Yes - Casey win another nailbiter!

Any idea of the injury to Bennell?

A real shame just as the kid starts to show some form.

sheesh long qtr

KC - thanks again.

I am really looking forward to your usual incisive summation.

Cheers.

Casey free and shot for goal coming up. Yes! It's Sam Blease who plays on and kicks an amazing snap goal from the boundary at the 36 minute mark. His third goal puts the Scorps up by a point.

Ring the bell for god's sake!

Steady on there KC. You've upset the pollies and now, I assume the atheists around here would also have been pleased about the ringing of the bell. Please keep the controversy for the footy!

Well done Casey.

Melbourne could have used a few of those final quarter goals last night.

And apologies to Tom Couch and family. Obviously, the rumours about his broken leg toe were greatly exaggerated.

Casey Scorpions 2.2.14 7.7.49 9.8.62 15.11.101

North Ballarat 5.8.38 6.13.49 9.14.62 14.16 100

Goals 

Casey Scorpions Blease Riseley 3 Smith 2 Bennell Couch Fitzpatrick Lees McGough  Petterd Petropoulos  

North Ballarat Driscoll Micallef 3 George Goldstein 2 Black Mabon Sewell Towers 

Best

Casey Scorpions  Panozza Bennell Blease Lees Petterd Sheahan

North Ballarat Searl Goldstein Delaney Sewell George Campbell

Possession Stats

Jamie Bennell 23, Evan Panozza 22, Thomas Couch, Dan Nicholson, Wade Lees 21

How did Pettard go? He is one player I wnat to see come back.

KC wanna get ya thoughts on evan pannoza and wade lees. would they be any chance of an afl chance??

KC wanna get ya thoughts on evan pannoza and wade lees. would they be any chance of an afl chance??

From my limited Casey form I wouldn't think Panozza would be up to it, just doesn't look to have any elite characteristics, but a decent VFL backman. Lees on the other hand is interesting. His best footy is pretty good stuff. Has to beat his performance enhancing drug charge first.

Great news for Blease, will give him a much needed confidence boost.

And Bennell winning some possessions is another positive.

Great news. Keeps the winning vibe with our kids. Big week on the training track Demons.

Must get fitter.

Twitter saying Goldie had 64 hit outs!

In answer to questions above: Bennell played mostly down back - very deep, often last line of defense. Held his own extremely well despite size disadvantage, and distributed with class most of the time.

Twitter saying Goldie had 64 hit outs!

Spencer can't have been doing that well!

In answer to questions above: Bennell played mostly down back - very deep, often last line of defense. Held his own extremely well despite size disadvantage, and distributed with class most of the time.

Good stuff. He was handy down back last year, but in the NAB cup this year couldn't get near it. I still think he can be a quality half flanker if he can play consistent tough footy.

Thought Goldie was just a bit too good for Pencil today. Out rucked and outmarked us.

Blease showed a lot more than his last game here. He started out up forward but was put in the centre at 1/4 time to get a bit more of the ball. Didn't do a whole lot of his trademark long distance run and carry, but still used his pace for short runs before disposing. Sometimes disposed well, other times a bit sloppy. He just looked more like he came to play today and appplied tackling pressure that has been missing from his game.

Petterd got among the touches, but he didn't seem to have much impact on the game and I didn't see enough value in him today to deserve a call up.

Lawrence was in amongst it early, and then sporadically during the game. Looked like an interesting prospect, but quite similar in style to Bennell, and nowhere near the value that JB provided today. He might need to find a point of difference if he is to get a run in the seniors down the track.

Couch was always in the thick of it at stoppages. I didn't see any of the foot problem posted earlier - but I was across the other side of the ground for the 1st half. Surprised to come home and read the reports. I didn't see any problem in his mobility on the ground.

Nicho - always around the centre, but I didn't notice much from him today.

Fitzy provided a very good target up forward. Had plenty of shots at goal but kicking style lets him down a little. Had a great run, weave, bounce handball that resulted disappointingly in a point in the last term. He has a lot of pace - not just for a big bloke, but for any sized bloke.

In answer to some of the queries above, Bennell went really well when down back. He also drifted forward for a valuable goal in the last quarter. I think he might finally be getting the idea and I hope he's fit to vie for selection next week. Melbourne needs an injection of pace against the Cats and given that Geelong played interstate and on a heavy track it's worth considering. Sam Blease would have gotten some confidence back today as well.

