Casey is about to begin the season with  its fourth coach in as many years. Some quotes from incoming coach Brad Gotch.

I'm trying to keep my message quite simple to the guys, but also trying to get them to think towards the modern game and how it is played these days.

I'll be adding little strategies to improve the quality of their play, but we'll still be a really good side to watch this year.

I want our guys to be right to go in Round 1, not in two weeks' time during the practice games, and to also be able to sustain their fitness throughout the season.

Our conditioning staff felt that the players were pushed too hard last year, which may explain why they dropped off towards the end of the season, so it is certainly a more measured approach this time around.

I'll certainly try and put our best squad out there in every game, while also rewarding guys who have put in the hardest over the summer.

- SCORPS' COACH KEEPS IT SIMPLE 

This weekend’s game will show us how the support for the club has progressed in the local community.

 

The Casey Scorpions kick off their 2010 campaign on Saturday in a curtain raiser to the NAB Cup Challenge match between Melbourne and West Coast in a practice game against local rival Frankston (Seniors @ 11.20am, Reserves @ 9am). This will be followed by a tune-up against Northern Bullants on Friday 19 March and the Bendigo Bombers the following Saturday (all games at Casey)

It is definitely shaping up to be an exciting season and the team is coming together really well.

Hopefully people will turn up early to support us; it will be a lot of fun.

On boom recruit Scott Simpson from Geelong:

Scott is still coming off an ankle injury and hasn’t been able to do most of the pre-season training yet, we are hoping to ramp it up as the season progresses. 

He’s had another scan and operation during the pre-season so we are hoping that will do the trick.

 

On the pre season

We went from 80 or 90 players training in November and have cut that back to about 45.

We have been training three times a week since November and are monitoring the players’ fitness closely.

You always have high hopes for any team you take on but the Scorpions made it to the finals last year even with a number of injuries in the Demons team. 

We have kept our core group of Mathews, Wall and MacReadie. We still have the depth with our returning players. 

I would like to think we will end up in the top eight with the players we have kept from last season as well as our new arrivals.

 

- SCORPIONS READY FOR SEASON KICK OFF

Player numbers for Saturday's practice match v Frankston

1. Kyle Matthews

4. Austin Wonaemirri

5. Michael Stockdale

6. Danny Nicholls

7. Brad Sykes

10. Glenn Chivers

11. James Wall

12. Matt Fieldsend

13. James Taylor

14. Evan Panozza

15. Tim Mohr

17. Rian McGough

19. Mitch Dowse

20. Ben Macreadie

26. Gus Patti

31. Luke McDonald

41. Aaron Hillberge

49. Jack Fitzpatrick

68. Jordan Gysberts

70. Michael Newton

71. Rhys Healey

76. Colin Garland 

Good story about Gotchy on the VFL website -

GOTCHY RETURNING TO HIS ROOTS