By JARROD POTTER
NEW philosophies and a stronger resolve to prepare and recover suitably have brought together Melbourne and Casey more than ever before.
Under first-year coach Justin Plapp, the Scorpions have turned around a lacklustre 2014 to already surprise a few naysayers throughout the VFL with impressive wins over Essendon, Collingwood and Coburg.
Plapp puts changes to recovery and training preparation as crucial to Casey’s improvement across the board – going from second last in 2014 to eighth so far this season.
“There’s no doubt that we’ve changed a lot in the way that we were doing things at the club,” Plapp said.
“We’re trying to maintain a high performance level of what we do – training preparation, and recovery protocols.
“The break has come at a really good time and gives us a chance to air our bodies and have a crack at the second half of the season.”
VFL-listed players Evan Panozza, Jack Hutchins and Mitch Gent have found their way consistently into the best and in tandem with some of Melbourne’s younger brigade – Alex Neal-Bullen, Mitch White, Billy Stretch and former Dandenong Stingrays/Devon Meadows midfielder James Harmes.
While last round’s loss to North Ballarat was a sour note heading into the bye, Plapp believes his side remains around the mark for finals contention and potentially cracking into second chance territory.
“It’s been a really solid start to the year, but the weekend really put a dampener on it as we could’ve been in the top four,” Plapp said.
“We’re only a game outside the top four and if we had taken that win before the bye it really sets your year up to have a crack at finals.
“But we’re still in the mix.”
Another promising facet of the Scorpions’ season has favoured the AFL alignment, with Demons-listed players making that necessary step up to the AFL.
Plapp highlighted Max Gawn, Stretch and Neal-Bullen as some of those using the VFL effectively as a springboard to the AFL – with the alignment seeing its greatest rewards in many years coming from Casey Fields.
“The Melbourne players purchase into that (Casey’s work-ethic) – Stretch, Neal-Bullen, Gawn – it’s exciting and you get a bit of a kick out of the boys watch their careers start… particularly Neal-Bullen and Stretch as first-year players,” Plapp said.
“That’s part of the job and that’s what you get a kick out of – seeing that the program we’re running at the moment is benefiting both us from a Casey point of view and also the alignment.”
“We’ve had plenty of kids who have gone through our program and gone on to play AFL footy so far, and we’ve blooded some new kids – three or four – so our depth is looking really strong too.”
Casey will host Geelong on Saturday from 2pm.
