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

2017 Peter Jackson VFL
Saturday, June 17, 7pm
Casey Demons 10.15 (75) d Footscray 9.8 (62)
Casey Fields

From the coach …

“It was a pretty significant time for our club on the weekend – at AFL and VFL level. We were similar in the way we played and we game the results we wanted. I felt from a win point-of-view – it was our most significant team and four quarter effort over the course of the year. We went in with some clear priorities and KPIs, around the way we wanted the game to look. To our players’ credit, they did a magnificent job in playing the way that we needed them to. It took us the full 120 minutes to get the job done, but it was certainly not an easy night. It was very dewy and the conditions were tough for the players, but we felt we were able to play that part of the game better than Footscray. Our players really bought-in and enjoyed the win together. There was a lot of spirit shown, which was exciting for our club. I thought it was a very strong team performance and a very spirited performance.” – Justin Plapp 

Liam Hulett: He had six possessions, one mark, three tackles and one goal. In challenging conditions, Liam found it difficult to get into the game. It wasn’t through giving up – it was just one of those nights where we wanted him to be on the move and keep launching at the ball to create opportunities for himself. We really encouraged Liam to get involved in other parts of the game and that’s his focus moving forward.  

Dion Johnstone: Dion had 10 possessions, four tackles and four clearances. His past month of football has been really encouraging. He plays with a lot of intensity and the opposition certainly knows when he’s in the area, as he puts pressure on. We’re exposing him to a few different roles, which is a learning experience for him at the moment. He’s continues to develop as a first-year player.

Declan Keilty: Declan had nine disposals and they were all contested possessions, six tackles and two rebound 50s. He’s been playing forward and back-up ruck, when Jake Spencer was out of the team. It was a change of role for Declan this week – he started in the defensive six. I thought he looked really comfortable and he was able to impact some important high balls for us. His six tackles were a real positive.

Jay Kennedy-Harris: Jay had 33 disposals, including 14 contested possessions, 11 tackles, six clearances and one goal. Jay continues to impress at VFL level. His intensity and readiness for the contest was evident throughout the game. He’s been very good in recent weeks. Jay was composed and made good decisions. It was another step in the right direction in his development.  

Dean Kent: He had 27 disposals, including 10 contested possessions, two tackles and six inside 50s. Dean continues to play at a consistent level in the VFL. I thought his work around the contest and his ability to really open the ground up with his leg speed was a highlight for him. He’s in a pretty good space at the moment.

Mitch King: He had six disposals, four tackles and 10 hit outs. I thought when the game was on the line, Mitch was able to come onto the ground and play a really important role in us winning the game. He gave us a lot of energy when we needed him. Mitch certainly jumped into the opposition players – two more mature ruckmen that he was rucking against. He was able to follow up and put some pressure on the opposition and lay some tackles, which was pleasing.

Corey Maynard: He had 23 disposals, including 14 uncontested possessions, four tackles, seven clearances and kicked two behinds. Corey showed a lot of intensity around the contest. He was able to give us first possession out of stoppages and he gave us a lot of intensity, and a lot of contest to contest work. After the injury he went through, with the concussion, he’s responded really well and come back in good shape.

Jake Spencer: Jake had 12 possessions, 19 hit outs and four inside 50s. We felt that Jake, particularly around stoppages, was able to create a really good contest for us. He got his hands on the ball and we ended up being plus-24 in clearances, which is pretty significant. We thought his work was solid, but we’d like to get Jake more involved from a defensive point-of-view and take some more marks around the ground.

Billy Stretch: Billy had 24 disposals, including 17 contested possessions, eight tackles and 14 clearances. Looking at those numbers alone – it gives you a really clear understanding of where Billy’s strengths are. His work in and around the stoppages were really good. His contested work really tested the opposition and when he had the ball, it was a real highlight. Billy’s ability to take us forward was also a real positive. I thought he was the pick of the players.

Jack Trengove: Jack had 29 possessions, eight marks, seven tackles and seven rebound 50s. Over the past three weeks, Jack has been playing a new role and spending time at half-back. He continues to impress at VFL level and he was a really strong contributor for us. Jack again showed strong leadership and put himself in good positions and used the ball at a high level.

Josh Wagner: He had 28 disposals, including 19 contested possessions and four clearances. Josh’s past few weeks have at a really high level, which is not surprising because he’s a good player. He had a lot of impact on several areas of the game and was a real influence on the day.  

Sam Weideman: Sam had 11 possessions, four marks, three tackles and kicked one goal. His work over the past two weeks has been encouraging. He’s been able to free himself up and be able to hit-up at the ball. Sam’s changed a few things in his game, but he’s still a young, developing key forward and we’ve got to have some empathy around that. But he’s shown some positive signs in the past two weeks.

Mitch White: Mitch had 24 disposals, six marks, three intercept marks, four rebound 50s and one goal. I thought it was Mitch’s most consistent game for the year. We’d been working really hard with Whitey, around his consistency in the aerial ball and at ground level. We felt that he got it right on the weekend and he was really able to get his hands on the ball and take us forward. He was a really strong leader in the way we organised behind the ball. I was really pleased with Mitch’s efforts.

2017 AFL Victoria Development League
Casey Demons – Bye