KC from Casey

I'll be a little late with my report on the Casey game this week so I'll bring you some advance details. First, the Demons who played in the Casey Reserves Sam Blease 9 kicks 10 handballs 2 marks 1 behind - still working on his fitness after a long lay off and continues to improve. Was very good when he got the football Max Gawn 4 kicks 1 handball 0 marks - played only a half. Took on three big men in Grimley, Renton and Robbie Campbell (yes, the Hawk who supposedly retired) and handled himself very well in the ruck contests. Rhys Healey 8 kicks 12 handballs 7 marks - good on comeback. Worked hard. Stef Martin - selected but did not play. Has been troubled by a hip injury and I would suggest his absence again this week could possibly puts the rest of his 2010 campaign in doubt.

It's all over. Hawks by 11 points after a dismal final half fade out by the Scorpions. Casey Scorpions 5.2.32 11.4.70 11.5.71 12.7.79 Box Hill Hawks 1.5.11 6.8.44 9.10.64 13.12.90 Goals Casey Scorpions Bate MacReadie Maric Trengove 2 McGough Nicholls Box Hill Hawks J Hoegel 4 Fagan 2 Breust Lisle Milne Pedersen Peterson Shiels Suckling Best Casey Scorpions Warnock MacReadie Trengove Wall Tapscott Bate Box Hill Hawks Peterson Muston Schoenmakers Lisle Suckling Pedersen

Goal to Bate. 13 points down.

As good as they were in the first half, they're doubly bad in this one. Hawks by 2 goals.

Hawks by a goal.

The wind was favouring the end the Hawks kicked to in the third quarter but with the rain it seems to have moderated. Box Hill have done all the early attacking at their end and have just kicked a goal after an errant handball was intercepted by a Box Hill player. It's dark here even with the lights which are just training lights. Casey Scorpions 11.5.71 Box Hill Hawks 10.10.70 The stronger bodies Hawks are winning the hard ball at the stoppages and it's looking ominous for the Scorps.

Three Quarter Time: Casey Scorpions 5.2.32 11.4.70 11.5.71 Box Hill Hawks 1.5.11 6.8.44 9.10.64 Goals Macreadie Maric Miller Trengove 2 Bate McGough Nicholls That quarter was a real shocker.

Rain and hail preceded by havey gusting winds. The Scorpions are struggling much like Melbourne did after half time last night. Even the lights have been turned on! Casey 11.5.71 Box Hill Hawks 8.9.57

All of the MFC boys are going nicely. You can feel they're lifting because they want to be part of the action (remember Lyndon Dunn had his breakout 8 goal game against Box Hill in the rain earlier this season and hasn't looked back). Neville Jetta is very creative around the ground and gave some beautiful passes to his forwards that quarter. Goals Macreadie Maric Miller Trengove 2 Bate McGough Nicholls

Half Time: Casey Scorpions 5.2.32 11.4.70 Box Hill Hawks 1.5.11 6.8.44 Nice goal to Miller after the siren.

Casey 45 to BH 30 goals to Macreadie and Miller

Quarter Time: Casey Scorpions 5.2.32 Box Hill Hawks 1.5.11 I would suggest Jack Trengove will be in the Melbourne side next week.

McGough, Maric and Trengove (second) give the Scorps a handy lead Casey Scorpions 5.1.31 Box Hill Hawks 1.4.10

Stef Martin out again. First goal to Macreadie followed by a nicr goal to Jack Trengove. In between defending grimly into the non scoring end. Casey Scorpions 2.0.12 Box Hill Hawks 1.3.9

A handy win to Box Hill at a ground where knowledge of the local conditions is handy. Casey Scorpions 0.2.2 3.8.26 3.10.28 5.14.44 Box Hill Hawks 6.4.40 7.5.47 12.8.80 14.13.97 Goals Casey Scorpions Clay 2 Sykes Waite Weekes Box Hill Hawks Cass 5 Hoegel 4 George Johnston McGuinness Sierakowski Tobin Best Casey Scorpions Weekes Burke McDonald Riseley Cleven Creed Box Hill Hawks Van Unen McGuinness Smithwick Cass George Tobin We'll get them again next week at Casey and we'll see how much we've improved in a week.

The results of other games in the current VFL round have made things interesting in the lead up to the finals. The top two sides Williamstown and North Ballarat both lost yesterday giving Casey a chance to join them today on twelve wins. It won't be easy however, as you can see above by the number of AFL listed players (in bold) the Hawks' team. It's not easy winning games at Box Hill City Oval and the overnight rain hasn't helper matters either. It will be interesting to see if Melbourne flew back the emergency players for last night's game in Brisbane so they could take part in the game. I'm not sure as to who went but if it was Jack Trengove you would think he'd be keen to get a game under his belt after missing the last couple of weeks with injury.

