The match statistics

Oskar Baker  5 kicks 2  handballs 7 disposals 3 marks 1 tackle 32 dream team points
Toby Bedford 2 goals 10 kicks 5 handballs 15 disposals 1 mark 7 tackles 79 dream team points
Jake Bowey 16 kicks 6 handballs 22 disposals 4 marks 1 tackle 76 dream team points
Aaron Bradtke 2 behinds 5 kicks 5 handballs 10 disposals 2 marks 8 hit outs 36 dream team points
Ben Brown 3 goals 1 behind 14 kicks 4 handballs 18 disposals 6 marks 1 hit out 90 dream team points
Kade Chandler 1 goal 2 behinds 14 kicks 10 handballs 24 disposals 10 marks 3 tackles 112 dream team points
Majak Daw 6 kicks 6 handballs 12 disposals 1 mark 2  tackles 23 hit outs 62 dream team points
Zac Foot 8 kicks 5 handballs13 disposals 4  marks 1 tackle 48 dream team points
Tom Freeman 10 kicks 3 handballs 13 disposals 6 marks 54 dream team points
Luca Goonan 1  behind 10 kicks 7 handballs 17 disposals  6 marks  3  tackles 72 dream team points
George Grey 1 behind 6 kicks 6 handballs  12 disposals 4 marks 3 tackles 53 dream team points
Jack Hutchins 5 kicks 3 handballs 8 disposals 4 marks 1 tackle 35 dream team points
Neville Jetta 1 behind 19 kicks 6 handballs 25 disposals 7 marks 5 tackles 113 dream team points
Jay Lockhart 20 kicks 3 handballs 23 disposals 9 marks 2 tackles 99 dream team points
James Munro 6 kicks 8 handballs 14 disposals 3 marks 8 tackles 74 dream team points
Fraser Rosman 2 goals 8 kicks 8 disposals 3 marks 1 tackle 49 dream team points
Deakyn Smith 14 kicks 5 handballs 19 disposals 7 marks 4 tackles 78 dream team points
Joel Smith 11 kicks 7 handballs 18 disposals 5 marks 62 dream team points
Ryan Sparkes 1 goal 1  behind 10 kicks  0  handballs 16 disposals 4 marks 2 tackles 69 dream team points
Aaron vandenBerg 1 goal 16 kicks 9 handballs 25 disposals 7 marks 5 tackles 113 dream team points
Sam Weideman 7 goals 2 behinds 12 kicks 4 handballs 16 disposals 7 marks 2 hit outs 110 dream team points
Mitch White 2 behinds 12 kicks 4 handballs 16 disposals 8 marks 5 tackles 91 dream team points

 

Some thoughts on the game, for those not able to get there or view...

Toby Bedford - started extremely well and one of Casey's best in the first half, was quicksilver, skilful, efficient and pressured well.  Not as  prominent as the game petered out but if he can continue this sort of form he will pushing for a senior spot and a contract extension sooner rather than later.  Appeared too good for the level, but there is obviously a momentous jump from a very depleted Hawthorn seconds to the big time!

Jake Bowey - he was pretty good without wanting to shout his name from the rooftops.  His lack of size was to his detriment in a few contested situations, but his ball use was generally solid from half back - again without wanting to rave about it excessively.  Solid start all the same.

Fraser Rosman - first time I'd seen him play a full game and he did some good things, including taking a terrific defensive mark, but was one of the quieter MFC listed players.  Has a lot of filling out to do but looking at his performance through the prism of him being a project-type player, there were a few promising signs.  All the same, he is mound of development clay, rather than a footballer at this stage.  Probably worth noting that the game tended to bypass both our wingers and that probably hasn't helped him in the final analysis.

Aaron VandenBerg - exactly the sort of game you would excpect from Vanders at this level.  Was strong at the contest, won plenty of the football but was frequently wasteful with it.  Still, one of the better players on the day over four quarters and would be applying desirable pressure to Jones, Jordon, Sparrow and co.

Sam Weideman - ended up kicking seven goals and wrestling BOG honours away from the clutches of some his team-mates in the second half.  The best thing about his game was that he conjured goals from multiple methods - guilesome one-on-one victories, pack marks, one from from a ruck throw-in and one from some ground-level work and a subsequent snap.  He was excellent all day and has applied serious heat to selectors, the only caveat being the moderate opposition, both from team and individuals against contexts. 

Majak Daw -  unfortunately for Majak, the returns of Brown and Weideman relegated him away from where he has been firing for Casey through the pre-season and into a first ruck role where he probably wasn't able to push for selection in the same way. I thought he was a solid contributer and did some good things without wanting to rave about the performance.  It should be noted that if you were looking at Box Hill's team pre-game, their ruck stocks was certainly going to be their biggest strength, with Ceglar and 208cm Hawthorn-listed Reeves representing that division.   Daw neutralised their impact well, but Brown and Weideman being in the side hurts his chances to make a more significant impact, especially on the scoreboard.

Oskar Baker - thought the game bypassed him and we was quiet for the most part.  Did on occasion use his speed to work in and out of traffic to elongate possession chains and he didn't do much wrong.  But that said, his standing amongst his fellow senior selection wannabes will have deteriorated after this game, unless there is an at-all-costs specific need for his specific skillset/type or if he fits bets as a medical sub option.

