By Marcus Uhe
A four-quarter effort continues to elude the Casey Demons in the VFL as Taylor Whitford’s side finds itself stuck in the ladder’s lower rungs near the season’s halfway mark.
Saturday’s contest against Coburg was another incomplete performance to add to the list in 2024, losing 16.12 108 to 12.10 82 at Coburg’s Piranha Park.
A second quarter in which they conceded seven goals and kicked only one themselves will no doubt be the focus of the review at training, as a 15-point lead at the first change of ends became a 22-point deficit at the long break.
After a promising opening to the game in which the Demons capitalised on possession and territory wins through goals to Matthew Jefferson, Caleb Lewis and Nick Moodie, was undone within nine minutes of the second period thanks to four quick Lions goals.
Tom Fullarton pegged one back for the visitors to stop the run, but a further three to close the half for Coburg ensured momentum was with the home side at the long break.
Coburg’s effectiveness from stoppages was causing headaches for Casey’s young midfield under significant pressure from the Lions in the middle, with one major coming directly from a centre bounce without a Demon touching the Sherrin.
Goals were exchanged early in the third term, with Beaconsfield’s Mitch Szybkowski displaying the power in his legs with a booming set shot from outside 50, but Coburg closed the quarter stronger once again.
Harvey Neocleous cut the lead to nine points after 18 minutes and the contest was well-and-truly alive, but the home side hit back hard with four of the final five goals to close the quarter.
Quick ball movement from the Demons allowed AFL-listed talent such as Bailey Laurie and Andy Monix-Wakefield to showcase their skills, but Ben Brown’s absence left a hole in the forward line, and a too much to too few ahead of the ball.
An even final term saw the lead plateau as he Demons slumped to a seventh loss of the year. Take the second quarter out of the equation and you would have an 11-goal to nine goal contest in Casey’s favour, such was the impact of the second term on proceedings.
Casey won the tackle count by 17 but was beaten soundly around the ball, -62 in overall possessions and -14 in marks.
Jefferson, Lewis, Neocleous and Fullarton each finished with two goals for Casey, with Fullarton registering 19 disposals due to spending time in the ruck.
Blake Howes won the most ball for Casey with 32 disposals, followed by Mitch White on 31 and Andy Moniz-Wakefield on 29.
The Demons face fellow battlers Collingwood on Sunday at Casey Fields, a side with a similarly poor record as its AFL affiliate feels the crunch of the injury plague.
