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The siren sounds and it's a big 70-point victory to the Scorpions who finally make it to a preliminary final in partnership with the Demons after 11 consecutive finals defeats. Peter Jackson VFL 2016 First Elimination Final Casey Scorpions 2.3.15 7.6.48 12.6.78 20.8.128 Footscray Bulldogs 3.0.18 6.4.40 7.6.48 8.10.58 Goals Casey Scorpions Scott 4 Weideman 3 Grimes Hulett Neal-Bullen Terlich 2 M Jones McInerney Michie Oliver White Footscray Bulldogs Hamilton 3 Adcock Greenwood Hannan Jamieson Webb Best Casey Scorpions Grimes White Neal-Bullen Scott Weideman Michie Footscray Bulldogs Hamilton Smith Russell Barry Jamieson Honeychurch Disposals M Jones 33 Michie 32 Neal-Bullen 31 Oliver Grimes 26 Dunn Terlich 24

Thanks for the updates everyone Not taken for granted, and very much appreciated

Lost his composure.

Best for mine today was Matt Jones. Not only did he have the most touches be would've had the most metres gained out there his run and carry, and the uncanny knack of him and Viv seemingly always finding each other with their kicks. Another great game from the lesser Jones (also good to see Nathan and all the other boys here today). Second best Lynden Dunn, marshals the defence with authority, wasn't beaten all day in the 1 on 1s, his field kicking was superb, constantly hitting long targets with bullet passes. In defence he was ably supported by the skipper who was great, Mitch White whose ability to read the ball in the air and spoil or intercept was a highlight, and Jimmy Munro who had a cracker of a game. Michie was great especially early, Nibbler after a quietish first quarter really worked his was into it with his work rate and also took a couple of great marks. Olivers hands in traffic are unbelievable, he just find time and space in close to give to others in a better position to clear the stoppage. He was fantastic and also appeared hellbent on squaring up with whoever it was that left him on his haunches earlier in the quarter when the last quarter scuffle broke out. Angus Scott had a day out with 4, he's kicked quite a few goals this year now, and 23rd player Ferreira also showed some neat tricks when he swings onto that left foot. Spence was quiet and well beaten by Minson but McInerney provided him a decent chopout. Terlich was very busy, but quite often makes basic skills execution look quick extremely difficult. If he hadve kicked straighter it would've been a great day for him. He may get a week for the late hit he needlessly put on his opponent in the 3rd, he got reported for it. Grimes was pretty industrious on his wing made some great takles and the last term goal a good reward for his day

So important for our young guys to get this finals experience and learn how to win under finals pressure. At least that's what my mate Macca said.

Not trying to usurp Saty, but Pedo said the surgery went well and he is already on the road to recovery.

oh good grief. Just like they did a few weeks back I suppose.

This game alone Tayla Harris has taken more overhead marks than Dawes this year.

Why the f**k would Channel 7 show Essendon v Geelong when there is a QUALIFYING final with 1st vs 4th? Absolutely hate that channel sometimes.

I'll be disappointed if the club doesn't proactively sort this soon. The whole waiting for CBA is rubbish. Can/is accommodated in others dealings already. Id call his bluff. 'bout the club !!

This is a pretty [censored] poor thread. I was not a Mark Neeld fan but to start a thread purely to [censored] kick him is [censored] weak. Mark Neeld has moved on and so have we. Paul Roos was right all along with the negative veil that supporters still carry.

Agree with most of this. I'm surprised Terlich only had 24 because for mine he was terrific and finding the ball but he clearly wants a job in the meat trade when he leaves football. It's not that he makes mistakes under pressure, he just misses players 20 to 30 metres away under little pressure. It's a shame because he was terrific other than that. Weideman was good today. Slow start but ended up taking about 3 contested marks, never looked like missing and got around the ground well and made good decisions. His pass to Scott on his left in the third was all class and whilst I reckon he'll need a lot of time to play AFL footy he'll be great when he gets there because he makes the most of his opportunities. He also needs a couple more preseasons to get a tank. I hope he just dedicates himself to getting fit this preseason. Most promising game I've seen from him today, not that he dominated but that he showed exciting glimpses. Garlo was awful early but played very well towards the end and Kennedy was busy. I feel so much for Grimes. He did some fantastic stuff today and looked a class above but the writing is clearly on the wall. I won't argue with the FD because they will have their reasons but I don't understand his treatment which was detailed in an earlier post. Hardly a mistake today. You can play semantics all you like but we don't want him and whether he gets a gig elsewhere I don't know but it would be hard to believe that Brisbane wouldn't be just crying out for someone like him to go there, teach culture, be a role model and help bring that club together. Reality is I just suppose we just don't need him. Sad.