Deakyn Smith - slight back pocket rookie was a good contributer.  The big knock on him through his junior days was his ball use, but he was tidy in this match and has definitely improved in that area and it has been an obvious development focus.  That said, he was mostly conservative and safe with his distribution.  One prominent feature was his aggressive tackling game, which was impressive, even though he was on the receiving end of some very marginal free kicks against.  A promising first game and most likely will continue to be groomed into a close-checking back pocket.  The  big issue for him will be whether he will be able to put on the size to compete one on one? And will he ever be able to use the ball well enough to be anything other than a negative style player at the next level?  Given how important and deadly AFL small forwards are becoming, that might not necessarily hold him back, but as much as possible you want well-rounded players filling out the smaller roles in your back six.

Kade Chandler - the ying to Bedford's yang, Chandler was good but in a different way to his indigenous comrade.  He is tough, has good forward craft and was just extremely solid in his interpretation of the small forward role.  Kicked 1.2 but his performance was far better than that scoring output implies - he cracked in when necessary, marked the ball well under pressure, tackled with vigour and was generally crisp with most his work.  Would we lose anything if he was called up to senior level?  Hard to say!  A good little player!

Neville Jetta - thought he was extremely good.  Given the freedom to play a more expansive role away from the gloom of his usual back pocket terrain, he won a lot of the ball, used it well and was consistently constructive.  It was a shame that he missed a shot at goal after taking a flying mark during a rare rampage forward.  Ready to be called upon again if necessary on the back of this effort, was in good touch and one of Casey's best in my opinion.

Jay Lockhart -  Lockhart was very industrious but, if anything, slightly down on my expectations, with a few uncharastic skill errors and other mistakes creeping into his game.  That might be a shade harsh, but I have a fairly big opinion of him, particularly at this level, and just felt he was 10% off his usual quality.  Still he was a solid four quarter contributer and no doubt in a week or two will be back to his best and ready to press for senior selection on the ballsack injury comeback trail.

Joel Smith - sad to hear that Smith has injured a knee and maybe out for a period of time, because as a rebounding tall defender, I though he was superb for much of the day.  His ball use and link-up play was excellent and he repeatedly had Casey moving the ball quickly and dangerously from defence.   This attacking/rebounding style surprisingly outshone his defensive work, where he was occasionally loose defensive to his side's detriment.   Was competing for BOG honours before injury all the same.

Austin Bradtke - Luke Jackson-lite?  I think we can put a line through Bradtke as an AFL first ruckman at any stage, he just isn't going to be big enough to do that well enough at the highest level.  What was exciting was the way he moved and just a couple of contests where he looked really promising and was able to take a few good marks.  I liked his hands in close at times as well.  The issue is this is Bradtke's third season on the list.  If you look at his performance through the lens of a young rookie, it was a promising, effort, similar to Rosman's display.  The other view is he is probably not doing enough for someone in this third year at the club.  I lean to the positivie at the moment and that there is something here to persist with.

Ben Brown - Good contribution from Brown, took some clever marks and finished well for the main part.  There was something stilted about his movement which worried me a touch to the eye, but there is no doubting the threat he provides.  Even if he is not kicking goals, he will draw free kicks, cause panic amongst defenders and cause positive outnumbers at ground level. Kozzie Pickett will love playing with him.  Kicked three but probably a week or two away.

BEST: Weideman, J.Smith, Jetta, Bedford, VandenBerg, Chandler.

The Casey representatives were by and large solid without any suggesting they could be future AFL draftees.  George Grey has some X-factor and may be the most likely as a small forward, but thats at a real stretch..  Luca Goonan was serviceable as an inside mid but needs to add an enormous amount of nuance to his game to be considered.  Zac Foot is quick but not clean enough in traffic, Sparkes a bit vanilla, though kicked a terrific snap goal.  Munro, Freeman, White and Hutchins we know about.  Sparkes was a late inclusion for Aidan Quigley.

It has to be understood that Box Hill were incredibly depleted.  As mentioned, their rucks on paper looked super strong but were easily handled.  Other than that they had few Hawthorn listed players of note and only really long-time VFL star Damien Mascitti and ex-Bulldog Fergus Greene caused any real threat, but only fleetingly.  Hard to take the game too seriously, other than to say a large volume of Dees are in form and played well.

Edited April 19, 20213 yr by goodoil

I reckon Zac Foot still has something to offer at AFL level.

8 hours ago, binman said:

What do you think will happen kc? Conferences?

I don't think the mix of eastern states clubs outside of Victoria with the Victorian clubs is going to work. The economics of playing interstate for the number of games necessary to maintain the integrity of the competition aren't helpful (I suspect the cost side is why the competition is 16 rounds and why it started four weeks after the AFL which isn't satisfactory). A conference system won't really improve this situation in my view.

