KC from Casey

We've now loaded on the MFC players' match stats for the game and they are very impressive. Best of the Casey players were Matt Fieldsend (18 kicks, 10 handballs, 4 marks) and James Wall (10 kicks, 13 handballs, 3 marks).

As an aside Neville Jetta's brother Rodney kicked four goals for the Zebra Reserves today and was named in their best.

Big win to the Scorpions who kept last year's premiers down to just eight goals on their own ground. The last quarter was a dour affair with only one goal kicked in blustery conditions but Casey ran out easy winners by 56 points and it could have been a greater margin had the forwards found their targets late in the game. Ricky Petterd with four goals and Matty Bate with three were good up forward and local boys Dan Nicholson and Lucas Cook were among the best in a great homecoming for the youngsters. Sam Blease played his best game yet for Casey. Casey Scorpions 4.3.27 10.7.67 16.9.105 16.16.112 North Ballarat 0.2.2 2.4.16 7.7.49 8.8.56 Goals Casey Scorpions Petterd 4 Bate 3 Lindsay 2 Cook Evans Jetta Lawrence McShane Nicholson Stockdale North Ballarat Walker 2 Evans George Jones Linke McKenzie Nicholls Best Casey Scorpions Nicholson Bate Warnock Cook Blease Petterd North Ballarat George Pratt Delaney McKenzie Tate Sharkey

Three Quarter Time: Casey Scorpions 4.3.27 10.7.67 16.9.105 North Ballarat 0.2.2 2.4.16 7.7.49

Half Time: Casey Scorpions 4.3.27 10.7.67 North Ballarat 0.2.2 2.4.16

Quarter Time: Casey Scorpions 4.3.27 North Ballarat 0.2.2 A decent start at last!

Good win to the Casey Reserves. Casey Scorpions 6.2.38 14.4.88 15.4.94 18.6.114 North Ballarat 2.2.14 2.4.16 4.4.28 8.7.55 Goals Casey Scorpions Carew Purves 4 Hill 2 Clay Cleven Costigan Harrison Lees Petropoulos Pollard Tynan North Ballarat Lenehan 2 Curnow Dobson Giampaolo Hughes Kelly Towers Best Casey Scorpions Collins Weekes Baumgartner Purves Carew Lees North Ballarat Darmody Brayshaw Giampaolo Kelly Jewell Hughes

Even though it's a long way from Cranbourne East to North Ballarat the Casey team will still have a strong Ballarat flavour when it steps out onto the field at Eureka Stadium today. Young Melbourne talls Lucas Cook and Tom McDonald were recruited from the North Ballarat Rebels in last year's national draft while rookie Daniel Nicholson who spent the previous two seasons with University Blues originally came from St Patrick’s College, Ballarat and played with East Point in the local Ballarat competition. The Roosters get triple premiership ruckman Orren Stephenson back after being unavailable last week and missing his team's shock loss at the hands of the Bendigo Bombers. I won't be attending the game today but will do my best to keep you updated with scores etc. We have a few Demon fans in Ballarat who will hopefully keep us updated as well.

NORTH BALLARAT v CASEY SCORPIONS Saturday 16th April Eureka Stadium at 2:00 PM NORTH BALLARAT Backs Greig L Delaney Hoy Half backs Tate Pratt Sharkey Centreline Norris Cunnington Tyler Half forwards George Evans Micaleff Forwards Nicholls A Edwards Walker Followers Stephenson Sewell McKenzie Interchange (from) Atley Bell Brayshaw Conroy C Delaney Hughes Jones Keeble Linke Lynch Slabbert* Struth CASEY SCORPIONS Backs Blease Warnock Stockdale Half backs Strauss Mohr Macdonald Centreline J Wall Evans Morton Half Forwards Bate Martin Petterd Forwards Maric Watts Jones Followers Spencer Jetta Nicholson Int (from) Bell Collins Cook Fieldsend Gawn Howe Lawrence Lindsay* McDonald McNamara McShane Riseley * 23rd player NORTH BALLARAT v CASEY SCORPIONS (Reserve Grade) Saturday 16th April Eureka Stadium at 11:00 AM NORTH BALLARAT Backs Fitzgerald L Edwards Barber Half backs Brayshaw Darmody Jewell Centreline Black McMahon Towers Half forwards Hughes Bell Anderson Forwards Dobson Dare Orr Followers Dillon Jones Currie Interchange (from) Curnow Giampaolo Kelly Lenehan McDermott Wiltshire CASEY SCORPIONS Backs Bolton Salton Davis Half backs Lees Patti Tynan Centreline Gent Bell McNamara Half forwards Dowse Weekes Clay Forwards Pollard Fitzpatrick Purves Followers Cleven Collins Petropoulos Interchange Allen Baumgartner Carew Corry J Costigan T Costigan Harrison Hill

Just in - Melbourne forward Michael Newton given a week by the VFL Tribunal.

