PRACTICE MATCH: CASEY SCORPIONS v PORT MELBOURNE

[waynewussell 6,242]

Home now, only 40 minutes from Casey car park to Kew petrol station. So a trip to Casey is well worth the effort if you have access to Eastlink. I reckon we can play Mitch round 1. He won't be as hot as he was at beginning of 2012 but he will contest at 100% and will enjoy Byrnes, Sylvia, and Howe being around him. Blease looked like Blease normally does. If the coach wants him he will play. Kent wasn't in enough, which was disappointing to me. Trengove showed his class early and could play round 1. Viney is a lock. McKenzie was his normal self, scrappy but a great competitor. I don't think anyone else from today was in the frame. So, all in all the day panned out exactly as Neeld would have hoped... unless someone registers a problem after cooling off!

[KC from Casey 7,117]

Tynan and Taggert will both need big years i think

The Tynan who played today wasn't Josh Tynan but rather, his brother Luke who is Casey's vice captain.

The Scorpions were monstered today by a bigger, stronger, fitter, more experienced and better drilled combination. The Scorpions' list is young and very inexperienced while most of the nine Demons were either lighter bodied youngsters or underdone players.

Jack Viney was the standout and Mitch Clark stood up but was obviously rusty. Jordie McKenzie did ok and will probably gain selection but Jack Trengove and Sam Blease need more match practice and should be back at Casey along with Chris Dawes, Tom McDonald and, with a bit of luck Max Gawn.

The crowd was reasonable and it was good to see some Demonlanders in WJ, Redleg & Scoop Junior.

[waynewussell 6,242]

Final word on Mitch Clark... he is very aggressive in his attack on ball and opposition. This is a quality we have lacked. Clark borders on intimidating and others walk taller when he is around. No wonder Neeld backs him in for round 1. As for Casey, in 2013 they need MFC. I look forward to Casey v Port when Spencer, Strauss, MacDonald, Evans, Barry, Tapscott, Gawn, Davis and Bail are added to their ranks.

[bush demon 2,062]

Went to Casey with a fellow Demonlander I had never met. Again, a great venue for these kind of matches. Port supporters quite spiteful, banging on about 'tankers'. Small beer though.

Jordy a class above most of his teammates, and ...not scrappy, but uses the ball well. This folk legend may be true at AFL level but certainly sets up play well today. Sam Blease classy as well and still putting on the after burners. Hadn't seen Viney actually getting the pill before today but this game was enough to put down the glasses, this guy gets his own pill and takes it with him. Very, very happy with this draft choice. Mitch got no delivery from the midfield and looked good with a few half-chances. Did his party trick of flying one handed on several occasions. He took one very good mark in the first quarter from a one-handed stop which he marked with the other hand. i think that was his goal.

Trenners did some good link work but didn't really see him do a lot. Mitch and Trenners went off a few minutes before stumps, Mitch in bare feet over the concrete with a small ice bag in one hand, precautionary no doubt. Casey's new coach, Rohan Welch is a meaner dude than Brett Lovett! I bet he will ark up. Always impressed with the analysis that goes on in the line groups at 1/4 and 3/4 time. First, between the players then the line coaches. Was played in a practise match mindset , noone appeared too down with the result. Despite the result, another good day out at Casey Fields.

[waynewussell 6,242]

Thanks for the pics Bush Demon... can you believe, I never thought to take one... stupid!

[bush demon 2,062]

Boys at 3/4 time.

[bush demon 2,062]

How do I make the pictures bigger? Am choosing optimum size but when I upload it only creates thumbnails.

[Josh 1,420]

Hey K C who is number 13 he moved well

[waynewussell 6,242]

Don't worry Bush Demon, when we click on them we get the full shot

[bush demon 2,062]

no 13 Dave DeAraugo

[waynewussell 6,242]

13 is Dave DeAraugo. Other Casey players to impress were 6 Daniel Nichols, 21 Michael Boland, 1 Kyle (the heart) Matthews and 14 Evan Panozza

[bush demon 2,062]

I got some video footage too but it was too boring to edit, compress and upload!

[waynewussell 6,242]

Round 1 team after today

B: Jetta Frawley Garland

HB: Watts Gillies Nicholson

C Blease Grimes Toumpas

HF Howe Dawes Sylvia

F Byrnes Clark Davey

Foll Jamar Jones Viney

Inter: Trengove McKenzie Rodan Sellar

[Seinfeld 40]

Round 1 team after today

B: Jetta Frawley Garland

HB: Watts Gillies Nicholson

C Blease Grimes Toumpas

HF Howe Dawes Sylvia

F Byrnes Clark Davey

Foll Jamar Jones Viney

Inter: Trengove McKenzie Rodan Sellar

Where is Dunn?.... He is a certainty to play round 1

[Return to Glory 8,448]

I really don't think Dawes will play.

[cowboy_from_hell 2,390]

Round 1 team after today

B: Jetta Frawley Garland

HB: Watts Gillies Nicholson

C Blease Grimes Toumpas

HF Howe Dawes Sylvia

F Byrnes Clark Davey

Foll Jamar Jones Viney

Inter: Trengove McKenzie Rodan Sellar

Take out Gilles for Dunn and that's the team I would take in.

[BrisbaneDemon 1,572]

Take out Gilles for Dunn and that's the team I would take in.

Is Toumpas up for the big time yet fellas? I have read a few posters saying he'll need a bit of time at Casey? If he's ready then by all means put him in tho!

[Return to Glory 8,448]

I'd rather see Dunn in and Toumpas as sub

[waynewussell 6,242]

Yes I forgot Dunn He's in take out Nicho or Jetta for me

[Gorgoroth 13,023]

Toumpas will be fine.

[Whispering_Jack 30,674]

Those who watched last night's game at Adelaide would have seen the pace at which the game was played and which is typical of your early season games. If you go into round 1 with too many players underdone, you do so at your own peril.

On that basis, I would make only one concession - Clark at full forward - and no more. That means from today's game at Casey Fields, you take in Clark, Viney and McKenzie and leave out Blease, Trengove and the others from today who will play at Box Hill alongside Bail, Dawes, Gawn and McDonald.

[Chook 15,022]

Those who watched last night's game at Adelaide would have seen the pace at which the game was played and which is typical of your early season games. If you go into round 1 with too many players underdone, you do so at your own peril.

On that basis, I would make only one concession - Clark at full forward - and no more. That means from today's game at Casey Fields, you take in Clark, Viney and McKenzie and leave out Blease, Trengove and the others from today who will play at Box Hill alongside Bail, Dawes, Gawn and McDonald.

Surely you can do like Essendon did and put an underdone player as your sub. Where they went with Zaharakis, maybe we can go with Trengove. I'd also play Dawes because of his role as a stay-at-home forward, although Sellar's versatility and good form might make him the safer option.

[Whispering_Jack 30,674]

Zaharakis was the sub. On what I saw of Trengove today, I think it would be best for both him and the team that he gets more runs on the board by playing at Casey than coming on as the sub late in the Port Adelaide game. It's a long season and one more game at this level won't hurt anybody.

[Gorgoroth 13,023]

I didn't see the game today, but I reckon trenners will play simply because we have no one else

Dawes is the interesting one.

[waynewussell 6,242]

As always you make a lot of sense Whispering J