2 hours ago, Whispering_Jack said:

The match statistics

Oskar Baker  5 kicks 2  handballs 7 disposals 3 marks 1 tackle 32 dream team points
Toby Bedford 2 goals 10 kicks 5 handballs 15 disposals 1 mark 7 tackles 79 dream team points
Jake Bowey 16 kicks 6 handballs 22 disposals 4 marks 1 tackle 76 dream team points
Aaron Bradtke 2 behinds 5 kicks 5 handballs 10 disposals 2 marks 8 hit outs 36 dream team points
Ben Brown 3 goals 1 behind 14 kicks 4 handballs 18 disposals 6 marks 1 hit out 90 dream team points
Kade Chandler 1 goal 2 behinds 14 kicks 10 handballs 24 disposals 10 marks 3 tackles 112 dream team points
Majak Daw 6 kicks 6 handballs 12 disposals 1 mark 2  tackles 23 hit outs 62 dream team points
Zac Foot 8 kicks 5 handballs13 disposals 4  marks 1 tackle 48 dream team points
Tom Freeman 10 kicks 3 handballs 13 disposals 6 marks 54 dream team points
Luca Goonan 1  behind 10 kicks 7 handballs 17 disposals  6 marks  3  tackles 72 dream team points
George Grey 1 behind 6 kicks 6 handballs  12 disposals 4 marks 3 tackles 53 dream team points
Jack Hutchins 5 kicks 3 handballs 8 disposals 4 marks 1 tackle 35 dream team points
Neville Jetta 1 behind 19 kicks 6 handballs 25 disposals 7 marks 5 tackles 113 dream team points
Jay Lockhart 20 kicks 3 handballs 23 disposals 9 marks 2 tackles 99 dream team points
James Munro 6 kicks 8 handballs 14 disposals 3 marks 8 tackles 74 dream team points
Fraser Rosman 2 goals 8 kicks 8 disposals 3 marks 1 tackle 49 dream team points
Deakyn Smith 14 kicks 5 handballs 19 disposals 7 marks 4 tackles 78 dream team points
Joel Smith 11 kicks 7 handballs 18 disposals 5 marks 62 dream team points
Ryan Sparkes 1 goal 1  behind 10 kicks  0  handballs 16 disposals 4 marks 2 tackles 69 dream team points
Aaron vandenBerg 1 goal 16 kicks 9 handballs 25 disposals 7 marks 5 tackles 113 dream team points
Sam Weideman 7 goals 2 behinds 12 kicks 4 handballs 16 disposals 7 marks 2 hit outs 110 dream team points
Mitch White 2 behinds 12 kicks 4 handballs 16 disposals 8 marks 5 tackles 91 dream team points

 

Bedford only 15 touches...  no way.  Watched the whole game and he must have had it 25 times.

And Baker only 7 disposals?  Gee I think hes been shortchanged a fair bit there. He was pretty busy

Edited April 19, 20213 yr by Pickett2Jackson

8 hours ago, KC from Casey said:

The ladder after Round 1. This is the nature of the VFL in 2021. There are 22 teams and 16 rounds played. This won’t last.

 

So even more inequitable than the AFL “draw” .... much could depend on who plays the bad, and who plays the better sides.  

8 hours ago, binman said:

What do you think will happen kc? Conferences?

Surely there will be at least one conference ie talkfest to discuss this 

Perhaps there will need to be two sections / divisions etc, but we are not (yet) totally Americanized (despite ex CEO Vlad’s love of all things American in sport) so leave that term to them.  

8 minutes ago, KC from Casey said:

I don't think the mix of eastern states clubs outside of Victoria with the Victorian clubs is going to work. The economics of playing interstate for the number of games necessary to maintain the integrity of the competition aren't helpful (I suspect the cost side is why the competition is 16 rounds and why it started four weeks after the AFL which isn't satisfactory). A conference system won't really improve this situation in my view.

One cannot maintain what is not already there. 
A bit like the contradiction of “keeping politicians honest” - better put as “trying to make politicians honest”!

1 hour ago, goodoil said:

Some thoughts on the game, for those not able to get there or view...

Toby Bedford - started extremely well and one of Casey's best in the first half, was quicksilver, skilful, efficient and pressured well.  Not as  prominent as the game petered out but if he can continue this sort of form he will pushing for a senior spot and a contract extension sooner rather than later.  Appeared too good for the level, but there is obviously a momentous jump from a very depleted Hawthorn seconds to the big time!

Jake Bowey - he was pretty good without wanting to shout his name from the rooftops.  His lack of size was to his detriment in a few contested situations, but his ball use was generally solid from half back - again without wanting to rave about it excessively.  Solid start all the same.

Fraser Rosman - first time I'd seen him play a full game and he did some good things, including taking a terrific defensive mark, but was one of the quieter MFC listed players.  Has a lot of filling out to do but looking at his performance through the prism of him being a project-type player, there were a few promising signs.  All the same, he is mound of development clay, rather than a footballer at this stage.  Probably worth noting that the game tended to bypass both our wingers and that probably hasn't helped him in the final analysis.

Aaron VandenBerg - exactly the sort of game you would excpect from Vanders at this level.  Was strong at the contest, won plenty of the football but was frequently wasteful with it.  Still, one of the better players on the day over four quarters and would be applying desirable pressure to Jones, Jordon, Sparrow and co.

Sam Weideman - ended up kicking seven goals and wrestling BOG honours away from the clutches of some his team-mates in the second half.  The best thing about his game was that he conjured goals from multiple methods - guilesome one-on-one victories, pack marks, one from from a ruck throw-in and one from some ground-level work and a subsequent snap.  He was excellent all day and has applied serious heat to selectors, the only caveat being the moderate opposition, both from team and individuals against contexts. 

