Nathan Jones
Nathan played 22 games and had a very consistent season, showing improvement in all areas of his game which were required by the coaching staff.  I was really happy with the way Nathan handled being tagged, particularly in the latter part of the season.  Again, it was a credit to him for getting tagged, because opposition teams only tag good players.  I thought from a leadership point of view that Nathan was outstanding - obviously he was elected in the leadership group, and some of his leading, particularly by example, and allowing others to follow from his attitude and the way he worked, was excellent. - Brian Royal (midfield coach)

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE %	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I 50	T	C
2012	20	65	12.6	12.0	24.6	76.4	10.3	14.5	2.1	0.8	0.9	3.5	4.5	5.6
Career Average		73.8	10.6	10.1	20.7	73.3	7.1	13.8	3.1	0.5	0.8	3.3	3.2	3.1

Clint Bartram
Clint played the first eight rounds, and was very consistent.  He was able to defend, he was able to play long minutes, and his ball use was effective in that period of time.  He succumbed to a knee injury which is taking a long time to rehabilitate, but he’s a very popular member amongst the group, highly respected and part of our leadership group. - Jade Rawlings (backline coach)

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE %	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I 50	T	C
2012	8	67	8.5	5.3	13.8	76.4	5.4	8.4	5	0.1	0.4	0.3	3.6	0.6
Career Average		57.6	7.1	6.4	13.6	75.4	4.5	9.3	3.8	0.2	0.4	0.3	3.2	0.9

Jack Watts
Jack was thrust into the backline in Round Eight against Sydney, and had an immediate impact.  He was able to grasp the requirements and fundamentals of playing down back very quickly, and was No. 1 in the AFL between Round Eight and Round 15 for winning the ball back off the opposition.  He suffered an ankle injury against Richmond in Round 15, from which he played the game out, but it cost him six weeks.  Jack’s last three weeks were below the standard that he’d set earlier in the year, but we were very pleased with the mentality of his wanting to get back and play and not just write the season off.    He has shown major gains in his approach to being an AFL player, and we have very high hopes of what he can achieve as an AFL player.  The pre-season is critical for Jack being able to command his spot in the team, being able to play 22 rounds plus finals, and playing long minutes. - Jade Rawlings (backline coach)

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE %	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I 50	T	C
2012	15	85	9.9	8.6	18.5	80.9	7.5	10.5	5.5	0.3	0.4	1.4	1.5	0.7
Career Average		69.5	8.7	6.7	15.4	76.4	5.9	9.8	5.2	0.7	0.7	1.7	1.7	0.5

Jordan Gysberts
Jordan had a really tough pre-season last year.  He worked really hard to get up to an AFL level of conditioning and strength, and then unfortunately developed a broken jaw and a quad injury in the first half of the year, which really impacted the amount of games that he played.  He came back in Round 11, and started to put together a good block over four or five weeks to put himself back into contention to play AFL footy again, and was rewarded with a game in Round 19 against the Gold Coast.  Gyssie’s really improved his running, which has again helped with him playing consistent footy in the second half of the year.  He’s a very good stoppage player, very good inside player, and just needs to keep working on that balance to become an inside/outside player.  Pre-season is going to be really important for Gys, to make sure that he can try and get through uninterrupted from injury - if he does that, he’ll keep progressing to being the AFL player that he’s capable of being. - Aaron Greaves (midfield development coach)

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE %	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I 50	T	C
2012	1	28	5	4	9	55.6	2	7	4	0	0	1	4	1
Career Average		72	8.9	10.2	19.1	70	7.3	12	3.6	0.2	0.5	2.2	3.8	3.5

Matthew Bate
Matthew Bate played twelve AFL games this year.  He just brings a real professional and high performance approach to his footy, week after week, and consistently works to get the best out of himself.  Bater’s played some really good roles for us through the midfield, wing and half forward area, and has just used his offensive spread and his ability to get out in space on a turnover.  He’s also given us a strong body around the footy, and helped us in the contested area.  Bater just needs to keep working on his efficiency with the footy, making sure that he’s clean at hitting targets.  When he can do those things, he’s going to go to the next level with his footy. - Aaron Greaves (midfield development coach)

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE %	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I 50	T	C
2012	12	57	9.1	4.7	13.8	70.9	5.1	8.7	5.3	0.7	0.4	3	2.4	1.3
Career Average		71.3	8.8	6.8	15.7	71.5	5.6	10.2	5.4	1	0.9	3.3	2.8	1

player this year in the first of an exclusive nine-part season review

Jamie Bennell
After a promising pre-season, Jamie demonstrated at VFL level that he is able to be a rebound defender who takes the game on with his run and carry. While this form didn’t translate regularly at AFL level, Jamie was just starting to play with the speed and energy required to make his mark in the senior team when he was cut down with a season ending knee injury. - Andrew Nichol (backline development coach)

