No Bugs at Casey by KC from Casey

[Demonland 66,977]

NO BUGS AT CASEY by KC from Casey

Like their AFL partner, the Casey Scorpions will be hoping that the injury bug which in many ways derailed its season in 2009 stays far away in 2010.

A little over a month out from last year's finals the Scorpions were the form team of the competition, sitting in the top four after a string of good victories. They were even being considered as the danger team to the then flag favourites Williamstown and North Ballarat.

However, a run of injuries both at Melbourne and within the ranks at Casey intervened and ultimately, the team missed out on the double chance. The injury-depleted remnant with only one senior AFL listed player plus a rookie was easily bundled out by a full strength Collingwood team in an elimination final and the only silver lining was the fact that a number of young players called in to fill the void gained invaluable senior experience that would not normally have been so readily open to them.

With the first practice game against neighbours, the Frankston Dolphins, still four weeks away there are some injury worries in the air but hopefully, these fears will have been allayed with the approach of the new season.

The club's number one recruit, high flying Scott Simpson who spent two years on Geelong's AFL Senior List, is still experiencing problems with an ankle injury that caused the early curtailment to his 2009 season. New Casey senior coach Brad Gotch is quoted in this week's Inside Football as saying that there may still be a fracture in the bone that was supposed to be repairing and that Simpson was still sore and "shattered". Another goalkicking forward, former De La Salle star Matt Moore who impressed with the Scorpions early last year before breaking down with a knee injury, is also reported to be struggling with his rehabilitation.

The good news is that the club has seen the arrival of some promising new forward line talent. The leading TAC Cup goalkicker from 2009, Luke McDonald from the Eastern Ranges, comes to the club after booting 63 goals and being named at full forward in that competition's Team of the Year alongside Tom Scully, Dustin Martin, Ben Cunnington, Gary Rohan, John Butcher and a number of other AFL dratees. Last year the 195cm tall McDonald was an over-age player who also finished equal third in the TAC Cup Coaches Award and he was touted as a potential draftee at various times during the season. He turns 20 in April and is primed to make an early impression in VFL ranks. McDonald is joined by another Eastern suburbs key forward in the versatile Cam Purdy from East Ringwood who has been impressive at training and showed out recently when, as one of the Casey "top up" players in Melbourne's intra club game, he was confused by some attendees with injured Demon youngster Jack Watts.

Another highly regarded recruit from the east is 22 year old ex-Magpie rookie Danny Nicholls from Rowville. Originally with the Dandenong Stingrays, Nicholls had one AFL game when he appeared as a rover for Collingwood against the West Coast Eagles at Subiaco in 2007 and he is reportedly "keen to again have an impact at VFL level." Gotch coached him for a couple of years at Williamstown during the time when the Seagulls were aligned with the Magpies.

Another player with impressive credentials is left footed midfielder Matt Fieldsend from De La Salle who tied for the best and fairest in VAFA A Section last year. He was outstanding in the early part of Melbourne's intra club game at Casey Fields last week.

The Gippsland Falcons TAC Cup club has proven to be a fertile recruiting ground. Included in this year's crop are:

* Mitch Dowse - 175cm 73kg from last year's Gippsland Falcons list via Heyfield, he was selected to play one game for the Scorpions under the

23rd player rule and impressed, kicking a goal.

* Dean Woodhead - 192cm 87kg from Drouin and the Gippsland Falcons

* Chris Wylie - 196cm 88kg tall recruited from Poowong and the Gippsland Falcons who also played a game for Casey under the 23rd player rule.

Also from the TAC Cup system are Will Petropolous, a 173cm 74kg Noble Park lad recruited this year from Dandenong Stingrays and Mark Weekes from Oakleigh Chargers via Mazenod while Cade Maskell from Korumburra Bena in the Alberton FL.

The club's major losses are Fremantle rookie Alex Silvagni and Peter Faulks who has followed Peter German to Williamstown. Both are key defenders who will be definitely be sorely missed. There are however, sufficient numbers of quality players available to the new coach to have most observers convinced that, injury (or should I say lack thereof) permitting, Casey will be well to the forefront when the new season gets under way in April.

2010 Practice Matches - All matches at Casey Fields

Sunday 14th March

Casey Scorpions v Frankston

Reserves 11.10am, Seniors 2pm

Friday 19th March

Casey Scorpions v Northern Bullants

Seniors 4.30pm, Reserves 7pm

Saturday 26th March

Casey Scorpions v Bendigo Bombers *

Seniors 1pm

* Bendigo will not be fielding a reserves team in 2010.

[Hulett Packard III 166]

Thanks for the informative article KC. Looks like an interesting year ahead for the Scorps!

[jayceebee31 692]

Thanks for the informative article KC. Looks like an interesting year ahead for the Scorps!

Thanks KC for your formative post. Would love to read your update from this weeks game.