Majak Daw -  unfortunately for Majak, the returns of Brown and Weideman relegated him away from where he has been firing for Casey through the pre-season and into a first ruck role where he probably wasn't able to push for selection in the same way. I thought he was a solid contributer and did some good things without wanting to rave about the performance.  It should be noted that if you were looking at Box Hill's team pre-game, their ruck stocks was certainly going to be their biggest strength, with Ceglar and 208cm Hawthorn-listed Reeves representing that division.   Daw neutralised their impact well, but Brown and Weideman being in the side hurts his chances to make a more significant impact, especially on the scoreboard.

Oskar Baker - thought the game bypassed him and we was quiet for the most part.  Did on occasion use his speed to work in and out of traffic to elongate possession chains and he didn't do much wrong.  But that said, his standing amongst his fellow senior selection wannabes will have deteriorated after this game, unless there is an at-all-costs specific need for his specific skillset/type or if he fits bets as a medical sub option.

Deakyn Smith - slight back pocket rookie was a good contributer.  The big knock on him through his junior days was his ball use, but he was tidy in this match and has definitely improved in that area and it has been an obvious development focus.  That said, he was mostly conservative and safe with his distribution.  One prominent feature was his aggressive tackling game, which was impressive, even though he was on the receiving end of some very marginal free kicks against.  A promising first game and most likely will continue to be groomed into a close-checking back pocket.  The  big issue for him will be whether he will be able to put on the size to compete one on one? And will he ever be able to use the ball well enough to be anything other than a negative style player at the next level?  Given how important and deadly AFL small forwards are becoming, that might not necessarily hold him back, but as much as possible you want well-rounded players filling out the smaller roles in your back six.

Kade Chandler - the ying to Bedford's yang, Chandler was good but in a different way to his indigenous comrade.  He is tough, has good forward craft and was just extremely solid in his interpretation of the small forward role.  Kicked 1.2 but his performance was far better than that scoring output implies - he cracked in when necessary, marked the ball well under pressure, tackled with vigour and was generally crisp with most his work.  Would we lose anything if he was called up to senior level?  Hard to say!  A good little player!

Neville Jetta - thought he was extremely good.  Given the freedom to play a more expansive role away from the gloom of his usual back pocket terrain, he won a lot of the ball, used it well and was consistently constructive.  It was a shame that he missed a shot at goal after taking a flying mark during a rare rampage forward.  Ready to be called upon again if necessary on the back of this effort, was in good touch and one of Casey's best in my opinion.

Jay Lockhart -  Lockhart was very industrious but, if anything, slightly down on my expectations, with a few uncharastic skill errors and other mistakes creeping into his game.  That might be a shade harsh, but I have a fairly big opinion of him, particularly at this level, and just felt he was 10% off his usual quality.  Still he was a solid four quarter contributer and no doubt in a week or two will be back to his best and ready to press for senior selection on the ballsack injury comeback trail.

Joel Smith - sad to hear that Smith has injured a knee and maybe out for a period of time, because as a rebounding tall defender, I though he was superb for much of the day.  His ball use and link-up play was excellent and he repeatedly had Casey moving the ball quickly and dangerously from defence.   This attacking/rebounding style surprisingly outshone his defensive work, where he was occasionally loose defensive to his side's detriment.   Was competing for BOG honours before injury all the same.

Austin Bradtke - Luke Jackson-lite?  I think we can put a line through Bradtke as an AFL first ruckman at any stage, he just isn't going to be big enough to do that well enough at the highest level.  What was exciting was the way he moved and just a couple of contests where he looked really promising and was able to take a few good marks.  I liked his hands in close at times as well.  The issue is this is Bradtke's third season on the list.  If you look at his performance through the lens of a young rookie, it was a promising, effort, similar to Rosman's display.  The other view is he is probably not doing enough for someone in this third year at the club.  I lean to the positivie at the moment and that there is something here to persist with.

Ben Brown - Good contribution from Brown, took some clever marks and finished well for the main part.  There was something stilted about his movement which worried me a touch to the eye, but there is no doubting the threat he provides.  Even if he is not kicking goals, he will draw free kicks, cause panic amongst defenders and cause positive outnumbers at ground level. Kozzie Pickett will love playing with him.  Kicked three but probably a week or two away.

BEST: Weideman, J.Smith, Jetta, Bedford, VandenBerg, Chandler.

The Casey representatives were by and large solid without any suggesting they could be future AFL draftees.  George Grey has some X-factor and may be the most likely as a small forward, but thats at a real stretch..  Luca Goonan was serviceable as an inside mid but needs to add an enormous amount of nuance to his game to be considered.  Zac Foot is quick but not clean enough in traffic, Sparkes a bit vanilla, though kicked a terrific snap goal.  Munro, Freeman, White and Hutchins we know about.  Sparkes was a late inclusion for Aidan Quigley.

It has to be understood that Box Hill were incredibly depleted.  As mentioned, their rucks on paper looked super strong but were easily handled.  Other than that they had few Hawthorn listed players of note and only really long-time VFL star Damien Mascitti and ex-Bulldog Fergus Greene caused any real threat, but only fleetingly.  Hard to take the game too seriously, other than to say a large volume of Dees are in form and played well.

