SUMMARY
THE DEMONS have endured a tough loss to the Williamstown Seagulls by 16 points at Downer Oval on Sunday afternoon.
The loss marred the return of a number of key AFL-listed Demons including Jordan Lewis, Mitch Hannan, and Jay Kennedy Harris all coming back from injuries.
After leading at the half-time siren, the second half saw the home side start to win the arm the wrestle, and the Demons couldn’t repel the Seagulls momentum, falling to Casey’s fifth loss on the season.
THE NUMBERS
DISPOSALS: Kennedy Harris 26, Lewis 23, Munro 21, White 20, Collis, Gent 18
GOALS: Weideman 3, Bedford, Hannan, Keilty, Kennedy Harris, Murno, Stephenson
Melbourne stars make an impact
The returning Melbourne stars had an immediate impact on the match, especially in the opening term where their class and talents rose above their opponents.
Jordan Lewis controlled the backlines, recording five first-quarter possession and pushed forward to find Toby Bedford for an opening quarter goal.
Mitch Hannan sprinted down the wing and slotted a goal from a difficult shot from deep within the pocket and Sam Weideman was another firing early, booting two goals in the first quarter.
Kennedy Harris was everywhere in the opening term, recording five possessions and four tackles, going on to finish with a team-high 26 disposals, and booting a goal.
But the trio could not sustain the stellar play as they work their way back into match fitness.
Jake Lever’s ankle
Compiling the pain of the loss was seeing Melbourne star Jake Lever unable to run out the match due to what appears to be a minor ankle injury.
What appeared to be an innocuous incident at first glance saw Lever limp from the field and attended to by the Casey training staff.
The key defender had his ankle re-taped but was unable to return to the contest and sat on the bench for the reminder of the match.
But scans today have revealed there is no damage to his ankle.
Sam Weideman rounding into form
Weideman had an incredible opening term booting two goals and taking strong contested marks.
With his confidence building, the second half was tough for the young forward as he couldn’t receive the same quality of supply he enjoyed in the opening term.
But the signs were there the talented youngster is only games away from a massive goal haul.
A word from the coach
“You play against a tough standalone club [like Williamstown] that asks a lot of you over four quarters,” Casey Demons head coach Jade Rawlings told Melbourne Media.
“Halfway through the third quarter the momentum started to shift.
“We weren’t able to resist that momentum… Williamstown were really able to grind us down today.”
Looking forward
Next up the Demons will have another difficult test when the Demons travel to face sixth-place Werribee at Avalon Airport Oval on Saturday at 2pm.
