By Marcus Uhe
Twelve agonising minutes of time on was not enough for the Casey Demons to snatch four points off North Melbourne in a thrilling conclusion to its VFL contest on Sunday afternoon.
Trailing by 12 points in the 18th minute of the final term, a running goal from Eddie King in just his second match at VFL level cut the Kangaroos’ lead to six points, with plenty of time remaining to retake the lead.
The final surge began poorly with a starting positions infringement against the Demons and proceeded with a frustrating set of end-to-end transitions.
The Demons failed to score from their three inside 50s in time on, as North Melbourne’s halfbacks, including Casey’s 2023 best-and-fairest winner Deakyn Smith, held the fort, repelling a number of forward forays.
Kai Windsor thought he had put the Demons ahead in the 20th minute, but the goal was disallowed due to a free kick against Bailey Laurie at the previous stoppage.
11.11 77 to 12.11 83 was the final score, the Kangaroos prevailing by a single goal at Casey Fields.
It’s the Demons’ second loss by single figures and a fifth by 20 points or less in 2024, and the fifth time they’ve relinquished a lead in the second term in a loss.
The lead changed five times in a seesawing first half before the visitors pulled away with a pivotal stretch late in the half.
North Melbourne kicked the final three goals of the half to take the lead back from Casey and reach half time with a 16-point advantage, and kicked the first of the second half to extend the lead to 22.
A pair of goals to Matthew Jefferson and another to Laurie in the third helped to chip away at the advantage, and first two of the final quarter, through Mitch White and Tom Fullarton, ensured the remainder of the contest would be played on a knife’s edge.
North Melbourne responded with the next two, coming either side of a trio of Casey behinds, before King’s finish set the game alight once more, only to amount to a false dawn.
Casey lost many key indicators of the contest as North Melbourne had great success in keeping the ball out of Demon hands.
The Kangaroos’ 141 marks was 51 more than their season average in 2024, while the visitors won the clearance count and inside 50s.
Andy Moniz-Wakefield finished with a season-high 35 disposals, his third haul of 30 or more this year, to lead all comers for the Demons, with White the next best on 27.
Beaconsfield’s Mitch Szybkowski made it a hat-trick of weeks with 15 disposals and added a goal in the first quarter.
In positive news for the Demons, prolific tall Josh Schache, whose absence from the Demons’ front half has been noticeable, had four disposals in his return from a foot injury, his first game since five.
His return will lessen the burden on Matthew Jefferson, who finished with four goals as the Demons’ only multiple goal kicker.
Casey heads to Preston on Saturday to tackle the Northern Bullants in round 14.