Terrific report, thorough and honest. Despite the weaknesses of the opposition, footy is still a team game and the blend of Casey players met that challenge well, it seems. There are a few peaks and a few troughs for the AFL Team emerging; and certainly in my mind, the loss of Joel Smith to injury once again is a major disappointment as I consider him a valuable asset in the AFL team as a forward. Thanks for this report.

 

Was Baker injured?  I didn't notice him in the second half.

3 hours ago, goodoil said:

Some thoughts on the game, for those not able to get there or view...

Toby Bedford - started extremely well and one of Casey's best in the first half, was quicksilver, skilful, efficient and pressured well.  Not as  prominent as the game petered out but if he can continue this sort of form he will pushing for a senior spot and a contract extension sooner rather than later.  Appeared too good for the level, but there is obviously a momentous jump from a very depleted Hawthorn seconds to the big time!

Jake Bowey - he was pretty good without wanting to shout his name from the rooftops.  His lack of size was to his detriment in a few contested situations, but his ball use was generally solid from half back - again without wanting to rave about it excessively.  Solid start all the same.

Fraser Rosman - first time I'd seen him play a full game and he did some good things, including taking a terrific defensive mark, but was one of the quieter MFC listed players.  Has a lot of filling out to do but looking at his performance through the prism of him being a project-type player, there were a few promising signs.  All the same, he is mound of development clay, rather than a footballer at this stage.  Probably worth noting that the game tended to bypass both our wingers and that probably hasn't helped him in the final analysis.

Aaron VandenBerg - exactly the sort of game you would excpect from Vanders at this level.  Was strong at the contest, won plenty of the football but was frequently wasteful with it.  Still, one of the better players on the day over four quarters and would be applying desirable pressure to Jones, Jordon, Sparrow and co.

Sam Weideman - ended up kicking seven goals and wrestling BOG honours away from the clutches of some his team-mates in the second half.  The best thing about his game was that he conjured goals from multiple methods - guilesome one-on-one victories, pack marks, one from from a ruck throw-in and one from some ground-level work and a subsequent snap.  He was excellent all day and has applied serious heat to selectors, the only caveat being the moderate opposition, both from team and individuals against contexts. 

Majak Daw -  unfortunately for Majak, the returns of Brown and Weideman relegated him away from where he has been firing for Casey through the pre-season and into a first ruck role where he probably wasn't able to push for selection in the same way. I thought he was a solid contributer and did some good things without wanting to rave about the performance.  It should be noted that if you were looking at Box Hill's team pre-game, their ruck stocks was certainly going to be their biggest strength, with Ceglar and 208cm Hawthorn-listed Reeves representing that division.   Daw neutralised their impact well, but Brown and Weideman being in the side hurts his chances to make a more significant impact, especially on the scoreboard.

Oskar Baker - thought the game bypassed him and we was quiet for the most part.  Did on occasion use his speed to work in and out of traffic to elongate possession chains and he didn't do much wrong.  But that said, his standing amongst his fellow senior selection wannabes will have deteriorated after this game, unless there is an at-all-costs specific need for his specific skillset/type or if he fits bets as a medical sub option.

Deakyn Smith - slight back pocket rookie was a good contributer.  The big knock on him through his junior days was his ball use, but he was tidy in this match and has definitely improved in that area and it has been an obvious development focus.  That said, he was mostly conservative and safe with his distribution.  One prominent feature was his aggressive tackling game, which was impressive, even though he was on the receiving end of some very marginal free kicks against.  A promising first game and most likely will continue to be groomed into a close-checking back pocket.  The  big issue for him will be whether he will be able to put on the size to compete one on one? And will he ever be able to use the ball well enough to be anything other than a negative style player at the next level?  Given how important and deadly AFL small forwards are becoming, that might not necessarily hold him back, but as much as possible you want well-rounded players filling out the smaller roles in your back six.

Kade Chandler - the ying to Bedford's yang, Chandler was good but in a different way to his indigenous comrade.  He is tough, has good forward craft and was just extremely solid in his interpretation of the small forward role.  Kicked 1.2 but his performance was far better than that scoring output implies - he cracked in when necessary, marked the ball well under pressure, tackled with vigour and was generally crisp with most his work.  Would we lose anything if he was called up to senior level?  Hard to say!  A good little player!

Neville Jetta - thought he was extremely good.  Given the freedom to play a more expansive role away from the gloom of his usual back pocket terrain, he won a lot of the ball, used it well and was consistently constructive.  It was a shame that he missed a shot at goal after taking a flying mark during a rare rampage forward.  Ready to be called upon again if necessary on the back of this effort, was in good touch and one of Casey's best in my opinion.

Jay Lockhart -  Lockhart was very industrious but, if anything, slightly down on my expectations, with a few uncharastic skill errors and other mistakes creeping into his game.  That might be a shade harsh, but I have a fairly big opinion of him, particularly at this level, and just felt he was 10% off his usual quality.  Still he was a solid four quarter contributer and no doubt in a week or two will be back to his best and ready to press for senior selection on the ballsack injury comeback trail.

Joel Smith - sad to hear that Smith has injured a knee and maybe out for a period of time, because as a rebounding tall defender, I though he was superb for much of the day.  His ball use and link-up play was excellent and he repeatedly had Casey moving the ball quickly and dangerously from defence.   This attacking/rebounding style surprisingly outshone his defensive work, where he was occasionally loose defensive to his side's detriment.   Was competing for BOG honours before injury all the same.

