FOR the majority of the match it looked like Casey was going to suffer its first loss of the VFL season.

But it took for a magical final term from Bailey Laurie and co for the Demons to edge past Geelong and run away 11-point winners.

Despite another fast start, Geelong soon got on top in the second and third quarters, taking the lead into the last term and looking better.

But Casey lifted itself off the canvas in the last quarter, kicking four goals to run away to a 11.9 (75) to 9.10 (64) win over a spirited Geelong.

It wasn’t Casey’s most attractive win, as Geelong looked the better side for a lot of the match, but Casey coach Mark Corrigan said it was a statement win full of determination.

“Those wins mean a lot more than when you have things going all your way for large portions of the game,” Corrigan said. “Geelong was fantastic after quarter time and they challenged us.

"For the boys to respond the way they did in the last and have that belief to keep playing their way and get the right result was most impressive.”

 It looked like being another Casey night out when the Demons sped away to a hot start, kicking the first six goals of the match.

All three of the Demons’ tall forwards looked threatening, with Sam Weideman starting proceedings with a lovely set shot goal to cap off a terrific end-to-end play starting with Adam Tomlinson’s piercing kick.

Jacob van Rooyen then began another great performance in trying conditions when he won a free kick and snapped truly before Mitch Brown got on the board with a clever soccer goal.

Casey looked quick and damaging in the drizzling conditions at GMHBA Stadium, with Kade Chandler picking up from where he left off when he earned a high free kick and converted from range.

Taj Woewodin stood out in all four quarters with his hard work and composure. In the first term he received an early reward for his efforts, getting on the end of another thrilling end-to-end play and driving home a great goal on the run.

Bailey Laurie capped off the first quarter onslaught with a smart side-step and drop punt through the middle to give us a 35-point lead at the first break.

But that was when Casey’s goal fest stopped, as the home side got on top in the second term and got back into the match.

Despite some great defensive work from established defenders Trent Rivers (20 disposals), Jayden Hunt and Adam Tomlinson, Geelong kicked four goals to none before the main break and cut the lead to only 12-points at half time.

Corrigan said the Cats challenged Casey in many key factors to surge back into the game.

“Their intensity around the ball lifted and they were also really efficient going forward,” Corrigan said. “They were able to move the ball well from their back half and get good opportunities up forward.

“We probably needed to be a little bit better defensively but to their credit they put the score on the board going forward.”

Despite the likes of Luke Dunstan (29 touches), Bailey Laurie (29 disposals, three goals) and Jimmy Munro (24 touches) all standing up in the midfield, the Cats still dominated the clearances after half time and raced away, kicking three quick goals to take the lead.

Corrigan said Munro’s passion and effort helped turn the game Casey’s way.

“He was outstanding,” Corrigan said. “His work at the stoppages, his clearance work, his tackles, he doesn’t deviate from being a strong player each week.

“When the team’s flat we can rely on him to bring the energy and spirit and lift them. It’s the little contests that he drives.”

The Demons had patches late in the term where they looked like arresting their slump and edging ahead, but Geelong’s defence held strong to keep Casey goalless over two consecutive quarters.

Unable to get the goal they needed, the Demons went into the final break five points down, with Geelong quickly adding another goal early in the last term to extend their lead to two goals.

It then turned into a dogfight in the wet, with Casey strengthening around the ball and surging it forward more often in a tense fourth quarter.

Just when Geelong looked like freezing the Demons out, Bailey Laurie broke through, ending the drought with a classy snap through the big sticks to cut the margin back to three points.

In a finals-like finish, the ball flew end to end in the wet conditions, with both sides having multiple chances to kick vital goals in the low scoring encounter.

When it mattered the Demons stood up, with the midfield beginning to win clearances. While Casey dominated the inside-50 count all night, it took for some terrific solo efforts from Laurie and Chandler to set up Weideman for the goal that put Casey back in front halfway through the term.

Following some brave efforts on the wing from Deakyn Smith, Hunt nearly broke the game open when he slammed a kick inside 50, only for the kick to fly over the top and dribble through for a goal.

Laurie was superb in the late moments, running hard and being clean in the difficult conditions, while Chandler continued to threaten up forward.

The former broke the game open wonderfully, roving a pack perfectly and slamming through another goal on the left in a thrilling final term.

Corrigan praised Laurie for the way he impacted the game in the final term.

“He’s been building for a while now,” Corrigan said. “That’s as good a game as I’ve seen him play. In tough conditions he was clean up forward and in the middle.

“Most importantly he was strong in the contest and in tough conditions he stood out because he used the ball so well.”

Yet it wasn’t over, as Geelong responded with five minutes left to reduce the margin back to seven points.

It took for some van Rooyen magic to finish it, as the young forward took a spectacular mark in the wet and converted the set shot from outside 50.

It was a special effort for Casey’s latest VFL win to maintain its unbeaten run.

GEELONG                6.2       6.3       6.7       9.10 (64)
CASEY                      0.3       4.3       7.6       11.9 (75)

GOALS: Laurie 3, Weideman, van Rooyen 2, Brown, Chandler, Woewodin, Hunt

DISPOSALS: Dunstan, Laurie 29, Munro 24, Melksham, Rivers 20, Chandler 19

BEST: Laurie, Dunstan, Rivers, Hunt, Woewodin, van Rooyen, Chandler