By Jonty Ralphsmith
Casey’s senior men had an impressive 2-2 draw with Yarra on Saturday in an enormous result for the club.
Yarra top the table in the men’s Vic League 2 competition, and have had just one loss from 12 outings, with the draw solidifying Casey’s standing as a legitimate late-season threat.
The Cannons are currently in second spot, eight points behind Yarra, and just two points clear of fifth-placed Bayside on a tight ladder.
Casey fired the first shot, an early field goal to Tristan Chaffey, before Yarra took a 2-1 lead with goals either side of halftime.
Chaffey then equalised late in the game, before the Cannons, led by goal keeper Matthew Hollway, staunchly defended three short corners in the last minute of the game to hold on.
Big-game player Cam Ritchie again stood up with an important best afield contribution.
Coach Steve Noney provided an insight into the mindset of the club going into a clash they went into as underdogs.
Impressively, yellow cards to Chaffey and Josh Watson meant there were two seven-minute patches where Casey was playing one player short, yet the work rate of the others neutralised the threat during those times
“It was a great game – we probably went in there a little bit more relaxed so we probably played freer with less pressure,” Noney said.
“We’re taking a different perspective: we always want to win but at the same time, as long as our hockey is improving and we play the way we want to, it’s a positive.
“Importantly, we proved to ourselves that we can actually match it and it’s just about playing the way we want to and sticking to that.
“There’s still patchy bits – we haven’t played a full 70-minute hockey game but we’re building towards that.
“We’ve had some pressure around player availability but we’re putting it together well.”
Chaffey’s double takes him to the top of the Vic League 2 goal scoring table, with 13 goals from 12 starts in 2023.
“His season has developed,” Noney said.
“He’s got a lot of experience so we’re trying to blend that into our group so we’re not relying on one player but allow his skillset to bring other players into the game.
“He’s playing varied roles as well which ebbs and flows with the results.”
Casey’s senior women were gallant in defeat against third-placed Geelong, going down 2-0 to a premiership contender in the Vic League 1 competition.
The result, alongside Monash University’s win, means the Cannons drop three points off the pace of the finals-bound top six, with a crunch match between the two sides looming as a must win for both sides to snatch the last finals spot.
