FOLLOWING Casey’s Round 8 clash against St. Kilda, VFL coach Rhett McLennan provided his reflections on the contributions of AFL-listed players.
Tom McDonald
(33 disposals, 12 contested possessions, 14 intercept possessions, 8 marks)
“Tom McDonald was fantastic. He had 33 touches, which is a huge game. He did everything we asked of him, his leadership around the younger guys was great.”
Jack Henderson
(19 disposals, 2 goals)
“Jack played mostly forward this week and kicked two goals. He had a lot of score involvements, laid five tackles and worked really hard both on and off the ball. He’s ready to play if he gets the call-up in the AFL.”
Kalani White
(9 disposals, 9 hit outs, 4 intercept possessions, 4 tackles)
“It was a tough game for Kalani. He played against some big ruckmen and stronger bodies, which made it a challenging matchup. He had a couple of really good moments throughout the game, and it was another really valuable learning experience for him. He’s getting great exposure with how young our list is.
Oscar Berry
(14 disposals, 4 marks)
“I was really happy for Oscar in regard to making the move back after a couple of weeks playing forward. He did everything we asked of him, defended really well, got some footy on the way out and showed he can play at VFL level, which is really pleasing for us and him.”
Ricky Mentha Jr
(11 disposals, 4 marks)
“Ricky’s first half was pretty good. He faded a little in the second half but showed some really positive signs. When he was elusive, he used the footy well and had some good defensive moments. We’d probably like a little bit more, but he’ll be better for the run.”
Riley Onley
(12 disposals, 5 marks)
“Riley started the game really well and, like a lot of the team, had some flatter patches throughout the game where he wasn’t able to impact as much. We’re working on his defensive craft and the side of the game he probably hasn’t had a lot of experience with in junior footy, but he’s trying to learn and improve.”
Xavier Taylor
(14 disposals, 5 marks)
“Xavier is getting better with his defensive craft. There were some good signs from an offensive point of view with the way he carried the footy and used it at times. It’s going to be a work in progress in terms of how he learns to win his position at the highest level.”
Tom Matthews
(2 goals, 7 disposals)
Tom played mostly as a small forward, spending the majority of the game deep inside our forward line. He kicked two goals and had a stronger second half after a quieter start. It was a great learning experience for him in understanding how to stay involved in the game.
Luker Kentfield
(4 disposals, 2 goals)
“Luker kicked two goals, which was pleasing considering the amount of inside 50s we had. He probably got out marked more than he would’ve liked. The delivery to him was a little bit haphazard at times, but he made the most of his opportunities. He probably could’ve contested the footy a little bit better.