Box Hill Hawks vs. Casey Scorpions - RADIO 3WBC 94.1FM Sunday 1st August Box Hill City Oval at 2:00 PM Box Hill Hawks Backs Savage Muston Bruest Half backs Lisle Peterson Kayler-Thomson Centreline Schoenmakers Tuck Moss Half forwards Hooper Dowler Morton Forwards Shiels Suckling Lowden Followers Taylor Stokes Milne Interchange (from) Fagan S Gibson J Hoegel Kenna Kiel Neil Pedersen Smithwick Casey Scorpions Backs Luke Tapscott Matthew Warnock Evan Panozza Half backs Kyle Cheney Tim Mohr Jack Trengove Centreline Glenn Chivers Daniel Bell James Wall Half forwards Rian McGough Brad Miller Neville Jetta Forwards Matt Fieldsend Matthew Bate Addam Maric Followers Jack Fitzpatrick Ben MacReadie Danny Nicholls Interchange (from) David Bell Sam Blease Ryan Creed Wade Lees Tom McNamara Stefan Martin Ricky Plummer Tim Smith James Strauss Box Hill Hawks vs. Casey Scorpions (Reserve Grade) Sunday 1st August Box Hill City Oval at 11:00 AM Box Hill Hawks Backs Kennedy Van Unen Neil Half backs Sierakowski Warby C Hoegel Centreline Dowler Jackson Cass Half forwards Duryea Smithwick Kitchin Forwards Johnston Campbell Grimley Followers Mirra McGuinness Williams Interchange (from) Burnage Conyers George McShane Ledin Renton Thompson Tobin Casey Scorpions Backs Jed Costigan Augustine Patti Liam Burke Half backs Michael Riseley Luke McDonald Rhys Healey Centreline Sam Blease David Bell Mark Weekes Half forwards Aaron Hillberge Stefan Martin Brad Sykes Forwards Luke Tynan Ben Waits Will Petropoulos Followers Dean Cleven Ryan Creed Mitchell Dowse Interchange (from) Daniel Bedggood Chris Clay Nicholas Dowse Max Gawn Toby Leeds Cam Purdy CASEY SCORPIONS GALA BALL

With just four games to go before the VFL finals, the question of which MFC players are qualified to play for Casey has been raised again [see the rules above]. I've complied an unofficial list of qualifiers (noting that with four games to go more players might also qualify): Daniel Bell - 12 games Sam Blease - 7 games (all reserves) Kyle Cheney - 11 games Jack Fitzpatrick - 5 games (plus 4 reserves) Max Gawn - 1 reserves game. Missed last week with illness and, in all probability will be eased through the remainder of the season. Questionable whether in these circumstances he would play much (if any) senior football until next year. Rhys Healey ® - 5 games (plus 1 reserves). Coming back from a hamstring injury and, if he passes his fitness test, will most probably line up in the reserves. Neville Jetta - 8 games Paul Johnson - 8 games Addam Maric - 12 games Tom McNamara - 12 games Brad Miller - 9 games Michael Newton - 7 games Jake Spencer - 7 games (plus 1 reserves) James Strauss seniors - 10 games Luke Tapscott - 3 games (plus 1 reserves) * Austin Wonaeamirri - 8 games (plus 2 reserves) * in the event that Luke is selected to play for MFC during the remainder of the season, he will only qualify for finals with Casey if he plays 3 more games there. There are a few others who might qualify but they've all been under an injury cloud lately: Jordan Gysberts - 5 games. Needs two more Casey games to qualify but is down as 2 to 4 week on the injured list and is therefore touch and go. Daniel Hughes ® - 6 games. Needs one more Casey game to qualify but is a 3 to 4 week injury proposition. Similar to Gysberts. Stefan Martin - 4 games (plus 1 reserves). Needs one more Casey game to qualify and should do that this week. However, he's been hampered by a hip problem for most of the season so it's uncertain whether he will undergo a finals campaign. My guess is that the injured players above might struggle to get a finals game. There are a few others who are outside chances to qualify but I consider them unlikely. Jack Watts has played 10 MFC games so is close to ruling himself out on that score. I can’t see him being qualified for the VFL finals but he needs to not exceed 12 AFL games and needs two more VFL games to qualify. Rohan Bail, Joel Macdonald, Cale Morton and Matthew Warnock need three more. With the exception of Warnock, all are currently playing in the AFL and the latter is playing well enough to receive a call up before the end of the season. Warnock has played 12 games with the MFC and on form is sure to get some more AFL game time before the season’s out so he’s not a likely member of any Casey finals team.

The card entitles you to half price on entry so you'll pay just $5 to get in. Cheers,

You bet!

JAMES MCDONALD OUTGUNS MAGPIE STARS

It's always going to be hard to assess players when they play at this level but if any day was a good test for a young kid then it was today because there were quite a few experience Collingwood players running around Victoria Park. It's still a hard ask to suggest that he's on the same level as Scully and Trengove (or even Jordie McKenzie who has been blitzing for the Demons) but in view of the fact that Tappy has had not much a pre season to talk of and today played only his fourth game since coming back from hip surgery (one of them in the reserves), he has been mighty impressive. He's hard at the ball, kicks long and has great composure. I think he will fit in well with the senior group when his time comes.

Miller goals on the siren and the Scorps win by 25 points. Casey Scorpions 1.5.11 9.7.61 11.10.76 14.11.95 Collingwood 3.1.19 4.1.25 7.4.46 11.4.70 Goals Casey Scorpions Miller 4 Jetta Tapscott 2 Bate Smith MacReadie McDonald Nicholls Wall Collingwood Barham Rounds 2 Cook McCarthy Medhurst Rusling J Thomas Wood Best Casey Scorpions Panozza Cheney Miller McGough Fieldsend Tapscott Collingwood Medhurst McCarthy Brown Blight Buckley Hunter

Late in the game - Casey by 19 points. Kyle Cheney and Evan Panozza very steady down back. Brad Miller doing well in front of goals. Former Magpie Danny Nicholls has done well against his old team and Luke Tapscott is going to be a beauty!

Three Quarter Time Casey Scorpions 1.5.11 9.7.61 11.10.76 Collingwood 3.1.19 4.1.25 7.4.46