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE%	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I50	T	C
2012	6	29	3.2	2	5.2	77.4	2.2	3	2.2	0.5	0.2	0.3	2	0.3
Career Average		47.9	5.8	4.6	10.4	75.4	4	6.6	2.9	0.4	0.5	1.7	1.9	0.5

James Frawley
James had a very solid season.  He took on the key forwards, week in, week out, and predominantly held his own.  James suffered from some niggling injuries throughout the season, which he handled particularly professionally, and was still able to perform under duress.  James is striking the balance between how to defend and how to attack - he needs a good rest.  He will benefit from the eight weeks’ rest, and will really throw himself into the pre-season. - Jade Rawlings (backline coach)

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE%	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I50	T	C
2012	19	75	11.3	4.2	15.5	80.3	4.6	9.7	5.1	0	0.3	1.4	2.4	0.2
Career Average		67.2	9.3	5.8	15.1	79.6	4.4	9.9	4.8	0	0.1	1	2	0.3

Jack Trengove
Jack played 22 games, and by his own admission, he was probably disappointed in his early form.  There’s no doubt that, being a first up captain of the Melbourne Football Club, he put a lot of pressure on himself, which at times probably affected his on-field performance.  However, I thought that as the season went on, Jack coped with this far better, and certainly his on ground performance improved enormously.  Jack really focused heavily on the defensive aspects of his game, because as a leader he felt that he needed to lead in this area.  I was really pleased with Jack’s attitude throughout the course of the season, particularly as a leader of the Melbourne Football Club. - Brian Royal (midfield coach)

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE%	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I50	T	C
2012	22	74	9	8.6	17.7	66.6	6.7	10.6	4	0.4	0.7	2.4	4.5	1.8
Career Average		79	9.5	9.5	19	69.3	7.6	11.3	4.1	0.5	0.7	2.5	4.6	2.3

Cale Morton
Cale Morton broke into the AFL side and played eight games this year.  He put together a real block of consistency, playing as an inside mid around Rounds 4, 5 and 6, and showed some real glimpses that he could develop into an inside midfielder.  His ability to run and spread, and to get out in space, is as good as any player on our list, and Cale just needs to continue to develop his contested areas.  Unfortunately he sustained a shoulder injury against Gold Coast, which interrupted the end part of his season, but Cale will have a strong summer, working on getting his strength back and getting his body ready again for an AFL season in 2013.  Cale played a number of roles in the VFL - back, midfield, as a tagger - and again, just showed his versatility.  Cale just needs to keep developing that consistency in his game. - Aaron Greaves (midfield development coach)

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE%	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I50	T	C
2012	9	57	10.1	6.3	16.4	66.9	4.7	11.7	3.9	0.2	0.3	2.4	2.2	2.2
Career Average		70	11	8.3	19.3	72.6	4.6	14.8	5.9	0.5	0.7	2.3	1.7	1.1

Mitch Clark
Mitch was in great form before getting injured. His ability to compete and mark the footy was a highlight, and he kicked multiple goals in most of his games. As well as being in the leadership group in his first year, Mitch was a real leader with actions on the field. He is working very hard on his rehabilitation in order to be ready for another good pre-season. - Leigh Brown (forward line coach)

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE%	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I50	T	C
2012	11	83	9.8	2.8	12.6	62.6	6.9	5.8	4.8	2.6	0.6	2.2	1.9	1.3
Career Average		76.4	8.1	5.3	13.5	72.2	5.6	7.8	5	1	0.7	2.3	2.6	1.6

player this year in the first of an exclusive nine-part season review

Colin Sylvia
Colin had an injury riddled pre-season.  He came back from his break with a slight calf strain, and then took some time to overcome that.  I feel that this had an effect on the early part of Col’s season, which wasn’t great.  However, I felt that, after the mid-season break, we played Colin in the midfield a lot more, and his consistency of performance was far better than in the first half of the year.  Col’s challenge going forward is to firstly get a really good pre-season under his belt to get his body up to elite AFL standards, to continue to play in the midfield, and to have a presence for the Melbourne Football Club.- Brian Royal (midfield coach)

