Scorpions’ late sting

By Paul Pickering
IT wasn’t pretty. Round one rarely is.
But Casey Scorpions coach Brad Gotch couldn’t have cared less about aesthetics after his side’s eight-point comeback victory over Geelong on Saturday night.
The Scorpions led for just six minutes of the clash at Casey Fields, hitting the front at the 23-minute mark of the final term through a pumped-up Rian McGough.
McGough capped a rare end-to-end passage of play by wheeling on to his right side and kicking truly from the top of the 50m arc.
He roared with delight – and, one suspects, frustration – as the wasteful Scorpions finally gained the ascendancy.
Some nervous moments followed, but the home side held on to secure a deserved result.
Gotch, who last coached the club 13 years ago, said he was proud of the way his players rallied from a deficit that reached four goals midway through the second term.
“We were a bit scrappy early, and I think that’s partly about trusting each other, but when everyone started to play their role we looked such a better side,” he said.
“You had that feeling and that hope that we were going to come (in the last quarter), but then it’s a test of fitness and a test of their belief in themselves.
There’s nothing better than getting a win under your belt, and you could see the excitement in the group, so we’ll build on that now.”
And despite an error-riddled first half that reaped just 2.10 to Geelong’s 6.6, there was plenty for the Scorpions to build on.
It was probably Jack Watts’ best showing in the red and blue.
The second-year Demon collected 20 possessions across half-forward, displaying the poise and creativity that saw him become the top pick in the 2008 AFL draft.
“I was really happy with his workrate,” Gotch said of the boom prospect.
“It makes a big difference when he gets his hands on the footy, because something happens.”
Fellow Melbourne-listers Tom McNamara and Stefan Martin were the most influential players at either end.
Martin was Casey’s most dangerous target up forward, using his agility to great effect when doubling back towards goal.
He booted three for the match, two of which bookended the third quarter charge that saw Casey draw within nine points at the last break.
At the other end, McNamara’s duel with key Cats forward Ben Johnson was a highlight.
Johnson finished with three goals, but McNamara stood strong early and later combined brilliantly with running defenders Michael Stockdale and Kyle Cheney.
The Scorpions struggled to penetrate Geelong’s zone defence in the first half, but grew in confidence as the game opened up midway through the third term.
They dominated general play in the second half and exposed the tiring Cats with quick ball movement in the last.
Gotch was keen to praise first-gamers Cam Purdy and Ricky Plummer – among five debutants on Saturday night – as well as gun recruit Danny Nicholls.
Purdy was lively across half-forward, Plummer worked tirelessly through the middle and Nicholls was the leading possession winner on the ground with 27.
Acting skipper James Wall had 25 touches, leading with aplomb in the absence of injured skipper Kyle Matthews, who is expected to be discharged from The Alfred hospital this week.
Gotch revealed that Wall and some senior teammates visited Matthews on Saturday afternoon, before relaying a pre-game message to the rest of the playing group.
“(Matthews) just said, ‘don’t waste the opportunities you have, because it can be taken away from you so quickly’,” Gotch explained.
Geelong was well served by classy midfielder Simon Hogan, ruckman Trent West, key defender Jeremy Laidler and 18-year-old Geelong Falcons graduate Allen Christensen.
The Scorpions will now host Collingwood – a first-round loser to Williamstown – at Casey Fields from 2pm this Sunday.