Whispering_Jack

HT Port lead 6.9.45 to 5.1.31.

I was right about the wind. Port had that advantage in Q1 and lead 5.8.38 to Casey 1.1.7.

Hey, and how about this big win for the Hulk?

The Casey Scorpions team looks better today in terms of both MFC and Casey personnel but Port, like Williamstown, is a proud stand alone side with plenty of tradition in the oldest football competition. They have a number of seasoned, strong bodies to throw at the young Scorpions team and it will be a test at the windswept Casey Fields.

Great headline to a story in today's Australian Dank will need a cash injection.

I had the pleasure this week to attend the world premiere of "Songs from the Kop" written by Melbourne playwright Neil Cole. Through the eyes of Sharon, a devoted supporter and a "scouser", the play covers the rise of the Liverpool Football Club in the early 1960s under Bill Shankly to a sustained period of triumph over the ensuing decades under a succession of famous managers, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan and Kenny Dalglish, and to the tragedy of Hillsborough when 96 spectators died and hundreds were injured in the crush of an overcrowded pen that was designated for Liverpool fans at the ground. A subsequent coronial enquiry overlooked the incompetence of the police and suggested one of the main causes was the drunkenness of the Liverpool fans (even childrens' blood was tested for alcohol). The outcome angered a grieving population who fought for more than two decades for justice and to clear the reputations of the club's supporters - and in the end they were vindicated. In the main, the Liverpool Football Club has remained a power house in the sport. The play is a tribute to the football supporter - the true lifeblood of the game. If you're not an avid supporter of a sporting club, then it might not be for you. Shankly is quoted in it as saying when he once picked up a lost scarf from the ground at Liverpool's Anfield Stadium that "this scarf represents someone's life." The Kop was a terraced area at Anfield where the local fans would congregate. The 60s were an exciting time at Liverpool. They saw the enormous worldwide impact of the Merseybeat sound led by the Beatles, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Cilla Black and a great many others and also coincided with the ascent of the city's football team from Second Division to the FA Cup, the League Championship and the UEFA Cup before Shankly's retirement in 1974. The Kop rang out with songs that often derided the opposition, praised their own players, greats like Steve Heighway, Dalglish and Ian Rush and lauded their home town. Life went on day after day, ferries crossed the Mersey River, "this land's the place I love and here I'll stay." and then came Hillsborough. By 1994, the Kop was closed in the name of ensuring safety standards at British football grounds. I couldn't help thinking during the play about how the paths of the Liverpool Football Club and the Melbourne Football Club crossed and converged half a century ago. While the former languished in the 50s and the early part of the 60s, the Demons were supreme. In 1964 the Beatles came to Australia and hundreds of thousands of screaming fans congregated outside the Southern Cross Hotel where the Liverpudlians and their entourage were staying. That year Melbourne were premiers and Liverpool won their first League championship since 1946–47, thereby qualifying for participation in European competition for the first time. The following season, they won their first FA Cup. But from that time, things remained rosy for the Liverpool fan and downhill for the Melbourne supporter. We never had a tragedy of loss of life, family and friends like Hillsborough but as supporters we have lived in constant sorrow and in the expectation of a return to past glory for so long. Cole's play got it right. It's all about the supporters and the solidarity with their team. Shankly once famously said - "Some people believe football is a matter of life and death, I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that." It certainly is for the true football supporter wherever you are and whatever your football team. That reality came upon me as I drove out of the car park after "Songs from the Kop" and found myself at the lights on Bourke Street exactly opposite to where the Southern Cross Hotel once stood. This was the week before the start of another football season. The street was strangely deserted and eerily quiet but along with the ghosts of the crowd that once stood there in 1964, I couldn't help but start humming the tune of the Liverpool anthem, the song for all true believers in sport - for the football supporter who never walks alone, The play is on at the Butterfly Club 5 Carson Place, Melbourne. Tonight is the last night but later in the year, it will be performed at the Edinburgh Festival. https://thebutterflyclub.com.

