CASEY has suffered a heavy defeat to ladder leaders Box Hill, going down by 85 points at Casey Fields on Saturday.

The Scorpions were on the back-foot from the outset, struggling to match the Hawks across the ground.

It was an overcast but dry day, and after a relatively slow start to the game, Box Hill had the first goal on the board after five minutes.

Casey was getting its hands on the football, but was unable to penetrate its attacking 50 with any precision, as Box Hill took advantage on the rebound. When the Hawks followed up with a second goal after 16 minutes, the pressure was on.

The Scorpions responded quickly through Tim Smith, who slotted a quick snap from the pocket, and when Jack Fitzpatrick marked and goaled Casey was back on a level footing.

A poor turnover in defence gifted Box Hill a third late in the term, extending its lead to 10 points at the first change.

That lead was extended after five minutes in the second term, when the Hawks took advantage of a 50-metre penalty, which started a flurry of scoring for Box Hill.

Casey was falling down across half-back, making poor decisions under pressure, as the Hawks captialised, scoring five goals to none in the second term to lead by 38 points at the main break.

The damage continued after half-time, with Box Hill scoring two goals in the first five minutes to stretch the lead to 49 points.

At the 12-minute mark, Michael Evans was able to spark the Scorpions, scoring a magnificent set-shot goal from the boundary, which lifted Casey immediately.

Jimmy Toumpas marked and goaled after 14 minutes, before Fitzpatrick rose above the pack to take a spectacular mark, putting through his second.

Casey-listed small forward Nathan Page then followed with a goal of his own, reducing the margin to just four goals.

That was as close as the Scorpions got however, with Box Hill putting through a late goal to end the quarter, before the final term onslaught.

It started with the Hawks slotting their first for the quarter after two minutes, and continued throughout. The Box Hill dominance consisted of nine goals, while conceding just two behinds, with Casey no match for one of the premiership favourites. The final margin was 85 points, with the Scorpions now having lost their last four matches and the chance at finals slipping from their grasp.

Max Gawn was the best of the Melbourne-listed players. He performed strongly in the ruck, but also worked hard around the ground, taking some important marks in defence and racking up 24 disposals.

Viv Michie fought hard in the midfield and was the top disposal-getter for Casey with 30 touches, while Sam Blease collected 28 touches across the backline and used the ball well on what was a tough day to be in the defensive half.

The going doesn’t get any easier for the Scorpions, with Casey set to take on Williamstown, who will be fighting to regain a spot in the top 4. That game will take place at 2pm on Saturday at Casey Fields.