The Werribee Football Club is delighted to announce co-captains for 2022 with Tom Gribble and Dom Brew set to lead the club this season.  

Gribble, 27, a 102-game veteran of the VFL and the 2019 J.J Liston Trophy winner is about to embark on his ninth season as a Werribee player.  

Brew, 25, has been at Werribee since and 2017 and over a 52-game career to date has built a reputation as one of the competition’s toughest players. 

The pair take over from Michael Sodomaco who stepped down after seven years of captaincy as the 30-year-old nears the end of his VFL career. 

Brew and Gribble’s appointment was announced at training on Monday night following a player and coach vote the previous week.  

Gribble said it was an honour to be one of the club’s the next captains and take over from close mate Sodomaco.  

“It’s extremely humbling and I’m really looking forward to the journey ahead,” he said. 

“I’d like to think Brewy and I are the product of Sods, in a way he has done a lot of the heavy lifting over the last seven years and has set a really good foundation. 

“Hopefully we can win a few games now and enjoy a lot of success over the next few years.”  

Brew said he would never have imagined himself being a VFL captain. 

“It’s a huge honour for me, I’ve come a long way since I first stepped inside the club,” he said.  

“I absolutely love this place to death and just want success for the joint.

"It's an absolute honour to do it with Tommy and I can’t wait to get after it this year and build something special.” 

It is the first time Werribee has appointed co-captains ahead of a season however, Michael Redenbach and Ian Dunstan, who signed as coach several rounds into the 1985 campaign following the resignation of John Murphy, were both listed as captains that year.  

Werribee coach Michael Barlow said Brew and Gribble each bought something different to the role and would complement one another well.  

“In all my time in football clubs I’ve never seen someone invest in others as much as Dom Brew does,” he said.  

“The stories in terms of the empathy and passion he shows towards his teammates is unlike anything I’ve seen from an individual.  

“Tom Gribble is the absolute team driver on-field but off-field has an ability to connect and understand the situations of individuals. 

“From my point of view it’s a great pairing, they understand each other incredibly well and will wax off one another.” 

In addition to the captaincy announcement the club also revealed its four other leadership group members including Nick Coughlan who will be vice-captain this season.  

Also, returning to the team’s leadership group is four-time best and fairest winner Matt Hanson and standout youngster Jack Henderson, while Shaun Mannagh was voted in for the first time. 

Werribee co-captain Tom Gribble added to his list of accolades this season, winning the 2022 Bruce Montgomery Trophy on Thursday night.

Gribble polled 179 votes to claim his second Werribee best and fairest award and complete his second J.J Liston Trophy/Bruce Montogmery Trophy double after his first in 2019.

He finished seven votes ahead of runner up Kye Declase (172) with Shaun Mannagh third on 147 votes. All three were members of the VFL Team of the Year.

Gribble averaged a career-high 33.2 disposals per game this season, leading not only Werribee but the league in several major statistical categories.  

Runner up Decalse achieved his best resut in a club best and fairest after a brilliantly consistent and at times dominant campaign, while Mannagh's third followed a second place finish last year.

The club introduced a new voting criteria for 2022 with senior coach Mick Barlow and assistants Nick Daffy, James Saker and Tom Perrett each awarding 0-5 votes to every player at the end of each game.

Completing the top five was Louis Pinnuck (146 votes) and Nick Coughlan (145 votes).

Coughlan finished in the top five despite missing the first six games of the season and was also named Defensive Player of the Year. Fellow defender Pinnuck received Most Improved having enjoying his best year in his fifth season of VFL football.

Four-time best and fairest winner Matt Hanson won Trademark Player of the Year, an award voted on by the 23 selected players each round.

Charlie Ham was named Best First Year Player appearing in all 18 games in 2022 after joining the club from North Melbourne.

With 32 majors Hudson Garoni was the team’s leading goal kicker while versatile forward Nick Hayes received this year’s Coaches Award.

Emmanuel Ajang was named the Local Player of the Year after another terrific season for Geelong West before being rewarded with a VFL debut in the final round of the campaign.

The Community Development Award went to Jesse Clark for his efforts upholding the club’s values of Community, Driven, Care while Connor Thar and Shaun Mannagh were the recipients of the Property and Trainers awards.

George Riddiford was recognised with the Ray Smith Club Person Award for his continued volunteer work at the club several mornings a week and on game days.

