By Marcus Uhe
Between the 18-minute mark of the final quarter and the 26th in Casey’s VFL battle with Greater Western Sydney the scoreboard did not change.
With very passing moment, however, the tension grew.
The scores were tied, with Casey having led by as many as 24 points late in the third term, and the Giants kicking the last five goals to tie things up.
Stoppage after stoppage after stoppage ensued, with neither side capable of getting a clear territorial advantage in the falling rain.
Effective disposals were as rare as a dry blade of grass at Casey Fields, with the players swarming to contests like bees to a honey pot in desperation.
Twice the Demons went right to the teeth of goal, but twice the Giants were able to save the day.
A flying shot from Nick Moodie with options in the forward 50 fell into the arms of Nick Haynes, and away the Giants went.
They scrambled the ball the length off the field, but Lachie Hunter tracked back in true wingman style to take the relieving mark deep in defence, keeping the scores locked.
Repeat entries kept the ball in the Giants’ half of the ground, however they eventually edged ahead by a single point, thanks to a flying snap at a boundary throw-in.
The kick-in from Marty Hore went straight down the middle, but came back just as quickly, thankfully into the waiting hands of Hunter.
Hunter looked inboard with the clock ticking away, and found Oliver Sestan at centre-half back, but Sestan surrendered possession with a wayward kick to half-forward.
With Melbourne’s defenders sucked up the ground to affect the press, they were left vulnerable to a ball out the back of the marking contest at centre wing.
When the Giants cleared the contest and had forwards running into an open goal, Demon hearts sunk.
Josaia Delana would drop the mark at the top of his goal square, but had enough of a gap on the trailing Tyler Edwards to regather the slippery footy and kick the sealer from close range.
When the final siren rung out across Casey Fields after 29-and-a-half minutes with the ball in dispute at Casey’s centre-half-forward, Casey skipper Mitch White punched the ground in disgust before using the same hand to shake opposition hands.
The scoreboard behind the players on centre wing only told half the story of missed opportunities and giant heartbreak.
6.15 51 to 9.4 58 read the final score, the Demons having blown a golden opportunity to keep faint Wildcard round hopes alive.
It was a contest marred with momentum swings that ultimately finished how it started – on the Giants’ terms.
GWS kicked the first two, but Casey hit back with the next pair to tie proceedings at the first break.
Tom Fullarton threaded the needle with a tough set shot from deep in the forward pocket, and a crunching tackle from dropped Demon Tom Sparrow led to Will Verrall equalising for Casey.
Four of the next five went Casey’s way, however, to open the largest lead of the contest at 24 points in the third term.
The Demons found great connection between their forwards and midfielders as the rain brought the Giants’ handball game unstuck.
A running goal from teenager Noah Yze contrasted the team’s fortunes, as the Demons strung together a chain of handballs to find the son of the Richmond coach cruising inside 50 to kick his first goal in Demons colours.
Straightforward misses from Fullarton and Matthew Jefferson in the third term, however, saw chances squandered to increase the margin, and kept the Giants in the contest.
Given an inch, the Giants took a mile, and suddenly found the run, carry and dare to force their way back into the contest.
Giants forward Max Gruzewski was a handful for Josh Schache in a key defensive role, and three goals in five minutes midway through the final term saw the visitors draw level.
From there, it was anyone’s game, but that anyone just happened to be wearing orange.
It’s an 11th loss of the season for Casey and yet another they will rue having conceded lead in, ruling them out of sneaking into wildcard calculations, now too far back in the chasing pack for 10th place.
Rarely blown off the park at any stage in 2024 – their heaviest defeat being a 46-point loss to Brisbane – the Demons have an average losing margin of just 21 points.
The positives are there, but injuries and availability issues for the AFL program have seen the Demons search for continuity throughout 2024.
Of critical frustration on Saturday would be the +13 advantage in inside 50s, suggesting they were not lacking for opportunities.
Sparrow looked a class above at VFL level and finished as the leading disposal winner in the game, with 31 touched and nine tackles, while Fullarton played one of his most accomplished games in red and blue, with 25 touches, 16 hit outs and a goal.
The Demons will next face Footscray at the Whitten Oval on Friday afternoon.
