Now, we're not getting ahead of ourselves as we have just passed the half way mark of the season but a few people have been asking me about the eligibility of Melbourne Football Club players for finals.

An MFC player must have played 7 with Casey and no more than 12 AFL games.

The 12/10 rule also applies in finals where the maximum MFC players to be picked is 12.

I'll endeavour to update this in future so that eligible players will be known as they definitely become eligible.

Thanks for the update KC, much appreciated.

Now, we're not getting ahead of ourselves as we have just passed the half way mark of the season but a few people have been asking me about the eligibility of Melbourne Football Club players for finals.

An MFC player must have played 7 with Casey and no more than 12 AFL games.

The 12/10 rule also applies in finals where the maximum MFC players to be picked is 12.

I'll endeavour to update this in future so that eligible players will be known as they definitely become eligible.

thanks KC- I am one whom was interested in the outcome. How many games has Watts played for Casey? I thought 5.

thanks KC- I am one whom was interested in the outcome. How many games has Watts played for Casey? I thought 5.

Yeah that's right he's played 5. So we need him to play at least 2 more with Casey and no more then 7 more with Melbourne.

Then fingers crossed he can experience winning a flag (VFL)in his 2nd year at the club!

thanks KC- I am one whom was interested in the outcome. How many games has Watts played for Casey? I thought 5.

Miller ?

Miller ?

6, same as Newton, Spencer, Hughes. (http://www.sportingpulse.com/comp_info.cgi?c=1-118-0-102874-0&pool=-1&round=1&a=STATS)

Already qualified (VFL Games wise): PJ, Bell, Strauss, TMac, Maric, Cheney

Yeah that's right he's played 5. So we need him to play at least 2 more with Casey and no more then 7 more with Melbourne.

Then fingers crossed he can experience winning a flag (VFL)in his 2nd year at the club!

I think he'll get around another 5 with Melbourne this season. And qualify for the Casey finals team, remembering he'll need to get some momentum with Casey so they can enter the finals with form.

Now, we're not getting ahead of ourselves as we have just passed the half way mark of the season but a few people have been asking me about the eligibility of Melbourne Football Club players for finals.

An MFC player must have played 7 with Casey and no more than 12 AFL games.

The 12/10 rule also applies in finals where the maximum MFC players to be picked is 12.

I'll endeavour to update this in future so that eligible players will be known as they definitely become eligible.

With just four games to go before the VFL finals, the question of which MFC players are qualified to play for Casey has been raised again [see the rules above]. I've complied an unofficial list of qualifiers (noting that with four games to go more players might also qualify):

Daniel Bell - 12 games

Sam Blease - 7 games (all reserves)

Kyle Cheney - 11 games

Jack Fitzpatrick - 5 games (plus 4 reserves)

Max Gawn - 1 reserves game. Missed last week with illness and, in all probability will be eased through the remainder of the season. Questionable whether in these circumstances he would play much (if any) senior football until next year.

Rhys Healey ® - 5 games (plus 1 reserves). Coming back from a hamstring injury and, if he passes his fitness test, will most probably line up in the reserves.

Neville Jetta - 8 games

Paul Johnson - 8 games

Addam Maric - 12 games

Tom McNamara - 12 games

Brad Miller - 9 games

Michael Newton - 7 games

Jake Spencer - 7 games (plus 1 reserves)

James Strauss seniors - 10 games

Luke Tapscott - 3 games (plus 1 reserves) *

Austin Wonaeamirri - 8 games (plus 2 reserves)

* in the event that Luke is selected to play for MFC during the remainder of the season, he will only qualify for finals with Casey if he plays 3 more games there.

There are a few others who might qualify but they've all been under an injury cloud lately:

Jordan Gysberts - 5 games. Needs two more Casey games to qualify but is down as 2 to 4 week on the injured list and is therefore touch and go.

Daniel Hughes ® - 6 games. Needs one more Casey game to qualify but is a 3 to 4 week injury proposition. Similar to Gysberts.

Stefan Martin - 4 games (plus 1 reserves). Needs one more Casey game to qualify and should do that this week. However, he's been hampered by a hip problem for most of the season so it's uncertain whether he will undergo a finals campaign.

My guess is that the injured players above might struggle to get a finals game.

There are a few others who are outside chances to qualify but I consider them unlikely. Jack Watts has played 10 MFC games so is close to ruling himself out on that score. I can’t see him being qualified for the VFL finals but he needs to not exceed 12 AFL games and needs two more VFL games to qualify. Rohan Bail, Joel Macdonald, Cale Morton and Matthew Warnock need three more. With the exception of Warnock, all are currently playing in the AFL and the latter is playing well enough to receive a call up before the end of the season. Warnock has played 12 games with the MFC and on form is sure to get some more AFL game time before the season’s out so he’s not a likely member of any Casey finals team.

Looking at the 12/10 rule I think we would be be best served by having those who have played the most Casey games playing the finals (not those like Watts who we would all like to see out there).

Guys like Bell, Cheney, Maric, McNamara, Spencer, Newton, Strauss, Miller, Hughes (would be cruel if he didn't get to play finals) have been core players for Casey this year. Barring any injury I think these 9 deserve the spots.

The last 3 spots might just be there for whoever is playing Casey seniors at the right time: Jetta, Wona, Tapscott, Blease, Fitzpatrick, PJ, Healey.

Its certainly not worth rushing Gysberts as his back injury seems to be significant.

I'm sure Casey would love Warnock to keep playing for them for the rest of the year, but I think its unlikely.

