The Casey Scorpions will face Footscray in the Peter Jackson VFL Legendairy Grand Final at Etihad Stadium on Sunday after powerfully defeating Williamstown in today’s Preliminary Final.
Casey’s 42-point victory may not have been as explosive as the Bulldogs’ 119-point Preliminary Final triumph over Collingwood, but it was just as comprehensive. This year’s minor premier restricted the reigning VFL champions to two goals for the best part of three quarters and will now turn its defensive focus to a team that booted 27 majors yesterday.
* CLICK HERE to read the recap of Saturday’s Preliminary Final.
The Scorpions will be gunning for their sixth VFL premiership after winning five between 1987 and 1999 when the club was known as Springvale, while Footscray will look to secure its second flag in three years after toppling the Box Hill Hawks in 2014. In this year’s encounters, Casey finished strongly to defeat the Bulldogs by 70 points in their Qualifying Final at Casey Fields two weeks ago, while Footscray prevailed by a solitary point in a Round 15 thriller at VU Whitten Oval.
The Grand Final kicks off at 3pm on Sunday, with Channel 7 broadcasting live from 2pm. The TAC Cup Grand Final will be a curtain-raiser from 11.05am. CLICK HERE to book tickets.
Meanwhile, the Box Hill Hawks finally snapped a run of four Development League Grand Final losses with an emphatic 105–point triumph over the Casey Scorpions in today’s decider earlier at North Port Oval.
Coach Matt Adolph’s premiership team boasted a spread of 14 individual goalkickers in the 26.16 (172) to 10.7 (67) victory, with Anthony Brolic (six majors) – in just his first season out of the TAC Cup – leading the way ahead of Matthew Traynor (five). Will Murphy was named the Fred Hill Memorial Medallist for the best player on the ground in the same week in which he finished runner-up in the A.Todd Medal count, while Sam Switkowski continually attacked contests around the ground.
CASEY SCORPIONS 12.13 (85) d WILLIAMSTOWN 5.13 (43)
Casey advanced to its first VFL Grand Final since 1999 by blowing Williamstown away early at North Port Oval. The Scorpions controlled possession of the ball in the first term due to the work of Alex Neal-Bullen and Clayton Oliver in close, keeping the Seagulls to just one behind on the back of a strangling team defence that helped open up a 29-point lead by quarter time.
Ed Carr slotted Williamstown’s first goal just two minutes after the resumption of play, but tall Casey forwards Tim Smith (three goals), Declan Keilty (two) and Oscar McInerney (two) were causing too many problems up the other end. Christian Salem was stretchered off after hitting his head on the ground in a tackle in time-on of the second quarter but the loss of the important play-maker didn’t stop the Scorpions extending their lead to 35 points at half time.
The cause of the Seagulls wasn’t helped when rain started falling in the third stanza, with Lynden Dunn a continual wall standing in the way of their forward thrusts and Casey’s Jake Spencer getting on top in the ruck battle with Nick Meese. A powerful Scorpions outfit went on with the job to keep Williamstown to its lowest score of the year.
Leading goalkickers: T.Smith 3, Keilty 2, McInerney 2 (Casey Scorpions) / all singles (Williamstown)
CLICK HERE for the full results, best players and goalkickers
Other content:
Williamstown's Michael Gibbons wins J.J. Liston Trophy
Casey's Oscar McInerney wins A.Todd Medal
2016 VFL Team of the Year
Last Modified on 18/09/2016 17:52