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE%	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I50	T	C
2012	17	80	10	7.9	17.9	67.2	8	10.2	3.5	0.9	0.9	3.5	3.8	2.6
Career Average		76	10.3	6.6	16.9	70.1	6.8	10.3	4.7	0.9	1	3.6	3.3	2

Jordie McKenzie
It was a pleasure to coach Jordie.  Jordie played twenty games - mostly as a tagger - for the Melbourne Football Club.  Jordie’s attention to detail with all aspects of his football was outstanding. He often tagged the best players in the competition, and there weren’t too many occasions where he didn’t get the job done.  Jordie’s ability to be able to win the contested footy in his own right is certainly a strength of his game, and I thought that the way that he went about it with his defensive aspects - particularly his tackling - led the way for a lot of teammates.  - Brian Royal (midfield coach)

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE%	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I50	T	C
2012	20	65	8.4	8.7	17	64.5	8.1	8.7	1.5	0.2	0.4	2	5.8	3.9
Career Average		73.8	6.9	11.2	18.1	71.2	8.5	9.6	1.9	0.1	0.4	2.1	6.2	3.6

Lynden Dunn
After not being able to find a permanent position in the AFL senior team, Lynden was put down back in Round 13 against GWS, and has not looked back.  He has commanded a position in the backline, and showed great ability to win contests.  He was very disciplined, and gave us good drive and rebound from the backline.  Lynden was one of the most improved players for 2012.  He should look forward to the pre-season, knowing that he’s locked down a spot within the team.  - Jade Rawlings (backline coach)

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE%	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I50	T	C
2012	18	64	9.1	4.6	13.7	77.2	4.3	8.1	3.8	0.5	0.6	2.2	2.6	0.5
Career Averages		64.3	8.3	4.7	13.1	74	4.5	8.1	4.3	0.9	0.7	2.5	2.8	1.1

Ricky Petterd
After a positive NAB Cup campaign, including a stand out game against Collingwood, Ricky was hit hard by injury for most of the season, which impacted his ability to string games together, seeing him playing only four AFL games in total. At his best, Ricky is a dynamic forward, capable in the air and at ground level.  He needs his body to be fully fit to enable him to perform at AFL level. We anticipate that his most recent surgery will give him every chance to complete a full pre-season. - Paul Satterly (Forward line development coach)

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE%	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I50	T	C
2012	4	44	7	3.8	10.8	65.1	4.3	7	3	0	1.3	2	2.8	0.3
Career Averages		67.7	8.8	4.9	13.7	69.2	5.1	8.9	5.3	1	0.9	2.6	2.6	0.7

Jack Grimes
Jack played 21 games.  He was predominantly played midfield, but was rotated into the backline throughout the course of games, and that was to allow us to have backline rotations.  Jack’s form in the midfield was very consistent, particularly being his first year as a midfield player.  A lot of that was on the wing, where I thought he read the game really well.  Jack’s game, and his leadership - both on and off the field - was outstanding, and I’m sure that Jack as a footballer, and particularly as a midfielder going forward, is going to be of enormous value to the Melbourne Football Club.  It was also pleasing to see Jack get some continuity in games played - as we know, he’s had a lot of injuries over his career, and it was pleasing that he played 21 games with the Melbourne Football Club this year. - Brian Royal (midfield coach)

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE%	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I50	T	C
2012	21	88	14.3	7.9	22.2	71.9	6.9	14.7	5.8	0	0.6	2.8	3.9	2
Career Averages		87.2	13	8.2	21.1	75	6.3	14.1	6.2	0.1	0.4	1.8	2.9	1.2

player this year in the first of an exclusive nine-part season review


Sam Blease
Sam had a good year, and finished up playing sixteen games, which was great reward for effort. His ability to take the game on and hit the scoreboard was a highlight.  Sam’s accuracy in front of goal was good, and his all-round development was fittingly rewarded with a NAB rising star nomination. - Leigh Brown (forward line coach)

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE%	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I50	T	C
2012	21	54	8.5	4.1	12.6	59.2	4.3	8.3	2.8	1.2	0.3	2.8	2.1	0.9
Career Average		55	8.8	4.3	13.1	63.6	4.5	8.7	2.6	0.9	0.3	2.6	1.8	0.9

Brad Green
Brad finished off his career in some good form. He hit the scoreboard regularly, and continued to work hard on the lead, no matter the result. Brad’s teammates benefited from his knowledge and understanding of the game, and he has made a valuable contribution to the side, right to his last game. - Leigh Brown (forward line coach)

