CASEY begins its 2022 VFL campaign on Sunday when it takes on Sandringham at Casey Fields as it looks to continue on from a solid start to 2021.

The Demons won seven of their first nine games last season to sit in fifth spot when the competition was called off due to COVID complications.

Now heading into his second year at the helm at Casey, coach Mark Corrigan is excited to get back into another VFL campaign and foster an environment focused on development and strong connections.

“I feel like the main focus this pre-season has been to build trust amongst our list for when they go out and play, it’s continually building and progressing,” Corrigan told Melbourne Media.

“The pre-season has been as relatively smooth as we could’ve hoped for given the lay of the land at the moment – we’re just trying to be in a better place this week than we were a month ago.”

Corrigan will have to navigate his side into the VFL finals once again without some experienced heads, with Casey life member Jack Hutchins deciding to leave the Demons and Zac Foot moving to Southport.

The Demons coach admits both departures “are going to be a loss, certainly for their football talents but also for who they are as people”.

But Casey is already looking forward to giving opportunities to its younger brigade, including Roan Steele (Frankston YCW), Tyler Edwards (Rowville) and Matthew Buntine (GWS).

“There’s a couple of guys who are out, but we feel that the likes of Matthew Buntine coming in, who’s been enormous in that space not just on the field but also in a leadership capacity and as a person, will fill the void,” Corrigan said.

“Then we’ve got players like Roan Steele and Tyler Edwards who we are more than happy to see become their replacements.”

Corrigan is particularly bullish about Steele, who joins the Demons after winning the best and fairest in his first season of senior footy at Frankston YCW last year.

Out of the many VFL young players who have come in during the pre-season and put their hand up for some early opportunities, the Casey coach likes what Steele has to offer.

“Roan certainly hasn’t put a foot wrong this pre-season, he’s had a couple of training sessions with the AFL list and put his hand up,” Corrigan said.

“The hard part is spots are partly determined by the strength of the AFL list, but he’s definitely impressed."

Another player who has caught the eye of Casey’s coaching staff is young Corey Ellison, who Corrigan describes as “having put himself in a really good position physically” after getting a taste of VFL footy last year.

“He’s had an unbelievable off-season physically and the way he’s come back, I’m hoping he continues to take the next step and for his sake the hard work pays off so he can cement himself as a VFL footballer,” Corrigan said.

Alongside the ever-reliable group of mature players including James Munro, Mitch White, Jack Bell and Aidan Quigley, Corrigan has plenty to be opportunistic about when he throws in the likes of AFL recruits Blake Howes and Taj Woewodin.

“Both Blake and Taj have been super in their pre-season and haven’t missed a beat," Corrigan said.

“In each practice match they’ve showed continual development and progression in their roles - we’re not putting a ceiling on where they can get to by the end of the year.”

As coach of a VFL side that directly feeds into the reigning AFL premiers, Corrigan’s role can be broken down into three parts in 2022.

Alongside providing an environment where those playing with the Demons can continue developing and contributing positively to Melbourne’s AFL program, Corrigan is keen to build a winning mentality and culture that feeds off Melbourne’s recent success.

Casey will also be looking to give opportunities to local level players to unearth more “mighty fine VFL players” who can put their hand up in an AFL capacity down the line.

“For me it’s more about providing an environment where the players can all get the best out of themselves as footballers and as people,” Corrigan said.

“It sounds a bit cliché but honestly that’s where it sits.

“I want to make sure the boys have some ownership in what they’re doing when they come here from a VFL capacity, but then they can also come down and enjoy themselves, which often leads to them playing their best footy and contributing to a fun environment.

“It’s about creating an environment where they can thrive and prosper, but also hold each other to account to some really high standards that we want to meet.”

A relatively clean bill of health on the AFL list means Corrigan is expecting a successful year at Casey.

The main coaching point for 2022 is ensuring the Demons can play their brand of footy consistently over four quarters in each game, having only seen glimpses of his side’s best form in their three practice matches.

“We mirror what the AFL side does really closely, as we want to help those playing in the VFL transition into playing AFL,” Corrigan ssaid.

"So it makes sense to play in a very similar fashion, which includes being strong in and around the contest and trying to play the game in our half.

“We’ll be looking to do that more consistently than what we have done in the first few practice matches. We want to go out there and do it repeatedly over two hours – that’s where the challenge will lie for us this season.”

Casey’s season kicks off on Sunday at Casey Fields against Sandringham, which begins a handy start to the campaign that doesn’t require the Demons to travel interstate.

Corrigan is hopeful his side can get on a roll early and carry momentum into the middle parts of the season.

“There are certainly opportunities to get some wins on the board early as we’ve got a few home games and don’t have to travel early on,” he said.

“We’ll just be focusing on what we’re trying to do and doing it really well, and hopefully that delivers the right outcome for us.”

The Demons' opening round clash with the Zebras kicks off at 1.05pm on Sunday.