Geelong v Casey Scorpions

[Nasher 33,047]

I'm more disappointed about Gysberts' injury and Viney's. Viney is a tough kid and there's no doubt that come years end he'll still be ahead of most of the kids his age. I rate Gysberts and I'm impatient about his development, so I find this latest setback very frustrating.

[dee-luded 2,958]

Two broken jaws in one game!! Now how bad fan luck get - and especially for poor Gys who just racks up the injuries.

Did anyone see both incidents?

G'day Mono.

Jack, has a broken cheekbone. >

MELBOURNE expects the VFL to examine a bump laid by Geelong veteran David Wojcinski that resulted in youngster Jack Viney breaking his cheekbone in the last quarter of Saturday's curtain-raiser between Geelong and the Casey Scorpions

Wojcinski applied a heavy bump on Viney as soon as the 18-year-old, playing his first game for the Demons, received a handball from teammate Tom Couch.

Wojcinski was not reported.

http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/7415/newsid/135004/default.aspx

Gysberts > MIDFIELDER Jordan Gysberts has had two plates inserted in his jaw, but young gun Jack Viney has yet to be operated on also for a broken jaw.

The pair suffered the injuries in Casey’s win over Geelong at Simonds Stadium on Saturday.

Football Manager Josh Mahoney said: “Jack hasn’t had the operation yet, but a decision will be made whether to have it in Geelong or Melbourne later on.”

Gysberts broke his jaw in the first quarter during a contest, while Geelong’s David Wojcinski cleaned up Viney with a significant bump.

http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/7415/newsid/134999/default.aspx

[DemonDave 1,078]

Well Ive just seen the Viney incident on Before the Game, looked worse than I remembered at the game, agreed Wojo is gone.

Of the Demons players:

Blease - great last half where his running to space and with the ball in his hand was a feature. Took a half to get into it though, hardly noticed him in first half.

One more above average game next week and he'll get a callup I suspect, we sorely his need line breaking leg speed in the seniors.

Fitzpatrick - As previously mentioned the real eye opener for me. Was the focal point up forward whenever he was there, lead hard and repeatedly all day,

kept working hard when the ball was on the ground and also toiled away sufficiently when pinch hitting for the resting Spencer. The first time Ive seen him

look comfortably above most VFL listed players out on the ground, very pleasing game. WIll I believe get a game next week at the expense of Sellar or Dunn.

with the bonus that he'll be a more viable relieving ruckman than the aforementioned.

Jurrah - Started off well, went in and out of the game as to be expected, but glimpses of the magic werent far from the surface. 1 maybe 2 more weeks at

this level and he'll be back in, didnt do enough for mine just yet to earn a birth.

Davis - Beaten by his opponent Kersten in too many contests, and also made a few questionable play switches in the last line, not his best game.Seems

a little bit too much of an 'in-between' height for mine also as a defender.

Bennell - Another very good game from Bennell, his confidence levels seem to be very high at the moment,taking the game on, initiating runs and forcing

teammates to run to spaces that he creates, he was a great livewire creating presence off the half back line

Couch - A sold game,was in and under where you would expect a player of his ilk to be. Disposal when inside 50 left a bit to be desired, his obvious one-paced

approach wont give the selectors enough variety to what theyve already got, so I think he will remain playing for the Scorps for the time being.

Nicholson - Busy without being a standout, I suspect he had a run with/stopping role this week. Never one that stands out for mine, although his pace is still there.

Lawrence - Ever enthusiastic, he doesnt have enough of an impact with his limited stats, needs to work harder further up the ground to earn his own ball.

Spencer - Up against Orren Stephenson who gave his midfield great service, Spencer was serviceable. Tried hard and provided a presence around the ground

which was pleasing. Kicked a goal too which was good to see.

Cook - OK game, kicked a couple and looked OK when he lead at the right times, but the focus of our inside balls was predominantly Spencer. Will be good for

the run, hopefully can build his confidence up and be able to lead with a bit more authority.

