Dees_In_October

Thanks to the WARF radio Facebook stream, I was able to watch the Bendigo game from the comfort of home. Casey continued on from last week with a relatively inexperienced side. Guerin had a rest while the inclusions featured first-gamer Webber, plus Winbanks and Zanker who shared the ruck. A slight breeze in Casey’s favour to start the game, with the ground very muddy in the centre. Richmond had most of the attack, looking dangerous, with Brennan involved and Stahl (2nd in the competition goal kicking) lurking. Our composure coming out of defence was lacking with lots of turnovers. We had 2 forward entries for 2 goals (Sheriff and Emonson) and weren’t made to pay for some loose checking in defence. Richmond by 5 points at the first change. Long kicks from Zanker and Emonson near the beginning of the second took us forward where McDonough got a holding free kick and kicked truly. Amazingly, that made it 3 straight from 3 entries for the game. The struggle to get it out of defence continued, however, with the Tigers peppering the goals. Zanker in particular toiled hard to get the ball out any old way, often following up her own ruck work. Special mention to Heath for an epic tackle to win a free and Cordner who moved onto Brennan and shut her out of the game, no mean feat. Some good defensive efforts by McClean too. Richmond had 10 behinds in the first half and led by that margin at half time. A bit of rain around to start the third and Winbanks back in the ruck. Lots of forays forward off strong marks to Sherriff, Garner and Pratt. The resultant kick from Pratt’s mark went inside 50 and fell to Hogg, with Zanker as the decoy. Hogg’s kick swung late for Casey’s first behind. Mid-way through the quarter, excellent pressure on the kick out by Cordner (I think it was) saw the ball slammed back towards goal where Zanker got one out the back. Zanker had another chance on the run from an angle—close but not cigar. As is so often the way, the Tigers eventually broke forward with free players everywhere and converted to lead by 2 points at three quarter time. Similarly to last week, after a strong first few minutes, the dam walls opened in the last and the opposition got on top. After a soccer goal to the Tigers, our players ran out of steam and they were all over us, with Stahl coming into the game after being well held to that point. 5 goals to none in the last quarter sealed the deal and the Tigers remain undefeated in the lead-up to their AFLW debut in 2020. FINAL SCORE Rich 9.11.65 Casey 4.2.26 Casey’s goalkickers: Sheriff, Emonson, McDonough, Zanker Casey’s best: Heath, Emonson, Cordner, Sheriff (best game I’ve seen of hers and had the muddiest jumper to show for it). Next week: Saturday 11.30 at Casey Fields v. Melbourne Uni. A must win game against closely ranked opposition.

Finally caught up on last week's game v. Geelong on the live stream. Most notable is that we rested several of the AFLW-listed crew (to create a 2-week block with the bye). So we were without: Birch, Hanks, Kemp (possibly injured), Lampard, K.Smith and Zanker. We had three debutantes in J.Smith, Speedy and Harris, plus a couple of players in their second or third game. It was a bit of a struggle, but due to some great defensive work by the likes of Dyson, Sherriff, Garner and especially Bentvelzen, we were able to stay in touch. By all rights, Geelong should have been much further ahead much earlier in the game. I'm the eternal optimist though and I never felt we were out of it, especially after a gritty third quarter in which many attacks were repelled for just one Cats goal. Then, in the last, despite being two or three players down on the bench, the Cats finally did what they'd threatened all day and kicked three quick ones. Each of the new players showed something and many others stepped up. In the end, we probably needed more scoreboard pressure from players like Jakobbson and Guerin to keep the Cats under the pump defensively. Having said that, Jakobbson again took some great marks, both in attack and drifting into defense, while Guerin did her best to launch a comeback early in the last. The other player who had a massive influence was Cordner. In this game she shared the ruck with Orgill who came in to replace the teenager Winbanks, due a rest after a solid contribution in the season so far. Cordner was in absolutely everything for long periods of the game, though against what I suspect was some inexperienced competition (many uncontested ruck contests!). Orgill was finding her way back into it in her first game of the year. She was reported for a sling tackle and I think will get a week. The other standouts were Garner, Emonson and Bentvelzen. Goalkickers: Johnson and Speedy (both with their first ever), Cordner and Emonson. FINAL SCORE Geelong 8.8.56 Casey 4.3.27 We now sit 8th on the ladder with a 3-3 win-loss. This week it's the undefeated (5-0) Tigers in Bendigo, a big test.

