The VFL season opens at the weekend and the Casey Demons have a tough test first up against last year's premiers, Footscray VFL on their turf at Mission Whitten Oval

How to get there?

The Casey Demons announced joint captains at their season launch - Riley Bonner and Deakyn Smith -

Paul Amy reporting that Jarrod Gatt who had one game with Casey last year, is an outstanding prospect.

how long is deakyn out for?

We play footscray rd1 then, along with 3 other teams, we have a bye in round 2.

10 minutes ago, gawnbeatsnerds said:

how long is deakyn out for?

Half a year.

Is this game getting a live stream, and if so, on which service?

12 hours ago, KC from Casey said:

How to get there?

West Footscray train station is very close by.

4 hours ago, hardtack said:

Is this game getting a live stream, and if so, on which service?

As this is Round 1 of the official VFL season it will be on the AFL website.

Enjoy because IIRC we have a bye in week 2.

They will probably take two or three emergencies to Perth which won't help.

I would expect the selected side would be 2 hours after the match has been completed. Fantasy having a bye round 2 , i would never expect that.

I expect they would take Heath to Perth if only as an emergency.

If so the Casey (AFL) ruck cupboard will be bare. I wonder who we will use

Can't wait to go this game.

I live in the Southwest, so Casey is, pardon the pun, a Westgate bridge too far.

So I've penciled in this game, round 8 versus the Pies at Vic Park, and most exciting of all as its even closer than Whitten Oval, round 13 against Willy at Willy.

Rhett McLennan on Casey Demons coaching job, every signing for 2026 VFL season

A delisted Bomber, an injury-hit former Roo, one of Kozzie Pickett’s relatives — and a host of kids from Gippsland. New coach Rhett McLennan has reason to be bullish about his Casey Demons stocks.

Rhett McLennan will not moan about the miles he must travel to be a VFL coach, nor any early-morning starts.

The new Casey Demons senior coach and Melbourne assistant lives at Leongatha, dairy-farming country in South Gippsland, and he knows many farmers in the district who begin their days in darkness.

“If you’re from Leongatha and you complain about getting up at 4.30 in the morning, I’ve got 100 mates who will tell you to grow up,’’ he said.

From the ‘Gatha, McLennan makes the hour-flat trip to Casey Fields in Cranbourne east or, depending on Melbourne’s training schedule, the longer journey into AAMI Park.

Both are a straight run compared to when he was coaching Gippsland Power in the Talent League and he was travelling to Morwell. Along the way he saw more hills than a mountain goat.

“If you want any traffic reports on the Monash or the South Gippsland Hwy or you want any good podcast recommendations, I’m your man,’’ he quipped.

“Look, I’m very lucky that I love driving. It doesn’t worry me at all. I actually quite enjoy hopping in the car and seeing a bit of the country.’’

McLennan — “Rooster’’ to many of the people he’s encountered in football — is new to Casey but has taken in quite a few familiar faces in his five months at Casey Fields.

He had coached Gippsland Power since 2019. By his count, 13 players he guided at Power are now at Casey, including a bunch of first-year hopefuls who followed him from the Talent to state league.

The youngsters saw the VFL as the next step in their football. McLennan did not.

Melbourne asked him if he was interested in applying for the Casey position, made vacant when Taylor Whitford was promoted as the Demons’ head of development.

Until that phone call, he had given little thought to the VFL.

“At that time in my life, the timing was perfect,’’ McLennan said.

“I was happy to go through the interview process and I was just very lucky and very thankful that the Melbourne footy club and Casey agreed to give me the opportunity.

“To be honest, I’m really head down, bum up in the craft. I don’t really have a lot of ambition in regards to coaching. I just love doing it. Wherever that is, I just want to do as good a job as I possibly can. To get to do that in the VFL … there’s been times in the last few months where I’ve sat back and thought, ‘Wow, I can’t believe I’m doing this’.’’

McLennan was also in charge of the Vic Country Under 18 team last year after previously serving on its panel of assistants.

AFL Victoria’s Lee Fraser regarded McLennan as a “very talented’’ coach.