2022 Award Winners

Property Award: Shaun Mannagh
Trainers Award: Connor Thar
Community Development Award: Jesse Clark
Ray Smith Club Person: Georgie Riddiford
Life Membership:Michael Sodomaco & Tom Gribble  
Local Player of the Year: Emmanuel Ajang (Geelong West)
Best First Year Player: Charlie Ham
Coaches Award:Nick Hayes
Most Improved: Louis Pinnuck
Leading Goal Kicker: Hudson Garoni (32 goals)
Defensive Player of the Year: Nick Coughlan
Trademark Player of the Year:Matt Hanson

2022 Bruce Montgomery Trophy Photo Gallery: VIEW HERE

Werribee co-captain Tom Gribble is now a two-time J.J Liston Trophy winner after a stunning victory in this year's VFL best-and-fairest.

Gribble became the first Werribee player to win the league's top honour twice and just the fourth player to win the award back-to-back having topped the last Liston Trophy count in 2019. 

The 27-year-old polled 30 votes to finish eight ahead of Southport Sharks teammates Jacob Dawson and Boyd Woodcock. He received votes in 12 matches, which included eight best-on-ground performances.

Gribble averaged a career-high 33.2 disposals per game in 2022 and led the VFL in total disposals with 597. He also ranked first for inside 50s (100) and was second for clearances (132) and contested possessions (249).

Gribble said it was incredible to win the award for a second time after drawing motivation from a challenging year off in 2020 and several other factors.

“It’s sort of hard to put into words really, I thought 2019 was a bit mind numbing but this is equal to that…it’s a great honour,” he said.

“I think the harbouring of the ambition to go on and play AFL footy has held me in good stead to find continual improvement within my game and I was also a little disappointed with how I played last year.

“Coming off the year off and my dad passing I didn’t play as well as I would have liked even though it was only a nine-game season.

“That spurred me on to get cracking a little bit earlier in terms of starting preseason, so the whips were cracking for me in August and then the captaincy also added another layer.

“I probably put more pressure on myself to perform and I did have a few conversations with Mick (Barlow) throughout the middle part of the year, in particular to just release and not put so much pressure on myself.”

Prior to being crowned the league's best-and-fairest Gribble was named in the centre in the Team of the Year and was joined by Werribee teammates Kye Declase (wing) and Shaun Mannagh (half-forward).

Declase averaged 22.3 disposals per game this year and tallied the second most marks in the competition (137) while adding 21 goals for the campaign.

Mannagh was Werribee's second leading goal kicker this season with 27 majors and topped the league with 30 goal assists to go with 19.6 disposals per game.

Werribee timekeeper Scott Bishop was also recognised on the night receiving the Alex Gillon Award as the VFL Volunteer of the Year.

The long-time servant has filled the role as Werribee's timekeeper at both home and away matches for the past 23 years, overseeing more than 650 games in that time. 

See the full list of award winners HERE.

The VFL season is now underway for Werribee, but there is plenty happening off the field as well with two new staff members commencing with the club. 

After some time away, popular figure Majok ‘Shaggy’ Ngong has returned in the role of Community Development Manager while Em Gardner has joined the club as the Operations Support Officer.

Ngong was Werribee’s first ever Multicultural Development Officer working for the club from 2013 to 2015 before joining AFL Victoria.

During his time away, Ngong said he always kept an eye on what the club was doing and since returning has hit the ground running with football promotion in the community.  

“There are so many great things happening at the club, overall, I am excited about the programs that we’ve lined up for 2023 and beyond,” he said.

“I love the fact that everyone at this club shares the same vision which is to support and grow the game of AFL in the city of Wyndham.

“There is no club in the VFL that celebrates and embraces diversity like the Werribee Football Club.”

Like Ngong, Gardner too is familiar with the club having completed work placement at Avalon Airport Oval over the course of the 2022 VFL season.

Having impressed with her work ethic and commitment she was offered a full-time position after completing her Bachelor of Business majoring in Sports and Event Management.

Gardner said she can’t wait to gain more experience within the football industry and develop skills within operations and administration in sport.

She will be heavily involved with membership, match day, events, sponsorship and more, and can’t wait for football to return to Werribee in the coming weeks.

“It has been great settling into the new role, the team at the club have been very welcoming although knowing everyone already definitely helped,” she said.

