CASEY’S 12-game winning streak has come to an end at the hands of Box Hill on Saturday afternoon.
The Hawks outclassed Casey to run away with a 45-point win, kicking nine goals to four after half-time at Box Hill City Oval.
Casey Demons 6.10 (46) defeated by Box Hill Hawks 13.13 (91).
In a game where the weather changed quarterly and conditions effected the contest, the match was in the balance early with a hard fought scrap taking place.
But when the ground was at its driest, Box Hill showed its class and kicked away on the scoreboard.
The Hawks got on top in the centre and did all the attacking in the third quarter, adding three goals in four minutes to blow the margin out to 31 points and ultimately ice the game.
“I think the writing was on the wall very early in the game that they were much cleaner, looked more likely to score and we really struggled in that area,” senior coach Jade Rawlings told Melbourne Media.
“Not too many games you coach where you have seven goals kicked against you from defensive 50 stoppages, that was a real strength area of there’s and a real weakness of ours.
“But I thought we got out played in every area of the game from pretty early in the game.”
Rain fell in the final term, allowing the Hawks to hold onto their lead and scrap out an ugly finish to the match.
The inexperienced Demons side fashioned just 10 Melbourne-listed players, with a season high 13 VFL-listed players pulling on the Casey guernsey.
“Our VFL list has been tested over the last few weeks which is about opportunity and a fair few guys have received that,” Rawlings said.
“When you get into games like this when there’s a fair bit on the line you get to learn a fair bit about those players.”
The sun shined temporarily in the first term, but that didn’t help the two sides score, with 16 minutes of play passing by before Hawk David Mirra slotted the first goal of the game.
Mitch White quickly responded for Casey, tying the scores at quarter-time.
Conditions swung during the second term with dark clouds hovering and a severe breeze shaking the goal posts, making scoring even more difficult.
But the Hawks found a way to convert three majors, with a late goal to William Murphy handing Box Hill a 13-point half-time lead.
Murphy was the man to do the damage again in the second half for the Hawks, snapping through an early goal to give his side the momentum.
Casey failed to wrestle back the ascendancy at any stage on a flat day for the club.
“I just don’t think we played very well for the day,” Rawlings said.
“When you start getting outworked, that comes back to attitude.”
The Demons midfield tried to provide some resistance, with Tom Bugg and Corey Wagner amassing 28 disposals each, while Jay Lockhart worked tirelessly yet again, but Box Hill was too strong at home.
On the injury front Lachlan Filipovic departed with a broken finger, while Hawk Kurt Heatherley limped off with a suspected hamstring injury in the first quarter.
A rare positive for Casey was the performance of debutant Tom Freeman. The 19-year-old looked comfortable at half-back, reading the ball well for the Demons.
Casey will return home for its final game of the 2018 season next week, coming up against Williamstown on Saturday afternoon.
CASEY DEMONS 1.3 2.6 5.8 6.10 (46)
BOX HILL HAWKS 1.3 4.7 11.9 13.13 (91)
CASEY GOALS
Lockhart 2, Hutchins, Lok, Stephenson, White
CASEY BEST
Lockhart, C. Wagner, Bugg, Keilty, Gent, Freeman