I had the pleasure this week to attend the world premiere of "Songs from the Kop" written by Melbourne playwright Neil Cole. Through the eyes of Sharon, a devoted supporter and a "scouser", the play covers the rise of the Liverpool Football Club in the early 1960s under Bill Shankly to a sustained period of triumph over the ensuing decades under a succession of famous managers, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan and Kenny Dalglish, and to the tragedy of Hillsborough when 96 spectators died and hundreds were injured in the crush of an overcrowded pen that was designated for Liverpool fans at the ground. A subsequent coronial enquiry overlooked the incompetence of the police and suggested one of the main causes was the drunkenness of the Liverpool fans (even childrens' blood was tested for alcohol). The outcome angered a grieving population who fought for more than two decades for justice and to clear the reputations of the club's supporters - and in the end they were vindicated. In the main, the Liverpool Football Club has remained a power house in the sport. The play is a tribute to the football supporter - the true lifeblood of the game. If you're not an avid supporter of a sporting club, then it might not be for you. Shankly is quoted in it as saying when he once picked up a lost scarf from the ground at Liverpool's Anfield Stadium that "this scarf represents someone's life." The Kop was a terraced area at Anfield where the local fans would congregate. The 60s were an exciting time at Liverpool. They saw the enormous worldwide impact of the Merseybeat sound led by the Beatles, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Cilla Black and a great many others and also coincided with the ascent of the city's football team from Second Division to the FA Cup, the League Championship and the UEFA Cup before Shankly's retirement in 1974. The Kop rang out with songs that often derided the opposition, praised their own players, greats like Steve Heighway, Dalglish and Ian Rush and lauded their home town. Life went on day after day, ferries crossed the Mersey River, "this land's the place I love and here I'll stay." and then came Hillsborough. By 1994, the Kop was closed in the name of ensuring safety standards at British football grounds. I couldn't help thinking during the play about how the paths of the Liverpool Football Club and the Melbourne Football Club crossed and converged half a century ago. While the former languished in the 50s and the early part of the 60s, the Demons were supreme. In 1964 the Beatles came to Australia and hundreds of thousands of screaming fans congregated outside the Southern Cross Hotel where the Liverpudlians and their entourage were staying. That year Melbourne were premiers and Liverpool won their first League championship since 1946–47, thereby qualifying for participation in European competition for the first time. The following season, they won their first FA Cup. But from that time, things remained rosy for the Liverpool fan and downhill for the Melbourne supporter. We never had a tragedy of loss of life, family and friends like Hillsborough but as supporters we have lived in constant sorrow and in the expectation of a return to past glory for so long. Cole's play got it right. It's all about the supporters and the solidarity with their team. Shankly once famously said - "Some people believe football is a matter of life and death, I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that." It certainly is for the true football supporter wherever you are and whatever your football team. That reality came upon me as I drove out of the car park after "Songs from the Kop" and found myself at the lights on Bourke Street exactly opposite to where the Southern Cross Hotel once stood. This was the week before the start of another football season. The street was strangely deserted and eerily quiet but along with the ghosts of the crowd that once stood there in 1964, I couldn't help but start humming the tune of the Liverpool anthem, the song for all true believers in sport - for the football supporter who never walks alone, The play is on at the Butterfly Club 5 Carson Place, Melbourne. Tonight is the last night but later in the year, it will be performed at the Edinburgh Festival. https://thebutterflyclub.com.

I pointed this out in another thread but many felt that the Bombers did the right thing by recruiting mainly experienced recently retired/delisted players who had passed their use by dates at other clubs. It's my view that they should have gone for a more even mix of players including players young enough to have the incentive of making careers for themselves. Players who Kevin Sheedy described in a book as "second chance heroes". Such players might not have had the experience of the likes of Crowley, Kelly, Stokes and Jamar but the right selections could have added some spirit and drive. I'm not sure that the "dad's army" can do that over a whole year.

As an aside, it surprises me how many so called experts in the media expect Melbourne to improve upon last year while still predicting that we'll finish 14th this year.

Yes ... and my heart bleeds for the Dankster who has vowed to fight on ~ Dank vows to appeal lost defamation case "On Friday, another chapter in the Dank saga was concluded, with Justice McCallum ordering him to pay all legal costs associated with the trial. He was also denied damages. About an hour after the decision, Mr Dank denied it was a bad result and said he would be appealing. 'I'm fine,' he said when asked about his finances." There are some lawyers who love clients like Dank and Hird. They are the gift that keeps giving. They help send their children and grandchildren through private schools and they contribute greatly towards making the law such a prosperous option for young students deciding upon embarking on a professional career.

