By Marcus Uhe
A 79-point elimination final loss to Footscray has pulled the pin on the Casey Demons’ VFL premiership defence in 2023.
An under-strength Demons side was no match for a rested Bulldogs outfit, going down 22.16 148 to 10.9 69 at Box Hill City Oval on Saturday.
With a four-day turnaround before Melbourne’s AFL qualifying final against Collingwood on Thursday night, a handful of regular contributors did not take to the field for Casey, including Josh Schache, James Jordon, Tom McDonald, Brodie Grundy and Charlie Spargo, while Luke Dunstan suffered a season-ending knee injury in last week’s wildcard clash against North Melbourne.
Youngsters Finn Emile-Brennan and Ziggy Toledo were featuring in just their second VFL contests for the season, Cora Lynn’s Heath Briggs his first, and the gap in experience quickly began to show.
Goals were traded for much of the opening quarter before three goals in a costly four minutes during time-on to the Bulldogs saw them get off the leash at the first break.
The difference in class was apparent early as the Bulldogs found moving the ball the length of the field under little pressure through run and carry, and handball receives.
The Demons then allowed the first nine shots on goal in the second term, with Footscray in complete control, but could only convert on three to extend the margin to 41 points.
Ryan Valentine kicked a goal, sandwiched between a pair to Roan Steele, to wrestle back some momentum, but two Bulldogs goals late in the term ensured the ascendency was in red white and blue, to the tune of 35 points.
It was more of the same after the long break, with the Bulldogs kicking the next six as the lead blew out to 72 points.
George Grey kicked a sharp snap running deep into the pocket as one of few Demon highlights for the afternoon, but the margin grew to 91 points late in the final term as the Bulldogs ran riot.
Roan Steele’s fourth and fifth goals in time on during the fourth quarter saved the margin from ballooning too far, having reached a game-high of 91 points in the 28th minute.
Veteran James Munro was Casey‘s leading disposal winner with 32 touches, to go with nine tackles, six clearances and a goal, while James Harmes had 25 touches to keep himself in the frame for AFL selection.
A premiership defence flight path, that began with a smooth take off of four wins in the first four contests for Casey, hit turbulence shortly after, splitting the next eight results down the middle with four wins and four losses, unable to win consecutive matches again until a four-game run in July.
Three losses by a combined margin of 11 points to finish the year sunk any momentum heading into September, forced into a play off for seventh position in a wildcard clash against North Melbourne.
What impact the introduction of Brodie Grundy into the side would have had, as a result of Melbourne’s loss of faith in the big-name recruit late in the year, is another difficult intangible to quantify.
Dunstan’s consistency at VFL saw him nominated for the league’s Team of the Year, and he should figure highly in the club’s best-and-fairest count, alongside Laurie, Jordon and Jake Melksham.
Schache and Matthew Jefferson filled the hole left by Jacob Van Rooyen’s emergence in Melbourne’s senior side, kicking 29 and 23 goals respectively.