Petterd - A very good second half for Ricky P. Was running around doing as he pleased off a HFF/wing. Has too much class for this level clearly, will come under

consideration for next week against the Hawks

Sheahan - Did a few nice things, seems to read the play well and has a good height about him. Still needs to put on a bit of muscle but I can see a future for him

in the red and blue. First time Ive seen him play in any form. Probably broke even with his opponent on the day.

Taggart - Didnt notice the Scotsman that much ,although it was a good show of faith in his ability that he did start a lot of times in the centre square. Will be keen

to watch him improve over the year at Casey and possibly push for a 'Grimes/Fitzpatrick' game in Round 24.

Watts - Workrate was reasonable, but is the kind of player you can never really tell how hard he is pushing, has a certain laconic nature about him. Despite the

stats and four goals, I still dont think he did enough, as harsh as that sounds. General consensus around us in the Melbourne bay was the same, he simply needs

to show more urgency and hunger. Will he get a recall next week? 50/50 really, depends if the match committee saw it the same way I did. No for me.

Viney - What an eventful debut! Having seen him play in under 18s last year I knew what to expect from him, and the stepup in level provided no problems for the

young tyro. He reminds me of Luke Power, tough, short, continually finds the ball and loves the contest. Crunched into two Cats players in the third quarter, dusted

himself off and ran off while both Cats lay stricken. Was everywhere around the ground, helping out down back, pushing forward. This kid will be in the starting 18

come round 1 next year, there is no doubt about that. I thought they may have only given him a half or so given he has missed quite a bit with OP, but his intensity

did not wane all afternoon until he was hit by Wojinski. A debut to remember for all the right and wrong reasons.

A very solid win for Casey with a very good squad, so no real surprises in a way. Also thought that Riseley, Lees and McGough played well of the Casey listed players

Will give our percentage an enormous boost too, given it was barely over 100!

[monoccular 16,042]

Thanks DemonDave.

" Blease - great last half where his running to space and with the ball in his hand was a feature. Took a half to get into it though, hardly noticed him in first half.

One more above average game next week and he'll get a callup I suspect, we sorely his need line breaking leg speed in the seniors. "

Breaking and leg doesn't resonate too well for this man ? :-)

[DemonDave 1,078]

Thanks DemonDave.

" Blease - great last half where his running to space and with the ball in his hand was a feature. Took a half to get into it though, hardly noticed him in first half.

One more above average game next week and he'll get a callup I suspect, we sorely his need line breaking leg speed in the seniors. "

Breaking and leg doesn't resonate too well for this man ? :-)

Include an 'and' between the words 'breaking' and 'leg', unfortunate choice of words! I'd love to see Blease hit top form and be a potent option along the lines of those games

we saw last year against the Suns and Dogs. He,along with Jurrah could really be the X factor we need.

[Grapeviney 8,815]

Thanks DemonDave and all the others who have provided updates throughout the day

[MFC4Life 18]

My observations from the game (watched from the 20 minute mark off the 1st quarter)

Jack Viney will be a star for the club. It was a sickening collision in front of us well into the 4th quarter. Would think Wojcinski will be rubbed out for some weeks. Up until that point, Jack look composed and was in and amongst everything. Glad I was able to witness his performance.

Jack Watts - 4 goals and possessions. Rotated through the forward line and across the wing. Personally thought the stats flattered him. Felt he lacked the intensity to earn a recall and lacked awareness at times. Took ace mark in the last quarter whilst being held on to. Needs to bring the mongrel out in him ala Mitch Clarke's attack on opponents.

Liam Jurrah - better for having a run. Did some nice silky moves, created play, spun out of trouble with magic, not sure he would have a match tank to play 4 quarters of AFL next week.

Jack Fitzpatrick - Was impressed with his deceptive speed for his size. Played a very good game up forward and relief in the ruck with goals to show for it. Could be the week to bring him in against the Hawks. Did some nice things below the knees which I was impressed by.

