I get the feeling the coach and players rate toump differently to what the demonlanders do

Quarter Time at wild and woolly Casey Fields and the young Scorps have started well with scores level at 2.2.14 apiece.

The huge picture that Morton Cook and Gysberts painted? Think we have all seen that one...

Or the one that Dunn, Jetta, Jamar, Watts, Vince and numerous others painted? Not every player is going to be an overnight sensation. By the way, you weren't the guy honking the horn behind me in the drive through at KFC were you? Seemed waiting more than 2 minutes for his feed was all too much for him,

He is vilified here because he promised so much early and people are disappointed but the reality is he was grossly mismanaged and a great talent was lost.

Comments like "it was all downhill after his first game" are just wrong.

I hear what you say about the management of Jordan Gysberts and I have little doubt that the history of VFL/AFL football is littered with such tales of what might have been with players if only they had been treated differently.

I still find it hard however, when the blame is attributed to one person and one person alone, namely his coach in his final year at the club. Why not Bailey who was coach when that trip to China took place? Why not the various medical teams while Gysberts was at the club? Why not the fitness people or player welfare people? Given that he played most of his last year at the club in the VFL, what about Brett Lovett who was his coach over there? And would not the player himself and his make up have something to do ultimately with his failings as a player?

I'm sure he gave it his best shot at North Melbourne as well but never got a game so I guess it's easy to say he was damaged goods before Brad Scott got hold of him but nobody at the Kangaroos picked up on this when they recruited him?

And if he would have turned into a champion under Paul Roos, then why are Blease, Strauss and Tapscott - all top 20 draft picks - languishing at Casey today without having played a senior game this year?

I understand that I might sound harsh about one single individual who had a difficult time at the club and saw his hopes of a stellar football career shattered but perhaps it's wrong for people to always go through life blaming others when perhaps they should be looking inward to discover why they might not have achieved what they wanted when they set out on their journey.

Half time in the the Development League and the second quarter belonged completely to the Seagulls who now lead 6.9.45 to 2.3.15.

The Gysberts story has not been written and probably only known to a few.

Gysberts averaged around 20 possessions per game and after getting 26 and 27 disposals respectively in his first 2 games he injured is back in the third and missed the rest of the season. In his second season he played 15 games despite missing most of the preseason with a back injury. In its wisdom the MFC insisted he attend the China trip despite having a disk problem in his back and the subsequent travel worsened his injury. His stats and his performance in his second season were exceptional despite the mismanagement and he regularly obtained more than 20 possessions and achieved 30 in one. His numbers are not dissimilar to Jack Viney's.

Of course we then needed to toughen up and Neeld arrived. Gysberts promising career ended and despite going to North Melbourne at the end of the season the damage had been done and his interest in an AFL career gone and he finished his career going through the motions in the VFL with no desire to go further.

He is probably the biggest loss of the Neeld years and the greatest example of mismanagement I've seen. If Roos had arrived at MFC in 2012 instead of Neeld we'd have an A grade mid.

Football departments objectives are to provide an environment for players to be as good as they can be but for Gysberts the opposite was the case. Say what you like but he was a kid who against Geelong, a powerhouse, in his first game showed he had one of the most important skills in AFL footy - he could get the ball and use it pretty well. Although he wasn't a long kick he was proficient over shorter distances, he had very clean hands and he had vision.

He is vilified here because he promised so much early and people are disappointed but the reality is he was grossly mismanaged and a great talent was lost.

Comments like "it was all downhill after his first game" are just wrong.

Interesting insight and sounds like he was badly mismanaged. I also heard at the time his attitude to training was really poor and effort was lacking. No doubt he had talent and I was excited by his first season. Real shame the way it turned out but I would guess there are faults both ways.

Williamstown is a stand alone VFL team this year and looking at its line up I can't see many names with which I'm familiar. Casey, on the other hand, even with the deletion of names of the players who are playing for Melbourne tomorrow, will have 13 AFL listed players (allowing for 1 player to be held back as emergency). It really doesn't say very much about our depth if Williamstown is a firm favourite and it says even less about the quality of the VFL listed players at the club.

Willy have some good quality in there. Marcon and Clouston were good gets in the offseason for them and Owen and Johnstone are unlucky not to be on AFL lists. Ex-Port player Mitch Banner is prolific at this level too. Like Port Melbourne, an example of a non-aligned VFL club that appears to be getting it right on and off field.

would be nice if Toumpas dominated a game at VFL level

Three Quarter Time in the Development League Game: Willi well in control with 8.9.57 to Casey Scorpions 4.9.33 and they've kicked a few more since.

I still find it hard however, when the blame is attributed to one person and one person alone,

I didn't do that and you should check your reading of my post and your comprehension.

