A wounded Northern Blues went down by 47 points to the Casey Scorpions at Ikon Park this afternoon, all but ending any chance of finals.
Fielding a significantly undermanned side, the Blues were no match for the Scorpions, going down 9. 4. (58) to 15. 15. (105).
Having not led at all in the contest, a dominant second half from Casey saw them overrun a Northern side fielding just nine Carlton-listed players.
Casey burst out of the blocks to kick three of the first four goals of the game to take a 14-point lead at the opening change, setting the tone for the rest of the day.
A brief surge in the second term brought the Blues back into the contest, with two Liam Jones goals bringing the deficit back to 10 points.
However, after dominating territory for the second term, the Blues conceded two late goals to end the half, seeing Casey full of confidence in the second half.
Casey all but sealed the game with an ultra-effective third quarter, slamming on 11 scoring shots to one to take a 46-point lead into the final term.
Both sides traded four goals apiece in the final term to close proceedings, although the damage had well and truly been done on the scoreboard by the Scorpions.
Late consolation goals to Kristian Jaksch and Blaine Johnson put some gloss on the scoreboard to cap an ultimately disappointing day for the Blues.
Jayden Hunt was the chief instigator on the scoreboard for the Scorpions, kicking 4.1 from just the nine disposals to be one of his side’s best.
Mark Jamar (two goals, 44 hitouts) did the damage in the ruck, with Alex Aurrichio no match for the Melbourne-listed ruckman’s experience.
Mark Whiley contested all day to be one of the Blues’ more influential players, finishing with 20 disposals to often play a lone hand in the middle.
Jaksch was one shining light to take from the day, with his work up forward in the final term seeing him kick two goals and set up one more to cap off a solid performance.
In difficult circumstances, Johnson and Liam Jones (two goals each) both battled manfully, with the latter’s performances seeing him adjudged best afield by his coaches.
However, the Blues were ultimately with too few contributors on the day, with the result seeing them slide to a 4-9 record and ruling out any chance of a late finals surge.
To compound the misery, the Blues lost captain Brent Bransgrove (hamstring) early in the first term for the day, while Tom Wilson had to battle through the second half with an ankle injury.
Speaking post-match, Jaksch said it was a difficult afternoon at Ikon Park, given the Blues had set their sights on getting their season back on track against the Scorpions.
“We really thought we were a chance coming into the game - we thought we’d really to be able to take it to them but there were a few things which ultimately let us down,” Jaksch said.
“A few compliance issues and floating in and out of the game - we play some really good footy at times but some issues with structures and communication hurt us.
“The positive thing is that when we do those things right, we’re a good side who are really hard to beat so we’ll focus on that after the bye.”
With a bye to come next week before venturing down to Ballarat in a fortnight, Jaksch said the week off could be beneficial ahead of attacking the season’s home stretch.
“It’s good to get a week off and really have a good look at what’s working for us and what we need to address again,” Jaksch said.
“I think it’s just the basic things, because when we do that well and play our roles [regardless of who’s in and out], we’re a really difficult side to beat.”
The Northern Blues’ next game comes in a fortnight at Eureka Stadium against North Ballarat, with a bye to come next weekend.
NORTHERN BLUES 1.2 4.3 5.3 9. 4. (58)
CASEY SCORPIONS 3.4 7.7 11.13 15. 15. (105)
GOALS
NORTHERN BLUES: Jaksch 2, Jones 2, Johnson 2, Watson, Dirago, Murray.
CASEY SCORPIONS: Hunt 4, Jamar 3, Spencer 2, Byrnes, Rutherford, King, Michie, Jones, Grimes.
BEST
NORTHERN BLUES: Jones, Roberts, Ballard, Johnston, Armitage, Whiley
CASEY SCORPIONS: Jamar, Grimes, McKenzie, Hunt, Hutchins, Panozza
