Whispering_Jack

Thanks guys. Here's another tribute recommended to me by a Demon fan - Irish eyes have smiled upon our great game.

Voldemort to miss historic Giant's opener Questionable source I know but the scans have revealed he suffered a slight depressed fracture of his cheekbone. Also unconfirmed reports that the scans revealed the cheekbone is made of 14 karat gold.

I was at Casey yesterday and the highlights were James Strauss and a couple of kids we won't see in Demon colours until next year in Jack Viney and Jai Sheahan. Beyond them were two other important players from Melbourne's point of view in Jordan Gysberts and Cale Morton who will each get another effort in for Casey before being considered for senior selection. They will be joined next week by co-captain Jack Grimes who will make a bid to return to the Melbourne team for its round 1 clash with Brisbane Lions. Strauss was very solid down back, closing down opponents and delivering the ball with pinpoint accuracy. If both he and Grimes can get back into the side for the opening round, I think we should at least see our strongest backline on the park. Morton started tentatively and, at times tried to be a bit cute holding onto the ball a bit too long at times, but got better as the game went on. Gysberts was also fairly good and a class above the standard on show. Both Jack Fitzpatrick and Kelvin Lawrence had their moments but have plenty of work to do to earn senior berths at Melbourne. Fitzpatrick had a purple patch early in the final quarter. He palmed the ball beautifully to Gysberts who ran into an open goal to score and moments later kicked a nice goal from an angle. He remained dangerous up forward but had to be moved into the ruck because the team only had one other player who could fill that role. In fact, the Scorps don't seem to have replaced the lost height of departing players like Mohr, Fevola and Wall. I noticed their back up full forward from past years Ben Waite has crossed to Frankston. Those who thought Fev was holding back the development of young Demon KPF's now have their way but I think the Scorps will struggle for height. I was super impressed with Jai Sheahan and, on that performance, can't believe he wasn't drafted onto someone's senior list. He played full back in the old style, marked strongly, backed his judgement and teamed well with his fellow defenders. I take on board what B-H wrote about him kicking to a static target, which happened once or twice but such is the nature of things at this level. As for Jack Viney. Yes, he might have a bit to learn but he's a real chip off the old block with the one exception that his kicking is so much better.

Demetriou will sack the MRP if it even thinks about suspending Izzy. As for the other bloke ... sh1t happens.

I personally think that it's a major negative if your ruckman gets that many hit outs and your team is so badly flogged. Without having seen the game, it suggests to me that our on ball division which should have been reaping the benefit of what should have been a significant advantage must have been dysfunctional. Given the importance of winning in the midfield, Mark Neeld (the coach) and not Mark Neeld (the ruckman) has to rectify the problem if we're going to get anywhere in this competition this year.

Thanks for the concern but don't worry about me. While our performances over the past week haven't been particularly impressive, I take games at this time of the year with a grain of salt because the objective of playing them differs greatly from what happens during the regular season. There's an old saying about "March champions, April fools" and as I said last week. Port Adelaide thumped Geelong by plenty in March 2011 - look where they were at later in the season when the result of games had some real meaning.

You know you're in trouble when Rivers scores a point!

First blood to Port - a goal.

I'd like to see the club introducing a tradition whereby the number 31 guernsey every year is awarded to our first draft pick. That way it would be rotated annually and once again come to be an honour associated with our greatest player and not the last holder of the guernsey.

Current players, past captains and a few others including Jim.

Hundreds of Demons including greats Ron Barassi, Jim Stynes and Robbie Flower at this great function. All players* were presented with their club blazers and I'm lucky enough to be on a table with Jack Grimes and Max Gawn. Liam Jurrah is here after a tough week - he's back in training but needs time for the wrist to heal. * one player missed - Neville Jetta who had ankle surgery today.

The journalistic ethics (or lack thereof) employed by Eddie McGuire might have been questionable but he did conduct the interviews with Liam and his family and with Bruce and Rupert in a professional manner and made it clear that the facts of the case could not be discussed. This is in stark contrast to the Herald Sun treatment of the matter which represented an appalling disregard for the rights of the accused and the alleged victim.

I hope we get the same umpires we had when the two sides last met.

Just thought this piece of trivia might interest some people. In a NAB Challenge game played on 4 March 2011 at AAMI Park, Port Adelaide 19.21.135 defeated Geelong 7.9.51. Geelong finished up winning the premiership and could someone please remind me where Port finished up?

Not needing a problem and not knowing how to deal with one are two altogether different things. I've already mentioned elsewhere that I felt it plausible that the events happening in the NT had some effect on the team's preparation. How much effect would be impossible to assess. Certainly, Hawthorn was the better team on the day and the distractions would not have affected the outcome but it was clear that we were not focussed at the start and the game got away from us early. While the case, the procedures and possible revelations in the future will keep the issue simmering, I think things will settle down and the team dynamics will quickly return to normality. Over that time, I'm sure Neeld and the football department will be aware of the need to ensure that the case doesn't adversely affect the team effort. Like any problem affecting people in a team environment, it just needs some working on and good advice from professionals.