“He understands the game really well and he’s got a unique skill of simplifying it for the players,’’ Fraser said.

“It was really suitable to our Vic Country program because obviously we haven’t got the kids for a long time. He was able to build connection with the players and then express in a simple way the way he wanted them to play.’’

Fraser thought McLennan was ready to go to the next level and believes he has a “really exciting future’’.

McLennan is full-time with the Demons, just as he was full-time at the Power.

The biggest difference, he said, was in the “contact hours’’ with players.

The Power draw from a large region – a few players have six-hour round trips for training - and come together only one night a week during the season.

“To now have players three nights a week, that’s been really interesting,’’ McLennan said.

“It gives us that opportunity to get across to the VFL-listed guys what we’re trying to do in following Melbourne’s game plan, which is really exciting, attacking-based.’’

He inherits a VFL team that reached the finals last season under Whitford, eventually falling to Frankston under lights at Kinetic Stadium.

Of the VFL-listed players who took on the Dolphins, Mitch Hardie, Riley Baldi and Noah Yze have moved on.

But the Demons have brought in delisted Kangaroo Miller Bergman, former Essendon dasher Luamon Lual and ex-Fremantle wingman Ethan Stanley from Box Hill Hawks.

Then there’s the Gippsland connection: top Traraglon onballer Luis D’Angelo and his teammate Joel Scholtes, Nar Nar Goon pair Nate Pipicelli and Clancy Pope, Sam Hoghton from Officer and Jehi Esler from Tooradin-Dalmore. All are former McLennan-coached Gippy Power players.

Jonah Walker, Harry Tatterson, Luke Cheffers and Jobe Scapin were with the Power last year.

Toby Sinnema, Jasper Russell, Louis Hodder, Tairon Ah-Mu (all Dandenong Stingrays) and Marcus Krasnadamskis (Eastern Ranges) were also in the Talent League.

Berwick duo Braedyn Bowden and Tahj Delarue are new to the list too. All up the off-season produced 18 recruits; Casey Demons football manager Garry O’Sullivan’s trusty pen was in play.

O’Sullivan isn’t surprised the club secured so many Talent League graduates.

He said McLennan – whose long playing career took in Queensland under-age selection and a senior premiership at Leongatha - had an “amazing’’ knowledge of the player-pathway system.

“Someone had a light-hearted dig at us, saying, ‘We know why you appointed him – he knows all the good young kids!’’’ O’Sullivan said.

He said McLennan was “one hell of a communicator’’, from his dealings with players to setting up a Whatsapp group for local coaches who have players on the Casey list.

O’Sullivan has also seen a “little bit of the old’’ about McLennan.

“Some of his old-fashioned traits combine magnificently with the modern way of coaching,’’ he said.

“He’s well rounded and well grounded in all aspects for this level of footy.’’

McLennan has handed over the coaching reins at Gippsland to former Power player and Collingwood VFL captain Kris Pendelbury.

“They’ve got a pretty good list this year. The top-end is very talented. I don’t think they’ll miss me too much,’’ he said.

Asked if Pendelbury had missed any Leongatha lads on the list, McLennan shot back: “He better not have!’’

Casey Demons and their new senior coach open their season next Saturday against reigning premier Footscray Bulldogs at Whitten Oval. Buckle up.

RHETT MCLENNAN ON EVERY CASEY RECRUIT (from CodeSports)

Tairon Ah-Mu: "He was a Dandenong Stingray last year and he's a big, strong key forward, very hard to stop when the ball's put out in front of him. Good finisher too."

Miller Bergman: "He's been cruelled by injury - it cut short his AFL career at North - but he's a highly skilled half-back and distributes the ball with class and poise.

Hopefully we'll see him in May."

Braedyn Bowden: "A hard-working boy from Berwick. He's strong, a hard leader and honest at contest."

Luke Cheffers: "He was at Gippsland last year. He's only 18 but he's already played 46 or 47 games of senior footy. He was playing for Yinnar when he was 15. He's as hard as a cat's head and he was third in our best and fairest last year, behind the No. 1 draft pick and the Morrish Medallist.

