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

2017 Peter Jackson VFL
Saturday, September 2, 2pm
Qualifying Final: Williamstown 18.10 (118) d Casey Demons 11.7 (73)
Burbank Oval, Williamstown 

From the coach …
“It was a disappointing result. It was very windy conditions and we were set the task of kicking with the breeze to start the game. We started slowly, and with a lack of energy, and Williamstown got off to a really good start. We were still finding out feet in the second quarter, and we were under the pump early in the game, but we were able to get the game back on our terms, even though we were around 50 points down. In the third term, we kicked eight unanswered goals – some of the best football we’ve played all year. We got back to within one point at three quarter-time, but we couldn’t maintain it in the final term, which cost us the game. So, in summary, we were good for a quarter and a bit, but were otherwise poor and Williamstown was deserving winners – they played the way it should’ve been played and ultimately won the game.” – Justin Plapp 

Angus Brayshaw: He had 36 disposals, including 23 contested possessions, 12 clearances and 11 inside 50s. Angus started slowly, but when we needed someone to stand-up, Gus was put in the middle of the ground and he won clearances. I thought he was best-on-ground, which was a credit to him. He really stood-up and sensed he had to do something for his team, so I couldn’t speak highly enough of his game.

Tom Bugg: Tom had 15 disposals, seven tackles, one clearance and kicked a goal. He copped a fair bit of attention on the weekend and was heavily tagged. We didn’t get the performance we wanted from Buggy. He didn’t have a lot of influence on the game, due to the attention he copped.

Liam Hulett: He had four disposals, four tackles and two inside 50s. Liam didn’t have any impact on the game and went missing for long periods. He didn’t give us a real threat forward of the ball, so it was a disappointing performance from Liam.

Dion Johnstone: Dion had 16 disposals, including 12 contested possessions, three tackles, three clearances, four inside 50s and one behind. DJ doesn’t have a lot of outstanding games, but he has consistent performances, where he does his bit. He provided some important moments in the game, where his pressure on the opposition, and on the ball, was evident. Dion is working on his finishing on the scoreboard, which is an area he’s building. He’s a first-year player who would’ve got a lot out of the game.

Declan Keilty: He had nine disposals, four contested possessions, three marks and two rebounds. It was a bit of a mixed bag from Declan. He started well, but in periods of the game, he had some goals kicked against him. Dec probably lowered his colours on the weekend, after a really good month. Late in the game, he let himself down a bit, which was disappointing. But we expect him to bounce back this weekend.

Ben Kennedy: He had 19 disposals, including 11 contested possessions, five tackles, six inside 50s and one goal. Benny copped a lot of attention from Williamstown and he worked tirelessly throughout the game. He kicked a really important goal in the third quarter that dribbled through from outside 60 metres. Benny was crook during the week and in bed, so for him to get up and play was a good effort.

Jay Kennedy-Harris: Jay had 14 disposals, four marks, seven tackles and two inside 50s. I was disappointed with Jay’s game on the weekend. He had inconsistent patches, although his tackling was good and he had some impact with his pressure. While he’s had a really good middle part of the season, he has dropped off a little bit, so we expect him to bounce back strongly this week.

Mitch King: Mitch had nine disposals, including five contested possessions, three tackles and 18 hit outs. We were severely beaten around stoppages. Williamstown’s Nick Meese really got hold of us, but Mitch would’ve learned a lot from that game. We would’ve liked to have seen a better outcome from the middle. We expect Mitch to respond this week.

Corey Maynard: Corey had 23 disposals, including 16 contested possessions, eight tackles and kicked one goal. He continues to improve – he’s ultra-consistent – and he gave us a lot of intensity and energy around the contest. Corey is fearless and he’s becoming well-respected among the group. He really busted his gut on the weekend – by the end of the game he was cramping. Overall, he was a really solid performer for us.

Billy Stretch: Billy had 23 disposals, four tackles, five clearances and five rebounds. He started slowly, but he was another player who needed to stand-up and he was able to find a lot of the ball and take us forward. He gave us a bit of energy and bounce off half-back. Billy’s third quarter was very good and we found out some other stuff about him this week, which was really positive.

Jake Spencer: Jake had six disposals, four tackles and 28 hit outs. We were disappointed with our rucks on the day and we needed Jake to perform better. With his experience, we expect Jake to bounce back and compete stronger this week.

Jack Trengove: Jack had 11 disposals, three tackles and four rebound 50s. It was one of the more quieter games I’ve seen from Jack. He made a really big tackle and hit the contest on several occasions. Although he didn’t have many possessions, his influence in the middle part of the game was strong.

Josh Wagner: He had 23 disposals, seven tackles and four clearances. Josh gave us a lot of energy throughout the game and some of his highlights included his intercept marking. His kicking was a little bit off – he turned it over a bit. But when we needed people to stand-up, we thought he was a contributor.

Sam Weideman: Sam had six disposals, three marks and one tackle. Although he presented well, he didn’t have a lot of impact on the game. Sam had his moments, but we didn’t get enough moments from him as a potential threat up forward.

2017 AFL Victoria Development League
Sunday, September 3, 11am
Casey Demons 9.14 (68) d Port Melbourne 5.13 (43)
Box Hill City Oval 

No Melbourne-listed players played in the Development League