First-year Casey Scorpions coach Justin Plapp says trying to balance the interests within an AFL-aligned VFL club has made 2015 his most challenging year in the coaching caper.
But despite switching to the Peter Jackson VFL after three years coaching the Sandringham Dragons in the TAC Cup, Casey’s results would indicate the former Richmond and St Kilda player has been handling the situation well.
Following a 5-13 season in 2014, the Scorpions sit in eighth position with three rounds to play and have their finals destiny in their own hands, needing one win to secure a September berth.
Plapp said the improvement was in part due to Casey’s VFL-listed players and Melbourne’s AFL-listed players adopting a “one club” mentality.
“What we mean by that is when we play on the weekend, we’ve all got the same interests, we’ve all got the same level of respect, and our vision of the way we want to play is very similar,” Plapp said.
“It certainly has been the most challenging year (of my coaching career); it’s just based around the relationships, how you manage the players and how you get them buying into each other, respecting and caring for each other.
“I’ve had to think really laterally about it at times.”
Plapp has focused on initiatives to unite the two groups of players off the playing field, such as having Melbourne players travel the 45 minutes or so to train at Casey Fields every few weeks.
He’s also encouraged the VFL-listed players to become involved in the lives of their AFL-listed counterparts – for example, picking up the phone when Melbourne players who have spent time at Casey make their AFL debuts such as Alex Neal-Bullen or James Harmes have recently.
“They’re not major things, but they’re little things that go a long way to building those relationships and trust,” Plapp said.
“I do think all those little things have helped (with our on-field results).
“We get more continuity in wanting to achieve something as a group, instead of the AFL players thinking Casey is a bus stop for them to play well and have 30 possessions to get you back into the AFL team.
“We certainly aren’t where we want to be, but we acknowledge we’ve had some significant change and improvement from last year.”
The improvement is evident in some of the club’s VFL-listed players who have moved onto AFL recruiting radars.
One of them is 23-year-old key-position player Jordan Moncrieff, who was recently invited to attend the Victorian NAB AFL State Combine in October.
Plapp said he thinks Moncrieff, along with fellow Casey youngsters Bayley Fritsch and Declan Keilty, were chances to one day enter AFL ranks.
In fact, the club has prioritised developing its young players into potential AFL draftees.
“We see it as significant and a really important part of trying to grow our club and create a really good brand, not only in the VFL but in the general public,” Plapp said.
This year’s on-field results will have already improved public perception of the Casey Scorpions brand.
But with three tough opponents to come and several teams breathing down the club’s neck in the race to make the Legendairy VFL Finals Series, Justin Plapp’s first year in charge isn’t getting any less challenging.
Last Modified on 13/08/2015 00:52