By Hayley Wildes
The Casey Demons VNL team is making plenty of waves – on and off the court – and you need not look any further than last Wednesday night for evidence of that.
In front of a packed out crowd at Casey Stadium, the Demons tore the Ariels to shreds on both ends of the court and in doing so, ensured they stay well and truly in the finals hunt.
Casey’s 37-23 half time lead was built upon courtesy of a 20-7 third quarter in which the Demons lifted their intensity once again, leaving the Ariels searching for answers.
The win was made all the more special considering the amount of young netball lovers were in the stands for Casey Netball’s ‘Grassroots Round’.
There were many junior netballers and junior Casey teams in the stadium cheering on the Demons, while City of Casey Mayor Amanda Stapledon joined the club’s volunteers for a pre-game function to acknowledge the time and effort they give to the community.
With a rousing win under their belts, the Demons currently sit fifth on the ladder; equal on points and just 0.9 per cent below the fourth-placed Southern Saints.
This sets up a mouth-watering Round 16 clash against the Saints on Wednesday night at Casey Stadium from 7:50pm. The winner will hold onto the last remaining finals spot with two rounds to play, while the loser will be in grave danger of missing the post-season.
The last time these two teams played – back in Round 5 – Casey couldn’t get the chocolates as Southern ran out 62-53 winners. The Demons have come a long way since then and will enter the game riding a four-game winning streak, while the Saints were blown away by the Geelong Cougars, 72-29.
It promises to be a game that will have many twists and turns. With Casey boasting star players across the court – the likes of Emma Ryde, Erin Bell and Karli Foster – they are always in with a chance and with so much on the line, you can rest assured they’ll be ready to go come Wednesday night.
As well as the game being critical in the context of both team’s seasons, Wednesday night will also celebrate ‘Demon Round’, honouring of the flourishing partnership between Casey and the Melbourne Football Club.
Tickets to Wednesday night’s game against the Southern Saints at Casey Stadium are available now. Search Casey Demons Netball on Facebook for more information and to buy tickets.