Jai Sheahan - had a very good game in defense in my opinion. Good size on the kid and pace, seemed to have good read of the play. Be very interested to see how he continues to develop.

Jamie Bennell - he looks so good at this level. Nice run and carry out of defense. Needs to translate it when he steps up to AFL Level. Has the pace that could add something for Melbourne.

Tom Couch - his dad was sitting near us for the day. A few calls from around us that he should be playing for Melbourne. Had plenty of the footy again and showed determination. Not sure he has forced his way in for a senior call up.

Lucas Cook - took a very nice mark in front of us from a lead - was being rotated through the forward line so hard to judge his efforts, but he did a couple of nice things. When Jurrah and Watts are back at senior level, will be good for Lucas to be a presence in the forward line and see how he goes.

Jake Spencer - okay sort of game, without being a clear winner at stoppages. Don't want to sound harsh thou as just coming back and he needs more games to build up confidence.

Ricky Petterd - a few people around me were asking how come he is playing VFL and not AFL. He doesn't seem to be able to get a regular run at Melbourne. Showed a bit today with some passages of play.

Rory Taggert - was involved in some good passages of play with some good foot skills hitting targets under pressure. Not ready yet for a senior call-up.

Sam Blease - do not know how to rate his performance today... Has pace and when he uses it, he looks very silky and can cut through an opposition. Had a few turnovers early.

Dan Nicholson - thought he had a good game and was involved all day. Was all over the ground as you would expect.

Troy Davis - struggled in my opinion - looked the least confident of the Melbourne listed players and future Melbourne listed player in Jack Viney. Not sure where he fits in the pecking order.

Kelvin Lawrence - have a soft spot for this kid. Not afraid to go in and showed that today with his attack on the footy

[Demon Disciple 10,921]

Wojo (however you spell it) looks like he'll be suspended on 2 fronts. The first being the breaking of Viney's jaw/cheekbone, the second for punching Viney in the head (which can be seen on the afl.com.au highlights).

[Tatu 416]

What a jerk wojinski is !! He's a premiership player, who's pushing close to 30. Throwing punches at an 18 year old, in his first game!!! Then breaks his jaw in a bump!!!! This guy shouldn't get another game for the cats..........

Edited May 5, 2012 by tatu

[angrydee 842]

Cam Mooney on SEN suggested that Wojo would have a LONG holiday.

[Dee Fan 3,247]

It appears that Wade Lees, a Casey player, has a broken jaw as well; three broken jaws in one game is that right?

[rpfc 27,432]

It appears that Wade Lees, a Casey player, has a broken jaw as well; three broken jaws in one game is that right?

I thought there was a cheekbone in there too?

FMD. Poor fellas.

[Carlos Danger 380]

Some footage from the game...

[jayceebee31 666]

May as well be as far as "visiting" clubs and fans are concerned.

What crap-.Avalon airport is only 30 minutes from the ground & Melbourne to Geelong is only an hour down the highway...get real!

[Jumping Jack Clennett 1,610]

What crap-.Avalon airport is only 30 minutes from the ground & Melbourne to Geelong is only an hour down the highway...get real!

Have you watched Melbourne play at Geelong or at AAMI? Both are extremely hostile environments, especially Geelong, which holds only 25000(less at present due to renovs), when the their club has 40000-odd members.

There's no room for opposition supporters . This lack of support must affect the players. It also affects the umpires.

Edited May 6, 2012 by JUMPING JACK CLENNETT

[bush demon 1,881]

By definition it is head-high contact, the AFL are either protecting ball players or they are not. if this happened outside of a football ground the offender would be charged with criminal assault. It's not the Tom Wills or the Leigh Matthews era of anything goes.

