By JARROD POTTER
VICTORIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE
REVIEW – ROUND 6
IT FINALLY clicked into gear for Casey.
Despite the weather making every slippery like a crocodile slide, the Scorpions skipped along in the mud and water to seize their chances in front of goals.
Their back-to-back losses – effectively back-to-back kicks up the backside – motivated Casey to link up, play team football and support your team mates at all costs on Saturday against the Northen Blues.
The errant early season Scorpions were not sighted on Saturday as Tim Smith (5 goals) slotted three of his majors with his first three kicks.
Curtailing Cameron Wood was tricky for the Scorpions’ rucks, as he accrued a whopping 77 hit outs -but young Gippslander Jake Thomas and Jack Fitzpatrick performed ably to chop out for each other, with the occasional third man up also making the task at hand easier.
Northern received a rev-up at half-time and fought back into the clash with a four-goal-to-one third term led by goals to Tom Wilson, Wood, Brent Bransgrove and Irishman Ciaran Byrne.
Casey fought back to keep the Blues scoreless in a sloppy last term and the siren left the Scorpions ahead by 16 points, but more importantly, it left 46 blokes to trudge off after the battle in a bog.
Impressing for the Scorpions were Melbourne midfield trio Jordie McKenzie (32 possessions), Sam Blease (30) and Aiden Riley (27) while Smith’s five goals troubled the Blues all day up the other end.
Also excelling in Casey colours were Viv Michie and Dom Barry to round out a weekend Melbourne would be very pleased to see.
Former Gippsland Power hard-nut Nick Graham racked up the wet-weather touches with 32 possessions that should see him elevated to the mediocre Carlton team in weeks to come.
VFL
NORTHERN BLUES 2.1 4.3 8.7 8.7 (55)
CASEY SCORPIONS 3.2 8.5 9.9 10.11 (71)
NORTHERN
Goals: B. Bransgrove 2, T. Wilson 2, C. Wood, C. Byrne , T. Temay, S. Cattapan. Best: J. Cachia, N. Graham, A. McInnes, B. Bransgrove, J. Anthony, J. Tardio.
CASEY
Goals: T. Smith 5, L. Tapscott 2, P. Rosier, V. Michie, J. Hunt. Best: S. Blease, T. Smith, J. McKenzie, V. Michie, A. Riley, D. Barry.