Terlich clears the outer fence with a goal!

Oliver to Weideman. (Oh that felt good to write and I hope I get to write that a lot more in the AFL threads). The contested grab and then the goal. Love 'em

As it should

Brilliant, I am a convert. Exceptional skills, players playing to position. This is not girls footy it is women's footy and it is fantastic to watch. Best thing that has happened to football for a long time. Transformational.

Some of Olivers handball in traffic this quarter oh boy!

Matt Jones is no longer a list clogger. After 2015 he went away, worked on his fitness and skills, and came back in an impressive condition. From memory, he played round 1 this season. His kicking has improved, his game awareness has improved, and he does one thing well that Roos loves - he plays the role assigned to him. He is another one, just like Jetta, who has improved out of sight under our new player-development emphasis. I don't see him as best 22, and younger players will overtake him easily, but I would not be letting him go while we have a handful of players who definitely offer us nothing.

Not quite but close enough Trengrove, Hutchins and ANB also with invites

I usually enjoy your mad posts, but this is not one of them. I am a big believer in making your VFL affiliate as strong as possible. I will be following Casey's finals with a keen interest. If they are happy to associate themselves with a team that nobody else would touch over that past decade, that's good enough for me. Valuable finals experience for our young guys too. Very happy.

I apologize for not posting till now, but busy evening after the game. An odd game. Casey seemed to have the majority of the play in the first 1/4, yet were very wateful going forward with their slow ball movement and Footscray seemed to be able to bring their superior speed to the fore on the counter attack to have an early lead. Casey made an effort to move the ball quicker in the 2nd term and that resulted in greater scoring opportunities that they were able to take advantage of. The dogs though to their credit were able to keep Casey in check and still score on the counter and stay within 8 points at the half. At that stage it felt as though it would be a tight contest for the duration. Third term saw Casey's midfield really assert their dominance and control the play in their forward half. The weed gave us a glimpse of the future with some strong marking and conversion and open up a 5 goal 3/4 time lead. Final term was looking tight over the first 7 minutes. After Oliver was cleaned up at the first center contest, the Dogs did all the early attacking and got to within 22 points. And after earlier in the season Casey gave up a 5 goal 3/4 time lead against the Dogs, I was feeling a little nervous. However Oliver came back on and Casey kicked the next 8 goals of the game to do it in a canter and book a prelim finals birth against one of Williamstown, Port Melbourne or Sandringham (watch out Myke Cook!). Here's how I saw the Melbourne listed players. Jack Trengove: So, so game. Was solid without dominating. Did his work in close and what he did, he did well. Didn't notice any bad mistakes. Was clean with ball in hand. Clayton Oliver: I thought he was very good. We all know his hands are great, and he seems to kick it a bit more at VFL level which is good. I just loved his aggression at the contest and man. Lynden Dunn: Slow start, but i thought Dunny was one of the main catalysts for Casey taking control of the game in the 2nd term. Took countless intercept marks and directed traffic in defence. It was Dunny who started cutting off a lot of the Dogs forward entries in the 2nd quarter and was able to allow us to mount repeat entries ourselves. It hasn't been a great year for Dunn, but with the way he played today he'll give himself every opportunity to win his spot in the 22 back next year. Ben Newton: Seemed to play off half back which was a different role for him. Played it well and did a few nice things. Colin Garland: Thought he really struggled early. One stage in the 2nd term i thought he pulled out of a marking contest against Minson, however that could have been my depth perseption. To be fair though, he really lifted in the 2nd half to provide some run & rebound. Viv Michie: I thought he was our best. Won plenty of ball on the inside & the outside. He used the ball well and hit the score board which is something only 12 