Northern Blues v Casey Scorpions

[Dee-licious 1,954]

Goals: Smith 5, Tapscott 2, Rosier, Michie, Hunt

Possessions: McKenzie 32, Blease 30, Riley 27, Michie 23, Nicholson 23, Evans 21, Tapscott 20, Toumpas 20, Rosier 15

I know there were a few turnovers to Blease but this is what the coaches wanted wasnt it? Getting the ball in his hands? Would like to see a couple more of these 30 games. Love seeing McKenzie go back to the 2's and rack up the stasts.

[TheoX 1,222]

Goals: Smith 5, Tapscott 2, Rosier, Michie, Hunt

Possessions: McKenzie 32, Blease 30, Riley 27, Michie 23, Nicholson 23, Evans 21, Tapscott 20, Toumpas 20, Rosier 15

Blease 30 possessions?!

[P-man 13,367]

How was Bleasey defensively?

30 touches is promising.

[Pates 9,691]

Bleases turnovers that resulted in goals is a bit of a concern, wasn't he lauded for his speed and disposal before we got him? Still good to see that he got more of the ball.

[thaipantsman 180]

what's happened to Spencer? Is he GAwn?

[Lil_red_fire_engine 11,339]

I expect with the way Blease plays if he can get the ball 30 times you are going to have to concede he will seriously burn a couple.

[Earl Hood 6,153]

How was Bleasey defensively?

30 touches is promising.

The whole game was a defensive scrap. Blease tried hard, got involved, made a few errors but who didn't today? I liked Tappy today, played some tough footy in the packs and kicked a couple. He got cleaned up in the last quarter and thought oh no here we go again, serious injury. He came off with plenty of blood on his face I think or was it just mud? He came back on with face strapped up, I would say its a broken nose.

Jimmy tried hard all day I thought but not sure lighter bodied kids are going to put in a blinder in these conditions that you will rarely if ever see at AFL level.

Good to see Jack Trengove in the stands, still in moon boot and with crutches but is in good spirits it seems.

[Earl Hood 6,153]

what's happened to Spencer? Is he GAwn?

He is injured, an ankle I think. Not sure what happened to Fitzy today, he didn't reappear after he went off before I got there. We are getting light on for fit ruck men.

[KingDingAling 3,758]

That is awesome that Blease had 30.

Sam Blease not usually a big ball winner, this is EXACTLY what MFC want from Sam.

I don't care if Blease burnt a few, to have 30 possessions is a reflection of an increased work ethic.

Sam Blease, you can get results from EFFORT and if you continue to do this, you'll be the player we know you can be.

[dee-luded 2,959]

what's happened to Spencer? Is he GAwn?

my gut feel tells me he's had an operation on ?, ankle ? the timeframe of him missing games, & his expectant recovery time suggests to me an arthroscope? If he kept playing until Jamar was ready, it would explain his tapering form in his last few games.

[dee-luded 2,959]

That is awesome that Blease had 30.

Sam Blease not usually a big ball winner, this is EXACTLY what MFC want from Sam.

I don't care if Blease burnt a few, to have 30 possessions is a reflection of an increased work ethic.

Sam Blease, you can get results from EFFORT and if you continue to do this, you'll be the player we know you can be.

Its hard to work on skills, & on footy smarts if the player isn't getting the footy.

too many get where the footy aint.

[dee-luded 2,959]

I expect with the way Blease plays if he can get the ball 30 times you are going to have to concede he will seriously burn a couple.

True but if we can get him winning the ball & working for it & working to stop the opposition, then we have a player. from there we can refine him as he goes along.

[CHAMP 347]

i keep having trouble with all their links @ 3ser & also on the bloody VFL radio page. they just won't open for me. seems like every year i have this trouble with VF bloody L radio, & the rubbish website they have.

I tried for hours the other week to get 3SER radio even ringing the station for help. I've given up on VFL radio.

Try a different browser, in my case Firefox is no good but Chrome works fine.

Or open the stream in something universal like VLC Media Player.

[Late Draft Pick 48]

It was hard for anyone to get the footy today. Players would receive a handpass and prepare to kick and the ball would slip out of their hands. Walking out to the huddles, it was like a cattle yard out their and smelt like it too. Either very slippery and muddy or just water skiing. Carlton must have been in the middle of the rain last night.

Blease was a ilttle unlucky when Northern got a goal in the second quarter. I didn't see the third quarter turnover. I just felt he got involved in the play today in a way that really surprised me considering the conditions.

