Whispering_Jack

Yes - it does say something about the respective teams’ defences but it also shows what you can achieve with better scoring efficiency. The differences really show up our scoring deficiencies of late.

The Casey Demons played the Giants at Casey Fields this afternoon. Their 60 inside 50s to 44 resulted in 34 scoring shots to 18 and a 96-point win. Later in the day at Alice Springs Melbourne played the Giants. Their 73 inside 50s to 46 gave them 20 scoring shots to 12 and resulted in a 2-point defeat. At one point in the Eagles vs Saints game today (just before three quarter time) the combined number of inside 50s of both sides was 59 from which WCE had scored 12.2.74 against the Saints’ 9.5.59, a total of 21.7.133. Even allowing for the difference in weather conditions, this is a monumental indication of how poor Melbourne’s forward 50 inefficiency was today. And it’s been only marginally better for four or five weeks before this.

ah ...the value of accuracy in front of goal.

Darcy Fritsch has just kicked his first goal for the Northern Bullants vs Carlton.

Vic Country survives late scare to hold off WA "It was the Harley Reid and Daniel Curtin show as the pair put on a clinic for their respective sides and gave fans a glimpse into the best overall player and best key utility in this year’s draft crop." WESTERN AUSTRALIA 2.1.13 4.5.29 5.8.38 8.11 (59) 
 VIC COUNTRY 3.6.24 5.8.38 6.11.47 8.13 (61) GOALS:
 WA: L. Collard 2, E. Smith, K. Smith, S. van Rooyen, C. Livingstone, K. Dehavilland, D. Curtin 
VC: M. Rudd 3, H. Reid 2, A. Reid, A. Day-Wicks, Z. Duursma BEST: 
WA: D. Curtin, C. Hall, L. Kelly, K. Sanchez, O. Hine-Baston 
VC: H. Reid, A. Day-Wicks, L. Charleson, H. De Mattia, M. Rudd

The annual Breast Cancer Network Australia match -

CASEY DEMONS vs GWS GIANTS Sunday 2 July, 12:05pm, Casey Fields Head-to-head: GWS Giants 1-0. At Casey Fields: GWS Giants 1-0. Streak: GWS Giants 1 CASEY DEMONS B: J. Adams (26), A. Tomlinson (20), T. Freeman (67) HB: D. Smith (34), D. Turner (42), B. Howes (22) C: R. Steele (54), L. Dunstan (27), T. Woewodin (40) HF: C. Spargo (9), J. Schache (19), A. Moniz-Wakefield (45) F: J. Melksham (18), J. van Rooyen (2), B. Laurie (16) R: W. Verrall (28), M. White (52), J. Jordon (23) INT: N. Moodie (74)*, J.Munro (47), G. Grey (68), O. Sestan (38), M.Jefferson (21) EMG: R. Baldi (56), J. Bell (73), T. Edwards (58), H. Neocleous (75), R. Koo (61), R. Valentine (65), T. McRae (76) IN: T. Freeman, J. Jordon, J. van Rooyen OUT: J. Bowey, B. Brown, J. Harmes (AFL) GWS GIANTS B: W. Clark (56), P. Davis (1), J. Wehr (10) HB: J. Anderson (51), C. Fleeton (29), L. Aleer (21) C: J. Gillbee (42), C. Stone (18), J. Peatling (20) HF: J. Pavlidis (48), T. McMullin (31), A. Cadman (5) F: W. Derksen (45), M. Gruzewski (35), W. Shaw (55) R: M. Flynn (30), B. O'Connor (52), H. Rowston (24) INT: D. Edmends (50), D. Posthuma (67)*, N. Madden (41), J. Creighton (54), R. Hebron (47) EMG: B. Romensky, A. Mathieson, G. Varagiannis, D. Jones-Hughes, B. Rauter, W. Sabolch, N. Wardius IN: A. Cadman, P. Davis, J. Gillbee, T. McMullin, D. Posthuma OUT: I. Cumming, J. Fahey (AFL), J. Glanvill (achilles), T. McCaffrey (finger), M. Ryan (shoulder)

The AFLW game that was supposed to follow the VFL at Casey Fields on Sunday has been switched to the Trevor Barker Oval in Sandringham due to the wet ground at Casey. Could be interesting.

Nice of Steve Smith to score his ton during half time.