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE%	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I50	T	C
2012	13	60	7.4	3	10.4	68.1	4.3	5.8	4.2	1.5	0.6	2.3	2.2	0.2
Career Average		80	10.3	5.9	16.2	74.5	5	10.9	5.2	1.4	0.6	3	2.2	0.9

James Strauss
James has worked incredibly hard through his rehabilitation from a serious broken leg to work his way back into the AFL side during the back half of the year, and play seven consecutive weeks. After surgery in the first half of the season to remove screws from his leg, James’ movement increased significantly and he was able to return to Casey and play solid VFL football, before earning his recall to the senior side against Fremantle in Round 16. - Andrew Nichol (back line development coach)

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE%	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I50	T	C
2012	7	48	4.3	6.7	11	83.1	3.1	8.1	2	0	0.3	1.1	2.7	0.1
Career Average		47.5	5.9	5.7	11.6	80.9	2.8	8.2	2.1	0	0.2	1.1	2.7	0.3

Colin Garland
Colin had a very strong patch of form between Round Two and Round Nine, playing on high quality small forwards.  He was very consistent, and was forced down forward through our injuries.  He had an immediate impact.  Colin was very much a flexible player for us in 2012.  His leadership improved immeasurably after he was thrust into the leadership group.  He is very popular among the playing group, and will once again really attack the pre-season next year and look to increase strength and speed and endurance. - Jade Rawlings (backline coach)

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE%	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I50	T	C
2012	22	71	9.2	3.5	12.8	77.6	4.4	7.7	4.5	0.4	0.6	1.4	3.3	0.5
Career Average		67.4	8.5	4.9	13.4	78.5	4.1	8.5	4.1	0.2	0.3	0.8	2.6	0.4

Lucas Cook
Lucas was unable to complete a full pre-season and did not play his first game until Round 5 in the VFL Reserves side. After an initial patch of good football in the Casey senior side, where his marking and ball usage was very good, he has had to work very hard off the field to enable him to compete week in, week out.  Lucas has gained experience playing on some accomplished AFL defenders this year (consisting of stronger, mature bodies), which has tested his thinking to get separation and space and how he works in games. His ability to increase his strength will be important to Lucas going forward. - Paul Satterley (forward line development coach)

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE%	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I50	T	C
2012	14	57	5.9	3.6	9.5	70.7	4.4	5.1	3.8	1.1	1.1	2.1	1.8	0.1
Career Average		57.5	6.05	3.95	10	73.1	4.25	5.65	3.95	1	1.15	1.75	2	0.2

layer this year in the fifth of an exclusive nine-part season review

Brent Moloney

Brent played 15 games for Melbourne this year -  in that period he had some standout games, particularly against Essendon and North Melbourne.  However, he struggled to perform consistently at the high level we expect from him.  At the end of the season, it has been well documented that Brent expressed his desire to look for an opportunity at another club, and we wish him well for his future. - Brian Royal (midfield coach)

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE%	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I50	T	C
2012	15	67	9.1	8	17.1	73.8	8.5	8.5	1.7	0.2	0.7	4	3.5	4.7
Career Average		76.6	10.7	8.4	19.1	75.1	8.2	11.1	3.1	0.3	0.6	4.4	3.4	4

Liam Jurrah
Varying circumstances didn't allow Liam to compete out on the field as we all know he can.  Liam was only able to appear for Casey on occasion throughout the season.  It is with regret that we have parted ways with Liam, and we wish him all the best for the future. - Leigh Brown (forward line coach)

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE%	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I50	T	C
2012	1	42	5	7	12	50	4	8	3	0	1	1	1	0
Career Average		70.9	7.4	3.9	11.3	69	5	6.4	4	2.3	1	2.1	2.1	0.3

Tom McDonald
It was a very successful season for Tom.  He played twenty games after starting in the VFL in Round One, flew to Perth as an emergency, and was a late inclusion - he hasn’t looked back ever since.  He played on many quality key forwards and many potential quality key forwards in the competition, and he’s a very important player for the future.  Tom has an elite endurance base, and he’ll continue to build his body composition and maintain his high level of endurance.- Jade Rawlings (back line coach)

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE%	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I50	T	C
2012	20	73	8.1	8.6	16.6	73.5	6.2	9.7	4.7	0	0.3	0.8	2	0.5
Career Average		73.3	8	8.3	16.4	73.6	6.1	9.5	4.7	0	0.3	0.9	2	0.5