Austin Bradtke - Luke Jackson-lite?  I think we can put a line through Bradtke as an AFL first ruckman at any stage, he just isn't going to be big enough to do that well enough at the highest level.  What was exciting was the way he moved and just a couple of contests where he looked really promising and was able to take a few good marks.  I liked his hands in close at times as well.  The issue is this is Bradtke's third season on the list.  If you look at his performance through the lens of a young rookie, it was a promising, effort, similar to Rosman's display.  The other view is he is probably not doing enough for someone in this third year at the club.  I lean to the positivie at the moment and that there is something here to persist with.

Ben Brown - Good contribution from Brown, took some clever marks and finished well for the main part.  There was something stilted about his movement which worried me a touch to the eye, but there is no doubting the threat he provides.  Even if he is not kicking goals, he will draw free kicks, cause panic amongst defenders and cause positive outnumbers at ground level. Kozzie Pickett will love playing with him.  Kicked three but probably a week or two away.

BEST: Weideman, J.Smith, Jetta, Bedford, VandenBerg, Chandler.

The Casey representatives were by and large solid without any suggesting they could be future AFL draftees.  George Grey has some X-factor and may be the most likely as a small forward, but thats at a real stretch..  Luca Goonan was serviceable as an inside mid but needs to add an enormous amount of nuance to his game to be considered.  Zac Foot is quick but not clean enough in traffic, Sparkes a bit vanilla, though kicked a terrific snap goal.  Munro, Freeman, White and Hutchins we know about.  Sparkes was a late inclusion for Aidan Quigley.

It has to be understood that Box Hill were incredibly depleted.  As mentioned, their rucks on paper looked super strong but were easily handled.  Other than that they had few Hawthorn listed players of note and only really long-time VFL star Damien Mascitti and ex-Bulldog Fergus Greene caused any real threat, but only fleetingly.  Hard to take the game too seriously, other than to say a large volume of Dees are in form and played well.

I found myself making the same comparison between Austin and Luke after watching them live today. Austin could use some more strength, there is definitely something there.

3 hours ago, Clintosaurus said:

I reckon Zac Foot still has something to offer at AFL level.

Hopefully he has a bit of toe.

He's got 10!

On 4/18/2021 at 1:50 PM, demonstone said:

Zac Foot has some toe.

Try to keep up, Clint!

Who's number 12? Has a good sidestep.

STARTING OVER by KC from Casey

The Casey Demons made a successful return to the playing field with a 51 point away from home victory over the Box Hill Hawks.

The visitors were starting over after a hiatus of almost 20 months and fielded a strong team of 14 AFL listed players against an undermanned opponent. And they showed from the first bounce that they were out to make up for lost time with an aggressive opening that saw them off to 21 point lead at the first break with thanks to a dominant midfield and two key forwards in Ben Brown and Sam Weideman with livewire small forward Toby Bedford abuzz at their feet.

The Demons continued at this elevated level through the second term piling on another five goals with Aaron vandenBerg and Joel Smith standing out and Weideman putting on a clinic in front of goal. The half time lead of 33 points was doubled to 66 by the final break with Weideman’s goal tally going to five on the way to seven. They eased off in the last and conceded five goals to the Hawks (to three of their own) but it was pretty much a day of total dominance by the Demons.

Bedford was quieter after half time but Kade Chandler took over the role of the team’s brilliant small man and finished with 24 touches. Neville Jetta showed that he is by no means cooked collecting 25 possessions. Defender Jay Lockhart was also busy and workmanlike underlining the club’s depth in a variety of positions.

Young supplemental lister Deakyn Smith also showed promise in his first game after being recruited just over a month ago. Jake Bowey and Fraser Rosman are young draftees who also look to be future prospects. Big men Majak Daw and Aaron Bradtke were overshadowed in the ruck.

The main dampener for Casey was that Joel Smith who was coming off some long stints on the sidelines and was playing strongly, appeared to have suffered a nasty knee injury in the latter part of the game.

Casey’s old stagers Jimmy Munro, Mitch White and Jack Hutchins all worked hard for the victory while young players in Luca Goonan, George Grey and last minute replacement Ryan Sparkes who slotted through a nice goal and looks a likely prospect at this level.

The Demons have a tough challenge for their second match of the season with an encounter against Richmond at the Swinburne Centre in Punt Road as a virtual curtain raiser to the Anzac Eve blockbuster later in the evening. With a 16 game roster and 22 teams, every post has to be a winner.

