took a 10 point lead into the first break and then Casey fought back to record a comprehensive win. This time, the Scorpions are finals bound
Casey kicked the opening two goals but went into a shell as the home side controlled the middle and had an unblemished goal kicking record of six straight goals when the quarter time siren sounded.
After the break the Casey on ball brigade, led by Paul Johnson in the ruck and with classy small men Danny Nicholls and Matt Fieldsend taking full advantage of his dominance, gave their key forwards Matty Bate and Brad Miller plenty of the ball and the next two quarters saw the Tiger resistance melt away.
By three quarter time Bate and Miller had each scored five goals thanks to some splendid teaming together and with the assistance of some lively play up field from Addam Maric, Ben MacReadie and Rian McGough.
Acting skipper James Wall marshalled the troops well throughout the day and Kyle Cheney and Tom McNamara were as steady as ever in defence.
With a solid three quarter time lead and the finals beckoning for one team and Mad Monday for the other, the last term turned into a lacklustre affair. Werribee won the quarter in a fitting tribute to its retiring coach Simon Atkins.
Injuries have not been kind to Casey so far this year with key players in skipper Kyle Matthews, young VFL representative Michael Stockdale, defender Tim Mohr and forwards Scott Simpson and Matt Moore all out along with several Melbourne AFL listed players so it has been extremely pleasing to see the likes of Fieldsend, Nicholls, MacReadie and McGough step up. For the final game of the season another youngster in Michael Risely was given an opportunity along with West Gippsland youngster Blake Carew.
In the end, the afternoon belonged to three players - Brad Miller who took 13 marks and kicked five goals five behinds, Matthew Bate with 26 disposals included in his five goal performance and emerging recruit from De La Salle, Matt Fieldsend who had the ball on a string and finished with 31 touches for the day.
The Casey Scorpions face a difficult first up finals challenge in their qualifying final against North Ballarat who have won the last two VFL premierships. The game will be played at TEAC Oval on Sunday at 2.10 pm.
Casey Scorpions 5.2.32 10.5.65 17.8.110 19.11.125
Werribee Tigers 6.0.36 6.3.39 9.5.59 13.9.87
Goals
Casey Scorpions Bate Miller 5 Healey 2 Creed Hughes MacReadie McGough Nicholls Plummer Taylor
Werribee Tigers Costello Gleeson Henderson 2
Best
Casey Scorpions Bate Johnson Hughes Miller Fieldsend Wall
Werribee Tigers Gleeson Martiniello Hartigan Rockefeller Dickson Chisholm
An undermanned reserves were pole axed to the tune of 110 points by finals bound Werribee. Will Petropoulos was named as his team's best.
Casey Scorpions 2.3.15 2.4.16 3.5.23 5.10.40
Werribee Tigers 4.1.25 9.4.58 19.8.122 23.12.150
Goals
Casey Scorpions David Bell Clay M Dowse N Dowse Petropoulos
Werribee Tigers Perkins 7 Daw Lunardi 3 Baddeley Gardiner Mather Simpson 2 Moloney Priest
Best
Casey Scorpions Petropoulos Tynan Bedggood Dowse Hillberge Costigan
Werribee Tigers Scott Perkins Mather Moloney Gardiner Garland |
.jpg)
