This weekend will see two top eight sides go head to head in the last round of the season, looking to reclaim their best form in the ABC TV Match of the Round.
For the first time this season, the Casey Scorpions recorded back to back losses in Round 19 and 20. Coach, Brett Lovett feels that it has been a positive learning curve for his playing group leading into the finals.
“When you lose it forces you to look harder at your review. We had a lot of goals kicked against us in our two losses with in uncharacteristic of our side. So we have put a focus on our defensive game.
“We did five or six things really well against Collingwood, like going hard at a contested ball, which we hope to continue this week.”
Lovett believes that this Saturday’s match will be a far cry from their earlier Round 13 clash that saw Casey win by a mere four points.
“Sandy’s ground is very different to Casey Fields, it was very windy that day and we didn’t read the ball well. I think this week’s home ground advantage and the eight changes we have to when we last played them should help us get the result we want.”
The Scorpions have benefited greatly from a strong alignment with the Melbourne Football Club this season. The talent of the clubs VFL list and the experience of Melbourne listed players has provided Casey with enormous depth.
Lovett aims to field a similar line up during finals to what he has seen success with throughout the year.
“The first week of our finals will be no different as the AFL is still playing. However after that we should have about nine or ten Melbourne players qualify for the remaining games. We have averaged 11.5 Melbourne players per game so finals shouldn’t be much different to home and away games other than maybe giving an extra VFL listed player a go,” Lovett said.
Round 22 will see Casey take on some significant additions in the likes of Melbourne players Mark Jamar and James Magner.
Their opposition, Sandringham, will be looking to bounce back this week from what was a dismal performance against Williamstown in Round 21. The Zebras were looking for their fourth straight win when the Seagulls steamrolled them by 66 points.
Midfield & Assistant Coach, Ryan Webster believes the side is capable of returning to the level of football they expect of themselves.
“We need to continue to focus on our structures and what has made us successful in other matches.
“The group know that they can match it with Casey and be very competitive, which I am sure will breed confidence going into the game.”
Sandringham will encounter quite a shift in their line-up this weekend due to their aligned AFL partner St Kilda making changes to their side. The Zebras will lose assets such as Ross, Ledger, Milera, Siposs and Newnes to the AFL.
The side will also be missing one key ingredient that was the major influence in their last contest against the Casey Scorpions. Beau Wilkes was unstoppable with four goals and seven contested marks providing Sandringham with a strong target up forward that Casey was unable to hinder.
Due to his fine form for the Zebras, Beau Wilkes has been representing St Kilda in the AFL.
If results play into Sandringham’s favour this weekend, they could progress into the first round of the finals with a home ground advantage. However, Webster does not believe this will be the prime driving force for the team.
“It definitely will be somewhat of a factor, but the motivation of going into the finals series after a win will be much more significant,” Webster said.
Casey Scorpions vs Sandringham Zebras
Saturday 25th August – 1:10pm
Casey Fields, Cranbourne East
Live broadcast on ABC TV from 1pm
Last Modified on 24/08/2012 15:41