The Scorpions go into Saturday's game with only a smallish contingent of Melbourne listed players due to injuries, suspension and the Demons holding back their emergencies for Sunday's game. The Blues however, have players coming back from injury and had a big win last win. Despite the fact that the Scorps are at home, this is a danger game.

Casey Scorpions v Northern Blues

Saturday 4th August

Casey Fields at 2:00 PM

Casey Scorpions

Backs Bate Davis Clay

Half backs McGough Panozza Patti

Centreline L Tynan Magner Lindsay

Half forwards Allen Salton Cook

Forwards Smith Williams Evans

Followers Fitzpatrick Pollard Page

Interchange (from) Collins Corry Deery* Fieldsend Gent Hill Petropoulos Sheahan Troutman J Tynan

Northern Blues

Backs Davies Bower Bootsma

Half backs Russell Watson McCarthy

Centreline O'Keeffe McLean Lucas

Half forwards Duigan Thornton Collins

Forwards Kerr Mitchell Dale

Followers Meese Bell Ellard

Interchange (from) Bransgrove Buckley Carter Coulson* Gianfagna Heyne Lambert Lincoln Marcon Peterson Thomas Toman T Wilson

* 23rd player

Casey Scorpions v Northern Blues Development League

Saturday 4th August

Casey Fields at 11:00 AM

Casey Scorpions

Backs Troutman Johnson Thompson

Half backs Fieldsend Hill J Roberts 

Centreline Sheahan Corry Collins

Half forwards Nicholls Cleven Bull

Forwards Rosier Dearaugo Corrigan

Followers Galvin McInnes Lang  

Interchange (from) Chin Costigan Eddy Johnston Kimitsis McFarlane McGillivray-Smith Matthews  K Roberts

North Ballarat

Backs Hansford L Edwards Kiel

Half backs Currie Anderson Linke

Centreline Watchorn Struth Wehrung

Half forwards Curnow Evans Nicholls

Forwards Craig Darmody Keeble

Followers Conroy Brayshaw Jones

Interchange (from) Barber Ison McInerney Peel Robertson T Ross Watson Whelan

Looks like a good opportunity to get stuck into Brock Mclean anyway..

And the mystery injury of the week is Tom Couch who would have been handy in this side.

If Brett Lovett can get his boys up with all of these omissions then he's a sheer genius.

Cook and Williams kick ten between them with Williams kicking the winning goal after the final Siren.

Yes I know I am dreamimg but surely some part of the MFC deserves a fairy tale end to this week.

Fitzpatrick, Magner and Tynan explicitly named - does this give a key to final MFC 22 - Gysberts, Morton, Strauss, Tapscott?

Surely not going into the game with just Spencer in the ruck??

Oh No there is yet another possibility...... Lynden Dunn.

If so bad bad move Fitzy deserves and needs a game!

Fitzpatrick, Magner and Tynan explicitly named - does this give a key to final MFC 22 - Gysberts, Morton, Strauss, Tapscott?

Seems odd doesn't it? I guess we'll see.

Spencer to ruck 90% of the game, Sellar the rest? The hair on the back of my neck is standing up.

Seems odd doesn't it? I guess we'll see.

Spencer to ruck 90% of the game, Sellar the rest? The hair on the back of my neck is standing up.

No we are definately not Tanking

Casey will get mauled against that Carlton side.

Looks like a good opportunity to get stuck into Brock Mclean anyway..

LoL, lock the carpark, quick!

Some interesting insights on the VFL thread from WJ that I felt might be worthwhile inclusion here:-

... I think things are going well this year under Brett Lovett. Since the Melbourne-Casey alignment started, the Scorpions have finished mainly top four but have not won a single finals match. That is substantially due to the annual injury curse among the Demons' list that sees a minimal number of AFL listed players available come finals time to the point where Casey falls into an embarrassing heap every year right when it's on centre stage. You can see this happening already with Casey likely to field about half as many MFC players today as the Northern Blues will have Carlton players. Despite the respective ladder positions of the two teams and the home ground advantage, I can see Casey struggling today without four of five Demons who were in their best players last week in the game against Frankston.

To his great credit, Lovett has done a great job this year bringing in a number of local youngsters who are thriving at this level. You have to remember that the Scorpions lost a number of their mainstay VFL listed players (and Fev) at the end of last year and have been without their three best players (Matthews, Nicholls and Lees) for most of the season through injury. He has rotated some of his better players through the reserves (development league) and brought in the young kids. It seems to me that he is almost preparing the team for a situation in which he knows he will have very few AFL listed players at his disposal when the crunch comes and in that respect, the Casey Scorpions may well be a virtual stand alone club come finals time.

In the development league, a good win by the Scorps .

Casey Scorpions8.4.52 10.9.69 14.11.95 17.16.118  

North Ballarat 0.1.1 3.4.22 5.8.38 12.10.82

Goals

Casey Scorpions Lang 4 Chin Cleven Galvin Lindsay 2 Eddy McInnes  Sheahan Thompson  Troutman

 North Ballarat Craig 3 Links Nicholls 2 Brayshaw Hansford  Jones Kiel   Peel 

Best

Casey Scorpions Cleven Nicholls Roberts Lang Lindsay Troutman

North Ballarat Currie Edwards Struth Anderson Nicholls Watson

Kyle Matthews appears to have gotten through his comeback game unscathed.

I can't see James Magner as the team runs out for the pre game warm up so I would suggest that he's the designated emergency tomorrow. Jack Fitzpatrick and Josh Tynan are out there.

Jai Sheahan played in the the early game which means only five senior AFL listed players in Casey's line up plus two rookies.

Thanks KC

Game's started and Matthew Bate started in the middle.

Game's started and Matthew Bate started in the middle.

Casey must be tanking.

First goal to Northern Blues after 11 minutes of scrappy football. The Casey players are fumbling and making some poor decisions.

Fitzpatrick misses a couple of easy shots at goal before Tim SmIth kicks Casey's first and puts them in front 1.2.8 to 1.1.7.

Blues goal to go to a 5 point lead.

A few late goals to the Blues and they clear out to a 23 point lead at quarter time.

Northern Blues 5.2.32

Casey Scorpions 1.3.9

Casey are undermanned and undersized today and are really struggling when the ball gets into their forward line.

Blues get the first goal halfway through the second term to go to a five goal lead.

It just keeps getting worse for the Scorps who are struggling up forward and trail by more than 6 goals.

No sooner do I say that, than Williams kicks Casey's second.

Half Time

Casey Scorpions 2.4.16

Northern Blues 8.5.53

Looks like an uphill battle today for the Scorps

The Blues kick the opening goal but Fitzpatrick kicks truly to bring it back to a six goal margin.