FOR Mark Corrigan, Casey Demons’ drought-breaking Smithy’s VFL premiership win was a just reward for everyone on and off the field who had gone above and beyond the call of duty to keep things afloat during two extremely challenging years.

The Demons’ 32-point victory over Southport at IKON Park on Sunday produced a fairytale for captain Mitch White and vice-captain Jimmy Munro after the double heartbreak of losing Grand Finals as favourites in 2016 and 2018.

But Corrigan also had strong feelings for the joy of club staff members, such as football manager Garry O’Sullivan, newly-inducted VFL life member Greg Pendlebury and the tireless medical, promotions and media team members.

“I’m just so proud of the group and happy for everyone involved in the program – the players, staff and everyone who has given so much,” Corrigan said.

“Football hasn’t been itself for two years and then we get the chance to get a full season out so for everyone to feel that reward is really gratifying.

“It's the people in our Casey program, the Garry O’Sullivans and our coaching group – and every VFL program throughout the competition is the same – they’re all running off not much, so what everyone commits to the program is outstanding and this is a huge reward for everyone involved to be able to taste some success.”

Corrigan was confident in the Demons’ ability to get the job done beforehand given they had lost just one game all season.

He received plenty of signs during the week that the two spiritual leaders of the club were not alone in their investment to the cause, and that the Melbourne AFL-listed players were just as desperate for a premiership medal after all missed out on the Perth party last year.

That was no more evident than from Jake Melksham, who could have almost been forgiven for putting the cue in the rack after playing in the AFL Demons’ straight-sets exit from the finals but pulled himself together quickly to boot four goals in a match-turning effort in attack in the absence of the injured Tom McDonald.

Corrigan also pointed to George Grey’s tackle on Southport giant Brayden Crossley as a key moment in the Grand Final.

“(Melksham) was incredibly committed to playing in this game,” Corrigan said.

“He’s been a huge part of what we’ve done this year, so we had him putting his hand up to want to play.

“In those conditions he’s such a smart footballer, he understands the game, he reads the scenarios really quickly and I thought his game was outstanding.

“(Grey’s) act, along with the five or six smothers in the third quarter just showed the level of endeavour where we were at and what it meant to us. I feel like there was five or six of those acts that showed me the boys were up for the fight, up for the challenge and had that resolve about them.”

Corrigan, who is now a VFL premiership coach as well as a 2012 Geelong VFL premiership player, admitted the Demons started slowly in the Grand Final and praised their courage to halt the Sharks’ momentum and wrest control as quickly as they did.

He also had special praise for his two talismen in White and Munro, along with the rest of his on-field leaders. Makeshift ruckman Sam Weideman, Kade Chandler and Adam Tomlinson also came in for special praise.

“They started much better than us and I thought they played the game the way they wanted to – they were dominant in their front half, they won the ball back in their mid-half,” Corrigan said.

“I thought it showed a lot of character and resolve for us to hold on defensively initially when they had all the momentum and then to take back some momentum in the second and third quarters is a real credit to our group to be comfortable in that situation.

(White) was absolutely outstanding and I’m glad he gets the recognition for that, because Dawson is an outstanding player and we had to try to curb his influence around the stoppages. Whitey’s commitment and diligence to his task but then to also have the game he did was just outstanding.

“Jimmy Munro is just so consistent, he never falters, he never wavers in his commitment and he’s an outstanding leader on and off the field for us.

“What they do is they butter up and go again – they bring everyone along with them, they lead from the front and they play the game the right way but today they were required to be strong in the contest and to take territory out of there and they did that, so huge credit to them.

“(Chandler) should have played more AFL football but the AFL team has been going so well, so it has been to his credit that he’s able to park that disappointment and come out here and play some incredible football.

“(Tomlinson) is a general – the same, I’m really lucky because I’ve got a strong VFL leadership group in White, Munro, Matt Buntine, those guys, but then we’ve got Luke Dunstan, Tomlinson, Melksham, Chandler, they’re just outstanding people but their volume is incredible and they just want nothing other than to play the role the team requires of them, so this is a huge reward for those guys.

Corrigan also said the club was starting to work to honour its past, with a Casey Scorpions guernsey hanging in a prominent place in the rooms throughout the day.

“I was speaking to (Channel 7 commentator and former Scorpion) Nige Carmody after the game, and that’s still an important part for us in bringing those people back and reuniting past players with existing players in a real one-club mentality,” he said.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do in that space but we’ll be endeavouring to make sure we’re connected to those eras past.”

Twitter: @BRhodesVFL