Whispering_Jack

Final Team MELBOURNE Backs Colin Garland James Frawley Clint Bartram Half backs Aaron Davey Jared Rivers Joel Macdonald Centreline Sam Blease Brent Moloney Tom Scully Half forwards Jack Trengove Stef Martin Jeremy Howe Forwards Ricky Petterd Jack Watts Brad Green Followers Mark Jamar Colin Sylvia Nathan Jones Interchange Jamie Bennell Liam Jurrah Jordie McKenzie Cale Morton Emergencies Lynden Dunn Neville Jetta Daniel Nicholson In Jamie Bennell Brad Green Liam Jurrah Out Lynden Dunn Daniel Nicholson Luke Tapscott (soreness)

What's unusual about this Oakleigh Chargers team selected to play against the Bendigo Pioneers tomorrow at Warrawee Park at 2:00 PM? B Williams Evans Hachem HB Greene Tomlinson Heath C Orval Tyson Soriano HF Hammond T. Curran Collopy F Gotch Murphy Pearce R C. Prowse Viney Wooffindin Int McDonald D. Harris Jaksch Purcell MacRae Jong Arnot

Funny, I had a similar dream myself the other night (I think there was a full moon out at the time ). The differences in my dream were that Liam Jurrah set the MCG alight with ten goals against Richmond in Sunday's game and we beat Carlton in the first elimination final and not West Coast. We did beat the Eagles a week later and then had to take on Collingwood in the Preliminary Final (and what a cliffhanger that was) before getting our revenge on Geelong in the Grand Final at the MCG. The last thing I remember before waking up was this angry Cats supporter complaining that we had home ground advantage in the grand final and that was unfair. The following night I dreamed that it was the 2012 grand final and we won again. Last night, it was 2013 and ditto. Sorry to say this, but the footy's so boring these nights ... and I blame Demetriou.

No doubt, the reason why GWS List Manager Stephen Silvagni was out at Coburg last weekend. Either that or he's developed a liking for kebabs out there in Blacktown and stopped by at the Coburg ground after feasting on the magnificent middle eastern fare in Sydney Road

Easier said than done. We tried it but every time we closed down a Tom Scully thread, it was like a scene from the Terminator - the threads just arose from the dead and came back stronger than ever. We would really like to erase those Scully threads and consign them to the e-dustbin of history but we can't afford Arnold Schwarzenegger ATM.

Posting on an iPhone is perfect for when you're waiting your turn in the dental surgery. I'd buy the app!

R20 Casey player review Can't work out what the review of Lucas Cook in the Ressies means.

Between 1908 and 1914 there was a MUFC team in the VFL - Melbourne University. The team was aweful. It folded when wartime hostilies began and wasn't readmitted into the competition. Not a good omen for any proposed revival of an MUFC.

The 22 for the game hasn't been finalised yet. There's still scope for some action.

I like Neville Jetta. Hope he gets a run.

Yep. Every time you look at what's happening at the Bulldogs, there are similarities to what's happened at Melbourne this year. No doubt a lot of factors are involved but one must stem from having unrealistically high expectations from your playing group. Mind you, I would expect better than a 186 point defeat at Skilled.

A few others missed last week - Max Gawn, Brad Green, Jordan Gysberts, Liam Jurrah, Addam Maric and Austin Wonaemirri. Gawn was an extra emergency and Aussie is slated to return to Casey this week. Do we assume the others are now fit to play? What about poor Robbie Campbell who was KO'd - surely, he'd be facing a fitness test? And as for Juice, he's been 1 - 2 for so long, I'm starting to fear that we'll never see him in the colours (MFC or Casey) again.

Pulled out before the game with the flu. Also out were two of Sunday's emergencies Dan Nicholson and Max Gawn. Addam Maric was also a late injury and wasn't picked for the game.

Good call Melon22. I was surprised that Nev didn't get named in the best players. He should be in the Melbourne team next week.