Are you not giving Mark Neeld and the football department any credit for being able to work out a way to deal with the situation?

Typo. Corrected.

Back in 1985, Hinch was tried on contempt of court charges, found guilty, fined $10,000 and jailed for 12 days. He appealed all the way to the High Court of Australia and lost. Last year, he was convicted of breaching suppression orders against the names of two sex offenders, and was sentenced to five months home detention. Does anyone know if he continued working on radio and/or television or other media while awaiting trial?

The Casey Scorpions team sheet from Saturday's game:- 2 Wade Lees 3 Luke Tynan 5 Jordan Pollard 6 Danny Nicholls 8 Brayden Salton 9 Rian McGough 11 Michael Riseley 12 Matt Fieldsend 14 Evan Panozza 17 Dean Cleven 18 Chris Clay 20 Dave Collins 23 Tom Corry 32 William Petropoulos 33 Aiden Lindsay 36 Dylan Troutman 46 James Strauss * 47 Sam Blease * 54 Neville Jetta * 57 Kelvin Lawrence * 61 Lucas Cook * 68 Jordan Gysberts * 72 Jai Sheahan * 74 Tom McDonald * * MFC listed players The Casey Scorpions Development Squad struggled from the outset and lost by 76 points. Casey Scorpions 0.3.3 0.3.3 2.3.15 3.4.22 Box Hill Hawks 3.2.20 8.3.51 9.9.63 14.14.98 The DS team sheet from Saturday's game:- 4 Gus Patti 10 Mitch Gent 13 David DeAraugo 15 Michael Johnson 16 Jordan Roberts 19 Luke Bull 21 Kieran Roberts 23 Tom Corry 24 James McFarlane 26 Ricky Plummer 27 Nathan Page 29 Sean Corrigan 30 Luke Hill 34 Bryce Galvin 35 Tim Costigan 37 Malcolm McGillivray-Smith 39 Pat Chin 40 Tim Smith 41 Nick Lang 43 Pat Rosier 44 David Eddy 45 Dean Kimitsis

I understand the trepidation but, having watched the interview, one would have to say that Liam was well briefed (and not just by a commercial lawyer) as to what he could say before appearing on the programme. I really wonder however, whether the Murdoch press will be taken to task over the stories that appeared in the Herald Sun and NT News on Saturday. I doubt whether Basil Jurrah and his wife were aware of the implications of sub judice when they were interviewed or that the prosecution would be particularly pleased about the fact that comments were publicly made by key witnesses on events that are the subject matter of their case.

Quality post Fork and worthy of an article on its own if you would like to rework it into that form. I think your post, the output of Martin Flanagan and this article on the Drum by Gerard Whateley A remote concept serve to help us outsiders grasp some sort of understanding of the problems of communities such as Yuendumu. There is one aspect which I diverge in opinion from that of Whateley in that this "was never a football story." To be certain, it was a rare glimpse into Indigenous Australia but I really believe it remains very much a football story as well. Absent football and the tragedy would remain but it would never have made so clear the message we've received in the past few days. The fact that it is a football story has raised the public's level of awareness to a point where if anything can be done externally to help these people there is more chance now than ever before. Unfortunately, I personally have no answer to what is a good outcome for this situation or how it can even be achieved.

GWS won yesterday without Voldemort? How good would they be if he played?

It hasn't really been said up till now and perhaps it's because of the complexity of the issues involved or that it smacks of excuse making but the matter has been raised in a way on the club's site. Mark Neeld said after the game that the drama surrounding Liam Jurrah won't affect his team in the lead-up to round one - Jurrah drama 'won't affect' Dees I sincerely hope that to be the case and understand that the Jurrah "drama" is a matter of far wider importance than the sport of football but the events of the week would almost certainly affected the team dynamic last night. Just as many supporters followed the events from Alice Springs as they unfolded on Thursday and Friday, the players would have been no different and many would have been closely and emotionally involved. These things inevitably affect the team dynamic and it's understandable that in the early days after the event it's going to have an effect even if only subliminally among some of them. Hawthorn was the better team last night. Far better. But the Melbourne team that ran out onto Etihad Stadium did not appear to be fully focussed and the fact that Hawthorn had 6.2.38 on the board before Melbourne scored bears testimony to that fact. No excuse but I wonder how Hawthorn would have performed had it been one of its own much loved team mates who during the week was locked up in a Northern Territory gaol and facing serious criminal charges? Just another challenge for Mark Neeld and the football department.

Thanks Fork. You're right it might be a small thing but it's significant in the context of the narrative. From the vantage point of Melbourne, so many thousands of K's away, a few hundred kilometres doesn't sound much. How are things in the centre and is Liam's jumper still holding pride of place up there? Also, are they aware that the yuendumumagpies.com domain has expired or is that part of the problems afflicting the community?

It's game on today at 11am at Casey with the seniors taking on Box Hill Hawks who like the Scorpions, will have a few senior players returning after injury. Casey coach Brett Lovett previews the season ahead here - VFL season preview with Brett Lovett