“I’ve enjoyed gaining a better understanding of all the different aspects that go on behind the scenes of the football club and look forward to learning even more.”

Vinko George ‘Chad’ Ravlich, April 4, 1929 – November 30, 2021.

The Werribee Football Club advises of the passing of Chad Ravlich in November of last year in Shoalhaven, New South Wales. Chad was 92.

Chad was a Life Member of the club but he was much more than that and his contribution laid the foundations on which the club now sits. Chad gave over a quarter of a century of his life to the club in a myriad of roles but officially as a committee man and as Treasurer, a position he held for more than a decade.

Former President Greg Welsh remember how dedicated Chad was to the club

“The Werribee Football Club was Chad's life for 25 years, he was always at the club, working tirelessly to keep the club afloat during some very difficult times. He started his volunteer duties with the juniors then joined the senior body as treasurer. He was basically a full-time volunteer; he was never paid a cent. He worked very closely with then Secretary Ray Smith and later, John Pyne.”

Current President Martin Carter joined the board during Chad’s time and remembers a humble and hard-working man.

“He put in countless hours; he was the glue that held the novel together. I remember we had to ring him around 11pm during a board meeting to check some contractual details and he arrived at 11.30pm to address the Board in his pyjamas, a sight to behold, but true testament to his commitment to our club. It's these unsung heroes that are the very backbone of clubs such as ours.”

For a bloke who never played football Chad left his mark at Chirnside Park.

We pass on our condolences to his family and many friends.

Vale Chad Ravlich.

Ashley Moloney, December 6, 1961 – July 4, 2022. 

The Werribee Football Club is sad to advise of the passing of long serving volunteer and Life Member Ashley Moloney.  

Werribee CEO Mark Penaluna first met Ashley in 2004 and said he will be remembered fondly for his dedication and willingness to support the club anyway he could.   

“Ashley was asked to volunteer in managing our 40^th year celebrations and tiding up our Past Players and Officials database which should have only lasted three months. After 17 years and 3 months Ashley leaves us but no doubt his spirit, generosity, humour and club orientation will be with us forever. 

“Nothing was ever a problem for Ashley, whether it was being at Avalon Airport Oval by 7am for all the home games, applying covers to the centre of the ground, setting up functions, property management and much more.  

“Characters like Ashley are rare, even scarcer given the voluntary contribution he provided. Ashley leaves behind a wonderful legacy at the Werribee Football Club and of course his children Amanda, Melissa, Sue and Craig who he absolutely adored.”  

Ashley was also a proud player sponsor for many years and sponsored current Werribee coach Michael Barlow who said he will remember Ashley’s generous nature and sense of humour. 

“When I first arrived at Werribee in 2008 Ash player sponsored me without hesitation. At the time you take that somewhat for granted. A volunteer spending countless hours supporting the club and then spending their hard earned on a new player to the club,” he said

“I think he wanted to sponsor a player he could take the mickey out of. He certainly did that, but always did it in good humour and would take as good as he gave. On return in 2019 he spent up again to sponsor me and continued to take the mickey out of me at the same time. 

“I still have 15 pairs of Werribee shorts from 2019 as I continually “forgot” to bring my allocated pair to games. Ash would never let me run out in my jocks unfortunately, but on a few occasions it was threatened. A special person to our club.” 

The club will wear black armbands this Saturday in recognition of Ashley’s wonderful contribution to the Werribee Football Club. 

Funeral - Tuesday 26th July

Service - Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, 46 Ballarat Rd, Maidstone at 10:30am.

Werribee has shored up its defensive stocks by re-signing versatile talls Wardell Lual and Sam Witherden.

Lual, 24, added five games to his tally with the club in 2023 while playing at both ends of the ground.

The 192cm utility joined the club after making six appearances with the Casey Demons in 2019.

Witherden arrived at Avalon Airport Oval last season and spent the campaign plying his trade with North Shore in the Geelong Football League.

The 20-year-old played two VFL games for Sydney Swans as a top up in 2021 during his top-age year with the Geelong Falcons.

Werribee football manager Mark Micallef said it was great to have Lual and Witherden continue with the club.

“Wardell is a very athletic and exciting player who can line up in multiple positions,” he said.

“We’ve settled him in defence this preseason where he can use his speed and agility to play on both bigger and smaller opponents.

“Sam is a versatile defender who can also play through the midfield.