My article on the game should be on the site shortly but may be delayed as it has been decided to merge the Demons and Scorpions boards so that all Casey related material will now appear here. I have however, compiled my How the Demons fared as follows: Matthew Bate (10 kicks, 6 handballs, 5 marks, 2 goals) - was virtually unsighted in the first half and struggled to get into the game but did play a part in Casey's resurgence in the third quarter. He passed to James Wall for a goal and then kicked two himself. Worked hard after that but seems to be lacking in confidence. Sam Blease (6 kicks, 1 handball, 1 mark) - at times he was brilliant but he was not consistently so. Played wing and half back and gave a lot of run but he needs to work even harder if he wants to make the big time. Lucas Cook (5 kicks, 4 handballs, 5 marks) - rangy forward who has talent and took a couple of nice marks but is very much in the early stages of his football development. Michael Evans (12 kicks, 9 handballs, 4 marks) - a real prospect in the midfield. Has pace and football smarts and is very constructive. Max Gawn (2 kicks, 8 handballs, 0 marks) - started slowly but worked his way into the game with some clever ruckwork, strong marking and clever around the ground play. However, ruckmen take time and he requires patience. Neville Jetta (11 kicks, 10 handballs, 4 marks) - worked hard but was frustrated early and then recovered to finish the game strongly. Was responsible for many forward pushes at crucial stages in his team's comeback. Kelvin Lawrence (4 kicks, 5 handballs, 1 mark) - looked all at sea in the first half and at times was easily brushed aside. To his credit, he lifted with the team's increase in tempo from halfway through the third quarter. Joel Macdonald (5 kicks, 15 handballs, 1 mark) - was good for Casey throughout the game, probably the only consistent performer over four quarters. Tom McDonald (7 kicks, 4 handballs, 3 marks) - played well in a key defensive post and really showed great maturity for one so recently out of under 18 ranks. Addam Maric (14 kicks, 11 handballs, 2 marks, 3 goals) - kicked three goals and was particularly influential after half time. He appeared to have been decked behind the play and then won the free after a scuffle with his opponent. He lifted after that and finished high among his team's best. Michael Newton (15 kicks, 0 handballs, 7 marks, 6 goals) - kicked six goals and had a near miss late in the game. Marked strongly but also did the hard things like chasing and tackling and was stiff to be penalised 50 metres for a marginally late attempt to spoil a Port Melbourne mark. Dan Nicholson (10 kicks, 6 handballs, 3 marks) - like Evans, he showed a bit. Has pace and balance and is prepared to run and carry. Ricky Petterd (14 kicks, 3 handballs, 7 marks) - it was a bit of a surprise to see him out there as it was thought he would be the emergency for Melbourne. It was a pretty flaky performance in which he went from producing the spectacular to periods when he seemed to disappear from sight. Won't get a promotion on that effort. James Strauss (11kicks, 1 handball, 5 marks) - couldn't put a foot right early in the game but worked hard to set things right. Unfortunately, it's not happening for him at the moment. Jake Spencer (3 kicks, 7 handballs, 1 mark) - worked hard in the ruck contests and had his moments around the ground. I arrived for the reserves game during the third quarter and Tom McNamara looked the best of the three Demons on the ground although both Jack Fitzpatrick and Jeremy Howe made contributions. Brendan Fevola made the most of limited opportunities at full forward and, on football ability, will be an asset to the Scorpion line up. I've also been informed that Troy Davis played well in the first half on return from a thyroid problem.

Point to Port on siren and the home side is a trifle lucky to record a 10 point victory. Casey Scorpions 2.2.14 5.5.35 11.9.75 17.12.114 Port Melbourne 6.3.39 12.5.77 16.6.102 19.10.124 Goals Casey Scorpions Newton 6 Maric 3 Bate Fieldsend Wall 2 McGough Petterd Port Melbourne Keely 3 Bentick Cain Galea Valenti 2 Batsanis Dwyer Edwards Fanning Langford Lynch McMahon Rose Best Casey Scorpions Maric Newton Wall Jetta Riseley McDonald Port Melbourne Dwyer Dillon Batsanis Bentick McMahon Fanning

Port player caught holding the ball 20 metres out - bounce.

Juice gets his 6th - 10 points down.

Goal to Port after a bad bounce for Casey and it's just about over.

Goal to Port after a bad bounce for Casey and it's just about over.

...a long, long goal & it's 17 points! Fieldsend and now only 11.

Juice gets his 5th but it's probably too late. Casey 94 Port 117

Shane Valenti goals for Port who appear to have regained their composure.

Juice gets his fourth and it's now a 22 point game.

Port gets the opening goal of the term but Casey fights back with a goal.

Three quarter time Casey Scorpions 11.9.75 Port Melbourne 16.6.102

Bate goals twice to reduce the margin to 27 points.

Wall goals after a pass from Bate. Still 39 points down.

Another goal to Port from a 50m penalty after a late Juice spoil. That decision might have been justified but the game has been marred by inconsistent umpiring. There goes another 50m penalty goal to Port. Really, it's become a joke. Port 102 Casey 56.