He’s been back, he’s been forward, but now Mitch White is in the thick of it in 2022. He talks about the midfield change and how his Demons are enjoying their unbeaten start to the VFL season.

 Mitch White embodies everything about the Casey Demons. Unrelentingly tough, smart in dire situations and an open and honest leader who just loves the club. This approach has held him in good stead throughout much of his footy career to date. But now it’s also helped him make a quickfire adjustment to one of the more challenging positions the game has to offer.

You don’t just become a midfielder overnight. It takes hours of fitness work, seasons of reading the game and innate ability. Only four players go into the centre at a time for a ball-up, so it’s not a spot that any old footy player can play. But Mitch White has taken to the centre of the ground like a duck to water, and is flourishing as a game-changing midfielder in 2022 for Casey.

The Casey stalwart is averaging 20 disposals a game so far this season, including hauls of 26 and 27 touches in the past two weeks as the Demons sit atop the VFL ladder. He’s also slotted 10 goals in the first five matches, showing that the former defender is now an on-baller who can hit the scoreboard regularly.

The former Melbourne AFL listed defender who played four matches at the top level is happy with the way he’s adjusted to the positional change.

“It’s been a bit of a different year for myself,” White told Casey Media. “I’ve moved into the midfield for the first time and have been learning the ropes to it.”

“I probably played two games before this year in the midfield. It was something we spoke about last year, now I’m just trying to learn as much as I can at the moment.”

Despite feeling like he’s “wandering around most of the time” without knowing what he’s doing, White said he’s fortunate to have classy role models to learn off when it comes to midfield craft. When it comes to the “effort and intent and the want to hunt bodies”, White points to fellow Casey veteran Jimmy Munro as an influence on how to win the contested ball.

“But Jimmy isn’t the one you go to for your technical side of the game,” White laughed. “His tenacity around the footy is definitely something I try to shape my game on though.”

“In terms of the technical stuff, I’ve been surrounded by the quality of Jake Melksham and Luke Dunstan so far, who I’ve been trying to pick up little things off from what they do.”

Along with midfield coach Taylor Whitford, White said he is adjusting to not having the ball come in at one direction. He’s quickly learnt that his fitness and old defensive habits have made him a unique midfielder.

“As a midfielder you have to try and keep yourself in the game with your running capabilities,” White said.

“It’s something I’m getting used to. I still tend to run more defensive patterns, but we’ve been swapping it around so I’m not getting stuck in any single role.”

In White’s words, it’s leading to the Casey skipper “getting on the end of a few goals” and making an impact as a versatile midfielder. But White is quick to divert from his own game, instead praising the next crop of young kids who have come through.

The Demons captain said local prospect Roan Steele “has been massive despite the hype around him”. Steele and another young defender have caught White’s eye so far in 2022.

“Steele showed in the pre-season he was up to the level and has so far proven it as he’s slotted straight in and played his role to a tee,” White said.

“Corey Ellison is someone who continues to get better and better, it’s easy to forget he’s only 21 and holding down a key position role at VFL level.”

From the AFL draftees who have come through Casey in 2022, White chose the injured Blake Howes and Taj Woewodin as two prospects to keep an eye on.

Having played for Melbourne from 2015 to 2017, White knows better than most about the culture at Casey Fields. He said its current success is evident.

“The program at Melbourne is clearly working from what they’re putting out,” he said.

“I’d say it’s the best in the business at the moment, the current crop of players are really thriving under it.”

Although he’s been the Casey captain for a while now, White is adamant the role of leading the club is not too different from any other experienced player. He’s still intent on playing his own role and “taking on the extra responsibilities of driving the standards” for an emerging crop of players.

White’s leadership came to the fore in Round 5, when he kicked two goals and led his Demons to a stirring Anzac Day eve blockbuster victory over the Tigers. The 23-point win over a fellow contender was settled in the final term when White kicked a great right foot goal from a stoppage. But despite toppling another flag contender, the Demons captain isn’t getting too far ahead of himself.

“It was an arm wrestle for most of the game, but it never really felt like we were out of it,” White said.

“We were clear on what we were doing wrong and we had the confidence to know we could adapt and change depending on what Richmond threw at us.

“It worked for us this week. We were able to get on top of a Richmond side that was playing good footy, which was pleasing.”

Casey has had a red-hot start to 2022, sitting as the only team yet to lose a game. Having been part of two Demons Grand Final losses at VFL level, White is hellbent on fixing the record and becoming a premiership captain. Yet he’s not casting his eyes ahead to the end of the season anytime soon.

“I love playing with the Casey boys, it’s why I’m still down there,” he said.

“I love the group that we’ve got, we’re playing good footy but the idea of a flag is a fair way away right now.

“I’ll just keep helping the guys who come down in their development and we’ll see how we go from there.”