2021 VFL Mens

Casey Demons 5.3.33 10.10.70 14.15.99 17.16 118

Box Hill Hawks 2.0.12 4.3.27 5.3.33 10.7.67

Goals 

Casey Demons Weideman 7 Brown 3 Bedford Rosman 2 Chandler Sparkes vandenBerg 

Box Hill Hawks Jeka Greene Mascitti 3 Brooksby 

Best 

Casey Demons Weideman Chandler Lockhart Bedford vandenBerg D Smith       

Box Hill Hawks Newcombe Hartley Mascitti Maginness Porter

Statistics

Oskar Baker  5 kicks 2  handballs 7 disposals 3 marks 1 tackle 32 dream team points

Toby Bedford 2 goals 10 kicks 5 handballs 15 disposals 1 mark 7 tackles 79 dream team points

Jake Bowey 16 kicks 6 handballs 22 disposals 4 marks 1 tackle 76 dream team points

Aaron Bradtke 2 behinds 5 kicks 5 handballs 10 disposals 2 marks 8 hit outs 36 dream team points

Ben Brown 3 goals 1 behind 14 kicks 4 handballs 18 disposals 6 marks 1 hit out 90 dream team points

Kade Chandler 1 goal 2 behinds 14 kicks 10 handballs 24 disposals 10 marks 3 tackles 112 dream team points

Majak Daw 6 kicks 6 handballs 12 disposals 1 mark 2  tackles 23 hit outs 62 dream team points

Zac Foot 8 kicks 5 handballs13 disposals 4  marks 1 tackle 48 dream team points

Tom Freeman 10 kicks 3 handballs 13 disposals 6 marks 54 dream team points

Luca Goonan 1  behind 10 kicks 7 handballs 17 disposals  6 marks  3  tackles 72 dream team points

George Grey 1 behind 6 kicks 6 handballs  12 disposals 4 marks 3 tackles 53 dream team points

Jack Hutchins 5 kicks 3 handballs 8 disposals 4 marks 1 tackle 35 dream team points

Neville Jetta 1 behind 19 kicks 6 handballs 25 disposals 7 marks 5 tackles 113 dream team points

Jay Lockhart 20 kicks 3 handballs 23 disposals 9 marks 2 tackles 99 dream team points

James Munro 6 kicks 8 handballs 14 disposals 3 marks 8 tackles 74 dream team points

Fraser Rosman 2 goals 8 kicks 8 disposals 3 marks 1 tackle 49 dream team points

Deakyn Smith 14 kicks 5 handballs 19 disposals 7 marks 4 tackles 78 dream team points

Joel Smith 11 kicks 7 handballs 18 disposals 5 marks 62 dream team points

Ryan Sparkes 1 goal 1  behind 10 kicks  6 handballs 16 disposals 4 marks 2 tackles 69 dream team points

Aaron vandenBerg 1 goal 16 kicks 9 handballs 25 disposals 7 marks 5 tackles 113 dream team points

Sam Weideman 7 goals 2 behinds 12 kicks 4 handballs 16 disposals 7 marks 2 hit outs 110 dream team points

Mitch White 2 behinds 12 kicks 4 handballs 16 disposals 8 marks 5 tackles 91 dream team points

Felt like Bedford had 30, he was everywhere. Can’t believe that. 

I watched the first 3 quarters before heading to the MCG. goodoil has given a great summary of the game. My takes:

• Rosman looks a great athlete and smooth mover. Looks a good AFL prospect IMO.
• Joel Smith is a super athlete and while he makes skill errors at times, we shouldn't give up on him yet.
• Weideman is a 50 goal a season AFL forward. He just needs to find a spot in the side.
• Bowey has good pace and balance. He needs to add strength but looks a good pick up.
• Deakyn Smith has good pace and used the ball well. I don't like his ball drop.
• Chandler has the pace and skill. Not sure he will ever get strong enough but certainly good signs.
• Casey are a good bet for the flag.

 

5 hours ago, goodoil said:

Austin Bradtke - Luke Jackson-lite?  I think we can put a line through Bradtke as an AFL first ruckman at any stage, he just isn't going to be big enough to do that well enough at the highest level.  What was exciting was the way he moved and just a couple of contests where he looked really promising and was able to take a few good marks.  I liked his hands in close at times as well.  The issue is this is Bradtke's third season on the list.  If you look at his performance through the lens of a young rookie, it was a promising, effort, similar to Rosman's display.  The other view is he is probably not doing enough for someone in this third year at the club.  I lean to the positivie at the moment and that there is something here to persist with.

He isn’t even 21 yet. Still 2 years away from being 2 years away! Clearly he has to keep improving this year but I wouldn’t be making any predictions about his eventual role. At 204cms I think he’ll end up with more than enough size to be a first ruck if he does the work.

2 hours ago, Baghdad Bob said:

Was Baker injured?  I didn't notice him in the second half.

I assume they whisked him down to the G to be the emergency if someone got hurt in the warm up. Knowing that he’d only be the sub they could risk playing him for a half first. 

13 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

He isn’t even 21 yet. Still 2 years away from being 2 years away! Clearly he has to keep improving this year but I wouldn’t be making any predictions about his eventual role. At 204cms I think he’ll end up with more than enough size to be a first ruck if he does the work.

He's 21 next month mate..

He's had 3 years on the list and looks like he's barely put on any weight. Catching up to Max King and Lochie Fillapovic as one of the worst players I've seen.

Will be delisted at years end.

 

1 hour ago, Fat Tony said:

I watched the first 3 quarters before heading to the MCG. goodoil has given a great summary of the game. My takes:

• Rosman looks a great athlete and smooth mover. Looks a good AFL prospect IMO.
• Joel Smith is a super athlete and while he makes skill errors at times, we shouldn't give up on him yet.
• Weideman is a 50 goal a season AFL forward. He just needs to find a spot in the side.
• Bowey has good pace and balance. He needs to add strength but looks a good pick up.
• Deakyn Smith has good pace and used the ball well. I don't like his ball drop.
• Chandler has the pace and skill. Not sure he will ever get strong enough but certainly good signs.
• Casey are a good bet for the flag.

