AUSTRALIAN PIE by Whispering Jack

Australian Pie by Whispering Jack

"A long, long time ago

I can still remember..."

Well, it must have been a long, long time ago because I can't remember two recruits making such an impact in a Melbourne intraclub practice match as Jack Trengove and Tom Scully did this morning at Casey Fields.

Trengove showed enormous poise and skill for an 18 year old and he simply took off from where he left the football world at the end of last season playing in a grand final for Sturt in the SANFL. He was a prolific ball winner on his wing, played with great confidence and demonstrated sublime skills and football smarts. At one stage he had the 2,000 strong crowd gasping as he sidestepped Aaron Davey with all the aplomb of a veteran. Not many people in football could manage that, let alone a kid playing in his first practice match in this sort of company. Trengove also showed an uncanny ability to read the play and was constantly in the action until he was matched against Scully for a brief patch in the final term.

The #1 national draft pick from 2009, Scully had to be content to be in Trengove's shadow this time although he still showed flashes of the sheer brilliance that had recruiting scouts salivating last year. The intense youngster has been in full on training mode for less than a month after knee surgery kept him out of last year's TAC Cup grand final and was playing in his first open age game of football. He collected many possessions (often lightning fast handballs that were delivered precision-like to their targets) and he kicked a goal in the final quarter to give the white team the lead after it had, at one stage, trailed by six goals. It took some sublime magic from Liam Jurrah to boot the last two goals of the match to turn the tables. Jurrah had only a reasonable game but a few cameos saw him finish with four goals for the winning red side.

The star of the day was 10-year veteran Brad Green at half forward who was in everything and finished with three goals. Skipper James McDonald belied his age and directed proceedings to the praise of coach Dean Bailey who also cited Brent Moloney and Jared Rivers as important cogs in the line up, each having gone through their initial seasons after lengthy lay offs through injury. One typical hard Moloney tackle on Scully was not quite the welcome the youngster would have wanted in this game but it was the type of tough initiation to the big time that was handled manfully by both the tackler and the tackled.

Colin Sylvia started slowly but showed enough to suggest that his forward progression of the last season or so will continue to gather momentum while former Brisbane Lion Joel Macdonald showed he will be a welcome addition giving some good run off half back. I also liked Ricky Petterd's game.

Mark Jamar who is also coming off an injury lay off was strong in the ruck in his allocated half of football. The Demons need a fit Jamar because a full season from the improving Russian will be of great importance to the club's stocks. The Demons have struggled in the ruck department in recent years.

A few of Melbourne's younger brigade showed that they will be stepping up another notch this year. James Frawley in defence is bigger, stronger and faster and played his key defence post with great confidence and flair. Jack Grimes, in the middle, was smooth all day and showed in his step up from defence that he has all the ingredients necessary to mix it with the competition's elite midfielders. It's quite extraordinary when you realise he is a veteran of only 12 games! Jamie Bennell looks stronger and fitter this year and he literally ran rings around some of his opposition forwards. Every time I see him play, he reminds me more and more of a young Andrew McLeod.

Rookie Jake Spencer is not renowned for his kicking as the small band of Demon fans that witnessed his fresh air blooper at Etihad Stadium last year. This morning he was right on target kicking the first two goals of the game prompting cries of "who needs Naitanui". The 203cm Spencer has worked on most facets of his game and it showed today. Fellow rookie Jordie McKenzie has also stepped up a notch or two in the off season and looks set to claim a berth in the club's midfield just as soon as he can be uplifted from rookie status.

The game itself was a mixture with the standard vacillating from high to low calibre but generally, one would have to say that it was satisfactory for a first up hit in February.

Missing from the game were Jack Watts, Matthew Bate, Paul Johnson, Colin Garland, John Meesen, Cameron Bruce, Austin Wonaeamirri, Luke Tapscott, Max Gawn and Sam Blease. Apparently, only the three big men in Johnson, Meesen and Gawn are likely to miss more than a couple of weeks.

The two teams were supplemented by some young Casey Scorpions who would have gained an enormous boost playing against a squad of AFL regulars. The best of the loca lads was Glenn Chivers while Chris Wylie kicked a goal for the winning red team and Matt Fieldsend was prominent early for the whites.

The atmosphere at the ground was very friendly and it was great to see that the club is settling in well at Casey Fields and is in tune with the local community (although something should be done about ensuring a smooth flow of traffic from the car park after games). The importance of the Casey venture should not be underestimated in terms of developing the club's support base to ensure its long-term survival.

Nothing should be taken for granted in football these days. I was reminded of this when thinking back to the days when I was a teenager who used to enjoy going to the MCG to watch intraclub games in the 60's. Back then, you didn't have NAB Cup games and clubs didn't meet until the beginning of the season proper. The first signs of change occurred circa 1970 when games against interstate clubs were permitted and Melbourne took on SANFL powerhouse Port Adelaide, winner of 36 premierships, for a couple of years in pre season games. The SA Pies have struggled on and off the field in recent years. They're now broke and on the brink of extinction with their power base eroded by tough economic times and well ... among other things the Power.

I'm more confident today than I have been for some time that the same fate doesn't await Melbourne. Jimmy Stynes, who was at Casey today, has worked hard with the Board to shore up the club's financial situation, and while we are not likely to see an immediate surge back into the finals this year, today's events give reason to believe that we are on our way.

As I mentioned in the beginning, I can't remember the advent into the club of two youngsters with the capacity to make a first up impact as Jack and Tom ... and I think there's more to come yet.

Reds 6.2.38 9.6.60 11.7.73 14.7.91

Whites 1.2.8 6.3.39 10.7.67 12.10.82

Goals

Reds Jurrah 4 Green 3 Spencer 2 Jamar Miller Moloney Petterd Weekes

(Casey Scorpions)

Whites Jones Maric Newton 2 Dunn Gysberts Hughes Morton Scully Sylvia

Best Green Trengove Frawley Grimes

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