IN the aftermath of a hard-fought Round 3 performance, VFL coach Rhett McLennan offered his reflections on the contributions of AFL-listed players following Casey’s four-point win over Box Hill at Casey Fields.
Max Heath
(21 disposals, 42 hit outs, 6 marks, 4 clearances)
“Max has been awesome. He’s probably been our best on ground in each of our first four matches.
“He’s done everything we’ve asked of him and more. His ruck work has been fantastic, and he’s providing a real presence down the line as well.
“He continued to compete really strongly around the ground, and took an important mark late on.”
Matthew Jefferson
(3 goals, 16 disposals, 5 marks)
“Jeffo’s first half, especially his first quarter, was really ominous.
“He ran, jumped at the ball and used his athleticism really well. We were really pleased with how he competed in the air.
“It’s now about building that body of work underneath him.”
Andy Moniz-Wakefield
(16 disposals, 5 tackles, 5 marks)
“He had some really good moments defensively, and his tackling and ability to defend were really pleasing.
“It probably wasn’t his best game by foot, but given it was his second game back from injury, there were a lot of positives to take out of it.”
Jed Adams
(6 disposals, 3 marks, 3 tackles)
“Jed had a tougher day, but it certainly wasn’t his worst.
“He found himself in a few 2v1s deep in defence, often without much support, but still had some really strong moments in the air and competed well defensively.”
Aidan Johnson
(4 goals, 14 disposals, 5 marks, 2 tackles)
“AJ finished with four goals and competed hard all day. His desperation and appetite for the contest really stood out.
“He was able to impact in the ruck as well, especially in the first half as a relief option.”
Xavier Taylor
(15 disposals, 6 marks, 2 tackles)
“Xavier played his best game in the red and blue.
“He took on a direct match-up on Calsher Dear and did really well. He read the ball strongly, took some intercept marks and used it well.
“It’s a really positive starting point for what a future AFL role could look like.”
Jack Henderson
(14 disposals, 3 marks)
“Jack’s running was really strong, playing predominantly through the midfield.
“His work at ground level was clean, and his ability to move away from the contest after winning it was really good.
“He used the ball well by foot and had a solid overall performance.”
Thomas Matthews
(1 goal, 5 tackles)
“Tommy played more midfield, which he’s not as accustomed to, but we wanted to stretch him.
“He played with a lot of energy and had a really important moment where he was able to draw a free kick and help us get a few goals ahead.
“It’s about continuing to build consistency across four quarters for him.”
Riley Onley
(11 disposals, 3 marks)
“Riley didn’t get a lot of the footy, but his running patterns were strong.
“When he impacted contests at speed, he was really hard to stop with his size and power.”
“There are a couple of moments he’d like back, but there were definitely positives in how he competed.
Ricky Mentha
(7 disposals, 4 tackles)
“Ricky’s defensive work was a lot better this week.
“He defended his man well and showed improvement in how he played his role.
“He didn’t have as much impact offensively as he would have liked, but the defensive side of his game was a big step forward.”
Luker Kentfield
(4 goals, 4 marks, 6 hitouts)
“Luker was really good and brought his strengths to the game.
“He competed well in the air and finished his work strongly.
“He also spent some time in the ruck in the second half and was able to support us there, while also helping out defensively.”
Oscar Berry
(3 disposals, 3 tackles)
“It’s important to remember this was only Oscar’s second game of home and away football since he was 15.
“He was harder to play against this week and used the footy really solidly when he had it.
“He’s learning and improving each week, which is really pleasing.”
The Casey Demons will next take on the Brisbane Lions on April 19 at Casey Fields.