Farris-White is learning ruck craft (progress slow but good at Dandy Stingray’s last weekend) and at getting his hands on the football (2 touches at the Stingrays - slow progress).

In my preview about Melbourne’s game vs GWS Giants this Sunday, I bemoan the team’s current forward line woes. However, SEN’s The Ultimate Forward puts three Demon players in the AFL’s top 20 forwards - Christian Petracca (8th), Bayley Fritsch (10th) and Kysaiah Pickett (12th). The full list with their ratings is ~ 1 - Toby Greene (GWS): 58.4 2 - Charlie Curnow (CAR): 54.9 3 - Mitch Lewis (HAW): 51.25 4 - Jeremy Cameron (GEE): 51.21 5 - Taylor Walker (ADE): 50.9 6 - Tom Hawkins (GEE): 49.3 7 - Jeremy Finlayson (PA): 44.7 8 - Christian Petracca (MEL): 44.1 9 - Joe Daniher (BRI): 43.9 10 - Bayley Fritsch (MEL): 43.1 11 - Charlie Cameron (BRI): 43.07 12 - Kysaiah Pickett (MEL): 42.9 13 - Izak Rankine (ADE): 41.67 14 - Kyle Langford (ESS): 41.64 15 - Aaron Naughton (WB): 41.60 16 - Jack Lukosius (GCS): 41.4 17 - eq Nick Larkey (NM): 41.2 17 - eq Eric Hipwood (BRI): 41.2 19 - Todd Marshall (PA): 40.4 20 - Oscar Allen (WCE): 40.3 So why aren’t we scoring freely at the moment? One reason could be that Clayton Oliver’s injury is forcing Christian Petracca to spend more time in the middle. However, it’s still got us more than a bit stumped about the recent run of inaccuracy in kicking for goal and the dramatic decline in scoring over the past five rounds.

On the other hand, SEN’s The Ultimate Forward puts three Demon players in the AFL’s top 20 forwards - Christian Petracca (8th), Bayley Fritsch (10th) and Kysaiah Pickett (12th). So why aren’t we scoring freely at the moment?

Sad news …

Bringing you up to date: ROUND ONE 1. West Coast Eagles 2. North Melbourne 3. Hawthorn 4. Carlton 5. GWS Giants 6. Sydney Swans 7. GWS Giants 8. Melbourne 9. Gold Coast Suns 10. Geelong 11. Adelaide 12. Western Bulldogs 13.Essendon 14. St Kilda 15. Melbourne 16. Western Bulldogs 17. North Melbourne 18. Collingwood ROUND TWO 19. West Coast Eagles 20. Adelaide 21. Fremantle 22. Sydney Swans 23. Collingwood 24. Adelaide 25. Sydney Swans 26. Richmond 27. Melbourne 28. Gold Coast Suns 29. Brisbane Lions 30. Gold Coast Suns 31. Hawthorn 32. Essendon 33. St Kilda 34. Melbourne 35. Western Bulldogs 36. West Coast Eagles 37. Port Adelaide ROUND THREE 38. West Coast Eagles 39. North Melbourne 40. Fremantle 41. Sydney Swans 42. Fremantle 43. GWS Giants 44. Sydney Swans 45. Richmond 46. Port Adelaide 47. Gold Coast Suns 48. Brisbane Lions 49. Gold Coast Suns 50. Hawthorn 51. Essendon 52. St Kilda 53. North Melbourne 54. Brisbane Lions 55. West Coast Eagles 56. Gold Coast Suns ROUND FOUR 57. West Coast Eagles 58. Fremantle 59. North Melbourne 60. Carlton 61. GWS Giants 62. Essendon 63. Richmond 64. Brisbane Lions 65. Gold Coast Suns 66. Western Bulldogs 67. Gold Coast Suns 68. Western Bulldogs 69. Carlton 70. Gold Coast Suns 71. Western Bulldogs 72. GWS Giants 73. Port Adelaide 74. Collingwood ROUND FIVE 75. West Coast Eagles 76. North Melbourne 77. Hawthorn 78. Carlton 79. GWS Giants 80. Sydney Swans 81. Richmond 82. Fremantle 83. Gold Coast Suns 84. Geelong 85. Adelaide 86. Western Bulldogs 87. Essendon 88. St Kilda 89. Melbourne 90. Brisbane Lions 91. Port Adelaide 92. Collingwood * compensation pick The order will continue to change as the ladder positions change with each round.

