An unanswered eight-goal wave has lifted the Southern Saints into the top-four, comfortably accounting for Casey by 42 points on the Demons' home deck.
The Demons entered the clash in sixth spot but were no match for the seventh-placed Saints, who sealed the match by holding the home team goalless from the seventh minute of the first term until the 14th of the last to repeat their preliminary final victory from last year.
The four-goal final term only franked the Saints’ dominance as they finished +51 on disposals, +21 on marks and most impressively for a winning team +39 on tackles.
Margaret Kershaw was a standout around the ground for the Saints. Despite losing the hitouts to Leah Swain 28-14, she racked up 24 disposals, four marks, nine tackles, 11 clearances and seven inside-50s in an impressive display.
Tessa Boyd (18 disposals, seven rebounds) was almost impassable in defence and Gabriella De Angelis (16 disposals, six tackles, two goals), Lucy Burke (11 disposals, four goals) and debutant Abbey Tregellis (three goals) were unstoppable in attack.
VFLW MATCH CENTRE: View all news, stats and videos from Round 5
Meanwhile, AFLW Saint Caitlin Matthews marked a promising VFLW debut, charting 16 disposals and four tackles coming off half-back.
Shannon Danckert (19 disposals, seven clearances, six tackles) was tireless for the Demons in the middle, Charlotte Wilson (14 disposals, six marks, six rebounds) and Belinda Woolcock (16 disposals, five rebounds) did their best to turn back the tide in defence, while Shree Fairchild (16 disposals) also tried hard.
The Southern Saints will return to Wilson Storage Trevor Barker Beach Oval in six days' time to face the Western Bulldogs.
CASEY 1.2 1.2 1.4 2.5 (17)
SOUTHERN SAINTS 2.1 3.3 5.5 9.5 (59)
GOALS
Casey: Keohane, Gall
Southern Saints: Burke 4, Tregellis 3, De Angelis 2
BEST
Casey: Fairchild, Danckert, Woolcock, Swain
Southern Saints: Kershaw, Burke, Podnecky, Matthews, Tregellis, Boyd
