The Demons produced one of the most emphatic results of round 16, dispatching of the Bulldogs with a 119-point triumph, with their number 10 producing a memorable talismanic performance en route to the spoils.
The 23.16 (154) to 5.5 (35) win down at Tatura Park on August 1 put fifth-placed United in a strong position to seal a finals berth in the remaining weeks of the campaign, where they will face Echuca and Mansfield.
Undoubtedly, Casey has been central to everything good about the boys in blue and red this term, with his 54 strikes in just 16 outings this season demonstrating his keen eye for goal.
The free-scoring forward has been the scourge of the Bulldogs in 2026, hitting the scoreboard on 17 occasions in the home and away fixtures against Andrew Ciavarella’s charges this year.
He has been in particularly irresistible form in the last month too, chalking up 18 majors over the past four weeks to put him top of the Goulburn Valley League senior’s goal-kicking charts by some distance.
Incredibly, he has 18 more strikes to his name than next-best goalkicker Luke Smith of Shepparton - making him one of the division’s most feared attacking insurgents.
Now, United co-coach Freer has provided a rare insight into the character behind the Demons’ resident goal-machine, as he praised the former Yarrawonga man for his efforts both on and off the field.
“His character is his biggest asset,” the coach said.
“One thing that I can be very proud of at United is that we’ve made sure any recruits or any players that have come into our team have been really great people.
“That was the number one thing for us as a club that on and off the field, we were well-respected and he’s fit that really well.
“As a person, I can’t fault him, and as a player and a teammate, I’ll probably be able to speak on behalf of everyone and say he’s a an absolute rip to have on your team out there.”
From there, Freer also spoke highly of Casey’s attributes, as he looked ahead with excitement about a potentially bright future for the standout star down at Deakin Reserve.
“As far as football goes, he’s very, very smart - he’s a very strong boy,” he said of the player’s attributes out on the park.
“He’s very strong, can kick it and is comfortable in kicking a long-range goal and he’s also very crafty with his body work to kick it when he’s close to goal.
“So we’ve been very fortunate to get Matty on board - we look forward to him building a really good career in the blue and the red.”
As a parting comment, Freer also expressed his gratitude towards the club’s fans and unsung personnel behind the scenes.
“Thank you very much to all of our supporters and everyone involved at the club, we’re a very fortunate club as we’ve got a really great crew both on field and off it.”
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