[btdemon 475]

The vision of Viney was very encouraging. What I liked the most was his forward momentum. We know that he is a raging bull of a kid but what is impressive is power out of the contest. His first few steps are very strong and generally towards goal. This suggests a very strong core and legs. He may not be that quick over 40 metres but his first few steps should get him clear. It also makes him hard to tackle. We have lacked a real clearance player. Viney explodes out of packs with his head and weight forward. Moloney is ok, but he stands up straight and takes them on. Viney may be just the thing we need. His kicking isn't brilliant but his hands are quick and accurate. I was a little sceptical about the hype around Viney. I doubted his skill level but now I'm excited about this kid (as we all are). Given that he is still only 17yo the future looks pretty good. The other thing that struck me was how much of an "unsociable" footballer he is. You get the feeling that he will never take a backward step and will be someone that opposition players will hate playing on. We saw how important it is to have a fearless player with genuine class when Lenny Hayes finished us off last week.

[dee-luded 2,958]

Have you watched Melbourne play at Geelong or at AAMI? Both are extremely hostile environments, especially Geelong, which holds only 25000(less at present due to renovs), when the their club has 40000-odd members.

There's no room for opposition supporters . This lack of support must affect the players. It also affects the umpires.

The attitude of the supporters is what helps the players. Have you ever heard how important clubs rate it, too, "Quieten they're crowd Early"...... The hostility is a successful antithesis to the 'G' on Demon days...

[hardtack 10,126]

By definition it is head-high contact, the AFL are either protecting ball players or they are not. if this happened outside of a football ground the offender would be charged with criminal assault. It's not the Tom Wills or the Leigh Matthews era of anything goes.

Have you seen the vision of this incident? I haven't and if you have a link to where we might see it, it would be greatly appreciated.

On the Leigh Matthews era comment, as I recall (but I could well be wrong), criminal assault charges were brought against him after he broke a players jaw, but the big difference was that he used a well directed fist to inflict the damage.

[Jaded No More 57,774]

Well I'm in love with Jack Viney

[Demon Dynasty 15,365]

There must be vision of the Wojo hit somewhere? Anyone?

[monoccular 16,042]

What crap-.Avalon airport is only 30 minutes from the ground & Melbourne to Geelong is only an hour down the highway...get real!

I wasn't referring to the journey, more the difficulty in getting into the bloody stadium!!!

[monoccular 16,042]

The vision of Viney was very encouraging. What I liked the most was his forward momentum. We know that he is a raging bull of a kid but what is impressive is power out of the contest. His first few steps are very strong and generally towards goal. This suggests a very strong core and legs. He may not be that quick over 40 metres but his first few steps should get him clear. It also makes him hard to tackle. We have lacked a real clearance player. Viney explodes out of packs with his head and weight forward. Moloney is ok, but he stands up straight and takes them on. Viney may be just the thing we need. His kicking isn't brilliant but his hands are quick and accurate. I was a little sceptical about the hype around Viney. I doubted his skill level but now I'm excited about this kid (as we all are). Given that he is still only 17yo the future looks pretty good. The other thing that struck me was how much of an "unsociable" footballer he is. You get the feeling that he will never take a backward step and will be someone that opposition players will hate playing on. We saw how important it is to have a fearless player with genuine class when Lenny Hayes finished us off last week.

Courageous, attacking, positive and one thing we desperately lack especially in some of our other our higher picks incl JW, JT, CS and others, AGGRESSION!!!

Already a favourite after half a game of VFL, and nearly aa year out from pulling on the R&B.

[monoccular 16,042]

Have you seen the vision of this incident? I haven't and if you have a link to where we might see it, it would be greatly appreciated.

On the Leigh Matthews era comment, as I recall (but I could well be wrong), criminal assault charges were brought against him after he broke a players jaw, but the big difference was that he used a well directed fist to inflict the damage.

...and in fact at the very same ground. Was it a fist or elbow? He would have played very few games in this era of video review and MRP.

[Guest strawberry_gumdrops]

Take a bow Wojo. Punching an 18 year old in the head and breaking his jaw in a seperate incident. You big, heroic brave man. What a disgrace!