Another close loss leaves Casey 6th on the ladder after Round 5. All things considered though, this was a good effort that the team will build from. A big start was called for given the quality of the Pies' line-up, most notably new recruit Davey. I'd say they had 2-3 players who would be considered in the best on their AFLW list. It's a different story for us (though I'm coming round to the idea this is helping our development). I was impressed with how we started the game - the girls were clearly switched on and hungry for the contest. An immense amount of pressure on the ball carrier led to goals to Guerin and Smith, while keeping the Pies to few forward entries and one major in the first. The second was a reverse scenario with the ball trapped in the Pies' 50 and a real struggle to get it out, leaving us scoreless for the quarter. Some defensive lapses left Pies players floating free into the forward line to score. They were assisted by a seemingly random free kick off the ball, which they capitalised on quickly. Meanwhile, Birch was taken down in a sling tackle (possibly a report). Not long after, an intense tackle by Heath was also deemed dangerous and resulted in a free kick in front of goal that was luckily off line. Heading into halftime, the Pies led by 14 points. In the third, Garner was noticeable around the contest for Casey, while Kemp chimed in with a goal from a tripping free kick. While the Pies were composed and patient with the ball, our girls managed to hold them to 1 point for the quarter. With 2 minutes to go, Bentvelzen was stretchered off, possibly concussed. In the dying stages, Casey moved the ball strongly down the ground for a fwd50 stoppage that resulted in a classy goal from Guerin (who currently stands 3rd in the league goalkickers). Pies by 3 points with a quarter to go. In the fourth, more loose checking in defense made for some nervous moments and a goal to the Pies. Kemp limped off injured, leaving us two down on the bench for much of the last. Fingers crossed nothing serious. A strong mark by Cordner on the goal line from a Zanker set shot resulted in a goal. 3 points down in the final minutes of the game, the girls played with desperation but didn't have the execution to get there. Some turnovers and an ill-advised speckie attempt in the last minute or so didn't help. You couldn't fault their effort though. Final Score: Casey: 5.1.31 Pies: 5.4.34 Casey's best were Birch (who curtailed Davey at times), Smith, Garner and Cordner. Heath was also particularly tenacious - could be a good stopper in the future. Next week is the bye - a chance to regroup.

Headed along to Casey today - as expected, a major drop in temperature since R7 of AFLW! I missed the start of the game and the Saints' first goal. Casey were able to trap the ball in fwd 50 for long periods of the game but were unable to capitalise. A lack of marks and linking play cost us the kinds of chances that have set us apart against lesser opposition. The Saints shut down that kind of play well. Some better finishing on the half-chances near the end would have made all the difference. In fact, similar to another team I watched Saturday night in that respect... The Saints girls' ability to spread and move the ball forward cleanly in the last 5 minutes was the difference as they scored two quick ones to win the game. Cordner (who mostly played back with a few stints forward), Heath (who did some intense tackling) and Kemp played their first VFLW games for the year. I find it near impossible to tell Kemp and Lampard apart so any good work I might attribute to one could easily have been the other! Zanker played much deeper forward but was well held for much of the game. Was off injured for a long time in the 3rd but did return. I liked the intercept work of McClean off half back. Aptly named Casey Sherriff put on a great tackle when the game was in the balance and also did some excellent yelling on the mark - absolutely forced the Saints player to spray it! Bentvelzen (who may have been a late change for Smith?) also put her body on the line at an important time in the last quarter and took a big hit. Emonson was the only goal scorer after a neat pass from Birch. Guerin, Jakobbson and Hanks worked hard for little reward. Final score: Casey 1.6.12 Saints 3.5.23 And so Casey slides to 4th, in a group of 5 teams with 3 wins (2 of those teams have only played 3 games). Next week is at Casey again on Sunday v Collingwood who are 3 and 1, and have some big names. A good start will be vital!