I really hope for our sake and Casey's sake that we field 12 fit and decent VFL players to give them the best chance of competing in the finals. Last year was pretty sad what happened but it seems this year we have a greater core of guys who hopefully feel some responsibility with Casey and the club allows them to have a crack at some tough finals football.

Last year was pretty sad what happened but it seems this year we have a greater core of guys who hopefully feel some responsibility with Casey and the club allows them to have a crack at some tough finals football.

Agreed. It was almost shameful from a Melbourne supporter's point of view, the way Casey went out with one senior AFL listed players in the final against Collingwood that was chockful of Magpie listed players and they proceeded to thrash us.

There are many who don't give a continental about our VFL affiliation but I believe that it needs to work well and provide successful VFL teams if you want your AFL list to be strong in the long run.

Agreed. It was almost shameful from a Melbourne supporter's point of view, the way Casey went out with one senior AFL listed players in the final against Collingwood that was chockful of Magpie listed players and they proceeded to thrash us.

There are many who don't give a continental about our VFL affiliation but I believe that it needs to work well and provide successful VFL teams if you want your AFL list to be strong in the long run.

That's why Peter German left...

That's why Peter German left...

The problem is that most AFL clubs have an ordinary attitude with regard to their VFL affiliates.

I'm sure you'd agree with that Zebraman given that you support a club where I hear the VFL teams are virtually ignored by the Saints.

Here's the list:

Daniel Bell, Kyle Cheney, Jack Fitzpatrick, Danny Hughes, Paul Johnson, Addam Maric, Tom McNamara, Brad Miller, Michael Newton, James Strauss, Austin Wonaemirri

It's a pretty disappointing list really. I was expecting a fleet of kids being able to play together and get finals experience as a group, but I'd see us delisting 6/11 of those players. Puts a pretty significant dent in Casey's finals chances I'd have thought. Pity.

Here's the list:

Daniel Bell, Kyle Cheney, Jake Fitzpatrick, Danny Hughes, Paul Johnson, Addam Maric, Tom McNamara, Brad Miller, Michael Newton, James Strauss, Austin Wonaemirri

It's a pretty disappointing list really. I was expecting a fleet of kids being able to play together and get finals experience as a group, but I'd see us delisting 6/11 of those players. Puts a pretty significant dent in Casey's finals chances I'd have thought. Pity.

What about Bail,Healey and Tapscott. I thought they had qualified.

Yeah Healey must have qualified. May have left out Healey and Tapscot becuase they played a lot of games in the twos which means they will still qualify but may not get a game. Bail not sure about he may have not played enough games.

It's a pretty disappointing list really. I was expecting a fleet of kids being able to play together and get finals experience as a group, but I'd see us delisting 6/11 of those players. Puts a pretty significant dent in Casey's finals chances I'd have thought. Pity.

In all fairness, those guys were the players who probably represented Casey most often this year and deserve a crack at the finals (Bell, Cheney, Miller, etc.). Plus I'm still happy to have Maric, Fitzpatrick, Strauss and Aussie getting extra chances to play some finals footy.

Yeah Healey must have qualified. May have left out Healey and Tapscot becuase they played a lot of games in the twos which means they will still qualify but may not get a game. Bail not sure about he may have not played enough games.

Thought Tapscott might have had a sore shoulder after last weekends game. Wouldn't be surprised if the club decided to shelve Blease, Tapscott and Healy (after all had long term injuries) and made the call to get them ready for big preseasons. Bail qualified to play finals, but now considered a Melbourne first teamer, so gets the break at end of season.

Healey will be delisted and may not even get a game for Casey.

Tapscott did look to have a sore shoulder, came off for a bit. Looks like a tough bugger.

The forward line of Hughes Miller and Maric will go a long way to helping the scorps go deep. They were great on the weekend.

How many games has Bail played at Casey. I thought he had already qualified. If not he has played 4- therefore return to Casey this week.

How many games has Bail played at Casey. I thought he had already qualified. If not he has played 4- therefore return to Casey this week.

That list is from the VFL website.

This week is the first week of VFL Finals. If they're not on that list, they're not playing at Casey this week.

That list is from the VFL website.

This week is the first week of VFL Finals. If they're not on that list, they're not playing at Casey this week.

thanks for pointing that out- I thought there was another week to go-

That list is from the VFL website.

This week is the first week of VFL Finals. If they're not on that list, they're not playing at Casey this week.

I'm not sure that this is entirely correct. The list on the VFL website refers mainly to players on AFL lists who have played games this year in the AFL. The usual seven game eligibility rules wouldn't apply to those who have played all of their games in the VFL so that players like Sam Blease, Rhys Healey and Luke Tapscott shouldn't be subject to the same rules. Further, when a club's senior team is still playing in the AFL, I think you'll find that anyone who doesn't make the AFL team can play for the VFL affiliate. That's what has always happened in the past.

Anyway, I guess we'll find out soon enough.

Isn't the rule first week anyone can play because the home and away season is still going in the AFL its the week after where it becomes an issue?

Brad Miller turns to Casey Scorpions

BRAD Miller will line up for the Casey Scorpions in their VFL qualifying final this week after turning his back on a farewell AFL match.

Fantastic attitude from the big feller. The sort that could help the team get up and win a flag. 

Brad Miller turns to Casey Scorpions

Fantastic attitude from the big feller. The sort that could help the team get up and win a flag. 

In a way this is somewhat a positive for the alliance too.

In a way this is somewhat a positive for the alliance too.

A far better attitude than last year though Juice still played for Casey.We definately have a chance this year.