Picture perfect for Scorps

By Peter Sweeney
LIVE television sits comfortably with the Casey Scorpions.
The Scorpions-Collingwood contest was live on ABC television from Casey Fields on Saturday, when the Scorpions kicked a season high 22.10(142).
The only other time the Cranbourne East-based side has been live on the idiot box this year was on 30 April – when the Scorpions booted 21.8 (134) against bottom-placed Frankston. Until Saturday, that was its highest score of the season.
Sadly for Casey, it has no more matches on television this year – which will last much longer for them than it will for most clubs.
The Scorpions – in a sun-drenched but chilly (if such a contradiction makes sense) Casey Fields – proved against the Magpie twos that they are travelling on the right road at the right speed.
At no stage did Collingwood put the cue back in the rack during the contest, but the hopes of the ninth-placed visitors upsetting the fourth-placed locals, hit the turf as heavily as Pie playmaker Brad Dick did right on half-time.
Dick – who on the same weekend last year kicked four goals in the Collingwood league side when they drew with Melbourne on the holiday Monday clash – was collecting a loose ball seconds before the main break, when he crashed to the ground as if shot.
It looked as though the 22-year-old West Australian, who has overcome several shoulder and knee reconstructions, was bound for another appointment with the surgeon.
Seconds after Dick was stretchered from field, the siren went – hopefully not on his career but certainly on a favourable outcome for his team on the day. The Scorpions led by 41 points – and it was going to take a miracle and a half to change such.
The Pies may have outscored the Scorpions in the third term, but it was only temporary relief, the final margin being seven goals neat.
The difference? Simply, the Scorpions had too much sting – in the shape of too many stingers – in attack. Their firepower up forward just kept on rolling out.
There was (Lynden) Dunn, (Lucas) Cook, (Brendan) Fevola and more. Others who floated in and out and seemingly kicked goals at will. They were finishing off much of the good work started by Ricky Petterd, who in the eyes of many was clearly best afield.
Petterd, a Queenslander, showed more versatility than he has in his 40-odd games with AFL affiliate Melbourne. Or maybe it was the fact he was given a ticket to wander far and wide.
Whether in the middle – where he did his best work – or attack or defence, Petterd gained stats at will. When the statistician got cramp in his hand writing down Petterd gains, the last count was 23 kicks and 11 marks.
He – and any other Melbourne-contracted player who turned it on – couldn’t have picked a better day to do so, as Demon coach Dean Bailey was at the ground. Cook, the No. 12 pick in the most recent AFL draft and a former all-Australian at junior level, couldn’t have been more impressive.
And – as commentators Peter Donegan, Phil Cleary, Matt Clinch and Marty Pask often said – he will be a big acquisition for the Demons when his body fills out.
Demon Dunn had a day out. It started 45 seconds into the match, when his left-foot snap on goal was shepherded through by Fevola. Dunn had three by the first change, Cook two, and the Scorpions were looking good.
But, it wasn’t as if Collingwood wasn’t in the contest.
The Pies had nearly as many inside-50s as Casey, but they couldn’t mark the ball – the hosts having more than double the number of marks as their rivals up front.
Sundberg, who “they” say has been Collingwood’s best player six or seven times this season, was best again on Saturday. And baby-faced youngsters Brett Eddy and Tom Couch were more than impressive, the former kicking three goals and getting some good grabs, the latter booting two goals.
In the reserves, Casey were rolled by Werribee by 10 points, 12.12 (84) to 10.14 (74).
On Sunday, the Scorpions are home again, this time against the Coburg Tigers, who were toothless on Saturday when thrashed by Port Melbourne, the top dog.