KC from Casey

I can officially announce that Liam Jurrah has just entered the stadium here at Casey Fields along with the Casey team and including the Demon contingent. As they warm up Aussie's looking particularly good with his slim body and new haircut. Conditions are completely different to last week with a hot dry wind blowing from the north. Casey reserves lost 9.12.66 to Box Hill 16.9.105.

James Taylor played 20 senior games with Casey Scorpions last year. Pierce Liddle is the Aaron Davey scholarship player with Casey who arrived from NT last week. It's definitely not the Box Hill Hawks list. VFL clubs are all trying out new and unfamiliar names at this time of year and there is always a high turnover of players especially in the ressies. The following players who are on the seniors and reserves team sheets for the Box Hill game were on the Casey list last year: Ryan Creed, Tim Crespin, Sam Gibson, Wade Lees, Jarred Matheson, Kyle Matthews, Ben McDonald, Tim Mohr, Alex Silvagni, Josh Singh, Gareth Snow, Kyle Swinden, James Taylor, Ben Waite and James Wall. Incidentally, I've only been living in Cranny for a short time and it's a great place to live .

The team list for tomorrow's games are out. For the seniors game at 2pm at Casey Fields the list is as follows with five MFC seniors and three rookies taking part in what should be a fairly strong first up team (unlike Sandy in recent years, the Scorpions players are young with no one older than 24 and apparently no Nick Sautners): 1 Kyle Matthews © 5 Michael Stockdale 6 Peter Faulks 7 Nick Scanlon 8 Scott McLeod 11 James Wall 12 Andrew Oldmeadow 16 Chris Clay 18 Jarred Matheson 21 Gareth Snow 22 Ben MaCreadie 27 Cade Maskell 29 Tim Crespin 31 Alex Silvagni 36 Josh Bolton 38 Kainen Schrape 41 Aaron Hillberge 43 Brad Sykes 51 Liam Jurrah 55 Adam Maric 57 Shane Valenti 66 Jordie McKenzie 73 Austin Wonaemirri 75 Paul Johnson 77 Trent Zomer 80 Jared Rivers Bet this is the first time Jared Rivers has worn a number as high (or low depending on your perspective) as # 80. The Hawks list has a few of their younger players and recruits but none of their strikingly big name players like Buddy. Not even the Oooze. The Reserves team for the game starting at 11am is: 3 Ryan Creed 4 Ben Waite 13 James Taylor 15 Tim Mohr 16 Chris Clay 20 David Collins 21 Gareth Snow 23 Matt Rosier 24 Pierce Liddle 25 Wade Lees 26 Gus Patti 28 Ben McDonald 34 Jack Mazurek 35 Josh Singh 37 Jed Costigan 38 Kainen Schrape 39 Sam Benbow 40 Dean Kelly 42 Scott Virtue 43 Brad Sykes 45 James Dean Liam Donnelly Kyle Swinden Terry Mildren Sam Gibson # 13 is one of my favourites so I'm going down there early to see if he can play footy as well as he can sing. I'm a bit worried about # 45 though - it seems that the rumours about his tragic departure were exaggerated . Thanks to Casey Scorpions for making the lists available.

Thanks to some smart recruiting work from Demon star Aaron Davey, Liam Jurrah will not be the only Northern Territorian to swap a Magpie guernsey for the red and blue this year. Davey has helped recruit courageous Palmerston Magpies utility player and skipper of the NT Under 18's Pierce Liddle to the Casey Scorpions for 2009. The lightly built 185cm midfielder missed out on the the December rookie draft and had been selected to take a place in the first squad for the new Northern Territory Thunder team which is due to make its debut in the AFLQ competition against Southport on April 4. However, the 18 year old Liddle was persuaded by Davey to take his chances in Melbourne with the Scorpions. Demon recruiting manager Barry Prendergast also put in a good word and the right footed speedster will now be seen around Casey Fields this year. He will probably be under the watchful eye of the large indigenous contingent from Melbourne including Jurrah who also swapped his black and white vertical striped jumper (the Yuendumu Magpies) for the more striking red and blue colours of Melbourne when he was snapped up as first pick in the 2009 Pre Season Draft. Liddle was one of four players from the elite NT Thunder under-18 program selected by AFLNT game development manager Jarrod Chipperfield to train with AFL club Western Bulldogs last year.

My family was exactly the same although I wonder what will happen now with the alignment and the fact that the rest of them have moved up north to a warmer climate. Meanwhile, Casey's proactive recruiting campaign continues with the signing of De La Salle key forward Matt Moore who was runner up in the Amateurs goalkicking last year despite missing 5 games. The 194cm 93kg forward is highly thought of and made the VAFA under 23 squad last year.

The Scorpions' recruiting machine rolls on. The Casey Scorpions website has posted that ex Saint rookie Glenn Chivers has signed on with Casey for season 2009.

I was in Cranbourne this morning and had a brief window of opportunity to drop into training and to have a quick look around the facility at Casey Fields. I wasn't there long enough to do any report on training but Liam Jurrah was there and is quite unmistakable. He's tall, pencil thin, moves like a cat and looks an interesting prospect. Like Austin Wonaeamirri last year, he goes into the pre season without the November/December base of the others but that didn't stop Aussie from making a bit of an impact when he got his opportunity. Aussie incidentally looks very fit as does The Flash. Brock McLean took part in full training in the short time I was there. Exciting times ahead for the Dees and big improvements expected now that they are doing all of their pre season at the one facility.