CASEY coach Justin Plapp reviews the Melbourne-listed players who played in the VFL

2017 Peter Jackson VFL
Saturday, May 20, 7pm
Casey Demons 14.12 (96) d Port Melbourne 8.5 (53)
Casey Fields

From the coach …

“It’s amazing how your performance can go from one week to the next. We felt on Saturday night that a lot of the win was based around attitude, and a bunch of players who connected really well and played their role. We’ve been a bit disconnected through that area, because we’ve had some younger players and haven’t had some leaders due to injuries. So, we knew it was going to be a tough period, but our players really applied themselves and displayed great spirit and energy. Our game style really shone out through our contested ball and pressure. I was really pleased with the group and our leaders – they really stood up and took control. It was a really good result and it put our season back on track.” – Justin Plapp 

Liam Hulett: It was a change of role for Liam this week. He had 12 possessions, three marks, four tackles and kicked 2.1. We pushed Liam forward, after he’d been playing as a defender. He was able to give us a lot of energy and straightened us up a lot. We’d been lacking a marking forward in the past few weeks and he was able to present and compete, and put some pressure on the opposition and really help us. He was a pretty important player on the night, particularly around our structure. Liam showed some really positive signs on Saturday night, I reckon.

Dion Johnstone: Dion had six possessions, four tackles and four clearances. Whilst his numbers don’t look great, his energy and ability to put a lot of pressure on the opposition, created a lot of opportunities for us. We’re not really judging his game on possession output, particularly with the role he plays. He’s been able to show some really good signs over the last few weeks and we felt his game was exactly where we needed it. He really helped the team from that part of the game, so it was a good team role for us.

Declan Keilty: He had 10 possessions, four marks, seven tackles and 17 hit outs. It was a really strong performance from Declan. He’s really growing in that role – as a back-up ruckman to Mitch King. When he’s forward, he’s providing a really good option for us. The most pleasing thing about his game was his ability to follow up after contests and put some strong defensive pressure on the opposition. Seven tackles is a real highlight for Declan, but his ability to compete in the ruck and then up forward was really important.

Ben Kennedy: He had 26 possessions, eight marks, five tackles, eight inside 50s and kicked a goal. It was Benny’s best game for the year. He was really busy and played mainly as a high half-forward role and a little bit on the ball. The one thing about Benny is that he gives us a lot of intensity, when he’s around the ball. His finishing work, to create opportunities for us inside 50, was also strong. Ben’s pressure around the ball was clearly evident.

Jay Kennedy-Harris: Jay had 17 possessions, four tackles and four inside 50s. It was a funny game for Jay. He was able to have an impact in some parts of the game, but he had other areas where he went missing a bit. The challenge for Jay is that he’s a couple of weeks back from the AFL and we’re trying to settle him into some roles where he can get some consistency. He’s still a young, developing player and we know that he’s going to have some inconsistent performances. At times, he tries a little bit too hard and it can have impact his overall output. He’s like the rest of our younger players – we know he’s going to have some ups and downs, but there are some clear areas for him to work on.

Mitch King: He had eight possessions, three tackles, 17 hit outs and four clearances. You wait for a player to make his mark and really show what his strengths are and on the weekend Mitch clearly did. He rucked really strongly and jumped at the ball. His follow-up work was really strong and his ability to put some pressure on the ball, when it was in his area, was really pleasing. He’s coming off a long layoff, but in the past four weeks he’s been clearly building. It was his best game to date and he should get some confidence from it.

Jake Melksham: He had 34 possessions, six marks, eight tackles, eight clearances, eight inside 50s and kicked two goals. It was a pretty handy game from Melky. We gave him another role this week – it was his first back from a one-match suspension. He shut down and nullified one of the opposition’s key players and had 34 touches. Showed outstanding leadership and led by example, and really gave played an AFL game at VFL level, which should put him in good stead to be considered for AFL selection. We were really pleased with Melky. 

Alex Neal-Bullen: Alex had 37 possessions, three tackles, 13 clearances and seven inside 50s. He had a big impact on the game, playing around the ball, which is gave him plenty of opportunity. His ability to really crack in and be really strong around the ball, and give us some drive from clearance, was really important. Some kicking let him down in mid-forward connection – an area he’s working on, but his number suggested he had a dominant game, although he didn’t quite finish off some work at times.

Billy Stretch: He had 21 possessions, three marks, two tackles and two inside 50s. It was a typical game from Billy. He was strong in the air and around the ball, and gave us a lot of drive. He’s a really good teammate and the type of kid you want to play with, because he gives so much of himself to the team. After spending a few weeks back in the VFL, he made a bit of a statement on the weekend and he’s on the right track. We were happy with Billy.

Jack Trengove: He had 20 possessions, eight marks, seven tackles and three clearances. Jack continues to be very solid and we’re using him in a number of different roles – wing, on-ball and at half-back. He’s a player we have a lot of confidence in, which is important for him as he keeps building his game. At times it might seem frustrating for Jack, but he continues to be a really strong leader and a person that our players really respond to through his leadership and his ability to give so much of himself through team acts. He was really important for us on the weekend.

Mitch White: Mitch had 15 possessions, three marks, three tackles and three rebound 50s. He continues to build after missing a lot of football throughout the pre-season. We felt the areas of his game that we’re working with him on continued to improve. His ground level contest was strong and he used the ball really well. It was good to have Whitey back in the team, because we needed a player who gives us some stability down back. He provided that for our defenders and he provided some leadership, so it was a good performance from Whitey.

2017 AFL Victoria Development League
Saturday, May 20, 4pm
Port Melbourne 11.8 (74) d Casey Demons 6.17 (53)
Casey Fields

Lochie Filipovic: Unfortunately Flip only lasted five to 10 minutes of the game. He got a hip issue that will be assessed.


Next week …

Casey has the bye, as the VFL hosts the West Australian Football League at North Port Oval on Saturday, May 27. Plapp will coach the VFL team for the first time. He said it was an exciting opportunity to guide the competition’s best non-AFL-listed players …

“I’m really looking forward to it. It’ll be good to coach a bunch of players who are hungry to get a win for their state. The side has yet to be confirmed but Casey-listed player Bayley Fritsch is certainly in the mix. He’s had a really strong start to the season. Jack Hutchins, our Casey captain, will also come under consideration as well. What I’ve tried to do is equalise it with state footy. I think it’s important to have equal representation and my focus is to try and get that. That’s one of my objectives. It’s a different track for me, but I’m certainly looking forward to it.” – Justin Plapp