vfl.com.au previews the 2016 Peter Jackson VFL Legendairy Grand Final between the Casey Scorpions and Footscray, taking place at Etihad Stadium from 3pm on Sunday.
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THE HISTORY
The Casey Scorpions are looking for a sixth premiership since joining the competition in 1982 under the name Springvale and their first since 1999. The club hasn’t won a flag while known as Casey, with the name change taking place in 2006 – in fact, a run of 11 straight finals losses (including four straight-sets exits) stretching back to 2008 only ended this year with victory over the Bulldogs in a Qualifying Final. Springvale was the premier in 1987 under the coaching of Phil Maylin, in 1995 under Michael Ford, 1996 under Brad Gotch and 1998 and 1999 under Peter Nicholson, while the club has lost only one Grand Final, to Williamstown in 1990.
Footscray is seeking a second triumph in three years after capping its first year in the VFL as a fully AFL-aligned team in 2014 with premiership glory. The Bulldogs defeated the Box Hill Hawks by 22 points under the match-day captaincy of Jordan Russell (regular co-captains Nick Lower and Lukas Markovic missed the match), with Brett Goodes taking home the Norm Goss Medal for best-on-ground. Their team that day included 10 players still on the Western Bulldogs or Footscray lists, with Russell now the sole appointed captain.
THIS YEAR’S ENCOUNTERS
Round 15: Footscray 12.12 (84) d Casey 13.5 (83) at VU Whitten Oval
The Bulldogs snatched victory with a behind from Anthony Barry in the final minute of the match after trailing by 30 points at the last change. Momentum swung from quarter to quarter with a strong wind, meaning Footscray’s two first-term goals – the only majors kicked into the breeze all game – proved crucial. Bailey Dale kicked four goals, Mitch Honeychurch racked up 32 disposals and Jed Adcock laid 21 tackles as the Bulldogs conceded more of the ball to Casey but continually pressured the Scorpions into error.
Qualifying Final: Casey 20.8 (128) d Footscray 8.10 (58) at Casey Fields
The Scorpions managed to play the game on their terms after an even first half, piling on 13 goals to two after the main break to explode into a preliminary final. Casey dominated possession and beat up the Bulldogs in the contests, creating gilt-edged opportunities for forwards like Angus Scott (four goals) and Sam Weideman (three) that saw the Scorpions kick 12 more goals from the same number of inside-50s. Jack Grimes (27 disposals, two goals), Alex Neal-Bullen (30, two) and Viv Michie (31, one) were all influential.
HOW THE SCORPIONS CAN WIN
Casey’s all-round ability has been on show in two contrasting finals victories. The VFL’s top-ranked team for uncontested possessions, inside-50s and goals per game won the ball at the coalface and shared it around with quick-fire handballs to break through Footscray’s defence in the Qualifying Final and put 20 goals on the board. The depth of damaging Melbourne-listed ball-winners must seem endless to opposition teams – with Jack Grimes, Matt Jones, Ben Kennedy, Viv Michie, Alex Neal-Bullen, Ben Newton, Clayton Oliver and Jack Trengove featuring in the middle, Footscray won’t be able to keep an eye on all of them.
But what makes this group – along with hard-nuts Ed Morris and James Munro – so dangerous is their willingness to tackle when they don’t have the ball. In the Preliminary Final against Williamstown, the Scorpions often lost the stoppage battle but then harassed the Seagulls into crucial errors. The Bulldogs were the VFL’s bottom-ranked team for contested marks per game and 13th-ranked team for goals per inside-50 this season, and if their forward-line entries are rushed by Casey’s pressure, it’ll only simplify the task of intercept-and-rebound specialists Lynden Dunn and Jack Hutchins.
The Scorpions have the attacking firepower to capitalise on their midfield’s work too, with Tim Smith and Sam Weideman capable of dominating Footscray’s relatively short defence in the aerial battle. Talent runs deep across the field, but will Casey bring the same intensity the Bulldogs always seem to summon?
HOW THE BULLDOGS CAN WIN
Footscray has the same heart that’s made the football world fall in love with AFL affiliate the Western Bulldogs. Regularly under-manned and often under-sized at either end of the ground, both teams are unconditional in their attack on the contest and seemingly never out of the game.
The Bulldogs fielded just eight AFL-listed players in their Qualifying Final loss to Casey, with a generally young group overwhelmed by the more hardened Scorpions. But in last week’s Preliminary Final, Tom Campbell, Fletcher Roberts, Koby Stevens and Bailey Williams had been added to the mix and Footscray made a meal of Collingwood. To match it with Casey’s deep midfield, Stevens and Williams will have to go to work alongside Mitch Honeychurch, Lukas Webb and Jed Adcock in the clinches, while Campbell and Will Minson will likely need to beat Jake Spencer and Oscar McInerney in a pivotal ruck battle.
Jordan Staley will play an important role, attempting to limit the influence of the tall, multi-pronged Scorpions forward line. If he can bring the ball to ground, the Bulldogs have one of the VFL’s best counter-attackers in captain Jordan Russell prepared to catapult his team forward – and that’s when they really shine. Lauchlan Dalgleish and Andrew Tashevski-Beckwith love to find space on the wings and surge the ball inside 50 to mobile targets like Bailey Dale, Mitch Hannan, Will Hayes, Nick Jamieson and the rapidly emerging Ben Long. The question is: Will Casey’s midfielders give them enough chances to score?
* Photo: Casey Scorpions senior coach Justin Plapp (left) and captain Jack Hutchins (second from left) with Footscray captain Jordan Russell (second from right) and senior coach Ash Hansen (right)
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Last Modified on 23/09/2016 14:42