The Casey girls are 3 from 3 and remain top of the ladder. A bit deceptive since 2nd and 3rd have only played 2 games... and our wins have come against 3 of the current 4 bottom teams. I chose the MCG over the trek to Casey so don't have anything first-hand to report, but it seems like the girls again came home strong, kicking 5.4 to 0.0 in the 2nd half. Final score: Williamstown 2.1.13 Casey 7.6.48 Goalkickers: Williamstown: Kawa (2) Casey: Tatterson (2), Archer, Birch, Davies, Smith, Zanker Hanks and Sherriff played their first games of the VFLW season. Leading disposals: Birch (17), Emonson, Lampard, Sherriff (15), Hanks, Jakobsson, Smith (14). Next week is on Sunday at Casey v. Southern Saint who are 5th on the ladder. If I attend it'll probably be a 20 degree drop since last time I was there!

Aided again by the YouTube stream, I checked out our game v Carlton at Casey. After a slow start in the 1st quarter, our girls' superior ball movement began to dominate in the 2nd, on the foundation of some good tacking and contested ball work. We were able to hold the ball in the fwd 50 for long stretches, while the defensive structure worked very well to cut off many of the Blues' attempts to go forward. In particular, Lampard was again impressive, as was Bentvelzen as the game wore on. Keeping the Blues goalless in the 2nd and 3rd set up the game. Birch was concussed in the 3rd and took no further part (making it 2 big hits in 2 weeks, not ideal). Of the VFLW players, I liked the games of Hogg, Clayton and Archer, who went in hard. Guerin knows where the goals are and I look forward to her 2020 AFLW season - she's got good one-touch skills, which is very valuable at this level especially. And only 19. Of the other AFLW-listed players, Zanker was the stand-out for me. She did a lot of the ruck work to excellent effect and she's great at ground level too. A very versatile and competitive player who brings others into it around her. Jakobsson, Smith and Emonson were again all crucial players in our chain to goal, where we had a good spread of finishers. Final score Casey 7.8.50 Carlton 2.7.19 Casey Goalkickers: M. Guerin 2, K. Oates, T. Tatterson, K. Smith, R. Clayton, B. Winbanks As of Saturday night, we sit atop the ladder... enjoy it while it lasts. Next week is on Sunday v. Williamstown, in Williamstown.

I'm going to try to keep an eye on the Demon's efforts in the VFLW this year. Pretty sure I said that last year too! But I never did make a game live. I had so much focus on the guys' march to the finals! Might be a different story this year... Here's where the Melbourne AFLW listed players are listed for VFLW: Casey - Birch, Cordner, Cunningham, Downie, Emonson, Gay, Guerin, Hanks, Heath, Hore, Jakobbson, Kemp, Lampard, Mithen, Scott, Sherriff, Smith, Zanker Darebin - O'Dea, L.Pearce Williamstown - Newman Not listed - Paxman, Daisy, Sloane Of course, the extent to which some of these players will participate remains to be seen. As far as I can tell, it's still the rule that 12 AFLW listed players can be fielded per team. I'm not sure if there's a cap overall though? Anyway, I watched Round 1 on the stream delayed... once my heart rate returned to normal from the AFL men's game! It was a scrappy affair at Windy Hill for the first three quarters, with Essendon was able to capitalise on some defensive lapses at ground level. Emonson stood out to me in the first three quarters for her cleanness and ability to read the game. Birch took a big high hit but played out the game and looks a handy addition to the backline in 2020. Then came the last quarter and our players' desire to win was palpable. Essendon kicked the first to be 17 points ahead but after that the ball pretty much camped in our 50. I'm not across the VFLW players, but the Melbourne-listed players really did come to the fore. Zanker didn't hit the scoreboard but her pressure and ruckwork around the ground were excellent. Lampard was crucial in setting up some forward entries. Smith didn't always execute her passes but drove the intensity around the ball. Jakobsson plucked some crucial contested marks in the forward line... which again makes me wonder about her potential as a swing player. The real hero though was Guerin, who kicked a monster goal from just on the centre square that really sparked the last quarter comeback. Then she kicked truly for the match winner from a holding the player free kick with under a minute to play. She ended up with 3 goals. Just like with the men's game, I thought we were gone in the dying stages. Happy to be proven wrong twice in one day! That leaves Casey 5th on the ladder. Next week is at Casey v Carlton, who had a bye for Round 1.

I was sure that at least one of these would go, given the expansion, but here we are. Good news! A different Hickey! Yet to play, so another of the unproven ones. All up we have 20 signed, which leaves 7 places plus 3 rookies. I think the rookies can only be cross-coders.