Daniel Nicholson
After training with the mids all summer and playing in the midfield at VFL level, Daniel was thrown down back in Round Nine against Carlton, and found his niche within the team.  He is a very good one on one player, and has learned how to use his speed and endurance to his advantage.  He had a small setback with a broken jaw against North Melbourne, and showed great determination and courage to want to play as soon as possible after that.  Daniel offers something different to the team, and will benefit from a solid amount of AFL football - the amount of games he played in the second half of the year will benefit him going into his third pre-season. - Jade Rawlings (back line coach)

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE%	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I50	T	C
2012	20	73	8.1	8.6	16.6	73.5	6.2	9.7	4.7	0	0.3	0.8	2	0.5
Career Average		73.3	8	8.3	16.4	73.6	6.1	9.5	4.7	0	0.3	0.9	2	0.5

Jared Rivers
Jared played both forward and back with success this year. His ability to compete and mark the ball were key factors in allowing the backmen to move forward. He gives his all every week, and plays with great endeavour at all times. Jared played every game of the season for the first time in his career in 2012. - Leigh Brown (forward line coach)

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE%	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I50	T	C
2012	22	73	7.8	5	12.8	78	5.1	7.8	5	0.6	0.5	1.1	1.9	0.2
Career Average		74.6	6.7	5.6	12.3	84.2	4.9	7.2	4.9	0.1	0.2	0.7	2.4	0.3

player this year in the fifth of an exclusive nine-part season review

Joel Macdonald
Joel had a very good season - he played sixteen games, after being in and out a few times in the first half of the season.   From Round 13 onwards, he found his niche in the backline and really made it his own.  He’s a very competitive spirited player, who the players love playing with.  He has the ability to win contests, finds the ball, and his ball use improved -  he was very consistent with his ball use in the second half of the season.  He’s a player who embodies everything that we’re after from the way that we want to play moving forward. - Jade Rawlings (back line coach)

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE%	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I50	T	C
2012	16	71	8.8	9.1	17.9	75.2	7.2	10.8	3.8	0	0.3	0.9	2.7	1.1
Career Average		73.1	9	8.1	17.1	79.2	5.4	11.4	4.5	0	0.4	1.2	2.1	0.9

James  Sellar
In his first year with the Club, James’ versatility was of real value to the team. He played a role back, forward and in the ruck with success, and his versatility was of great benefit overall.  James has had a positive impact on the team - both on and off the field - since his arrival.  As well as being a useful acquisition in general, he is a very good competitor. - Leigh Brown (forward line coach)

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE%	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I50	T	C
2012	16	61	5.4	5.1	10.5	78	4.8	5.8	3.1	0.6	0.4	1.2	1.7	0.7
Career Average		47.2	4.1	5.2	9.3	77.6	3.3	6.1	3	0.3	0.2	0.9	1.4	0.7

Michael Evans
Michael had a second hip operation over the pre-season, so he was very limited in what he could do over last summer.  Unfortunately, he then developed stress fractures in his back early in the season, and that really put him on a long term injury list.  The majority of his season was made up of rehab, conditioning, strength work - just trying to get his body physically ready to play any level of football again.  To his credit, he was extremely diligent with his recovery and his rehab - he’s shown a great deal of resilience to get back with the injuries that he’s had, and he was able to put together a string of four VFL games, where not only did he just play, but he actually contributed really strongly and was able to play three games above benchmark, which was a real credit to him with the work that he put in.  Unfortunately for Pickles, just as he was on the verge of getting looked at for the AFL side, his body let him down again, and he’s working through that now to ensure that he can have a good summer and put himself out there early next season. - Aaron Greaves (midfield development coach)

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE%	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I50	T	C
2012	4	44	9	5.8	14.8	66.1	2.8	12.5	5	0	0.8	3.5	4	0.5
Career Average (AFL)		44.8	9	5.8	14.8	66.1	2.8	12.5	5	0	0.8	3.5	4	0.5

Stefan Martin
This was a disappointing year, with multiple injuries for Stef, and he struggled to make a mark as he has in recent times. Stef has the ability to be a very good player, but injuries didn't allow it this year. We anticipate that he will have a big pre-season to set himself for 2013. - Leigh Brown (forward line coach)

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE%	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I50	T	C
2012	7	78	7.9	6	13.9	68	6.3	6.9	4.4	1	0.1	2.9	1.9	2
Career Average		69.2	7.2	6.4	13.6	72	6	7.7	4	0.4	0.4	1.8	1.4	1.5

Luke Tapscott
Another player who had an interrupted pre-season, Luke was extremely diligent in his preparation off the field, which enabled him to play senior games this season. Luke plays a hard, combative brand of football, and can play at both ends of the ground. His kicking is a weapon, and his penetration will be important for the side and our effectiveness as a team when he has the ball. Luke will benefit significantly from a solid pre-season and look to cementing a position in the senior side. - Paul Satterley (forward line development coach)

