Scorpions stung in the end

By Peter Sweeney
BEATEN, but winners!
That may seem contradictory, but it’s true – or certainly in the eyes of the man who matters most.
When the siren sounded at Preston City Oval on Sunday, the Casey Scorpions were nine points shy of the Northern Bullants.
As the names of the sides suggested, there was plenty of sting in the low-scoring slug on a wet and windy day.
Brad Gotch – who a day earlier had been the “comments” man for the ABC live television coverage of the Williamstown-Sandringham game – stepped out for his 250th game as a coach at this level.
A win would have been the only thing that would have made Gotch happier.
“I was so proud of the boys. They (Bullants) had chances to blow us away, but we just hung in there,” he said.
The Scorpions got to within a point at the 20-minute mark of the last quarter – courtesy of a 50m boundary line goal from Brendan Fevola, his third – before the Bullants kicked the sealer.
Challenges to Gotch loomed pre-game.
One came from the skies, where an hour and a half of rain had made the ground “tacky, gluey and not suited to us”.
Another was created at the MCG, where Michael Newton was warming up with Melbourne’s AFL team in what many termed their “defining” match with the Adelaide Crows.
When Newton, “the extra”, was not needed at the ‘G, he was in his car and Preston bound, making it on to the ground in the second quarter.
“We were down a player pre then,” Gotch said.
By that time, Stefan Martin had copped a knee in the back and Jake Spencer and Jack Fitzpatrick were hobbling. Spencer is having regular treatment on his right knee while Fitzpatrick injured an ankle. Both are in doubt for Sunday’s important clash with the Bendigo Bombers at Casey Fields.
“So we had three injured and Newton a late starter,” Gotch said. “Martin was supposed to be our second ruckman, but he couldn’t breathe properly so he was sent forward.
“Injuries really hit us on Sunday and there were some ins and outs. But we had our opportunities to win this match – and could have done so with better execution. Overall, I was very pleased with the fellas, they hung in there.”
Fourteen points in arrears at half-time, the Scorpions made inroads in the third quarter, kicking 2.3 and restricting the Bullants to three points.
The two-point difference at the final change set it up for a classic last term – one of good old-fashioned football. And that’s just what it was, with no quarter asked, none given. With four more scoring shots and the lead all day, the Bullants would have been unlucky to lose, but that’s football.
In the end, their bite was a little stronger.
Gotch, who enjoyed his television stint as it “gave me the opportunity to look at Williamstown as we play them soon, and people to see me away from being a coach”, is eyeing Sunday.
The Bendigo Bombers are sitting third, with just one loss. Casey is fifth, with two losses.
Casey’s reserves won by 94 points on Sunday – their third straight “monster” win – after kicking nine goals in the first term.
“There’s some depth at the club, which is a good thing. It’s certainly going to make the selection table an interesting place this week,” Gotch said.
As for Fev, he gave him the thumbs-up for attitude – but said the spearhead needed to “give away” backchatting umpires when a decision went against him.
Fevola finished with 3.4 from nine shots on goal.
“Two or three of the behinds should have been goals and he didn’t make the distance another time,” Gotch said.