KC from Casey

It's over and they're a happy team at Box Hill. Meanwhile, Brendan Fevola prepares for the game with earphones listening to his favourite music and he's also barefooted.

...and goaled.

At TEAC Oval there's an entertaining reserves game nearing its end with Port Melbourne leading Box Hill by a point and a Hawk player has just marked ...

The Herald Sun's Sam Landsberger notionally reports on the VFL competition which is at the semi final stage this week. However, his reports on a weekly basis are usually more than a discussion on AFL listed players in the competition rather than VFL reports. Take today's piece - Hawthorn to work on best finals options with VFL affiliate Box Hill The first half of the article is about two Hawthorn players who are getting a run in the Box Hill reserves (in other words a glorified pre training report) and the rest of the report talks about some of the AFL listed players taking part in the senior semi finals. This does not represent reporting on the VFL finals at all and it's what I would call poor journalism and an insult to the majority of those who make up the VFL. Sadly, this sort of mindset is what has led to the downfall of what was a great second tier football competition.

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 10 VFL SENIORS FIRST SEMI FINAL CASEY SCORPIONS v WERRIBEE TIGERS TEAC Oval, Port Melbourne 2:10pm (ABC1TV,SEN2-Aussie Digital) CASEY SCORPIONS Backs Bail Warnock Stockdale Half backs McDonald Mohr Lees Centreline McGough Nicholson McNamara Half forwards Bate Dunn J Wall Forwards Nicholls Fevola Gawn Followers Campbell Matthews Collins Interchange (from) Bolton Davis Fitzpatrick Lawrence Lindsay* McShane Newton Panozza Petropoulos WERRIBEE TIGERS Backs Ross Hartigan O'Dwyer Half backs Chisholm Wormald Harding Centreline Urquhart Tuck Macmillan Half forwards Mather Daw Martiniello Forwards Warren McKinley Castello Followers Tighe Sharp Gleeson Interchange (from) Dickson Laracy Mangan Prismall Rockefeller Ruggles* Saker Still Sullivan * 23rd player The winner plays Williamstown in 2nd Preliminary Final at TEAC Oval on Sunday 18 September

The Casey Scorpions have the opportunity to redeem themselves after last week's disappointing 97 point qualifying final capitulation at the hands of undefeated premiership favourite Port Melbourne in Saturday's first semi final against the Werribee Tigers. The Scorpions hope to be boosted by the return of some of the eligible MFC listed players for the game against Werribee which is one of the two VFL clubs affiliated with North Melbourne which are still in the premiership race. The teams have met twice this year with honours even. The first meeting was at Chirnside Park, Werribee when the home side upset the Scorpions in a spiteful game marred by an all in brawl five minutes before the final siren. The Tigers led from the outset and despite a flurry of last quarter goals, the Scorpions left their run far to late going down by two goals. Saturday, 2 July, 2011 Casey Scorpions 1.3.9 4.7.31 6.12.48 13.12.90 Werribee Tigers 3.4.22 6.9.45 12.11.83 15.12.102 Goals Casey Scorpions Dunn 3 Bartram Fevola Gawn 2 Bate Cook McGough Mohr Werribee Tigers Castello Warren 3 Schibeci 2 Daw Harper McIntosh Mangan Mather Ross Urquhart Best Casey Scorpions Maric Davis Mohr McNamara Tapscott Gawn Werribee Tigers Tarrant Mather Tighe Tuck Ross Hartigan The teams met again in the penultimate round of the season at Casey Fields. Honours again went to the home side with the Scorpions dominating a game in which Brendan Fevola kicked six goals. The 44-point victory elevated Casey into fourth place on the VFL ladder. Saturday, 20 August, 2011 Casey Scorpions 5.0.30 10.4.64 13.9.87 17.11.113 Werribee Tigers 1.4.10 4.7.31 7.8.50 10.9.69 Casey Scorpions Fevola 6 Bate Jetta Lawrence 2 Fitzpatrick Gawn McGough Nicholls Panozza Werribee Tigers McIntosh 3 McKinley 2 Daw Harding Mangan Rockefeller Warren Best Casey Scorpions Jetta Warnock Lees Campbell Bate McNamara Werribee Tigers McIntosh Ross Mather O'Dwyer Tighe Hartigan A big crowd is expected for this week's game. The winner goes into the Preliminary Final against Williamstown on Sunday week. • Team selection will be posted as soon as it becomes available.

