AS ST KILDA'S season goes down that familiar path of injury-riddled frustration, VFL affiliate Casey Scorpions seems to be following suit.

The Scorpions are anchored in second-last position of the ladder, struggling for consistency.

Casey coach Peter Banfield has no doubt that the health of the aligned AFL list has an impact on the strength of the VFL club.

"I hate making excuses, but when you get a side that changes every week, it's very, very hard to maintain stability," Banfield said.

"To sustain a winning team, you need to build up player relationships and get an understanding of what you can and can't do as a side. From a team point of view, you really need that stability and learn how to play with each other. That's why this season has been very frustrating."

It's no secret that the key to a successful VFL side is the calibre of the local players. Triple premier Sandringham — which provided a massive six-man contingent in the recent state team — has proven that while AFL stars can drop in and out of your team after providing flashes of brilliance, it's the weekly VFL players who are the foundation of success.

But there's no doubting the influence a healthy AFL squad has on its affiliate.

Geelong's AFL team has won four on the trot while benefiting from a relatively short injury list. Its VFL side, sitting second on the ladder, has benefited from the wealth of AFL players who work feverishly to catch the selectors' eye and win a senior position.

Players such as Henry Playfair (who has played all seven VFL games this season), Charlie Gardiner (six), Kane Tenace, Steve Johnson, Max Rooke and Shannon Byrnes (all four), and Josh Hunt (three) all have been solid contributors to the VFL side.

Even former captain Steven King, who surely would be rushed back to AFL duties if Geelong's injury problems ran as deep as St Kilda's, is on the verge of his fourth VFL appearance of the year.

"It's obviously something that Ross Lyon has spoken about quite heavily, and they are addressing the problems that they've had with injuries," Banfield said.

"However, once these injured players start returning, we can get a similar look to our team every week. Then we'll be confident of getting on a bit of a roll and finish the season off really well."

Casey travels to Chirnside Park to face the rampaging Werribee today, the Tigers aiming to record their third consecutive 100-point victory.

North Ballarat will strive to break Sandringham's unbeaten run, while Tasmania hosts Port Melbourne.

Box Hill is aiming for another big scalp when it plays Williamstown, while Geelong will not want to drop two in a row when it plays the Northern Bullants.

Tomorrow, Coburg travels to Bendigo.