By Marc McGowan
ELEVEN changes from last week. Three debutants. Only five Melbourne-listed players.
The Casey Scorpions had no right to beat the Coburg Tigers, who are fighting for a finals spot, at Casey Fields on Saturday.
But they did – by 33 points – and now only Williamstown sits above them on the ladder after the Scorpions’ seventh win in eight matches.
The only loss was to Williamstown after blowing a 35-point three-quarter-time lead.
Coach Peter German described the unlikely victory as one of the club’s best in recent history – and no-one is arguing with him.
The players seem to be growing an extra leg under his tutelage.
Strong-marking forward Ben Waite, in just his third senior game of the season and ninth overall, booted four goals.
First-gamers Wade Lees, younger brother of football manager Craig, and James Blaser also looked the part, while Glenn Chivers continues to impress in defence.
Former Narre Warren star Nick Scanlon went to a new level, as did midfielder Ben MacReadie (24), who was close to best afield after being dropped only two weeks ago.
German put it best when he said it was a ‘total team effort’.
“Everyone rallied to the cause. Everyone, across the board, did something,” he said.
“It just showed that what we’re doing here is pretty good and it should make a lot of people say ‘Geez, Casey is a side that will give players an opportunity at this level’.
“I’m very proud.”
The Scorpions competed in extreme winds for the third week running.
Reigning club best-and-fairest winner James Wall (20) has been a pivotal figure during that period and again assumed his loose-man role in defence in the first quarter.
Wall also found time to set up Waite for the game’s opening goal into the stiff breeze.
A questionable 50m penalty against Jimmy Taylor resulted in Tiger Andrew Raines levelling the scores midway through the term, but Casey managed the next two through great pieces of play.
The Scorpions’ third major was the highlight.
Scanlon expertly won a contested possession before handballing to Demon Trent Zomer, who, clasping the ball one-handed, burst clear of his opponent, ran inside 50 and dribbled through a brilliant goal.
Adam Thomson hit back for Coburg to restrict the margin to three points at quarter-time, but Casey had set the tone: it wasn’t going to be the pushover the visitors may have expected.
Another 50m penalty saw Nick Liddle give the Tigers the edge, but Casey soon transformed into the irresistible force of recent weeks.
Danny Hughes, Ryan Creed, MacReadie and Simon Buckley kicked unanswered majors as the Scorpions entered half-time 24 points up.
The Tigers lifted significantly in the third quarter and drew within three points as time-on approached.
But a Pierce Liddle goal, following handballs from Scanlon and Scott MacLeod, gave Casey an eight-point buffer at the last break.
Waite stretched the difference after hauling in a mark in heavy traffic, but stoppages and wasted opportunities dominated for much of the term as the Tigers tried desperately to stick with the Scorpions.
Waite’s fourth major after another inside-50 mark sealed the result and Hughes and in-form defender Peter Faulks added to Coburg’s misery with goals of their own in the dying stages.
But German was unwilling to talk about finals, despite his side being three games clear – and percentage – of ninth-placed Sandringham.
“We’re in the position to obviously control our own destiny, but, once you start looking at the ladder, then you’ll say ‘if we lose one here we have still got a buffer’,” he said.
“I don’t look at it that way. I just get the players to focus on the next outcome and the process … the process now is getting your body right for the next game.
“I’ve learned over the years not to look any further past the next week.”
Casey makes the long trip to Skilled Stadium to face Geelong at 10.40am on Saturday.
