THE Box Hill Hawks await the Semi Final winner of Casey Scorpions versus Werribee Tigers.
Casey Scorpions finds itself in an all too familiar position as it goes into its Semi Final encounter against Werribee.
For the fourth consecutive season the Scorpions are staring at a straight sets exit from the finals.
In fact, Casey is riding a finals losing streak that stretches back to 2008.
While the Scorpions are contesting its seventh successive finals, a performance matched by only competition heavyweights Port Melbourne and Williamstown, its record is poor.
Casey has lost its last nine finals with its last victory in the 2008 Elimination Final.
And, the Scorpions face a very real prospect of again being bundled out of the finals.
After a competitive first half against Geelong, thanks largely to its accurate conversion, Casey was on the receiving end of a 49-point defeat. Significantly, the VFL Cats had 30 scoring shots to Casey’s 11.
It faces a pumped-up Werribee, which not only comfortably defeated Essendon in its Elimination Final, but defeated Casey by 56-points in Round 13.
After Casey led by one goal at quarter-time, Werribee blew the game apart with a 10-goal to one second quarter.
Werribee’s Addam Maric caused the most havoc for Casey with five goals, but the VFL Tigers had 13 individual goal kickers.
As is the case with the finals in the second week, the composition of the teams can take a vastly different appearance.
Both Casey and Werribee, whose respective affiliates Melbourne and North Melbourne are not playing AFL finals, will both lose and gain players from the teams they fielded last week.
Werribee will lose veteran Scott McMahon and the emerging Taylor Hine, but Kangaroo players Will Sierakowski and Levi Greenwood are available - with Sierakowski named for the Tigers. Majak Daw, a regular for the VFL Tigers, will miss as a knee injury has ended his season.
Key forward Ben Brown, who missed last week with the flu, is also expected to play.
Casey fielded just seven Melbourne players – its smallest number for the season – against Geelong in the Qualifying Final.
The Scorpions won’t be able to include Cam Pederson, who hasn’t meet the qualifying games criteria, but has available Neville Jetta, James Sellar, Jake Spencer and Max Gawn who all played for Melbourne last week.
James Magner, who didn’t play last week, has also qualified, with all bar Spencer named for the Scorpions.
One of the keys for Casey will be to subdue the influence of Jarred Moore, whose work in the engine room in the Elimination Final, and 2012 Liston Trophy winner Ben Ross providing plenty of run and drive from half back.
While key forward Ben Warren was largely unsighted after being close checked by Josh Freezer, Ben McKinley and Maric stepped up
Certainly, Casey will field a significantly stronger team, but they have to exorcise their mental demons as much as anything if they’re to bury an unwanted streak.
Last Modified on 06/09/2013 12:46