Looking to back up their Round 5 win over Geelong, the VFLW Demons did it in style at Casey Fields on Saturday.
Casey never looked troubled, breaking the game open with a barnstorming second term before playing consistent footy to close out the 43-point win.
In the 8.4 (52) to 1.3 (9) victory there were many standouts, but none shone brighter than Tahlia Fellows.
With 14 disposals and two goals to her name, she continued her fine season with another best on ground performance, as her pace and X-factor broke the back of the Cats’ defence on many occasions.
She started the game off after a tight first 10 minutes, marking and calmly slotting through the game’s first major to send Casey on its way.
But Geelong’s defence did all it could to hold on before a second quarter avalanche gave the Demons an unassailable lead.
The stunning win was all about Casey’s depth and consistency across the ground, with Shree Fairchild receiving some deserved reward for her tenacity at the ball when she won a free kick and drilled through her first goal.
The tall combination of Caitlin Conroy (11 disposals, two goals) and Lucy Wales (24 hit-outs, 14 disposals) proved unstoppable both in the ruck and up forward, with both players constantly soaring to pull down fantastic intercept marks.
In the midfield, the trio of Mel Hogg (14 disposals, two goals), Eloise O’Connor (19 disposals, five tackles) and Emma Horne (17 touches) were brilliant, combining to give their teammates many opportunities to storm forward.
Conroy kept the ball rolling in the second quarter, following up Fairchild’s goal with a major of her own when she tapped the ball to herself from a boundary throw-in and then snapped through an exciting dribble goal.
When a determined Tara Reiter then smothered a Geelong kick and Fellows pounced to weave through opponents and set up Jennifer Macdonald for a running goal, Casey found itself right on top in the contest.
A massive Mel Hogg set shot goal late in the first half meant the Demons entered the main break with a 31-point lead.
Although Casey didn’t replicate this goal-scoring avalanche from the second term, it continued playing disciplined footy in the second half.
Geelong hit back at the start of the quarter to register their first and only goal of the day, only for the Demons to respond with a superb pick up and running goal from Fellows.
With only seconds left in the third quarter, Hogg lay the perfect tackle and kicked her second goal after the siren to give Casey a 36-point lead at the final break.
Well ahead, the Demons coasted to their ninth-consecutive win, with an early Conroy goal confirming the blow-out victory.
Having accounted for another VFLW flag contender in Round 9, Casey will travel to Box Hill next week for another crunch clash with the Hawks.
CASEY 1.1 5.3 7.3 8.4 (52)
GEELONG 0.2 0.2 1.3 1.3 (9)
GOALS: Conroy, Fellows, Hogg 2, Fairchild, Macdonald
DISPOSALS: O’Connor 19, Horne 17, Fellows, Hogg, Wales 14, Grant 13
BEST: Fellows, Wales, Conroy, Horne, Gillard, O’Connor, Hogg