Both sides dropping marks today with such a slippery ball and the congestion around where the ball was dropping because of this, or if it did get out it was a race in the mud that resulted the ball going to the boundary line. It was amazing that Smith

took so many marks in the second quarter - they were really rare.

And nothing wrong with the Toump's game today. I was watching him, Hunt, Michie and Riley. Toumpas came back on after an injury at the start of the second - winded or knackered I think. He contributed all day and in the last took a couple of handy marks and nearly held a couple more - they were hard to come by with the slippery conditons and packs everywhere. The most common thing happening all day was players receiving a handball but not being able to dispose of it in time because of the greasy conditions.

Riley has thighs on him like a tree trunk and didn't look out of place at this suburban ground. Didn't have the impact that Michie did or McKenzie and probably is lacking some fitness. Michie looked very comfortable at this level as did Evans who was very reliable at this level and in these conditions.

Dom Barry also surprised me under these condtions. He got kicks sending us forward a few times (remember, this was rare for the whole game on this ground, which was far from anything we are used to these days; it was really really substandard. They couldn't have any drainage there).

In the second quarter in particular I was really impressed with Dom. I could not criticise any player's game today - they all put in and it was really quite impressive with the injuries and with Carlton coming back so strongly in the third and fourth quarters where they were able to get a lot of clean possessions (and in the third quarter some umpire assistance).

Finally, Jayden Hunt. Even before his winning goal I thought he had looked like he belonged in the second half. In the first half he was on and off the bench and when he was on he would be looking after some empty wing of half forward flank where the ball was not coming.He contributed to our only goal in the third quarter (kicked by Tapscott) and got that great goal to finish the match (our only goal in the last quarter) with 3 or 4 minutes to go. It was not a match to show any of his wares but the final goal showed a lot of composure.

And It was not a match to start worrying about any player's future. It was a mud wrestle and then hoping the

luck went your way.

All the players put in today. I can't name all the players. I love Georgiou and Evans who are so reliable - but this was a swimming pool today.

I'm not at the G tonight. I have to cook for guests. This report is just passing on a normal spectator's observations - like I like to read the training reports in Dec Jan and Feb.

[Sambo06 222]

Wines says hello.

Neeld is a ..............

Moron! He played a defensive mid role today. He was hard at it and got crunched again, but comes back on. He gets criticised for being too outside, he gets criticised for being too soft. Today he gets criticised for being exactly the opposite! FMD. Go out there and do it your self Stupid.

[Sambo06 222]

It was hard for anyone to get the footy today. Players would receive a handpass and prepare to kick and the ball would slip out of their hands. Walking out to the huddles, it was like a cattle yard out their and smelt like it too. Either very slippery and muddy or just water skiing. Carlton must have been in the middle of the rain last night.

Blease was a ilttle unlucky when Northern got a goal in the second quarter. I didn't see the third quarter turnover. I just felt he got involved in the play today in a way that really surprised me considering the conditions.

Both sides dropping marks today with such a slippery ball and the congestion around where the ball was dropping because of this, or if it did get out it was a race in the mud that resulted the ball going to the boundary line. It was amazing that Smith took so many marks in the second quarter - they were really rare.

And nothing wrong with the Toump's game today. I was watching him, Hunt, Michie and Riley. Toumpas came back on after an injury at the start of the second - winded or knackered I think. He contributed all day and in the last took a couple of handy marks and nearly held a couple more - they were hard to come by with the slippery conditons and packs everywhere. The most common thing happening all day was players receiving a handball but not being able to dispose of it in time because of the greasy conditions.

Riley has thighs on him like a tree trunk and didn't look out of place at this suburban ground. Didn't have the impact that Michie did or McKenzie and probably is lacking some fitness. Michie looked very comfortable at this level as did Evans who was very reliable at this level and in these conditions.

Dom Barry also surprised me under these condtions. He got kicks sending us forward a few times (remember, this was rare for the whole game on this ground, which was far from anything we are used to these days; it was really really substandard. They couldn't have any drainage there).

In the second quarter in particular I was really impressed with Dom. I could not criticise any player's game today - they all put in and it was really quite impressive with the injuries and with Carlton coming back so strongly in the third and fourth quarters where they were able to get a lot of clean possessions (and in the third quarter some umpire assistance).

Finally, Jayden Hunt. Even before his winning goal I thought he had looked like he belonged in the second half. In the first half he was on and off the bench and when he was on he would be looking after some empty wing of half forward flank where the ball was not coming.He contributed to our only goal in the third quarter (kicked by Tapscott) and got that great goal to finish the match (our only goal in the last quarter) with 3 or 4 minutes to go. It was not a match to show any of his wares but the final goal showed a lot of composure.