Straight after the Casey Scorpions' 97 point loss against Port Melbourne, I declared that they couldn't be written off as a premiership chance. Some people thought this was fanciful but I'm serious. The main reason is because a number of players who went to Adelaide to play in yesterday's round 24 clash against Port now become eligible under the rules for AFL listed players in the finals. I've taken most of the following information on eligibility from the Round 22 VFL Record: There are several rules governing eligibility of AFL listed/rookie players playing for aligned clubs in the finals. I will ignore the rules that apply for the first round of the finals which have already been played and which were more or less open slather for any listed player not selected in the AFL aligned team on the same weekend. The selection process changes dramatically for those VFL clubs still in the hunt for the flag from the second week of the VFL finals right through until the VFL Grand Final at Etihad Stadium on Sunday, September 25. If the VFL club's aligned partner is playing in the AFL finals then selection process will follow as it has throughout the home and away season: those AFL listed/rookie players not selected in the AFL club can play for their VFL aligned club. But, if the aligned AFL club is not involved in the finals then player eligibility comes into force. Under this rule, AFL listed/rookie players, who have played AFL football after July 1st, can play for their aligned VFL club as long as they have played at least seven (VFL senior or reserve) games for the aligned VFL club during the home and away season. But, if an AFL listed/rookie player hasn't played seven VFL games, but has missed eight consecutive weeks through injury then they will also be eligible to play with their aligned VFL club. What makes the above scenarios murky is if an AFL club which is not involved in the AFL fi nals decides to close down a young player for the season or send players immediately for operations (and let's not forget that the finger has been pointed at Melbourne in recent years both in the later years of its alignment with Sandringham and in the past two years with Casey). This is my (unconfirmed) list of which AFL listed/rookie players are available for the Casey Scorpions for the remainder of the finals series: • Rohan Bail * • Matthew Bate * • Sam Blease * • Rob Campbell * • Troy Davis • Lynden Dunn • Jack Fitzpatrick * • Max Gawn • Neville Jetta * • Cameron Johnston ** • Kelvin Lawrence • Tom McDonald * • Tom McNamara • Addam Maric * • Michael Newton • Daniel Nicholson * • Matthew Warnock * did not play for Casey v Port Melbourne in the qualifying final. ** played for Casey Reserves in team's losing elimination final but performed well and would be an outside chance for selection. That makes a total of 17 players by my reckoning who are eligible to play for the rest of the final series but not including definite non starters who are out injured for the season. This means that from last week's qualifying final team only one player - Joel Macdonald - is ineligible for the rest of the finals while six players from the Melbourne team that played at the Adelaide Oval plus Nicholson who went over as emergency are eligible. If Campbell and Maric can come up from their injuries the team will be about as strong as it can get. I'm not getting carried away and still taking things one week at a time but, as you can see, Casey can only get stronger in the weeks to come if these blokes are allowed to take their places in the Scorpions' team!

Let me help solve your mystery for you. Ben Waite is a very good Reserves player who does not "continually get selected" but has been picked in the Casey Seniors from time to time when a player of his size and type is needed to fill a vacancy. Today was just such a time with a few of the team's taller players being called up to play for Melbourne in tomorrow's game. Casey lost Tom McDonald this way last week, Matty Bate and Jack Fitzpatrick this week. The last time Waite was chosen in the Seniors to replace a player in the seniors, he kicked four goals. Had it not been necessary for him to be selected in the Senior side, Waite would most likely have played in the Reserves today and, since they lost by a single point, he could have made the difference in their game. Not such a mystery then, is it?