Rory Taggert did a few nice things but had no real impact which is to be expected in his first game.

Jai Sheehan is going to be very good. Give him a season to develop at this level and he will be a bit of a revelation next year.

Ricky Petterd - only one goal and not as good as his game a fortnight ago. Probably suffered as a result of last week's bye and I would have gone with him ahead of Sylvia v the Saints - it would have given Colin more of an opportunity to gain some valuable match fitness.

I agree with the Master about Panozza and Lees but I think the so-called "drug" issue is not a major one. As I understand it, he took some supplements and wasn't aware of their precise content. Doesn't sound like a major case to me.

Yeah but Darling would have kicked 6, therefore Cook's a spud and always will be.

Darling kicked 4 today against Richmond under intense pressure including the last goal clincher so the boy can play.

Darling kicked 4 today against Richmond under intense pressure including the last goal clincher so the boy can play.

But . .. but . . . he got in a fight!

Cook got 5. He trumps Darling (lol)

One of the best VFL games I've been to with an epic finish. All the Melbourne players put in decent games also. My take on the Melbourne players.

Bennell: Probably the best game I've seen him play, silky smooth running off half back, took the oposition on, set up several attacking thrusts and took some gutsy marks in defence also. Funnily enough a mate of mine who I was with today who doesn't watch a heap of footy I told him that Bennell was a spud and would be first to be delisted at seasons end. By the end of the match my mate thought I was an idiot.

Blease: Did a lot of the hard stuff that he often doesn't do. A lot of chasing and takling, and was good to see him kick 3. Very good finshing skills and his final goal was a great kick in the circumstances. Didn't have as many line breaking runs as you'd expect, but that's cause he was winning more of his own ball.

Couch: I love this kid. He just keeps going and going and going. I didn't even realise that he had that toe injury. Was on the bottom of every pack and the goal he kicked at the 30min mark of the last quarter from a stoppage was one of those goals that quality players just will themselves towards. The second Moloney, McKenzie, Jones or Magner miss another match, Couch has to come in!

Davis: Very good in defence. A lot of timely spoils and created some run off the backline. Thought he could have done a bit better and stopping Goldstein from marking in the goal square towards the end, but otherwise another good hitout soldiering the backline.

Fitzpatrick: Played an important role today. Was the only tall target in the forward line today with Cook & Williams not lining up and presented all day, his kicking does need work though. Competed hard when helping out Spencer in the ruck, but Goldstein was massive today.

Lawrence: Was busy all day and constantly looked dangerous despite not kicking a goal. Nearly kicked a beauty in the last but just missed, like Fitzpatrick he needs to work on his kicking, but his pressure was very good. Whether he makes it or not though I'm still not convinced either way.

Nicholson: Suprised he got as much of it as was mentioned. Tried hard all day to provide some run but he did butcher it a couple of times. I still do rate this guy though.

Petterd: Didn't get a heap of it and only kicked the 1 goal while spending most of the day forward line, but I thought his 3rd qtr was brilliant. Spent a lot of the 3rd term in the middle when Casey were into the breeze and his work inside helped Casey get on top in the middle that term and win the clearances and only loose the term by a goal when into the breeze. Will be a chance for a recall.

Shehan: Best game I've seen him play for Casey, very similar to Davis's game and took some real good marks deep in defence. His use of the ball was a lot better this week then I'd seen the last few weeks also.

Spencer: Tried hard but was dominated by Goldstein in the ruck. Wasn't affraid to throw his weight around though and no doubt will be better for todays ruck lesson.

Taggert: Didn't see a heap of him but he did do a few nice things playing mainly off the half back I thought. For his first game though he wasn't bad. One thing that was evident though was that he wasn't affraid of the hard stuff.

Great win by Casey today as they were clearly missing tall targets in the forward line. With Jurrah, Cook, Williams & Martin to come back though this will be rectified.

Darling kicked 4 today against Richmond under intense pressure including the last goal clincher so the boy can play.

Two players can both be good at the same time. Darling's good performance has no impact on Cook's good performance, albeit at a lower level.

Two players can both be good at the same time. Darling's good performance has no impact on Cook's good performance, albeit at a lower level.

Chook, one was playing in a first class AFL match the other was playing in a game that was less than a practice match.

Can we drop the Cook/Darling comparisons already. We, along with every other club, skipped on picking up Darling in the first round. He plays for West Coast now and we have Cook. Nothing we can do to change history.

This thread had everything! Great stuff!