It’s the start of the end for the Casey Scorpions, as comeback skipper Kyle Matthews tosses the coin with his Werribee counterpart, Dom Gleeson. 70483
By Peter Sweeney
AT QUARTER-TIME of their qualifying final against Port Melbourne, Casey Scorpions coach Bradley Gotch was as relaxed – and as confident – as he has ever been in a long career in football.
And it showed in a short and sweet boundary line television interview with VFL legend Phil Cleary.
Casey had kicked against a strong breeze and were just two points behind the unbeaten Borough – on their dunghill.
But then – for some inexplicable reason – rather than doing the stinging, the Scorpions got stung. In the last three quarters of last Saturday week, the Scorpions kicked just six goals.
And that number – six – was all they could scrape together in a full game against the Werribee Tigers at Port Melbourne on Saturday.
This was the same Werribee who just three weeks earlier the Scorpions had taken to the cleaners at Casey Fields.
But finals footy is different to home and away footy. Very different. In seven quarters of footy, the Scorpions were terrible and have unceremoniously been sent to the scrapheap.
Bradley Gotch is dumbfounded.
“I have no idea of what happened – and even less an idea of how it happened,” he said on Monday while joining his players for and end-of-season drink.
“If you can give me the reasons in a bottle, great. If anybody can unlock the key and give me answers, I welcome it. We were like a balloon that was burst.
“I went into this (finals) series feeling as confident, as positive, as I’ve ever felt.
“We hit form at the right time. We beat the (Northern) Bullants by 100 points and the (Werribee) Tigers by 44 points in successive weeks. We had turned a corner.
“The Melbourne and the Casey boys at our club work well together. They get on well and stick together. There was nothing I saw or heard that could have prepared me for our last two weeks.
“It just shows how much of this game is in the mind … how much is about belief, confidence, trust. I cannot explain it (what happened)”
At least the Scorpions were in the final against Port for a quarter. Such wasn’t the case last Saturday.
They were 25 points down against the Tigers at quarter time; and seven goals at half time.
They didn’t come close to winning a quarter, let alone winning.
Late this week – and early next – there will be a review at the club. Of everything and everybody.
“It will start with me,” Gotch said.
“Maybe I am the problem. Maybe I am not the man. Maybe my time is up.”
For now, Casey’s is.