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE%	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I50	T	C
2012	14	52	7.1	4	11.1	68.6	3.6	7.4	3.9	0.1	0.8	2	3.4	0.1
Career Average		54.8	8	3.9	11.9	73.5	4	7.2	3.6	0.1	0.5	1.5	2.8	0.4

player this year in the seventh of an exclusive nine-part season review

Aaron Davey
Aaron was earmarked as a defensive forward - a role he had previously created early in his career. When playing as a forward, he did regularly contribute with his defensive efforts. Unfortunately, overall Aaron had a frustrating season, with both injury and form having an impact on how he performed. His final senior game was in Round 13, as he succumbed to a foot injury. We look forward to Aaron completing a full pre-season, as he is a very capable player at his best. - Paul Satterley (forward line development coach)

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE%	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I50	T	C
2012	8	62	6.4	4.1	10.5	76.2	6.4	4.6	1.6	0.9	0.9	1.9	4.6	0.9
Career Average		78.6	11.2	4.2	15.4	72.4	5.7	9.3	2.5	1	1	2.6	3.4	1.6

Max Gawn
Twelve months ago, Gawny was really working hard through pre-season.  As a guy who’s 208 centimetres tall, he has great versatility, great running ability, and is very coachable.  Unfortunately, as we know, he had his knee injury, and required his second knee reconstruction.  His attitude and his positiveness towards this injury has been outstanding.  He’s been - like Pickles - extremely diligent with his recovery.  He’s gone above and beyond what the Club’s expected of him, not only with his rehab and his recovery, but with his involvements with the Club - his DeeTV, and his capacity to work with other players and try and get the best out of the whole Club, not just himself.  His body has completely changed from the way it looked twelve months ago, he’s in a position where he’ll be able to start full training when we come back, and already he’s - we’d estimate - thirty per cent ahead of where he was at this time last pre-season.  So, he’s really set himself up this year to hopefully play some good AFL footy in the future. - Aaron Greaves (midfield development coach)

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE%	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I50	T	C
2012	4	54	3.8	3.5	7.3	65.5	3.8	4.5	3	0.3	0	0.5	3
Career Average		54.8	3.8	3.5	7.3	65.5	3.8	4.5	3	0.3	0	0.5	3	1

Jeremy Howe
Jeremy played every game in 2012, and his contested marking was a highlight. As well as the marking, he gained valuable experience through the midfield and up forward this year. Jeremy is a multi-talented and very strong player, who loves a contested situation.  We look forward to seeing further development from him in 2013. - Leigh Brown (forward line coach)

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE%	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I50	T	C
2012	22	79	10.3	5.5	15.9	65.6	8	8	5.5	0.9	0.5	2.6	3.1	1.9
Career Average		73.3	9.3	5.2	14.6	67.1	7.2	7.6	5.5	1.1	0.6	2.5	2.5	1.3

Neville Jetta
Neville was extremely diligent in his rehabilitation from shoulder surgery over the summer, only to injure his foot during the practice games at Casey, which cost him four months. He was again meticulous with his rehab, and was consequently able to come straight back in at VFL level and play good football. Neville then earned a recall into the AFL side against Port Adelaide in Darwin, after which he was able to hold his spot in the side for the remainder of the season, where he played a variety of different roles within the team. - Andrew Nichol (back line development coach)

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE%	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I50	T	C
2012	6	47	6.5	3.5	10	75	4	6	3.5	0.2	0.7	2.7	2.5	0.7
Career Average		55.8	7.1	5.1	12.3	67.9	5	7.4	3.1	0.5	0.9	2.3	3.4	0.9

Mark Jamar
Mark had a consistent first half to the year, obviously playing in the ruck in the AFL side.  Unfortunately, just after the mid-season break, Mark sustained a calf injury, and then got a recurrence of that, so was only really able to play two full games in the second half of the season.  Mark’s ruck skills and ruck ability are outstanding - he’s one of the highly regarded ruckmen in the competition, and constantly gives our midfielders first look at the footy.  His work with other young ruckmen in Spencer and Fitzpatrick this year has been great.  He’s displayed great leadership, passing on knowledge and working with these guys.  I guess for Mark, he just needs to continue to look at how he can stay involved in the game outside of stoppages.  The game’s got so quick now that he just needs to keep working on how he can cover the ground.  - Aaron Greaves (midfield development coach)

