Lil_red_fire_engine

I haven't really seen him squib anything (may have missed it though), and he is really good below his knees and in close, and has a monster kick.

I counted two today both in the third qtr.

Dunn showed a lot more as a forward today than Bate has in a while, because Dunn is mobile and he can play both up in the air and off the ground.

The issue with Dunn is he avoids body contact (read squibs) and cannot mark above his head. Bate at least will crash a pack and bring it to ground. The issue is there is no one there. I dont see either of them in our future although Bate may prove me wrong as a third target in a good forwardline.

IN: Robertson, Maric, Grimes

OUT: Newton, Jetta, Bartram (his disposal is not up to standard)

NB: The only thing saving Johnson is that I assume that Spencer is injured and that is why he did not play this week.

6. Frawley

5. Davey

4. Mclean

3. Moloney

2. Jones

1. Warnock

Why get concerned we have had players not on the injury list and not named nearly every week. Last it was Strauss the week before it was Bail.

The McDonald article is an excellent character piece. The most interesting thing in all the articles from todays media is this for me though:

"You never know, we might send (defender) Stef Martin forward on an occasion during a game, which is certainly a possibility. We would like to think Stef would mark the footy and go back from 25 and, hopefully, think `I've kicked enough at training, I can kick this.'

I hope that when the right match up isn't there this is tried at some time. If anything he will bring the ball to ground and cause one very difficult match up for the opposition.

Final sides now added.

MELBOURNE v ADELAIDE

Melbourne

B: Neville Jetta, Matthew Warnock, Clint Bartram

HB: James Frawley, Stefan Martin, Aaron Davey

C: Jared Rivers, Ricky Petterd, Brock McLean

HF: Cale Morton, Michael Newton, Nathan Jones

F: Brad Miller, Colin Sylvia, Matthew Bate

Foll: John Meesen, Cameron Bruce, James McDonald

I/C: Paul Johnson, Brent Moloney, Jamie Bennell, Lynden Dunn

Emg: Russell Robertson, Kyle Cheney, Addam Maric

In: McDonald

Out: Brad Green (jaw)

Adelaide

B: Graham Johncock, Ben Rutten, Andrew Otten

HB: Michael Doughty, Nathan Bock, Nathan van Berlo

C: Patrick Dangerfield, Simon Goodwin, David Mackay

HF: Richard Douglas, Taylor Walker, Andrew McLeod

F: Jason Porplyzia, Kurt Tippett, Bernie Vince

Foll: Jon Griffin, Tyson Edwards, Scott Thompson

I/C: Brent Reilly, Myke Cook, Scott Stevens, Jared Petrenko

Emg: Jarrhan Jacky, Robert Shirley, Brad Moran

In: Cook, Griffin, Stevens

Out: Ivan Maric, Brad Symes, Robert Shirley

Exclusive to AFL BigPond Network

FRANKSTON v CASEY SCORPIONS

at Frankston City Oval Sunday 26 Apri 2009

Seniors 2pm

CASEY SCORPIONS

Backs Bennell Silvagni Cheney

Half Backs Stockdale Wall Faulks

Centreline Panozza Valenti Grimes

Half Forwards Maric Hughes Bell

Forwards Liddle Robertson Moore

Followers Spencer Dunn Matthews

Interchange (from) Bail P Johnson McGough McKenzie Matheson Mohr Moloney Patti Vernon Wonaeamirri McNamara Zomer

FRANKSTON

Backs Barry Pollard Shinners

Half Backs Lombardozzi Ongarello Collins

Centreline Burns Magner Keely

Half Forwards Barnes Lourey Dickson

Forwards Berry Murray Marigliani

Followers Whelan Baguley Kennedy

Interchange (from) Ablett Clark Dore McDonald Purves Whelan Winterton

Reserves 11.10am

CASEY SCORPIONS

Backs Taylor Zomer Bail

Half Backs McLeod Williams Whelan

Centreline Collins Chivers Scanlon

Half Forwards Creed Mohr Bolton

Forwards Virtue Waite Watts

Followers Patti Healey Buckley

Interchange (from) Blaser Clay Costigan Crespin Illman Lees Mazurek Mildren Oldmeadow Schrape Snow Sykes

Source: Casey Scorpions website

I was at Casey on Saturday night. He is not even close to being ready and would be very suprised if he played.

