Casey has a tough task ahead of it this Saturday when it travels to Box Hill in the battle for second place and a home final. A loss could see the Scorps finishing fourth and having to play an away final against Geelong.

Key injuries, player eligibility and the retirement of Joel Macdonald have left Casey undermanned going into finals

I don't mean to be a negative nelly but it could very well be Casey have won their last game for the season already. If they lose this week it would take a huge effort to beat Geelong in the first final and then they'd be coming off 2 loses in the second week of finals.

Let's hope I'm wrong and they can win this week. Absolute crucial game.

So Toumpas, Pedersen, named as ins this week for MFC so will not qualify for finals. What's the bet the first week on the finals Magner, Gawn and Taggert will all get the call up for MFC

So Toumpas, Pedersen, named as ins this week for MFC so will not qualify for finals. What's the bet the first week on the finals Magner, Gawn and Taggert will all get the call up for MFC

Yes would rather see taggert debut and toumpas qualify for vfl finals

Box Hill Hawks v Casey Scorpions

Saturday 24th August

Box Hill City Oval at 2:00PM

Box Hill Hawks

Backs Boseley Litherland Duryea

Half backs Wanganeen Cheney Duryea Kelly

Centreline Shiels Ellis Iles

Half forwards Lock Ceglar Osborne

Forwards Spangher Grimley Retzlaff

Followers Lowden Langford Simpkin

Interchange (from) Cust Exon Gordon Graham Lawlor Mirra Murphy O'Donnell Summers*

Casey Scorpions

Backs J Tynan Davis Best

Half backs L Tynan Sellar Jetta

Centreline Barry Nicholls Magner

Half forwards Petropoulos Smith Taggert

Forwards Jamar Panozza Riseley

Followers Gawn Gent Plummer

Interchange (from) Corry Fowler Fusinato* Gillies Lang Lindsay Matthews Page Pollard

* 23rd player

AFL Victoria Development League

Box Hill Hawks v Casey Scorpions

Saturday 24th August

Box Hill City Oval at 11:00AM

Casey Scorpions

Backs Corrigan Dearaugo Roberts

Half backs McInnes Waters Clay

Centreline Drew Pollard Corry

Half forwards Matthews Lang P Rosier

Forwards Troutman Fowler Hughes

Followers Hill Boland Lindsay

Interchange (from) Anderson Bull Godfrey Hillard Irwin Meadows Rutherford Stark Westrupp

From the HUN:

So that's four players out of the selectors' reach and there will be more given that Jack Fitzpatrick, Cam Pedersen, Jordie McKenzie, Luke Tapscott, Dean Kent, Jimmy Toumpas and Rohan Bail are all one game short of the six needed to play in the finals.

Once again, MFC f&^ks over Casey. Peter jackson should be f&^king over a few FD people at the club. This is just [censored].

FCS we should be backing them and helping them to make the best out of the finals campaign. There has been some bad luck with Hogan, Blease and Strauss getting injuries at the end of the year and Jmac retiring. IMO Toumpas should be playing for them for the rest of the year to get him September action, Pederson definitely should be playing for them this week instead of Gawn.

Not happy with MFC's attitude towards Casey and their finals tilt.

Agree. I played VAFA footy and loved playing in the finals. Even played reserves finals in the last year and the finals win at any level is great.

MFC cannot help Hogan, Blease & Strauss injuries. J Macdonald early season retirement is odd.

Strange also that MFC didn't consider playing Toumpas, Kent, Tapscott at Casey this week to qualify.

Who is eligible (x14)- Tynan, Gillies, Sellar, Jetta, Davis, Clisby (wk2), Taggert, Rodan, Gawn, Spencer, Bail (presume he plays Casey this week), Nicholson, Magner, Barry

Rohan Bail isn't in the Casey side (mystery player of the week or designated emergency?) but I'm informed that he might qualify for the finals because, apart from playing five VFL games, he also played a development league game when he was coming back from his previous injury. That would make up the six.

How has Fitz not qualified? He played for them for the first half of the season didn't he? I've been assuming he was easily over the required number of games.

I'm just curious... what's with all the hate on giving players like Toumpas, Kent etc more AFL games? Kents form has warranted him playing.... If we drop our players who are preforming isnt that tanking? I know I would much rather play for Melbourne than Casey. Im sure all players on the list would... Im staggered by the hate given to Craig, Jackson etc for this? Theres only one way to dvelop players at AFL level and thats to play them there.

I'm just curious... what's with all the hate on giving players like Toumpas, Kent etc more AFL games? Kents form has warranted him playing.... If we drop our players who are preforming isnt that tanking? I know I would much rather play for Melbourne than Casey. Im sure all players on the list would... Im staggered by the hate given to Craig, Jackson etc for this? Theres only one way to dvelop players at AFL level and thats to play them there.

For me it's not hate, Kent and Fitzy I'm less concerned about not playing Casey finals. They have been playing good football for the Dees and we can't be dropping players just for the hell of it to qualify for Casey. But players like Toumpas have been in and out of the seniors enough that he might as well stay there to get finals experience even if it is VFL.