WA get a W Sandgropers outmuscle SA in arm wrestle WESTERN AUSTRALIA 4.2.26 4.5.29 7.7.49 10.10 (70) SOUTH AUSTRALIA 2.1.13 4.2.26 4.4.28 6.6 (42) GOALS: Western Australia: K. Sanchez 2, C. Livingstone, R. Wills, A. O’Driscoll, J. Matthews, K. Tholstrup, T. Lindberg, M. Edwards, S. van Rooyen South Australia: T. Welsh 2, K. McAuliffe, L. Rawlinson, P. Hargrave, J. Delean BEST: Western Australia: K. Tholstrup, C. Hall, A. O’Driscoll, D. Curtin, M. Edwards South Australia: S. Draper, T. Welsh, B. Ryan, K. McAuliffe Scouting Notes: 2023 AFL U18s – WA vs. SA

Let’s just get the job done. Win this and we consolidate our grip on a top four spot and go a long way towards damaging the Cats’ finals hopes. Go Dees.

Intriguing selection set for tonight with both teams playing funny buggers with player availability news. In fact, I think we really won’t know who’s playing until the teams run out tomorrow night.

It’s another sad day when one of your favourites (heck, they were all favourites back then) passes away. He was recruited young 
back in the days when the Demons were smart at finding talent. He played with the Fourths and was registered under his grandmother’s Murrumbeena address which was in Melbourne’s suburban zone. Otherwise, he would have become a Hawk. He worked his way through the ranks in the late 50s but was a true child of the 60s making his senior debut vs North Melbourne in Round 1, 1960. Even then it took him until 1962 to establish himself and he was premiership full back in 1964. My favourite story about Bernie was about the day he turned up to training with a mustache and Norm Smith told him in no uncertain terms that if he wanted to play footy then the mo had to go. He played 99 games which was the most for the club without kicking a goal and the most games in guernsey # 37. His father was an official with the Under 19s and Reserves and like Bernie, a life member. Vale Bernie Massey - a premiership Demon.

And Eddie McChins was complaining like a stuck pig about the bump on FC and even tried to turn it around by claiming the Collingwood player desisted from turning it around on Lachie Hunter.

Bowey was concussed on 27 May so that makes it 27 days to Thursday night’s game.

As we are today but let’s not forget that it’s not a level playing field as some teams have played 13 games and others 14.

One Vic Country player who stood out in his team’s shock defeat at the hands of South Australia today was George Stevens who was recently covered in an on line article by Chris Cavanagh in the Herald Sun on Draft Intel ~ ADAPTABLE GEORGE Greater Western Victoria Rebels midfielder George Stevens from Warrnambool will play for Vic Country in the under-18 national championships to continue his stunning season. He missed 2022 with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, but has not missed a beat this year and has averaged 150 SuperCoach points across his six matches in the Coates Talent League. He also racked up 16 disposals and three clearances for Geelong in one VFL match in round 6. “He’s one that can be really strong for us in the contested side of things winning clearances as an inside midfielder, but he can also give you stability across the halfback line as well with the way he controls and he reads the play really well as well,” Corrigan said.

South Australia upset Vic Country by 19 points after the Vic’s dominated early through Harley Reid. SA’s Tyler Welsh and Jack Delean their best players and main goalkickers. George Stevens of Country was good while Reid was subdued after quarter time. South Australian stars shine in Country cull VIC COUNTRY 4.2.26 6.8.44 9.9.63 11.9 (75) 
SOUTH AUSTRALIA 3.1.19 8.1.49 12.3.75 15.4 (94) GOALS: 
Vic Country: H. Reid 3, M. Rudd 2, D. Wilson 2, L. Charleson, G. Stevens, J. Freijah, K. De La Rue
 South Australia: T. Welsh 5, J. Delean 4, A. Moir 2, L. Montgomery, P. Hargreave, T. Goad, T. Luck BEST:
 Vic Country: G. Stevens, K. Shipp, M. Rudd, B. Wilson, H. Reid, H. De Mattia
 South Australia: T. Welsh, J. Delean, K. McAuliffe, A. Moir, W. Patton, S. Draper