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE%	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I50	T	C
2012	14	74	3.9	4.4	8.3	64.7	5.1	3.4	2.1	0.1	0.4	1.1	1.6	1.9
Career Average		60.1	2.6	5.5	8.1	75.7	5	3.2	2.3	0.4	0.3	0.5	1.8	2

player this year in the eighth of an exclusive nine-part season review

Troy Davis
Troy has been a consistent key defender for Casey this year at VFL level. His competitive nature has ensured that he has regularly been hard to play against. Off the back of a consistent pre-season where he barely missed a session, Troy hasn’t missed a game at VFL level, also managing to play high percentages of game time in all these matches. - Andrew Nichol (back line development coach)

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE%	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I50	T	C
2012	19	66	7.8	4.9	12.7	79.7	5.2	7	4.7	0.1	0.1	0.6	1.7	0.4
Career Average		71.9	6.5	7	13.4	76.9	6	7.3	4.3	0.1	0.1	0.6	2.2	0.4

Jake Spencer
Jake was coming off a knee reconstruction, and spent the first half of the year playing in the VFL, just getting his body adjusted to the requirements of the training capacity of an AFL player.  In Round 14 against Brisbane, Spence came into the AFL side, and straightaway just showed his competitiveness, his willingness to work hard, play hard, and he really took on some big opponents.  To play eight games after coming off a knee reconstruction is an outstanding effort, and I think he showed the Melbourne supporters a great deal of competitiveness.  I’m sure that people watching him play would have been extremely hopeful for the future, in that he was able to stay fit and healthy and play a lot of footy in the second half of the year. - Aaron Greaves (midfield line development coach)

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE%	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I50	T	C
2012	8	63	3.5	5.8	9.3	67.6	4.9	4.5	2.5	0.3	0	1.4	3.8	1.3
Career Average		48.3	2.8	5.3	8.1	70.5	3.4	4.8	2.6	0.1	0.3	0.8	2.7	1

Rory Taggert
Again, as a first year player, Rory was just starting to understand the levels that AFL players need to train at.  Rory came in, had some stress injuries with his shins - so had an interrupted pre-season - got going, started to be able to train and compete at the level during the week, and played VFL games against Geelong and Box Hill, with an outstanding game against Box Hill - he had nearly thirty possessions, kicked a couple of goals, and showed what he’s capable of.  Unfortunately, from that he  had some stress reactions in his back, and we didn’t want to take any risks with him, because we value him so highly for the future.  Rory showed a great ability to win the ball inside, but he’s just a fantastic kick and great user of the ball.  He - like Gawn and Evans  - has had a really good block of training in the second half of the year, and we feel that he’s going to be ready to go.  His summer is going to be extremely important, and he’s going to be ready to go to put in some good work over the pre-season. - Aaron Greaves (midfield line development coach)

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE%	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I50	T	C
2012	3	76	12	3.7	15.7	61.7	7.7	8.3	3.7	0.7	0.7	3	3.7	3.3
Career Average		83.6	9.5	5.2	14.7	64.4	7.3	7.5	3.4	0.6	0.7	2.4	2.6	1.6

Rohan Bail
Rohan played mainly as a forward, also spending some time in the midfield. He can run all day, which is a great asset to his individual game, as well as the team. Rohan had a great finish to the year, which could only have been improved if he had been more accurate in front of goal. Rohan always works hard, wins the footy and plays his role each week for the team. - Leigh Brown (forward line coach)

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE%	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I50	T	C
2012	18	62	7.8	7.3	15.1	64.3	6.7	8.7	3.4	0.4	0.8	2.5	3.2	1.3
Career Average		67.2	8.5	7.4	15.9	68.4	6.3	9.9	3.5	0.4	0.9	2.6	3.6	1.4

Kelvin Lawrence
Kelvin spent his time playing for Casey Seniors and Reserves, and at times showed some good signs. However, Kelvin failed to meet the requirements of an AFL player, and decided to leave the Club during the year. - Paul Satterley (forward line development coach)

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE%	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I50	T	C
2012	7	50	5	4.6	9.6	59.7	5	4.7	1.7	0.7	0.7	2.9	4.9	0.9
Career Average		56.2	5.5	4.9	10.4	63.8	4.4	6.5	2.3	0.7	1.2	2.9	3.8	0.8

layer this year in the last of an exclusive nine-part season review

Josh Tynan
After his first season at the Club, Josh has worked - and is continuing to work - exceptionally hard in all facets of his game to develop them to AFL standards. He has earned respect among the playing group and coaching staff for the way he has prepared, and the attention to detail that he goes to in order to ensure that he prepares like an AFL player each week. Josh played the first and last games of the season at AFL level, which will give him a great insight into the way he needs to prepare during the upcoming pre-season. Josh played a number of roles to great effect at VFL level.  Andrew Nichol