 

I'd like to think we're beyond the point of picking super athletes who make skill errors.

51 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

He's 21 next month mate..

He's had 3 years on the list and looks like he's barely put on any weight. Catching up to Max King and Lochie Fillapovic as one of the worst players I've seen.

Will be delisted at years end.

He's had 2 seasons and 1 game. The first year he started at Nab league level before playing a few VFL games, the second year he was stuck in QLD hubs. The only game I saw him play was a practice game against North and he did a few nice things.

I don't know how you'd judge his physical development unless you had mail from the club. I would've thought the aim was to develop his tank and core strength rather than add bulk.

He has to show something this year so time will tell, but that wasn't even the point. The point was there shouldn't be a ceiling on what he could be based on his current size, shape or even performance. He could add to the long list of young rucks who don't make it or could be the next Jamar or Stef Martin type who offered little at AFL level until their mid 20's.

1 hour ago, dazzledavey36 said:

He's 21 next month mate..

He's had 3 years on the list and looks like he's barely put on any weight. Catching up to Max King and Lochie Fillapovic as one of the worst players I've seen.

Will be delisted at years end.

There’s one category of footballer that I wouldn’t be too quick to dismiss and that’s the ruck. Even allowing for the fact that he was handicapped by 3 ACL’s, our skipper was well beyond the age of 21 when he established himself in that position.  

History tells us that you shouldn’t write off 20/21 year old ruckmen. 

Dean Cox was picked as a rookie by the Eagles at 20 but didn’t come of age until he was 24. Aaron Sandilands was also picked as a rookie by the Dockers but didn’t make All-Australian till he was 26. Although he’s nowhere near to their class as a ruckman, Brisbane Lions’ Oscar McInerney was running around in the then VFL Development League (reserves) for Casey at 21 years of age and was 23 when drafted as a rookie (at #37) by the Lions. He was almost 24 when he played his first AFL game. Until injured early this season he was the #1 ruck in a team that was regarded as a premiership contender.

There are plenty of other ruckmen who were barely on the radar at 21 so I wouldn’t be writing Bradtke off just yet. 

1 hour ago, Whispering_Jack said:

There’s one category of footballer that I wouldn’t be too quick to dismiss and that’s the ruck. Even allowing for the fact that he was handicapped by 3 ACL’s, our skipper was well beyond the age of 21 when he established himself in that position.  

History tells us that you shouldn’t write off 20/21 year old ruckmen. 

Dean Cox was picked as a rookie by the Eagles at 20 but didn’t come of age until he was 24. Aaron Sandilands was also picked as a rookie by the Dockers but didn’t make All-Australian till he was 26. Although he’s nowhere near to their class as a ruckman, Brisbane Lions’ Oscar McInerney was running around in the then VFL Development League (reserves) for Casey at 21 years of age and was 23 when drafted as a rookie (at #37) by the Lions. He was almost 24 when he played his first AFL game. Until injured early this season he was the #1 ruck in a team that was regarded as a premiership contender.

There are plenty of other ruckmen who were barely on the radar at 21 so I wouldn’t be writing Bradtke off just yet. 

Dean Cox was picked up as an 18 year old and debuted as a 19 year old. Max Gawn was the same, he debuted as a 19 year old. Lets not get in way of a good fact there. These guys had already showed by that age the glimpse and capabilities as ruckman to be playing senior football at that age. Bradke is about to hit 21 and did not show anything remotely on the weekend that had a hint of AFL ability in him. He was pushed off the ball far too easily on the weekend and just hates body contact. 

You can use the whole wait until he's 24 etc etc.. but these guys were already showing genuine AFL traits by 21, but still with a lot of development to go.

In the 3 years of being in the system he's barely been on any size or muscle. Luke Jackson did it in one summer

I have far more greater interest in Mac Andrew in the Dandenong Stingrays then I do with Bradke. 

2 hours ago, DeeSpencer said:

He's had 2 seasons and 1 game. The first year he started at Nab league level before playing a few VFL games, the second year he was stuck in QLD hubs. The only game I saw him play was a practice game against North and he did a few nice things.

I don't know how you'd judge his physical development unless you had mail from the club. I would've thought the aim was to develop his tank and core strength rather than add bulk.

He has to show something this year so time will tell, but that wasn't even the point. The point was there shouldn't be a ceiling on what he could be based on his current size, shape or even performance. He could add to the long list of young rucks who don't make it or could be the next Jamar or Stef Martin type who offered little at AFL level until their mid 20's.

It's glaring that on face value his physical development is still where it was when he was first picked up. On the weekend he was completely out bodied and pushed under the ball far too easily. I can tell you right now that as a current qualified PT you can still put on size and build your core up at the same time. Just like Luke Jackson did over the summer. I watched him at times out body McEvoy around the ruck contests on the weekend and it was fantastic to watch. Bradke is light years away at competing at AFL level.

Not sure why you named Martin and Jamar? They were both physically and naturally big boys by the age of 21. Jamar had played 20 games and Martin had debut at that age and was playing CHB. At one stage he played on Matthew Lloyd in his first year. There are no comparisons there.