Casey is ready to make a mark in the VFL finals – and looms as a danger side for the rest of the competition.
The Demons are set to go into their elimination final on Saturday with a five-game win streak, full complement of eligible AFL-listed talent at their disposal and unanimous self-belief.
The win streak, which has included victories over Brisbane in Brisbane and top-two side Box Hill, have put the VFL and wider footy community on notice.
It has taken Casey from a fringe top 10 side to one that has earned wildcard weekend off by finishing just a game outside the top four.
Regardless of the wins, there has existed an undercurrent of confidence all season.
The Demons’ round 15 loss to Coburg – a game they dominated – continued a frustrating trend of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory for unpredictable reasons, which briefly put the finals hopes in danger.
“I don’t think it’s a form spike,” coach Taylor Whitford said when asked about the win streak.
“I think it’s just been our ability to execute a little bit more.
“I showed the guys some stats after we played Coburg because it was a disappointing loss – we thought we had the game for large parts and we got beat and it was one that could go either way.
“I showed some stats about where we sat in our key measures and they were all positive, but our win-loss wasn’t.
“So it was around selling the story that we’re good enough, we just need to tidy up these key areas and we’ve been able to do that.”
It’s poetic that the win that set the platform for the season in round two over Gold Coast was built off the back of VFL-listed talent, given it has been their consistency which has formed the backbone of the formidable season.
There were 14 VFL-listed players in action in that two-point win – usually it is a single digit number.
The confidence that performance provided in the brand of footy has permeated across the remainder of the season, despite not finding consistent wins until the last third of the season.
Riley Baldi, after a year at local, and Paddy Cross, after injury-interruptions, were two in particular who fired early in 2025 and have formed part of a consistent nucleus of well performed VFL players.
“To have Mitch Hardie, Riley Baldi, Riley Bonner, Deakyn Smith play a full year together and (AFL-listed) Bailey Laurie, Jack Billings, Taj Woewodin, Jed Adams behind the ball, Luker (Kentfield) up forward, (has allowed us) to develop consistency,” Whitford explained.
“They’ve been great in taking reins and driving a lot of the on field and off field stuff so that’s probably helped, whereas last year we didn’t have that consistency.”
That stability and synergy within both AFL and VFL squads has been another factor behind the success.
Both Whitford and captain Deakyn Smith highlighted that both sets of players are representing Casey’s history and values and have aligned well towards a common goal in 2025.
“Our connection’s built slowly through the year, but I think it’s come to a point where it’s really positive and we want to keep on going so we don’t want to set a limitation on where we can go as a team, we just want to keep on getting better,” the skipper said.
The victory over Brisbane two weeks ago, albeit imperfect, was important to provide belief coming off the bye, having lost its three previous encounters after a week off.
Having bypassed wildcard round, Casey will enter its elimination final fresh off a bye.
Casey will face Williamstown at Casey Fields at 2.10pm on Saturday, the first time the two sides have faced off in 2025.