All:

I am of the belief like many that we have the makings of a premiership defence. It is a back half with height and speed that can match up well on almost any forward set up thrown at it. It will only improve further as it matures.

Below is our back six as named this time 2 years ago.

Backs:J.Rivers, N.Carroll, M.Whelan

Half backs:D.Ward, P.Wheatley, D.Bell

Alot can change in a short period and alot of the time you dont see it coming. It might be a late blooming rookie that takes time to mature, a 198cm athlete picked as a punt in the PSD or a shy Tasmanian forward with good speed off the mark.

I thought of this over the weekend watching Watts chase kicks in the Casey 2's, Jurrah showing glimpes of majik in the Casey 1's and Newton start to gain confidence yesterday. Maybe our forwardline is not as far away as we think.

Bruce - great leader's game

Joeboy agree bar this one. He lead us to chip the ball around at the 20 minute mark of the 2nd qtr. Another 5 minutes in the last and we would have lost the game because there was no leadership.

6. Frawley

5. Jones

4. Miller

3. Sylvia

2. Davey

1. Meesen

This is Newton bashing purely for the sake of it. Credit where credit is due his performance today was a marked improvement on previous. His pressuring was as good as you will see from a key forward. He should have kicked 5 goals and even though he didn't we would not have won the game had he not played today as he offered a true target where previously we have not had one.

He probably will not make it but I am willing to encourage more such performances and hope he continues to improve with games and confidence rather than write him off. As long as she shows the endeavour he showed today.

Perfect, except Junior will play if he's fit.

I would not have him in the side even if fit but accept that he will come in. Will be for Dunn or Bartram.

Out: Sylvia, Johnson

In: Maric and Spencer

but he never really influences a match, he just teases us with glimpses of good play.

I would argue he was our most influential player today. I tossed up whether him or Davey deserved our BOG and Davey got him purely on weight of numbers.

Can we have our first win next week? I give us a slight chance. Apart from when we play freo at the mcg later on this season this could be our only other chance. If our mid field can get on top and our fowards kick goals hopefully we can win. I'd keep Meesen in for next week. I know he got beaten around the ground but he actually won some taps and hit them down to our midfielders. Just not sure who to put on Riho. Maybe Warnock when he plays foward and Bruce when he runs around the ground. Next week should be interesting.

No

And why was martin on ebert? That has to be a size mismatch doesn't it?

Martin carved him up.

They're ready to delist him at Demonology. Want to get someone in with the kicking skills of Palmer.

Bate was responsible for a third of our score either directly or indirectly. Although he has the turning circle of the titanic his pressure, multiple leads and bustling today were exactly what you want from your third forward. We now just need to find the first and second forward and we will be right.

Peter, what position did Mcnamara play

Am I the only one who thought Bate was terrible?

Yep

you have got to persist with him.. Will be interesting the next few weeks with players returning at the selection table

Why do we have to persist with him? He is Cupido mark 2. He is lazy, undisciplined and lacks any football smarts aside from a good set of hands. If he does not understand his career is on tenderhooks then he is the dumbest footballer there is. Dump him to Casey I dont care who for and delist him at years end or trade him for whatever you can get.

6. Davey

5. Bate

4. Bruce

3. Bennell

2. Rivers

1. Morton

The reason he played only 80 minutes was because he was having a shocker.... Not because he is being nursed back into it....

I would think 80 minutes is about par for the course for a midfielder with today's rotations.

Loving how quickly everyone is jumping off Mclean. Whose next Rivers? He has had two poor games. He did a full preseason but was quoted as saying how it will take him time to pick up the pace of the game after missing most of last year.

Robbo, Healy and McNamara off the injury list and into games at Casey last week. Wheatley you would assume to join them this week. No new ones added at this time (touch wood) starting to trend in the right direction.