The vast majority of our big names have signed on for 2020! The expansion teams can take up to 4 players total from us, so this is great news. Locked in are: Paxman (now a Club B&F winner and 3X All-Australian), O'Dea, Scott, Lampard, Cunningham, L.Pearce, Mithen, Newman, Hore, Emonson, Gay, Cordner, Smith, Zanker, Hanks, Guerin, Sloane, Sherriff Yet to sign: Jakobbson, Downie, Heath, Radan, Guest, Phillips, Kemp, Patterson, Woodland, Whitfort, Brancatisano, Hickey. And I guess technically Daisy? The only other trade news of note for us is Libby Birch of the Western Bulldogs supposedly requesting a trade to Melbourne.

Holding it out of reach of the other clubs... if only.

I still reckon some fans of other teams underrate his brilliance because a lot of what he does is so split-second that you can barely see it in the tv coverage, let alone at the ground. I say this every time an Oliver thread comes up, but in the 2017 season I was making GIFs of his best handballs but gave up in 2018 because there were just so many and it was actually really hard to capture even in a GIF!

Everyone could see from the get-go that it was a terrible idea, even if they managed to guess well enough to make even conferences - and yes, it would be a guess! It's nigh on impossible to know who will rise and fall from season to season, with expansion teams, the rate of improvement, the significant movement between clubs, the immediate influence of draftees. Having said that, they sure did make some weird choices based on teams' standings in the first 2 seasons. Regardless, it's not a true competition if all teams don't play each other once. It just isn't. The number 1 thing the AFL can do to improve the standard is to give teams the chance to play together for as many games as possible.

It's like having Knickers the cow X2

Just posting to move us along off 186.

I can't remember if we knew this already, but Bartlett mentioned in his B&F speech that this had been 2 or 3 years in the planning so far.

An excellent role model to our young players - wherever you are told to play on the field or at whichever level, give it your all and you'll end up much loved and well-respected. All the best, Cam.

What a night. What a win! I loved that our players' response to mistakes and missed shots or free kicks seemed to be to go harder again. Never dropped their heads or lost their cool too much, even as the points piled up. That mindset seemed pervasive enough to have been coaching instruction and I think it really prevented us from collectively ever being too overawed by the occasion, which could easily have been a problem. What I'll always remember from this game though is the relentless pressure we put on, especially early: the smothers, tackles, bumps, niggle, chase-downs. Amazing. And just so proud of our supporters. We really brought it from the first bounce too. There were clearly heaps of nerves and so many of us have been scarred by the past, but the volume of support we brought from the get-go really matched and (I like to think) reinforced the players' intensity. So I guess what I'm saying is well done us! Sweet dreams, demonlanders ?

People going to training doesn't matter. It's mainly the diehards that do that with any regularity (Although thank the gods for those on here who do and provide all the great reports!) Family Days, held at both Casey and our city training site, are what draws in families, kids, curious newcomers etc. and people are happy to make the extra effort for that - so long as they're held at a good time but that's another issue. I'd also love it if our women's team could play a true home game that wasn't a 3-hour commute for Dees fans in the northern suburbs. What we're looking for in a training ground is one that's got top-notch facilities, is centrally located for everyone, especially those who go there regularly - the players, coaches etc. - is connected to the administrative side of the club, and is a hub as the club's home in the city that bears our name. We want to grab people's interest where we can get it (including around Casey) and then convert that into memberships and game attendance. Who cares if those people watch training?

Since we're going deep dive on this, here's the Victorian heritage database report on Yarra Park, for some light reading. http://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/114751/download-report As you can tell just by walking through there, the physical heritage listed (scarred trees, substation etc.) would not be (directly) impacted by the proposed site.

Can't un-see that now! I wouldn't want that demon now either. Something more like the 80s one but in contrasting colours, sort of silhouetted where the monogram is now.

As a kid I loved what I think of as the 'hair on fire' version. Not so much now. I can see our current one but with a demon instead of the monogram. That way it has the best of both worlds, with the demon, and also the word 'Melbourne' being in there.

Was desperate as always during some really crucial plays late.

Tonight, it was me, but in a proud way. So courageous.

2016 Brownlow count, Round 19. Gawn is 11 votes behind the leader and gets the 3 votes against Gold Coast. (With some lip-reading) he can be seen confidently telling his teammates, "This is it, I'm coming!" What a legend.

Gosh. Now I feel like we didn't celebrate it enough!