months ago he rarely did. I don't expect Michie to be on our list next year, but will be shocked if someone else doesn't pick him up. Sam Weideman: His third term put a smile to my face. Took some really strong marks and kicked some telling goals to put us clear of the opposition. He flew for his marks all day and gets his hands to a lot of contests. He still needs to work on his tank and build some strength. But gee that 3rd term was the best of Sammy Weideman. Liam Hulett: Quiet game, but again he worked and competed hard at the contest. Kicked 2 final term goals for effort. Alex Neal-Bullen: He had a mare of a first 1/4, turning it ovet and fumbling it repeatedly. I assume that was just finals nerves and pressure. From the 2nd term onwards it was the Nibbler we normally see at this level. Tough around the contest, running to the right places and being smart around goal kicking 2. Was good to see him come back. Jack Grimes: After Michie, i thought Grimey was our best. Was strong in the air and provided plenty of run as well as winning plenty of inside ball. A game for his potential suitors today. Jake Spencer: Battled hard in the ruck against Minson. I'd of said broke even from a ruck perspective, but he didn't have much of an impact around the ground. Ben Kennedy: I thought in the first quarter when we were struggling Kennedy was probably our best. Was the main one in our midfield trying to get some run and quick ball movement going. Had less of an impact after quarter time, but as the team lifted, he wasn't required to. Mitchell White: For those calling for White to be delisted, today was a good match to watch. His ball use was very good and his ability to peel off his man to affect a contest (Alex Rance style) was fantastic. I think he's earnt a 3rd year on the rookie list, but we'll wait and see. Matt Jones: Ran hard all day and was our most consistent player at breaking the lines & gaining meters. Burned about 3 team mates late in the game when he had a long range shot for goal that thankfully went through. But when your 10 goals up you can probably afford to do that. Dean Terlich: In the first half was our most dangerous forward. Was so wasteful though kicking 2.3 and one out of bounds on the full. He's certainly re-invented himself as a forward. But end of the day, i don't think it will change anything. NOT SIGHTED Christian Salem: I heard reports he injured himself at training during the week. Hopefully he returns for the prelim as his disposal could be the difference between a premiership and heartbreak. Joel Smith: I never saw him. D-League? Max King: I know he was D-League. Really happy with the win on a few fronts. Obviously the week off for the players and the belief it gives them. But also allows the Melbourne players to enjoy their B&F on Tuesday night without backing up that weekend. They're certainly a real shot to go all the way, and after all the recent finals failures over the years since the alignment. It's good to see the club finally taking it seriously.

Link for anyone who hasn't got it handy. Live coverage - Melbourne v Footscray Loving it. While the game is on I see Red and Blue and my brain just goes 'ours' and the rest is details.

Huey super happy with that sharp, straight kick set shot from the pocket. Great technique. Well done son.

And at three quarter time the Casey Scorpions lead 12.6.78 to 7.6.48 Goals Scott Weideman 2 Grimes, McInerney Neal-Bullen Oliver Terlich White Disposals M Jones 26 Neal-Bullen 25 Michie 24 Oliver 22 Dunn 17 Terlich 17

Weed on fire and smoking this mob.

Spoke to Macca at the game. He is confident we can settle and get back on top. Says the boys panicked because it's finals. They just need to get out there and play as normal. They already look more composed this qtr. Much more playing on and kicking cleanly up field to more free Scorps players.

Clark was a sensation for us early. He really did explode in the early games for us. Such a bloody shame, as he looked like the star we had been craving.

we're in northern nsw. an afl wasteland. so thanks for all the updates today guys. really appreciate it. I think a casey premiership is really important for the Dees next step. go scorps

To paraphrase Praha, he dumped us when a better offer came along. He went doctor shopping for a GP or Psych who could, with a straight face, say that he could sit in clubrooms that were white and blue rather than red and blue. User.

