Whispering_Jack

The usual rule about dropping players is whether you replace one player for someone who you think will be better for the team than the player being replaced. On yesterday's performances, I think there are about half a dozen who could be dropped but Chris Connolly told a Demons' luncheon on Friday that if you have six changes you usually lose. I would still be bold and try to ring in four changes this week because we have one advantage in that a number of players at Casey have been playing well (we saw what Michael Evans could do when given his call up) and, given that Casey had a bye this weekend, any players we move up will be fresh and will be replacing players who otherwise would be having a six day break. I thought the club might show a bit of boldness last week by giving 208cm Max Gawn a run to stretch the St. Kilda rucks but, instead it went for Martin as first ruck with Michael Newton as his back up. That strategy has been a massive fail as far as Juice has been concerned. If our selectors make the same mistake for a third week in a row I will be disappointed - particularly given that Robert Warnock is a likely out injured due to concussion (although concussion didn't hurt Patrick Dangerfield's chances of selection six days after suffering concussion - or at least its symptoms) and it's too early for Kreuzer to come back. I'd also tempt the Blues to rest Judd by bringing in at least one more first gamer in Jeremy Howe and the other change is either Cale Morton or James Strauss into the side, my preference being Morton. Another consideration might be Sam Blease for his pace but I don't think he's quite ready yet.

A few thousand punters including myself stranded at Flinders Street waiting for the 1:40 to Glen Waverley to arrive. Apparently 5 minutes late but now scheduled to leave ten minutes after advertised departure. Can't believe Metro's contempt for its consumers. All it takes is one train to go one stop further. Anyway, I hope we don't miss anything.

Not sure if anyone remembers Matthew Whelan's debut game in 2000 but I always regarded it a bit of a watershed in the history of the two clubs. Melbourne surprisingly thrashed St. Kilda by a whopping margin and the Saints went downhill finishing last and picking up some handy draft picks. Wheels was terrific on debut and became an instant favourite of mine. Melbourne went on to gain a place in the grand final and had a good period making the finals most years until its own slide started in 2007. Our last finals victory was in the 2006 elimination final against them and I think Wheels was injured in that game. The opening game of 2007 really marked the start of our recent decline and we had that incident between Whelan and Ball and Brock McLean sustained an injury that was IMO the beginning of the end for him at Melbourne. Ironically, we play the Saints today in the Indigenous Round and while they are on the decline, we can make it official. I also hope Michael Evans can have as good a debut game as Matty Whelan had in 2000 and that we achieve the same result.

Nobody at Casey is playing this weekend. They have a bye.

I have no inside information but I would like to see him in the Demon colours sooner rather than later. There are some good reasons why he shouldn't be in the side yet and there are other reasons why he should. He's coming back from a long period out of action followed by a time of rehabilitation and nursing through some games last year and into this year. As late as two weeks ago he was playing in the Casey reserves because he wasn't getting enough time on the ground in the seniors. Is he ready physically and mentally for another (giant step up in standard? Then you watch him playing at Casey and he's winning all of the ruck duels (admittedly against smaller opponents but at 208cm most of his opponents are going to be smaller). But he's not just winning them, he's dominating with good placement and he's really doing everything. Not all of his hitouts went to his teammates particularly in the early stages but by the last half his dominance was obvious. Football's a different game to that which was played in the 60s but I can still remember vividly a 17 year old 6'5" Carl Ditterich running out onto the Junction Oval against Melbourne in round 1, 1963 and controlling proceedings with his youthful enthusiasm and exuberance. I know it's different today but Max is 19, going on 20 and I'm not big on the shorter second ruck after seeing it in operation last week. Give me the Stef and Max show to stretch the Saints . They're all we really have left.

It's a very sad day to see Bobby Davis go. I don't think anyone could say a bad word about the bloke and his days on World of Sport, League Teams and later Grumpy Old Men will always be remembered with fondness. I was really happy for him when the Cats won in 2007 and again when he was on the dais with the 2009 team. Condolences to the family. The footy world has lost a true icon.

I made mention elsewhere that Blease is getting better and better with the attacking side of his game but needs to work on hurting the opposition when they have the football. He's gone through a lot with his rehabilitation from a bad injury so we can't expect too much from him too soon. I think he's going to be an important player and I hope that he has the right temperament to be patient and to learn the facets of his game where he's not up to AFL standard yet. Brad Gotch is alluding to this in his report when he writes, that "[H]is run-and-carry was very good and now it’s just a matter of concentrating on some of his defensive work and he’ll get better at that." I think that's an understatement because when he does learn this you'll find he will be rarely out of a Melbourne jumper when he plays his footy...and we, in turn need someone with his blistering pace.

