By Marcus Uhe
A long summer has done little to stop the momentum of reigning VFL premiers, as the Casey Demons notched a win over Footscray in their season opener at Casey Fields on Saturday.
The Demons led the contest from start to finish, pulling away in the second half to record a 37-point victory, 13.16 94 to 8.9 57.
It was a special occasion all-round for the club, with new coach Taylor Whitford earning his first victory in the head coach’s chair, and fans seeing the unfurling of their 2022 VFL Premiership flag in a pre-game ceremony.
George Grey scored the opening goal of the game for the Dees, holding a strong contested mark and then snapping truly from a tight angle, but wayward kicking for goal meant it was their only major of the term, to go with seven behinds.
Midfielder James Jordon racked plenty of the footy in the first half while Luke Dunstan nailed a miracle snap from hard against the boundary in the second quarter.
The Bulldogs made more of their opportunities inside 50, and three goals in the final five minutes of the half meant the lead was a slender eight points, despite a 14 scoring shots to six disparity in Casey’s favour.
A six-goal-to-three third quarter provided the necessary breathing room for the home side as the key forwards began to flex their muscle.
Josh Schache, Jacob Van Rooyen and Joel Smith all kicked one each, and Oliver Sestan two in two minutes, to create a 24-point buffer at the last break.
Schache proved a handful for his old teammates in his first game in red and blue, kicking two goals and taking seven marks, but took an errant knee to the head in a ruck contest during the third quarter from Buku Khamis.
The Bulldogs broke a 10-minute scoring drought to open the last quarter, cutting the lead to 18 and breathing some life into the contest, but it would prove to be their final major of the game, as Casey kicked the last three to silence their bite.
Sestan showed his smarts, intercepting a risky Footscray kick in their defensive 50 for his third of the game, while AFL-listed pair Jordon and Andy Moniz-Wakefield both kicked their second of the day to finish the contest.
Rebounding defender Michael Hibberd pressed his case for an AFL recall with 36 disposals and 10 marks, as did the midfield trio of Jordon (28 disposals), Dunstan (29) and Bailey Laurie (29).
Van Rooyen, meanwhile, took 11 marks to go with his 19 touches and a goal, to put himself in the frame to replace Melbourne captain Max Gawn, who suffered a knee injury in their loss on Friday night against Brisbane.