Can we please not use the word delisted. We wont delist him. While he might leave us as a free agent, we wont delist him. I'm sorry I know I'm being pedantic, but there is a difference between delisting Terlich and delisting Grimes.

I reckon he'll stay. That said, he should watch Open Mike with Paul Roos and check out the bit on Roos' time at Fitzroy to see what club loyalty and good character looks like. And IMO this stuff is important. It's why movies like Platoon, Gallipoli and Breaker Morant still make the heart beat faster - certain people can't be bought. Their character is what defines them. Just sign up to the cause Jesse and be done with it.

Macca didn't hand out this week's lotto numbers as well by any chance? Was spot on by the sounds of it.

What's the score? got the Essendon-Geelong game televised, which is nuts when there is a qualifying final at the same time, surely you'd want to televise the best game to promote the VFL as much as possible.

Dear Biffen, Stop letting women throw themselves at you, and letting men want to be a poorer version of you. Stop engaging and arguing with simpletons just because they follow your football team. Stop being so incredibly good looking. and charming. Stop talking to yourself in the 3rd person

Any ideas how we'd replace 11 players (a quarter of our list) and what with? Our list no longer needs surgery that radical.

A lot of calls to promote Wagner in this thread. Personally I would be in no hurry to do this - he's a first year rookie playing in a position where spots might be tight next year with Melksham, possibly Hibberd etc being added to the mix. While he played most of the season, he didn't get to the "automatic selection" level that we saw vandenBerg get to the year before, and I don't think it gets any easier for him to get a game next year. Wagner has had a promising first season, but he's by no means a certain thing yet. He gets his second year on the rookie list for mine and no more.

Honeychurch kicks it straight to White and he waltzes into goal. Good pressure from the Casey forwards.

Sounds like a contract is coming his way.....

Not sure if you were looking for a response...my thoughts are that Max K seems unable to cement a spot at Casey so is in the Development League a lot. Has been a rookie for a couple of years now so wonder if he will be kept on. Mitch K has an ACL injury and is only 19 with no bulk on him so is a few years away from making the AFL side. Which leaves us only with Spencer who is out of contract next year as an FA. He was an FA this year and signed up for one year which I think was terrific of him knowing he would only get a game if Gawn was injured. So I would put another ruckman very high on our list of priorities, preferably someone who is in their early to mid 20's that can also play forward.

He did some testing with North Melbourne at the end of last year. He has also had contacts with Geelong and Essendon and we believe at least 1 more club is interested in him too.

I'd think it'd be relatively easy to involve a 3rd team like GWS or GCS that hold bulk 2016 picks, who would be happy to shelve a 1st rounder for next year.

Hardly in a meltdown Red. I may be among the lesser number here who simply doesn't think he is quite the football progidy many others guffaw. He is good for sure but very lazy and inconsistent. He isnt for mine an absolute necessity for our success. Our fwd 50 actually functions better without him currently . Imho Right atm we need more grunt and class in the middle. We can muster goalkicking players. My view is simply along the lines of PR himself who says you don't wait till contracts are up to sort your list. Even though that comment was more directed at FA the likes of Hogans situation is the same; so treat as same He signs before trade week or trade him. Is about Melbourne....not 'tickets on self'

The club has contacted Jesse and told him some on DL are in a hysterical psychotic state and that he must publicly announce his intentions. Subsequently there will be a presser today at 3.00 PM. Gee, calm down, clearly the parties are working toward a result and DL meltdown is not going to change it or speed it up. Love the timeframe demands on here

Oh shut up, ADC, seriously. Why do you bother? Just wrist slashing the whole time.

I don't know the rumour, but I'm going to assume the only reasonable deduction - Stef Martin and Clark had a falling out over our use of the bugle player before the games in '12.

Flogging a dead horse here don't you think

Might be able to help here, it won't be Pedo.

14 marks (5 contested) in round 22 seems to account to nothing. Prior to this weekend Riewoldt's record was 18 marks. But at least Schwarz is saying Hogan should take a leaf out of Hawkin's book. It only took Hawkins 6 seasons to have a breakout year and 69 games to reach Hogan's tally of 85.