And It was not a match to start worrying about any player's future. It was a mud wrestle and then hoping the

luck went your way.

All the players put in today. I can't name all the players. I love Georgiou and Evans who are so reliable - but this was a swimming pool today.

I'm not at the G tonight. I have to cook for guests. This report is just passing on a normal spectator's observations - like I like to read of the training reports in Dec, Jan and Feb.

Couldn't have written it any better. Well done and very accurate analysis.

[dee-luded 2,959]

Try a different browser, in my case Firefox is no good but Chrome works fine.

Or open the stream in something universal like VLC Media Player.

I've got VLC, but maybe its no longer the default media? I have made some downloads over the last 6 months?

I had the Radio Stations working last year, after some difficulty. The AFL media radio works fine.

I'll try to work my way through those Ideas champ.

thanks for that.

[Little Goffy 14,819]

I got a little thrill to see Blease getting some pretty good numbers - I almost don't care how the details went, especially in what sounds like an incredibly soggy field.

We all know Blease's biggest problem has been to get consistently involved in play. anything that helps make that feel normal for him, anything that makes him feel like he can get it if he keeps going after it, is a big boost.

[dee-luded 2,959]

It was hard for anyone to get the footy today. Players would receive a handpass and prepare to kick and the ball would slip out of their hands. Walking out to the huddles, it was like a cattle yard out their and smelt like it too. Either very slippery and muddy or just water skiing. Carlton must have been in the middle of the rain last night.

---------------------------

And It was not a match to start worrying about any player's future. It was a mud wrestle and then hoping the

luck went your way.

All the players put in today. I can't name all the players. I love Georgiou and Evans who are so reliable - but this was a swimming pool today.

IMO its a crapola ground visy park. the only thing it has is carparking, nothing else appealing. I'd like to forget princes park as a potential AFL venue.

_ IMO the AFL should work with the State Government & the MCC, to become equal partners, buying into the MCG Stadium, by paying off the MCG's debt.

_ The AFL should build the EastGate boutique stadium, take Etihad for free, & then sell for Re-development.

_ The MCC & Government could then develop the Junction Oval into a state of the art State Cricket venue.

The AFL would then have better access to the MCG for scheduling; & also Regional Victoria will be better catered for Re AFL footy.... they would have Boutique Stadiums at Geelong, Eastgate @ Nth-Melb, & Dandenong... all serviced beautifully for transport servicing all across the state & for interstate visitors as well.

[KingDingAling 3,758]

I got a little thrill to see Blease getting some pretty good numbers - I almost don't care how the details went, especially in what sounds like an incredibly soggy field.

We all know Blease's biggest problem has been to get consistently involved in play. anything that helps make that feel normal for him, anything that makes him feel like he can get it if he keeps going after it, is a big boost.

I watched Blease as a junior and the knock on him was - he was inconsistent, floated in and out of games and didn't get enough football.

If Blease can ingrain some 'work ethic' into his game, he'll be a star.. Roos spoke highly of Blease last year. Every time we were mentioned, he'd bring up Blease.

[Jarka 767]

Toumpas playing for Casey is a result of Roos trying to instill a culture of players earning their spot and learning at VFL level.

Bugger me though how Watts is getting a game.

[DemonOX 8,837]

Moron! He played a defensive mid role today. He was hard at it and got crunched again, but comes back on. He gets criticised for being too outside, he gets criticised for being too soft. Today he gets criticised for being exactly the opposite! FMD. Go out there and do it your self Stupid.

Yeah would hate to have wines and Viney in the same team. It still grates me cause Viney was over rule by Neeld.

One other thing no need for the personal attack, grow up.

[Axis of Bob 11,914]

Yeah would hate to have wines and Viney in the same team. It still grates me cause Viney was over rule by Neeld.

How would you know? You're just choosing to believe it because it's convenient.

[Barney Rubble 1,576]

Very little written about Riley, but with 27 disposals must have done something right.

I'd love to see him using those tree trunks to sit some tigers on their arse.

[dee-luded 2,959]

Toumpas playing for Casey is a result of Roos trying to instill a culture of players earning their spot and learning at VFL level.

Bugger me though how Watts is getting a game.

carrot & stick approach for young players.

Watts is now in between that gulf, & with many AFL games now, going back to Casey may be detrimental for his improvement. I trust Roos's judgement on how best to get the most from Jack Watts now that I know he's on Jacks case.

To his credit in the bits I watched tonight, I saw good Jack jumping in to tackle, & to hussell for some contests. I also saw the poor Jack who looked lost at times, spectating aimlessly.

He's a work in progress.