I attributed the blame to the MFC (" In its wisdom the MFC insisted he attend the China trip") and the football department ("Football departments objectives are to provide an environment for players to be as good as they can be but for Gysberts the opposite was the case"). For heaven's sake, Neeld wasn't there for the China trip! My two references to "Neeld" both referenced the period of Gysberts decline and I identified the cause as both the MFC and the football department.

Hope this clears it up for you.

2014 AFL Victoria Development League

Casey Scorpions 2.2.14 2.3.15 4.9.33 4.9.33

Williamstown 2.2.14 6.9.45 8.9.57 17.13.115

Goals

Casey Scorpions Anderson Drew Gawley Jackson

Williamstown Nixon 4 Flack 3 Gallucci Mead 2 Bese Bugeja Cashman Merlo Nastasi Walshe

Best

Casey Scorpions Drew Thomas Paredes Symons Lang Godfrey

Williamstown Bench Hayes Adams Walshe Nixon Gallucci

I didn't do that and you should check your reading of my post and your comprehension.

I attributed the blame to the MFC (" In its wisdom the MFC insisted he attend the China trip") and the football department ("Football departments objectives are to provide an environment for players to be as good as they can be but for Gysberts the opposite was the case"). For heaven's sake, Neeld wasn't there for the China trip! My two references to "Neeld" both referenced the period of Gysberts decline and I identified the cause as both the MFC and the football department.

Hope this clears it up for you.

Thanks. That's part of the thrust of what I was saying - in addition to the fact that in these cases the blame is often put on others but rarely does the person look inward. I hope its understood that I wasn't simply picking on one player here but it's a general thing. It also touches on how we as a club have recruited and developed players over the past decade. I think we're a better club now for the experience.

Williamstown have the wind are doing all the attacking. They lead 2.2.14 to 0.0.0.

Get somebody loose behind the ball Welsh. 27 points down already with a prevailing wind.

The wind is so strong you can just about kick a goal from the middle. Williamstown dominating the play and Casey's defensive work is poor. Seagulls lead 4.3.27 to 0.0.0.

Is Tapscott out there KC?

Williamstown 6.6.42 to Casey 0.0.0. No defence from the home side which, as you might recall, kicked 0 goals to 9 in the final quarter last week.

The Gysberts story has not been written and probably only known to a few.

Gysberts averaged around 20 possessions per game and after getting 26 and 27 disposals respectively in his first 2 games he injured is back in the third and missed the rest of the season. In his second season he played 15 games despite missing most of the preseason with a back injury. In its wisdom the MFC insisted he attend the China trip despite having a disk problem in his back and the subsequent travel worsened his injury. His stats and his performance in his second season were exceptional despite the mismanagement and he regularly obtained more than 20 possessions and achieved 30 in one. His numbers are not dissimilar to Jack Viney's.

Of course we then needed to toughen up and Neeld arrived. Gysberts promising career ended and despite going to North Melbourne at the end of the season the damage had been done and his interest in an AFL career gone and he finished his career going through the motions in the VFL with no desire to go further.

He is probably the biggest loss of the Neeld years and the greatest example of mismanagement I've seen. If Roos had arrived at MFC in 2012 instead of Neeld we'd have an A grade mid.

Football departments objectives are to provide an environment for players to be as good as they can be but for Gysberts the opposite was the case. Say what you like but he was a kid who against Geelong, a powerhouse, in his first game showed he had one of the most important skills in AFL footy - he could get the ball and use it pretty well. Although he wasn't a long kick he was proficient over shorter distances, he had very clean hands and he had vision.

He is vilified here because he promised so much early and people are disappointed but the reality is he was grossly mismanaged and a great talent was lost.

Comments like "it was all downhill after his first game" are just wrong.

Thanks for that insight BB, I was unaware of that situation.

We have made so many bad decisions in the last few years, that is the reason we are where we are. Those bad decisions included drafting, development, trading, coaches, administration etc.

The one thing this club needs to get right going forward, is to make the right decision wherever possible.

I remember watching a game at wild windswept Willy on TV - a player, who was a decent kick, roosted one forward into the wind and it actually curled back ending up behind him!

But I presume that this one is at Casey.

Quarter Time: Williamstown lead - 7.8.50 to Casey Scorpions 0.0.0. It's a strong wind but that doesn't explain the insipid effort from many of the home side, nor the tactics against that wind.

Playing are at least fitzy. Toump, blease, JKH, Tappy, michie, king. Play is all one way with the wind.

Playing are at least fitzy. Toump, blease, JKH, Tappy, michie, king. Play is all one way with the wind.

Also Straus and Giorgio.

Fitzy, blease, JKH all in the play.

I hope we lost the toss!!

There is a howling wind, with no prospect of the ball getting forward. Surely extra men in back line? Nope... Unbelievable!

Tapscott & JKH getting plenty, but wasted in this wind