It may have only been a practice match, but last Friday's St Kilda intra-club game marked the beginning of what promises to be a sensational season for a select group of 12 Scorpions chosen to fill in for some of the Saints injured stars.

11/02/08 - Mick Sharkie 

While it isn't the first time that some of Casey's best have taken the field to aid the Saints pre-season preparations, the match marked a changing of the guard for the Scorpions who have seen the departure of two of their favourite sons in Steve Harrison and Nigel Carmody, who had both been regulars in these sorts of matches in the past.
James Wall, Stefan Garrubba, Jaymie Youle, Steven O'Bryan, Alex Silvagni, Ben Fraser, Kyle Matthews, Adam Parker, James Taylor, Pat McGrath, Chris Dunne, and TAC Cup graduate Andrew Campbell, all took part in the 80 minute match, and demonstrated why they are considered by many close to the club to be the future "senior core" of the Scorpions.

The Casey representatives took the field in black alongside a mixture of Saints rookies and fringe senior players; their opponents in red, were billed as the strongest Saints line-up available, minus the injured or rested stars in Riewoldt, Hayes, Ball, Hudghton, and Goddard.
But despite the obvious challenge, the "Casey 12" showed their ability and indeed their potential, with the black team playing so well that a number of its members were asked to swap teams to "even the contest" during the second quarter.

Among the highlights from the Casey boys was a 70-meter torpedo goal unleashed by diminutive on-baller Kyle Matthews who shocked some ignorant Saints fans with his pace, skill and composure around the packs throughout the match. Kyle looks set for another terrific season in the VFL after training with Essendon prior to last years pre-season and rookie drafts.

Young forward Ben Fraser looked fit and strong and gave real presence around the fifty metre mark, signalling opposition defenders would have a lot on their plates this VFL season when trying to contain the athletic goal-kicker. Stefan Garrubba, who is no stranger to the AFL system having spent time as a Sydney rookie, and James Taylor displayed class and toughness through the midfield; the latter drawing grimaced "oohs" from the crowd after sending Saints tall forward Justin Kosichitzke for a stint on the bench following a textbook bump in the second quarter. 

Talented defender James Wall was rock-solid in various roles and more than held his own against the likes of Koschitzke, while Parker, Youle, McGrath, and Silvagni, showed why they are expected to make many senior appearances this season, particularly Silvagni, who managed to keep the monstrous Fraser Gehrig to just one goal.

After the match, James Taylor - now the longest serving Scorpions player on the team list - said his teammates welcomed the hit-out, and believed that the experience would give some of his younger team mates considerable confidence going into the new season.
"Sure a few blokes had a few nerves before the game, I think SOS (Silvagni) went white when he found out he was on Gehrig, but we all got a lot from the contest, we got a good reception from the crowd as well." Taylor said.
"All the guys have come on well during the pre-season and have improved since last season, so it looks like we could be in for a good year."

Taylor in particular became something of a crowd favourite last Friday, but had the 4000-odd Saints fans in attendance covering their mouths when he lined up stalwart Robert Harvey in the third term, having already taken the scalp of the injury-prone Koschitzke.
"I thought about it, but you can't do that to an ornament of the game can you? I wouldn't have got out of there alive!" Taylor said.

Senior coach Greg Hutchison was reportedly very pleased with the efforts of those players involved in Friday's game, and is expected to announce the senior leadership group in the next two weeks, as the club prepares for its first official practice match against the Northern Bullants on March 1st at Casey Fields.