Summary
Casey travelled to GMHBA Stadium on Saturday afternoon and upset the Cats in stunning fashion. The Demons were vying for a 10^th consecutive victory, with their last loss coming against Geelong in round four, and despite looking dead and buried at stages throughout the game, they got their redemption.

It was a slow start to the match, with Aaron vandenBerg kicking Casey’s only first half goal as the Demons trailed by 25 points at the main break. In a low scoring contest, the Cats lead seemed significant, and despite an improved intensity in the third term, Geelong were still 21 points clear with one quarter to play.

Jay Lockhart got the ball rolling early in the final term for Casey as the Demons booted three goals in four minutes to get themselves back in the game. With just three points separating the two sides with five minutes remaining, Casey did all the attacking before Mitch Gent marked in front of goal.

With one-minute to go, Gent kicked truly from 15 metres to hand Casey its first lead since the opening behind of the match, and the Demons defended strongly to hold on to an enthralling three-point win.

Telling stat
There wasn’t just one stat which reflected Saturday’s match, it was a collection of numbers all indicating Geelong were the better side on the day. The Cats had the edge in the kicks (plus seven), handballs (plus 43), disposals (plus 50), marks (plus 12), hit outs (plus 76) and inside 50’s (plus seven). But when it mattered most, the Demons hit the front on the scoreboard and claimed the four points.

Disposals
Munro 23, Smith 21, Wagner 19, Baker 18, Balic, Pedersen 17, Lockhart 16, Hutchins 15, Kent 14.

Goals
Weideman 2, Gent, Lockhart, Machaya, McKenna, vandenBerg, Wagner.

3 Votes: Cam Pedersen
Cam Pedersen has been exceptional since making a move to defence mid-way through the season and was a key factor in the Demons victory again on Saturday. He had 17 disposals and nine marks, intercepting the ball well and opening up Casey on attack with his penetrating kicks.

2 Votes: Cory Stockdale
In just his fifth VFL game, Cory Stockdale was one of the best Demons afield against Geelong. He’s a tough 178cm player who hunts the ball and helped Casey get back into the contest on the weekend. Stockdale laid five tackles and continues to develop into a strong VFL player.

1 Vote: James Munro
Casey had an inexperienced outfit on Saturday and were in need of some on-field leadership, and James Munro provided exactly that. The 23-year-old stood up in the centre with 23 disposals, leading by example all afternoon. Munro is a gutsy player who can be thrown into any position to help his side get on top and he was impressive again against the Cats.

Apologies to
There weren’t a lot of standout performers, with Geelong doing most of the damage in the first half, but a team effort in the final term helped Casey record the win.

Declan Keilty was one who stood out down back and kept Geelong forward Wylie Buzza quiet, while skipper Jack Hutchins was also a wall in defence. Hutchins has been swung from end-to-end throughout the season, and played arguably his best game on Saturday, constantly helping clear the ball from the danger-area.

In the final term when a change was required, Tim Smith was thrown into the ruck and had a significant impact on the game. The big bodied utility crashed into packs, got his hands on the ball and helped the Demons get on top when it mattered most.

Good to see
The Demons’ depth was tested on Saturday, with just 11 Melbourne listed players lining up for Casey. This was the club’s least number of senior players in the side for the season, but that didn’t effect the outcome. No matter who lines up, Casey plays with the same intent, with a strong culture evidently built in the side. The lack of reliance on any individual is admirable, as everyone plays their role when required.

Coach’s say
“I think it shows our players that if you keep on hanging in there sometimes you get the game back on your terms and then you get momentum. So there’s a lot of learnings in it, but the belief that you can win from tough positions, that’s the most important thing you get.” – Jade Rawlings

Looking ahead
After 10 consecutive victories, Casey will enjoy a week off next week with its last bye of the season. The Demons will then have four matches left to play – three at Casey Fields – prior to the finals series. Casey currently sit in second position on the ladder, two games clear of the Cats in third.