Game over. Casey Scorpions 3.2.20 6.4.40 6.7.43 9.9.63 Port Melbourne 3.4.22 9.7.61 17.12.114 24.16.160 Goals Casey Scorpions Fevola 6 Dunn Gawn Lawrence Port Melbourne McMahon 5 Rose 4 Burstin Dwyer 3 Cain 2 Lynch 2 Batsanis Fanning Galea McGrath Pinwill Best Casey Scorpions Panozza Fevola Stockdale Mohr Warnock Lees Port Melbourne Valenti Fanning Pinwill Brewer Batsanis Skipper Statistics - Stockdale 25 McNamara 21 Macdonald 21 I wouldn't write off Casey from the finals race as long as Melbourne plays ball with its players as a number who missed today and are playing with the Demons tomorrow are eligible to play in next week's semi final against Werribbee.

Port Melbourne running away with it - 96 points in front and full of running.

Fevola kicks a long goal to record his sixth but Port has the game well in its grip. Since early in the second quarter Fev is Casey's only goalscorer.

Valenti would be among the best three players on the ground. Fevola kicks his fifth but the game's well and truly over. Casey Scorpions 8.8.56 Port Melbourne 20.12.132.

That was a poor third quarter by Casey. Need to do better next week.

Its all Port - lead by 53 points.

Port Melbourne has come out with renewed power and is dominating the game with the first two goals of the half to lead by 32 points.

Half time: rot Port Melbourne 9.7.61 Casey Scorpions 6.4.40 Goals Fevola 3 Dunn Gawn Lawrence

Brendan Fevola seems to be the only danger player in the Casey attack. He gets his third to end Port's run of goals and put the Scorps within 20 points.

The wind which was an absolute gale in the Ressies and strong in the first quarter of this game has moderated. Port Melbourne is playing with confidence, has taken over in the midfield and is scoring at will. Casey now down by 28 points.

Quarter Time: Port Melbourne 3.4.22 Casey Scorpions 3.2.20 A good quarter against the breeze. Brendan Fevola has two goals and Max Gawn one.

Port lead 3.2.2 to 2.2.14. Gawn doing well in the ruck for Casey but he's going to have to do it himself.

A pre game blow to the Casey Scorpions with the withdrawal of Robbie Campbell who had a great game in the ruck last week. Apparently, injured himself doing weights. Casey are down to only eight Melbourne listed players including Michael Newton who is back after being out since May with a foot injury. His only game since was a limited run in the reserves last week against the Bullants. Today's team is: CASEY SCORPIONS Backs Mohr Warnock Davis Half backs Stockdale Panozza Macdonald Centreline J Wall McNamara McGough Half forwards Petropoulos Dunn Lawrence Forwards Waite Fevola Matthews Followers Gawn Lees Nicholls Interchange Bell Bolton Collins Lindsay* Newton * 23rd player

After Coburg levelled the scores, a Scorpions goal got them in front but the Tigers fought back to level the scores again. It was Coburg that got up to win with a point on the siren. Casey Scorpions 6.0.36 7.2.44 10.1 .71 11.13.79 Coburg Tigers 1.2.8 5.5.35 6.5.41 12.8.80 Goals Casey Scorpions McShane 4 Costigan 3 Tynan 2 Dowse Carew Dowse Coburg Tigers Murphy 3 Cartelli Hore Lirosi Thomas 2 Ambrose Casey Scorpions Weekes McShane Tynan Patti Corry Allen Coburg Tigers Cartelli Kahlefeldt Duhau Thomas Dahl Murphy

Scores level in time on.

Scorps in trouble as Coburg fight back to within a goal. Plenty of time left.

Casey lead by 5 goals at the final break - 10.11.71 to 6.5.41. The Scorpions were off target with 3.9 to 1.0 for the quarter and might yet rue their wastefulness in front of the goals. Despite the good lead the game is still evenly poised with Coburg coming home with a gale. Cameron Johnston best for the Scorpions. Weekes and McShane also playing well for the Scorps.