Casey Demons youngster Noah Yze announced himself to the VFL on Saturday, kicking seven goals to lead his side to a 20.12(132) to 8.8(56) elimination final victory over Williamstown.
The breakout game was remarkable given the teenager has missed the past six weeks with a hamstring injury, and it’s great reward for Casey’s extraordinary show of faith to bring him straight back into the lineup.
It was just his eighth game at the level and having kicked at least one goal in his first seven games and teasing a big performance, it came to fruition on Saturday at Casey Fields.
Yze kicked the first goal of the game and had four to halftime, helping his side open up a 44-point halftime lead.
“It definitely did all come together,” Yze said.
“I think a lot of the training I’ve been doing has helped.
“Playing on the older boys, some people like to play in front, some people are more physical, some are more intercept marking.
“Wardell (Lual) for example does everything, he can come across and intercept, he’s quick so I need to work around and find weaknesses so that helps me improve in my forward craft and leading patterns.
“I try to get into their blind spots and force them to turn around and then they won’t see the ball so I’ve improved my forward craft.”
The 191cm forward spoke to this masthead earlier in the year about his desire to improve his consistency within games rather than fading in and out, with Saturday’s goal-kicking spree a clear example of his growth.
As the son of Melbourne great and Richmond coach Adem, there has naturally been a spotlight on Yze for much of his career, but he’s on his way to forging a strong legacy of his own – one of great skill, power, and most importantly, a team-first attitude.
One component of his game that close watchers will note of Yze is a sizeable exhale before taking set shots at goal – it’s part of a grander focus he has on getting himself in the right frame of mind to execute.
“I just want to get my heart rate down,” Yze said.
“If I’ve just sprinted for a lead or big pack mark, I’m a bit excited, so making sure I have two deep breaths and have a feel of the ball, make sure everything’s right and go in, do my usual seven steps, eight jogging and end up having a set shot.”
While Yze has played different roles in Casey’s attack – a deep target, key forward and hybrid – developing consistency in his line has allowed him to chase those marginal gains, having played across the ground last year.
“Being a forward, I know my way around it and have played it all my life, so I can bring in all my skills I’ve learned to perform and it’s easier on the mind to just dial down on that role rather than thinking about too many different things,” he said.
A Jai Culley run down tackle early in proceedings set the scene for Casey’s hot four-quarter performance.
Bailey Laurie and Mitch Hardie were immense through the midfield, Tom Campbell got on top in the ruck, while Nar Nar Goon local Paddy Cross contributed an equal season-high four goals.
The only negative of the game was a season-ending shoulder injury to Charlie Spargo.
Yze was at pains to point to the evenness of the team performance, particularly praising Cross, a member of the leadership group who provides x-factor inside 50.
““He’s been an absolute ripper,” Yze said of Cross.
“It’s my first (full) year in the program but doing all the pre-season with him, I’ve learned that much off him already and he’s had an unreal year.
“We know how each other play so we can help each other out with how we lead and that sort of thing.”
Casey is set to take on Frankston at Kinetic Stadium on Saturday at 7.35pm for a spot in the VFL preliminary finals against Southport.
The Demons won’t have the crowd behind them but they’ll have a six-match win streak to draw on and Yze will enter the game filled with self-belief.
“I love to play with a smile and when I watched the game back I had a smile on my face the whole time,” the youngster said.
“I do feel confident but it’s only one game.
“I want to perform like that again but it’s obviously not going to pop up.
“I just want to continue working on my game and hopefully get another win next week.”
