Draw adds sting to Scorpions

By Marc McGowan
CASEY Scorpions general manager Brian Woodman is hailing the club’s 2009 VFL draw as ‘one of its best’.
The Scorpions face their former St Kilda teammates first up next year when they travel to Trevor Barker Oval to take on Sandringham on 12 April.
The two VFL clubs swapped AFL affiliates this year, with Casey and Melbourne joining forces.
Woodman was thrilled with the club’s 11 Sunday games, including seven at Casey Fields, and the better link between its senior and reserves matches.
“We specifically wanted more Sunday games to get the local football crowd to come and watch us,” he said.
“We’re unsure of how many Melbourne supporters there are in the region, but hopefully they’ll get behind the fixture and support us as well.”
The Scorpions’ first home game is a night fixture in round-two against Port Melbourne on 18 April.
That contest is Casey’s only one at Casey Fields in the opening month of the season and it will have to wait until after the bye to play its second match at home on 17 May.
“Our early home games are a bit spread out, but we only have nine home games this season (due to Tasmania leaving the VFL and the season being two games shorter), so we expected them to be a bit scattered,” Woodman said.
Meanwhile, last year’s leading Scorpions goalkicker Chris Dunne is taking 2009 off to travel overseas.
Dunne is the only significant departure from the club, but St Kilda discards Shane Birss and Matthew Ferguson, who were both recruiting targets, have signed with SANFL club West Adelaide.