Development League Casey Scorpions v Port Melbourne 4. James Freeman 10. Aaron Cottee 12. Jake Lovett 13. Jackson McDonald 14. Daniel Welsh 16. Jake Gains 18. Brenton Hillard 19. Cory Stockdale 20. Tim Smith 22. Keegan Mason 23. Mitch Cox 25. Oscar McInerney 26. Damien Johnston 29. Harry Witts 32. Jaxon Briggs 34. Liam Beacom 35. Aloysio Ferreira 36. Chris Johnson 39. Jake De Pasquale 40. Tom Wyatt 41. Will Collis 43. Daniel Johnston 45. Michael Milovojevic 47. Dylan Collis 48. Scott Carroll 52. Emmanuel Jakwot

Casey Scorpions v Port Melbourne 1. Kody Wilson 6. James Munro 7. Bryce Rutherford 11. Jack Hutchins 15. Declan Kielty 17. Yarran Jaffer-Williams 19. Tom Baker 20. Tim Smith 24. Jordan Moncrieff 27. Angus Scott 38. Dylan Gordon 46. Angus Brayshaw 49. Sam Weideman 53. Max King 55. Liam Hulett 58. Mitch White 61. Billy Stretch 62. Dean Terlich 63. Viv Michie 70. Joel Smith 72. Alex Neal-Bullen 74. Oscar McDonald 75. Mitch King 81. Lynden Dunn 87. Heritier Lumumba

MFC has permission to use the following players in this week's Casey Scorpions practice match:- Angus Brayshaw, Lynden Dunn, Liam Hulett, Max King, Mitch King, Heritier Lumumba, Oscar McDonald, Viv Michie, Alex Neal-Bullen, Joel Smith, Billy Stretch, Dean Terlich, Aaron vandenBerg, Sam Weideman and Mitch White.

Played for Casey Scorpions last Saturday against Williamstown. Looked like he needed the run.

Max King is capable of playing in the ruck and indeed, he played there on Saturday at Casey without setting the house on fire. It was my understanding that he was being groomed to play as a key forward so if he's ever called upon to take the first ruckman's position, it would be a stop gap measure at best. Let's hope Max Gawn stays healthy and Jake Spencer makes a speedy recovery.

OK, Jesse's had his say and good for him but that should be it. I hope the club now ensures that he allows his football to do the the talking for him.

That's the one. I knew his name was Mudd.

I have a confession to make. I just started watching the latest series of X-files and I have no stomach for watching purely because Special Agent Mulder's sidekick has this funny name.

Must have missed it while brushing my teeth. At what time were they talking about this?

Continuing on the list of Football Almanac Top 25's and who would have thought two players from WA called Sam with hyphenated names would feature as elite draft prospects? Sam Petrevski-Seton Midfielder Western Australia Plays like: Stephen Hill Midfielder who was a member of the 2015 NAB AFL Under-18 All-Australian team. He recorded a kick rating of +7.2% and rated elite for applying pressure. Sam Powell-Pepper Midfielder Western Australia Plays like: Brad Ebert Averaged 18 disposals, three clearances and one goal in his seven games in the WAFL Colts. Played off half-back in the 2015 NAB AFL Under-18 Championships. Josh Rotham Defender Western Australia Plays like: Cale Hooker Can play both key forward and key back, as well as in the ruck when required. Selected at centre half-back in the WAFL Colts Team of the Year. Jonty Scharenberg Midfielder South Australia Plays like: Dion Prestia Brother of Collingwood's Matthew, he averaged 27 disposals, 13 contested possession and six clearances per game in the SANFL Reserves. Brad Scheer Midfielder Queensland Plays like: Dan Hanneberry Scheer won the Alan McLean Medal as best Division 2 player at the 2014 NAB AFL Under-16 Championships averaging 26 disposals, five clearances and six tackles. Jack Scrimshaw Defender Victoria Plays like: Grant Birchall At the 2014 NAB AFL Under-16 Championships he averaged 119 Champion Data ranking points, 20 disposals and three intercept marks per game.

Is there any danger that we can keep the lid on this for a while?

Casey Scorpions Practice Match Series Saturday 19 March v Port Melbourne, Casey Fields @ 12.30pm (Development League 10.00am) Saturday 26 March Melbourne/Casey Intra Club (time/venue tbc) Saturday 2 April v Box Hill Hawks, Casey Fields @ 1.00pm (Development League 10.00am) *Please note times subject to change pending weather conditions..

The last thing we need to hang our hats on injury or unavailability of opposition players. A few years ago, we took on the Hawks who had four or five of their best players out for the opening round. We still got flogged.

How long is it since you picked up both local newspapers and the lead story on the back page of each was a positive one about Melbourne?

All good news tonight from Mark Stevens of 7 News:- • Angus Brayshaw's knee was tested today. He's ahead of schedule and will play VFL this weekend. He "looks a lock for Round 1." • Christian Petracca will play a practice game at Casey on the weekend of AFL Round 1. He's "finally ready to launch." • Jack Trengove is also set to join Petracca in same hit out coinciding with AFL Round 1 for his "first game in basically two years." • Heritier Lumumba will play VFL again this week. He's "pushing for Round 1."