CASEY Demons have been overrun in the second half by the AFL Academy Australian Under 18s side to lose by 23 points at the MCG on Saturday.
Casey Demons 11.8 (74) defeated by AFL Academy Australian Under 18s 15.7 (97).
The Demons held as much as a 31-point lead early in the third quarter when captain Mitch White booted Casey’s eighth goal.
But from there the elite group of youngsters used their speed and their exuberance to dominate the contest kicking 12 of the last 15 goals of the match.
Running away with the result in a stunning performance on the big stage.
For head coach Jade Rawlings the match gave Casey an opportunity to expose the VFL players to an elite level of football.
“The result had no bearing on our approach today, we just saw it as a great opportunity for our club to play against a team of very talented young men,” Rawlings told Melbourne Media.
“These are the men who are going to influence the AFL very soon.”
Casey was able to have 18 VFL listed players partake in the contest, teaching the coach a lot about his side.
“We learned heaps of things about our individuals today,” Rawlings said.
“When you expose your VFL talent to a side like that you need to do a lot of things right.
“We weren’t doing those things right.”
The first half was a different story, with a dangerous new-look forward line of Jeff Garlett, Mitch Lewis, White, Jaxon Briggs, Tim Smith, and Declan Keilty dominating the contest.
With the extended squad in the exhibition match, many of the forward line rotated out for most of the second half.
“We liked the shape and the look of them up forward,” Rawlings said.
“They were able to have an influence on the game when they were out there.”
But it was a lack of focus and discipline during a lacklustre third quarter which saw the experienced Demons lose their cool and the youngsters take the ascendancy.
With Casey giving away free kicks and 50-metre penalties which resulted in goals.
Rawlings was upset at his team losing their focus at a crucial point in the game.
“Don’t tolerate that lack of discipline at our football club, so it’s been talked about already,” Rawlings said.
The Academy side which looks littered with future AFL stars never relented under hot conditions on the MCG ground and ran out the deserved winners.
For the Demons, the focus shifts to next Saturday and the ever-dangerous Richmond side, who Rawlings gives high praise ahead of next week’s match.
“I rate them as one of the top three footy clubs in the competition,” Rawlings said.
“There’s only one way you can play against them, it is strong, contested football and a disciplined way of playing.”
With the AFL fixture between these two clubs on Wednesday night, there is an element of unknown for the final teams, which could see many VFL players from today get their opportunities.
“I think both clubs will be a bit unknown given the game on Wednesday night, not knowing how many players we both will have available,” Rawlings said.
“So it will be a good genuine VFL contest next Saturday, and we will be ready to put our best foot forwards.”
The Demons will host the Richmond Tigers in Round 4 of the VFL at Casey Fields next Saturday at 2pm.
CASEY DEMONS 3.1 7.4 8.6 11.8 (74)
AFL ACADEMY U18s 2.2 3.4 8.5 15.7 (97)
CASEY BEST
DiPasquale, White, Lewis, Briggs, Keilty
CASEY GOALS
Lefau 3, Lewis 2, Keilty, White, Briggs, Smith, Garlett, Neal-Bullen
