Casey Scorpions v Gold Coast SUNS
Casey Fields, Cranbourne
Saturday, 7 August, 2010

SUNS rue one that got away

The Gold Coast SUNS went down by four points to a resurgent Casey Scorpions at Casey Fields this afternoon.

But despite the closeness of the final score line, the SUNS will no doubt dwell long and hard on a horrible third quarter that saw a 44 point half time lead reduced to just three.

In the end, after a frenetic last quarter that included several lead changes, Casey managed to hang on for the win.

Best for the SUNS were the outstanding David Swallow who kicked five goals, Zac Smith, Danny Stanley, Jake Crawford, Brandon Matera and Marc Lock.

Experienced Demons forward Brad Miller kicked an incredible 11.2 in a standout performance for the Scorpions.

The SUNS were up and about from the get go with some brutal tackling and sharp work in close.

David Swallow was the best of a good bunch for the visitors early and fittingly kicked the game’s first goal after bouncing one through from fifty after a typically explosive centre burst.

Casey responded quickly from a free kick, but there was no doubt the SUNS had the better of the initial exchanges and except for some errant kicking the visitors could easily have been four or five goals up.

On the flipside, Casey made the most of its limited opportunities to take the lead midway through the quarter on the back of Miller’s ominous straight shooting.

Swallow goaled again with a long range snap to steal back the lead and after some protracted hard work in the centre from Dan Harris and Marc Lock, Brandon Matera showed a clean pair of heels to toe through the SUNS’ third. When Swallow again kicked truly after a wayward Casey kick-in the SUNS had suddenly broken clear. Miller slotted his second to pull the Scorpions back to within a few kicks, but at quarter time the SUNS well and truly deserved a 12 point lead.

Hardworking SUNS midfielder Danny Stanley won his side the perfect start in the second term with a strong mark and beautifully struck kick from forty out. Alik Magin dribbled one through soon afterwards to give the visitors a commanding break.

But the early onslaught saw Casey lift and the Scorpions struck back with two goals of their own to match a much more intense effort in and around the contested ball.

Karmichael Hunt, swung into the middle for the first time in his fledgling career, followed up a terrific Roland Ah Chee hard ball get to tumble through a telling six pointer to wrest back momentum, but Casey answered minutes later to claw itself back into the contest deep into time on.

The SUNS surged again late, though. After a couple of near misses by his teammates, Matera bobbed up to get the scoreboard ticking again. Moments later Stanley kicked crisply from out wide to make it a 25 point lead. After that – and excuse the pun – the SUNS were on fire. With Zac Smith an absolute standout in the ruck and the SUNS’ runners taking control all over the ground, Magin, Swallow, and Jack Stanlake all goaled – the latter after the half time siren – to push the lead out to a formidable 44 points.

After a feeble first half fade out it was no surprise to see the Scorpions come out keen to make amends in the second half. They started like a team possessed. Equally the SUNS were flat, lifeless and unable to quell the Scorpion’s newfound fanaticism. With Casey completely dominating possession, AFL regular Miller ran rampant. In an awesome display of power forward play, he kicked an amazing six consecutive goals to breathe plenty of life into the contest and send shudders through the SUNS faithful on the sidelines. And when Casey managed two more goals in the shadows of three quarter time, the Scorpions had hit the front for the first time all day.

Meanwhile the SUNS were in a world of trouble. Deprived of run and ball, opportunities to score dried up, and the team’s confidence was sagging. Although the SUNS regained the lead again through a late Swallow goal – his fourth, but his side’s only major for the term - the three quarter siren couldn’t have come soon enough for the visitors.

A Guy McKenna rev-up during the break saw the SUNS start with much needed purpose in the last stanza. A true captain’s goal from the impressive Marc Lock gave his side an early eight point break and when Mathew Fowler’s morale-boosting effort from fifty out crept over the goal line, the SUNS had gone some way to steadying the ship. But Casey’s Danny Nicholls’ clever snap minutes later said the home side wasn’t going away and another Scorpion’s six-pointer soon after confirmed it.

A Smith goal after some courageous SUNS run through the corridor saw the visitor's lead edge out once more, but minutes later a bad offensive error saw Casey go end-to-end to gift Miller his tenth goal. And with his eleventh coming soon after, the Scorpions had pinched back the lead with six minutes left to play.

Casey slowed the game down cleverly by controlling possession in the dying stages. Although the SUNS conjured a few half chances in the final moments, they couldn’t quite manage to scratch out a path to goal. And when the siren sounded, despite a noble effort against quality opposition for three quarters, the SUNS trudged off the ground knowing they’d definitely let one slip.

Casey Scorpions 4.6 (30) 7.2 (44) 14.9 (93) 18.11 (119)
Gold Coast SUNS 3.0 (18) 13.10 (88) 14.12 (96) 17.13 (115)

Goals: Swallow 5, Matera 3,  Magin 2, D Stanley 2, Fowler, Smith, Lock, Stanlake, Hunt

Best: Swallow, Smith, D Stanley, Crawford, Matera, Lock