The first member of the new Sharpshooters, Von Kessel could have moved to a rifle company as a sergeant with the grades he achieved at the School, but he enjoyed the sport of Blood Bowl too much to leave behind. When the School got rid of the team and there was a chance to revive it, Von Kessel was the first to start getting the old team back together.

He gave up the position of team captain to their old Gunnery School team captain, Big Bernard, and was okay with letting James Duncan take over after Bernard was injured. While he has the skills to lead, he has little desire to, but is next in line for captain if Duncan were to fall to an ill fate.

...

In the final match of the Hexoatl Open Playoffs, after Captain James Duncan was slain, Manfred took on the role he had so adamantly refused in the past. Despite his lack of any want for the role as Captain, Von Kessel took the ceremonial Gunnery Sergeant badge from Duncan's mangled corpse and arose to his duty of leading the team. Having met their first loss in this finals match, Von Kessel vowed to bring the team back to greatness, to retrain and come back better than ever, ready to face the LarZards on the pitch once again, and avenge the late Captain James Duncan.