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE%	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I50	T	C
2012	11	61	10.3	3.5	13.8	61.2	4.9	9.1	3.6	0.5	0.3	2.5	3.2	0.9
Career Average		77.9	12.3	3	15.3	61.9	6.5	8.9	3.7	0.2	0.3	1.5	2.2	0.8

Tom Couch
Tom’s had a really consistent VFL year, playing as an inside mid.  He’s always had the ability to win his own footy, and win the contested ball, but to his credit he’s really developed his outside game as well.  He now runs and covers the ground like an AFL player, and because of that, he was able to earn three AFL games in the second half of the year as a rookie.  Tom’s a strong body, it’s his first year on an AFL list, and what he’s been able to get out of himself this year has been outstanding.  The most pleasing thing about Tom is that he has just played consistent footy, week after week.  There’s been a very small gap between his best and his worst.  Tom’s still working on his ball efficiency, but he’s really improved his clearance work, and his defensive pressure and his defensive intent - they’re things that are going to make him a very good player in the future. Aaron Greaves

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE%	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I50	T	C
2012	3	45	5.3	5.7	11	51.5	4.7	6.3	0.7	0	0.7	1.3	5	2.3
Career Average		45	5.3	5.7	11	51.5	4.7	6.3	0.7	0	0.7	1.3	5	2.3

Jack Fitzpatrick
 Jack has demonstrated plenty of resilience this season, overcoming illness and managing his diabetes. His VFL form, particularly throughout the second half of the year, was very good. Additionally, he led the Casey goal kicking with 28 for the season, and was rewarded with two AFL games this year. There were certainly positives in his game against Fremantle in Round 23, and he has a great understanding of what is required to compete as a key forward at this level. We look forward to Jack completing another full pre-season and taking the next step with his football, maximising his speed, athleticism and 200 cm frame. Paul Satterley

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE%	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I50	T	C
2012	2	48	3	2.5	5.5	63.6	4	2.5	0.5	1	0	0.5	1.5	1
Career Average		45.7	4.7	2.7	7.3	54.5	3.7	4	1.7	1	0.3	1.3	1.3	0.7

James Magner
James came in as a mature age player onto our rookie list.  James had a really strong pre-season - his professionalism, his attention to detail and preparation for performance was outstanding.  This, I believe, allowed James to play seventeen games for the year.  James played a variety of roles - as a small pressure forward, he played as a tagging midfielder, and a midfielder in his own right.  James should be happy with the season he had, after coming from where he did. Brian Royal

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE%	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I50	T	C
2012	17	59	7.9	6.2	14.1	61.3	7.4	6.8	3	0.2	0.7	1.8	4.4	2.8
Career Average		59.2	7.9	6.2	14.1	61.3	7.4	6.8	3	0.2	0.7	1.8	4.4	2.8

Jai Sheahan
Jai spent the majority of the year as a key defender at VFL level, even though he was recruited to the Club as a forward. He started the year playing consistent football, but then struggled with form and injury during the second half of the season. Jai demonstrated resilience during this period where, after playing reserves at Casey, he was able to come back into the senior side at VFL level and play some very good football. Jai’s kicking skills have been a highlight. Andrew Nichol

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE%	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I50	T	C
2012	15	74	13.1	3.3	16.4	66.3	5.1	9.3	5.1	0.1	0.7	1.8	1	0.5
Career Average		70.1	9.2	3.4	12.7	63.9	4.7	7.3	4.8	0.9	0.8	1.9	1.1	0.7

Leigh Williams
Leigh has worked very hard in all areas of his game to become a consistent VFL player as a key forward; he has continually demonstrated to us that he values his position on our list through his work ethic and attention to detail. He is extremely team orientated and was a positive contributor to the Casey team this year, whether it be kicking goals or locking the ball in the forward 50. Unfortunately, Leigh incurred injury and illness this year, which impacted on his season and total games played. Paul Satterley

	G	Rank	K	H	D	DE%	CP	UP	M	G	SA	I50	T	C
2012	9	54	5.3	3.1	8.4	64.5	4.6	4.4	3.8	1.6	1	1.3	1	0.2
Career Average		54.9	5.3	3.1	8.4	64.5	4.6	4.4	3.8	1.6	1	1.3	1	0.2