He's a specialist small forward who plays up high. And he plays it naturally. His form against Box Hill - he had 22 touches, kicked two goals and had tackles - was very exciting."

Luis D'Angelo: "He's a high-IQ inside midfielder who's come from Traralgon.

He's got lightning hands and he's very good in close."

Tahj De La Rue: "Tahj is also from Berwick. He's a tough half-back and midfielder with a neat left foot."

Jehi Esler: "Jehi's a tall but speedy defender. He's good in the contest but also quick across the ground."

Xavier Hampton: "Xavier is very athletic and plays at half-forward. He's got strong ties to Melbourne through family members Ricky Mentha and Kozzy Pickett."

Sam Hoghton: "A high-flying utility. He can play tall or small and he's good on either side of the body."

Louis Hodder: "Out of the Dandenong Stingrays. He's a dangerous wing and forward, with deceptive agility and very neat skills."

Marcus Krasnadamskis: "Marcus is a super-athletic young ruckman and he'll split his time between Eastern Ranges and Casey."

Luamon Lual: "He's joined the club straight from Essendon AFL. Lual's a hardworking and speedy half-back and wing, very competitive, and he's looking to reignite his AFL career."

Nate Pipicelli: "Nate's a tough-as-nails utility. He plays taller than what he is and he can be a threat up forward or down back. His first three weeks of VFL footy have been super."

Clancy Pope: "Clancy is a very tough inside-mid with neat skills who has come us to from Nar Nar Goon."

Jasper Russell: "A super-fit small defender, good by foot and fifficult to play against."

Jobe Scapin: "Jobe's from Inverloch-Kongwak. He was always a highly talented kid and he played at Power. He hasn't really had a good run with injury but he's a nice mover and a nice size. He plays that half-forward link role very well and kicked three against Box Hill. He's showing some good skill."

Joel Scholtes: "Another Traralgon boy.

He's a deceptive half-back, good left-foot who loves an intercept mark."

Toby Sinnema: "Toby is one of the boys we recruited from the Stingrays. He's a classy wingman and half-back, very good left foot, and dangerous going forward."

Ethan Stanley: "He had a fantastic preseason at Hawthorn and he's looking to set the VFL on fire. He'll play midfield and wing."

Harry Tatterson: "Harry was at the Power last year. I like him as a speedy half-back and wing. He's good off both sides and he's very tough to play against."

Jonah Walker: "Another from Gippy Power. He can play across half-back as an intercept defender and he's very powerful and strong for a young man."

The game can be viewed live on the ABC, ABC iview and the AFL website from 12.05pm on Saturday.

On 16/03/2026 at 22:15, Nascent said:

We play footscray rd1 then, along with 3 other teams, we have a bye in round 2.

What a sad joke of a “support / development” competition.

9 hours ago, Whispering_Jack said:

The game can be viewed live on the ABC, ABC iview and the AFL website from 12.05pm on Saturday.

I missed that ABC are doing VFL this year as well as Fox. Excellent!

Thanks WJ.

5 hours ago, Palace Dees said:

I missed that ABC are doing VFL this year as well as Fox. Excellent!

Thanks WJ.

That brings me back to the glory days of the VFL in the 1970s, when it was the VFA and channel 2 covered the games.

I barracked for Port Melbourn as kid, because they were red and blue of course, and in the 70s they had the same disco blue as the dees VFL jumper, and still do actually (though it was also nice to support a successful team!).

But i also had soft spot for the Dandenong Redlegs, one because i barracked for Norwood Redlegs and two they wore what looked like our old jumper.

With Heath staying in Melbourne (according to our number 1 Training reporter) that solves the ruck problem.

Sims IGA is just a couple of blocks west of the ground on Barkly St and a block further the Inner West Swedish Bakery does a mean Pork, Licorice & Shiraz sausage roll and coffee 👌

1 minute ago, Rab D Nesbitt said:

Pork, Licorice & Shiraz sausage roll

Wow

What a combination

Pair it with a sarsaparilla or blue heaven flavoured milkshake and you've got me

The AFL website article The VFL recruits set to take 2026 by storm discusses the prominent new players coming into the competition in 2026 and mentions two of Casey’s newcomers.