By the time I arrived at the ground, the reserves game was over but I was informed by one of the locals that the Cranbourne team was made up mainly of their Under 18s because many of their seniors had made other plans for the bye week. I'm not sure whether Robert Campbell missed because of injury but I didn't notice his name on any injury list (I know!). There's every possibility that in the circumstances it might have been better for him to give this sort of practice match a miss and either rest up or do some different training in preparation for the second half of the season (Casey Reserves have another bye next week).

Yes. It does but it hurts a lot less when your team is developing and young because the fact that some of those players are missing gives an opportunity to others to get games before their time would otherwise have come. None of us would have been contemplating two weeks ago the possible debut this week of a Max Gawn or a Michael Evans. In all probability it's too soon for them to be making their debuts. Yet the thought of these young players getting their opportunities and the hope that they can kick start their careers ahead of time is a compelling one If they can get games, show something and play well they might well offset the disappointment of losing some of the old regulars.

The HOW THE DEMONS FARED section has now been loaded onto the text of the article. Thanks to Melon 22 for contributing his comments. This article is from the VFL site - Casey come from behind win.

Thanks for that. Official List. I will be adding a "How the Demons Fared" in the next 24 hours. I'm working on that in collaboration with someone else who was at the game.

It's probably a lesser penalty than Jack's given there was a chance Dunny was going to be dropped to Casey which has a bye this week. Effectively, his penalty is one week. Mind you there seemed to be no injury from the incident so you might wonder how it got to a medium impact classification but I suppose that if there was no confusion it wouldn't be an MRP ruling. Irrespective, it makes a mockery of the system when an accident arising from a tackle is treated equally to this - especially so if the victim of the tackle mysteriously recovers in six days to not only play but star and put in a six goal performance. Go figure?

Red. The answer to your question depends on how many vacancies we're going to have? Rohan Bail and Colin Garland would be out injured. Lynden Dunn, either out courtesy of the MRP or dropped? Austin Wonaeamirri might struggle to keep his place as well. There's still a question mark over whether Juice has a place in the team. I think Jordie McKenzie and Matthew Bate are automatic inclusions and if Jared Rivers is fit then he goes in for Colin Garland. Then the question is how bold and daring the selectors want to be. I would bring Max Gawn into the ruck to help out Stef Martin and stretch the St. Kilda rucks which we can't do if we play Juice as the # 2 ruck. So that means Newton goes out unless a spot up forward can be found for him. I would also want to have someone with some pace. Michael Evans, anyone?

I'm not convinced about Cale Morton yet. He got the ball but some of his disposals weren't clean and got teammates into trouble. Sam Blease is improving and has blistering pace but needs to use that pace when he doesn't have the pill. This is something he will learn and when he is able to use that pace to tackle and exert pressure on opponents then he will become a very handy player for Melbourne at AFL level. If anyone is interested (and I'm sure KC will be) the reserves thrashed a very young Cranbourne team. I don't have the details but it was apparently not a particularly tough workout for the Casey boys. Pity because, as KC alluded to above, Casey twos have a bye next week and therefore a few players will miss some valuable match practice.

Casey Scorpions 2.2.14 7.6.48 15.9.99 19.11.125 Bendigo Bombers 6.5.41 12.5.77 13.11.89 14.14.98 Goals Casey Scorpions Fevola 5 Howe Lawrence 3 Blease McNamara 2 Bate Cook Nicholson Wall Bendigo Bombers Dickson Little Prismall Stewart Williams 2 Duscher Dyson Meli Silverlock Best Casey Scorpions Howe McKenzie Mohr Morton Macdonald Evans Bendigo Bombers Prismall Quinn Dyson Duscher Jenkins The above were the official best given by the club. My best were Jordie McKenzie and Matthew Bate. Max Gawn had a great game in the ruck and a special mention to Sam Blease and Kelvin Lawrence who got the team going in the first place. Along with Michael Evans and Dan Nicholson they showed a clean pair of heels to the Bombers. Now for the long drive home.

Unselfish Fevola misses a pass but the game is as good as over.

Bater kicks a goal at the 22 minute mark to make it 28 points.

Some magic from Kelvin Lawrence gives Tom McNamara a goal. Jeremy Howe gets a 50 metre penalty and goal. Lead up to 22 points.

Goal to Cook but the Bombers are fighting back. Nine point lead to Casey. Twelve minute mark.

Bate misses an easy shot after the siren. Casey leads 15.9.99 to Bendigo 13.11.89.

Kelvin Lawrence chips in for his third. Evans is doing well but not starring.

Bendigo get their first for the quarter. Casey lead by 7 points.

Bate to Jordie to Fevola for his fifth goal. Seven to Casey in under 15 minutes this term.

Fevalenko!!! Goal from 50 metres on an angle.

Goal to James Wall and Casey are in front.