Casey climbs to top

By Paul Pickering
CASEY sits atop the VFL ladder after a businesslike 20-point win over Sandringham on Saturday.
The Scorpions, having survived another dour struggle on a boggy Casey Fields surface, ascended to top spot thanks to Williamstown’s loss to North Ballarat that afternoon.
It was their seventh consecutive win and, while certainly not their most convincing in that stretch, underlined the club’s re-emergence as a VFL power.
Casey snuck out to a three-goal lead during the second term and was threatened only briefly at the beginning of the last quarter, when the Zebras missed two chances to get back within a kick.
Tim Smith needed just the one chance to ice the game; the returning Scorpion kicking truly after being clumsily felled at the other end.
Coach Brad Gotch, who could hardly have wished for a better start in his return to the club, praised his charges for their professionalism in trying conditions.
“Sometimes you’ve just got to curb your natural instinct on those sorts of days,” he said.
“We like to play with a bit of risk-taking in attack, but there’s times when you just have to shelve all that and get back to a bit of old-fashioned footy. Don’t overuse it, get it down the line and don’t create turnovers.
“And that’s where our boys are holding sway – they’re following instructions … (and) we’re a model of consistency at the moment.”
Gotch said securing top spot was “a great achievement” for the club, but was quick to remind his players that it meant little in an increasingly even competition.
Ruckman Paul Johnson was the most dominant player on the ground, getting the better of St Kilda-listed big men Steven King and Adam Pattison.
Reliable defender Evan Panozza held Zebras goal-machine Nick Sautner scoreless with just three kicks for the afternoon, while skipper James Wall, Joel MacDonald and James Strauss led the way through the middle.
Ryan Creed was also impressive in his return to senior action, and boom off-season recruit Scott Simpson got through unscathed in his first senior outing for the club.
The absence of injured Melbourne-listers Michael Newton and Rhys Healey reduced the Demons’ contingent to nine, but even that was a blessing of sorts for the Scorpions.
“We’ve been averaging about 13 or 14 (Melbourne-listed players), so it was a chance to give some of the Casey boys (including Creed, Smith, Ben Waite and Tim Mohr) a bit of an opportunity,” Gotch said.
“And that was a good thing, because they were really enthusiastic and wanted to make the most of their chance.”
The Zebras were led by hard-nosed onballer – and 2008 Dandenong Stingrays captain – Ricky Ferraro, Pattison and St Kilda-listed defender Luke Miles.
Casey will now put top billing on the line against a rebounding Williamstown on Saturday.