Pederson is a good example of a screw job, he has played 2 good games in the seniors that I can't think of, he is most certainly a VFL standard player and with Hogan injured we could've looked at it and said lets give the Scorps a hand by a making sure someone who has played good football for them through the year is available for finals.

Our alliance with Casey needs to be looked at as a partnership not just a convienient association.

I'm just curious... what's with all the hate on giving players like Toumpas, Kent etc more AFL games? Kents form has warranted him playing.... If we drop our players who are preforming isnt that tanking? I know I would much rather play for Melbourne than Casey. Im sure all players on the list would... Im staggered by the hate given to Craig, Jackson etc for this? Theres only one way to dvelop players at AFL level and thats to play them there.

I agree with what you are saying

It is just the nature of the beast, Melbourne players are Melbourne players not Casey Scorpions, Fitzy is out so Pederson comes in , can't see the problem, gives the coaching staff another look at him at AFL level, and Toumpas, spoke to him at a function last week, knows where he is at, was hoping he would get back into senior side, wants the experience, but also gives everything he has got when playing for Casey

The situationi also gives the Casey players another chance to show their wares in pressure games like finals, with footy the way it is now and mature age recruits, there is a chance to still be picked up, like Silvagni and Mohr in previous seasons

Who would have thought that by the end of the year Jamar and Gawn would be rucking for Casey and Spencer for the seniors, rather than the other way around.

How has Fitz not qualified? He played for them for the first half of the season didn't he? I've been assuming he was easily over the required number of games.

Has played 5 games for 16 goals.

Anyone saying we should keep players back in the Casey side just to qualify them for the VFL finals have rocks in there head. The selectors are trying to pick the best side to win a game for the MFC. As much as I like to see Casey do well who cares who qualifies for finals.

Its like when local teams stack their twos late in the season to try and win a flag. No one cares who wins the reserves premiership its all about the seniors. Whats the point of winning a twos flag when your ones are [censored]????

Can't believe people claiming MFC are f***ing over Casey.

I don't think the club planned this rash of injuries.

It's unfortunate, but these things happen.

The MFC side can't go out short handed - the players have to come from somewhere.

If it means Casey have a weaker side for finals, so be it.

It's not the be all and end all, and there's not much we can do about it anyway.

Anyone saying we should keep players back in the Casey side just to qualify them for the VFL finals have rocks in there head. The selectors are trying to pick the best side to win a game for the MFC. As much as I like to see Casey do well who cares who qualifies for finals.

Its like when local teams stack their twos late in the season to try and win a flag. No one cares who wins the reserves premiership its all about the seniors. Whats the point of winning a twos flag when your ones are [censored]????

So, we are a chance for finals this year? Our season is gone, over, deceased.. it is an ex-season... so I would rather our younger players experience winning finals at any level than getting flogged each week and having their confidence hammered into the ground.

Edited August 23, 201312 yr by hardtack

So, we are a chance for finals this year? Our season is gone, over, deceased.. it is an ex-season... so I would rather our younger players experience winning finals at any level than getting flogged each week and having their confidence hammered into the ground.

One AFL game is heaps better experience than playing a VFL final.

One AFL game is heaps better experience than playing a VFL final.

So that is why the more successful teams tend to invest in lengthy development of their players in the VFL before giving them a run at AFL level?

So that is why the more successful teams tend to invest in lengthy development of their players in the VFL before giving them a run at AFL level?

Pedersen, McKenzie, Tapscott and Bail need development in the VFL? Fitzpatrick is injured, but would know the change rooms at Casey like the back of his hand. As for Kent and Toumpas, see above. One AFL game is worth more than any number of VFL finals.

Development isn't dropping players back to the VFL once they've shown they can play at AFL level.

Pedersen, McKenzie, Tapscott and Bail need development in the VFL? Fitzpatrick is injured, but would know the change rooms at Casey like the back of his hand. As for Kent and Toumpas, see above. One AFL game is worth more than any number of VFL finals.

Development isn't dropping players back to the VFL once they've shown they can play at AFL level.

Sorry do not agree. Playing as a young kid in a senior side getting thumped week in week outis not good for your development.

Has played 5 games for 16 goals.

but apparently neeld made him languish in the vfl and wouldn't promote him!

I agree with what you are saying

It is just the nature of the beast, Melbourne players are Melbourne players not Casey Scorpions, Fitzy is out so Pederson comes in , can't see the problem, gives the coaching staff another look at him at AFL level, and Toumpas, spoke to him at a function last week, knows where he is at, was hoping he would get back into senior side, wants the experience, but also gives everything he has got when playing for Casey

The situationi also gives the Casey players another chance to show their wares in pressure games like finals, with footy the way it is now and mature age recruits, there is a chance to still be picked up, like Silvagni and Mohr in previous seasons.

Amazing that neither were picked up by the Dees though! We never learn.

Meanwhile, in a Friday night game to kick off the final round, Geelong VFL 35.17 227 defeated Bendigo 3.8 26. The Gold kept goalless in the second half two weeks in a row.