CASEY coach Justin Plapp reviews the Melbourne-listed players who played in the VFL and the AFL Victoria Development League

“IT WAS a typical winter’s day. It was rainy, cold and it was wet weather footy, so it was going to be a decent contest, because that’s the way Frankston like to go about their footy – so it was always going to be a good test for us. We felt that we controlled most of the game, up until the third quarter, when they (Frankston) got in harder and a lot stronger around the footy for about 10 to 15 minutes. But then we got control again and we felt the score line should have been a lot more than what it was – we ended up having 20 more scoring shots on the day. Overall, we didn’t have any passengers with our boys and I think the strength of our success at VFL level will be with the weight of numbers [from Melbourne]. But everyone played their role and to the level we need them to play at – that’s a really impressive thing from our players.” – Justin Plapp

VFL: Casey Scorpions 13.21 (99) d Frankston 5.9 (39), Casey Fields

Rohan Bail: Rohan played his best game for the season. He had 25 possessions and kicked three goals. He played through the midfield, so he’s put his hand up to move up from the VFL.

Jack Fitzpatrick: I think he played his best game to date this season. He’s playing a new role at the moment and we’re trying to educate him to play centre half-back. He took 11 marks and six or seven or those were from opposition kicks. Fitzy’s had a bit of a change of scenery and his past two weeks have been really impressive, so we’ve been really happy with his output.

Max Gawn: Gawny had the opportunity to really hit the scoreboard, but he ended up kicking 1.4. He was really strong in the ruck, but when he went forward, he had a really big influence on the game. His inaccuracy probably cost him from having a really good game.

Jack Grimes: Grimesy is just a professional bloke. You certainly know what you’re going to get from Jack week in, week out. He’s put his hand up for selection and he’s right in the mix, if given the opportunity.

James Harmes: Harmesy just keeps on getting better and better every week. He’s up against some pretty good talent, so his opportunity to play in the midfield, which is his position of strength, is going to be limited. The time that he’s played in there at the moment has been good and he’s been a real improver over the pre-season. He’s another kid we’ve been really, really happy with. He understands he needs to keep working hard on his game, but he’s a good kid that has some good attributes, so I’ve been happy with him.

Matt Jones: Jonesy was good. He played through the midfield and did some classy things. We were happy with his performance.

Jordie McKenzie: Jordie is another one who continues to give a really consistent effort. He’s a really flexible player for us and he led our tackle count – he had more than 15 tackles, which was a great performance.

Viv Michie: Viv traveled with the AFL team to Adelaide as its emergency, but then he came back and played with us. He ended up being one of our best players again. His past three weeks have been excellent, so we’ve been really happy with his performances.

Cameron Pedersen: Cam has really backed up some performances at VFL level, providing a real target up forward. He kicked a couple of goals and took some really strong, contested marks. He really applied himself and played his role to the level we expect, so he was very impressive.

Aidan Riley: Aidan has put two or three really strong performances together. He’s another midfielder who has got to wait for his opportunity and keep stringing games together. After an interrupted pre-season, he’s come to form really quickly. He’s another one who is working really hard on different aspects of his game, and has been a really solid performer for us.

Jake Spencer: Jake has strung two or three really, really good performances together. He’s another who is waiting for his opportunity. He’s been really impressive. His follow up work and his work around the ground has been exceptional, so we’ve been happy with that.

Billy Stretch: Billy is a very impressive young man. He’s super coachable and he’s a really smart kid. He’s got a really good balance between offense and defence. Billy’s a young man who we know is going to take a bit of time, but he’s earning his spot in the team. It’s a credit to the kid, because he’s lightly-framed, but he’s a very compliant young man and we’re very happy with the way he’s going.

Dean Terlich: He had an interrupted pre-season, but it was his third game back. Dean’s past two games defensively have been really good and at the level we expect it to be at. He’s really building and we’re really happy with where he’s at, at the moment.

Jimmy Toumpas: The Toump got dropped two weeks ago, but he has had two really solid performances back at VFL level. Jimmy’s won high possessions and a lot of the ball, and has been working really hard on his craft.

AFL Victoria Development League: Casey Scorpions 17.15 (117) d Frankston 2.3 (15), Casey Fields

Max King: Kingy probably played his best game for the club. He ended up having 21 possessions and took seven or eight marks. Three or four of those were really strong, contested marks. He kicked a couple of goals, so for a young developing key forward/ruckman that was his best game to date. We were really impressed with his output.

Oscar McDonald: Oscar is going through a real development phase with his footy. Physically, he needs to continue to develop. He played a really good game on the weekend, so he’s put his hand up to get an opportunity in the VFL. We’ve been pleased with his progression.

Alex Neal-Bullen: Alex played his first game for the club on the weekend. He only played 50 per cent of the game. It was more about getting some game time into him. He really showed why the Demons took him in last year’s draft. He’s certainly a clean, inside player, who finishes really well. He’s going to be really exciting and really important for the club.

Mitch White: He’s a rookie who is building his game. He’s got to keep working hard on his craft, so he’s another one is developing. He gives good effort and he’s got a hard edge about him, so we’ve been really happy with him as well.