Good stuff Diamond Jim. I suppose it's in order to close this thread now?

I'll run with a positive from yesterday. Until I saw him playing at Coburg I was uncertain about Jack Fitzpatrick but I like his pace for one so tall. I reckon that one day he, Jack Watts and Max Gawn are going to be a really formidable combination.

Thanks folks --- game's over, now for POST MATCH DISCUSSION

I was at the game today and yes, there were quite a fewer Casey players missing from the original selected side as in the OP. The four players sitting on the interchange in tomorrow's game came out as well as two of the three emergencies Max Gawn and Dan Nicholson. Liam Jurrah pulled out injured. And, as mentioned above, Robbie Campbell was out reasonably early with concussion. This may sound paradoxical but, though he was top possession winner, Matthew Bate was only good in patches. Similarly with Jamie Bennell. I thought Neville Jetta did really well. Tom McNamara is exposed for his lack of pace. At one stage he marked and a player with confidence in his natural abilities would have played on. He didn't. The rest were pretty disappointing although Jack Fitzpatrick looks like a potential senior player. He's fast and moves well for a player of 200cm and it's a pity he had to be taken out of the forward line to fill in the role of ruckman with Gawn out and Campbell injured. There's serious goalkicking potential there once he fills out and gets some more distance with his kicking.

Do we pay the $15k when a rookie is upgraded or when he's actually used as an upgraded player in the AFL? If it's the latter then it makes sense on the off chance that we make the finals and need an extra ruckman.

And just to add to that we beat Essendon by 5 goals and they beat Geelong by a couple of points and Geelong beat us by 31 goals. Holy Moley ... we could still win the flag this year.

He missed so much footy with the Achilles injury early in the season that they're making him play twice today.

That was what he nominated and what he signed for but that figure was considered well over the odds at the time. The information I was given was that it was arranged that if Collingwood drafted him, the real terms would involve a three year deal with the remuneration spread more evenly over the three year period. Therefore, given the known condition of the used vehicle as advertised, the price tag of $450k was well and truly overs. It wasn't just us who wouldn't touch him at that price. All clubs with picks 19 to 29 inclusive that followed our pick 18 had the opportunity and baulked at it ... and rightly so. I'm not averse to paying a little over the odds in order to get what you want sometimes but I agree with the FD's judgement in continuing to go for youth on that particular occasion. Now that we're two years down the track with our list development, I would not be averse to looking for players with leadership qualities via the trades or even the drafts.

Do they have supporters?

The reports on Cale Morton's last two games for Casey suggest that he has been successfully played in the middle where he has picked up 30+ possessions in each game and been close to, if not, BOG. Dean Bailey experimented with him all over the shop and, while I don't disagree with this as a general approach for developing players. I have a feeling that in some cases, our boys became unsettled by this and lost confidence. Morton has appeared to play more freely in the VFL and Brad Gotch's approach seems to have worked. Hopefully, this can continue in his transition to the AFL, benefit the club and the player and in the end Cale can get a better contract. I think there might be a few others freed up by this approach and by the statements made by the selectors in regard to the axing of Colin Sylvia and Liam Jurrah. As to whether we can win tomorrow, I can't discount it. After our appalling "bruise-free" display the first time v Carlton, I really didn't give us much of a chance the following week against the Bombers. I suppose I feel the same this week after the loss to the Blues but we've had such a topsy turvy season that anything could happen tomorrow.

I wouldn't call that hypocrisy but rather an exercise in spin and hyperbole - aka bullshit. The way that the GWS front men have conducted themselves publicly on issues of recruiting suggests to me that what they are creating is a mercenary's paradise. Players entering that arena will IMO be less inclined to be more loyal to their club down the track than to the almighty dollar. A well trained and well equipped regular army will always succeed against mercenaries and I reckon this mob will more likely implode and fold before it comes even remotely close to winning a premiership.