“He is a beautiful kick of the ball, provides plenty of energy around the group and has worked really hard to earn another year with the club.”

Three versatile talents with untapped potential will remain with Werribee next season after Tom Boyd, Ariek Lual and Logan Wagener all re-signed with the club.

Boyd, 22, has showed flashes of his talent across six games over the past two seasons and kicked a goal in both of his appearances in 2021 while taking one of the marks of the year against Collingwood.

Lual joined Werribee from Casey and the 23-year-old went on to play three times as a running defender in his debut season at Avalon Airport Oval.

Wagener also debuted in 2021 after winning one of the club’s final list spots.

The small but powerfully built 24-year-old played two games in Werribee colours this year while also adding two matches as a top-up for Gold Coast during the middle of the season.

Werribee football manager Mark Micallef said the club was excited to work with all three once more.

“Tom has got raw talent, he’s a good size and has great athleticism. He played twice for us this season and displayed some nice attributes, he can intercept the ball really well and generally makes good decisions by foot," he said.

"We see him playing as a hybrid defender but with his versatility he can go forward or even play on a wing. Hopefully Tom can have a massive preseason to ready himself to release that potential.

“Ariek made his debut for Werribee this season and is another with raw athleticism, but his ability to make quality decisions with ball in hand is also a feature of his game.

"We’re continually working with Ariek on untapping his potential and we probably see his best position being in defence. However, he’s got the ability to play a multitude of positions for us going forward so it’s great to have Ariek recommit.

“Logan was one of our success stories of 2021 after coming on to our list late in the piece, his tenacity, aggression and willingness to compete was so eye catching that we just had to have him.

"He played a couple of games for Werribee this year but also played for the Gold Coast as a top-up where he displayed a good ability to win the ball and make good decisions. He encapsulates the club values, and we think he can play an important role for us a small forward in 2022.”

The AFL has today confirmed the key dates for the 2024 Smithy’s VFL season.

The competition will commence on the weekend of March 23-24, aligning with Round Two of the 2024 Toyota AFL Premiership season.

The 2024 VFL home and away season will consist of 21 rounds, with all teams to play 18 matches.

The same 21 teams from Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland who competed in 2023 will again feature in the competition.

A league-wide bye will be scheduled across the weekend of April 6-7 when the VFL plays the SANFL in a representative clash in Adelaide during the AFL Gather Round weekend.

It will be the VFL’s first representative game since 2017 and the first time the VFL has played the SANFL since 2016.

The season will again feature a Wildcard Round and will take place at the conclusion of the VFL home and away season.

Wildcard Round will be played on the weekend of August 24-25 with the seventh placed team on the ladder playing against the team that finishes tenth, while eighth will take on ninth.

The two Wildcard Round winners will advance to the 2024 VFL Finals Series.

The opening weekend of the 2024 Finals Series, featuring the qualifying and elimination finals, will be played during the AFL pre-finals bye.

The 2024 Smithy’s VFL Grand Final is scheduled to be played on Sunday, September 22, the weekend before the 2024 Toyota AFL Grand Final.

Werribee is excited to announce the addition of former Sydney Swans rookie Brady Rowles for 2022.  

Rowles, 20, joins the club from Essendon VFL having spent the past season with the Bombers following a year on Sydney’s rookie list in 2020. 

Possessing great athleticism Rowles will add blistering pace on the outside for Werribee and is likely to line-up in several different positions next season.  

Having previously worked with Michael Barlow who was an assistant coach with Vic Country in 2019, Rowles said he was thrilled to be linking back up with the now Werribee mentor.  

“I had a fair bit to do with Mick going through the Vic Country program and I also know Jesse Clark through Vic Country so that makes it easier coming in and knowing a few faces,” he said.  

“I’m looking forward to more opportunity here, I’ve played a lot of different roles and quite a bit up forward over the last couple of years, but I’m keen to get more exposure through the midfield.”   

Rowles is well advanced in his preparations for next season and has already been working diligently with development coach Luke Gallaher and the club’s high-performance staff.  

Werribee football manager Mark Micallef said the club was delighted to add a player with the attributes Rowles has.  

“Brady is a really exciting addition to our football club,” he said.  

“He’ll play for us on a wing and half-forward, but we also see him potentially rolling through the midfield, he’s quick and bouncy, is well balanced and moves well. 

“He’s still very young (turns 21 in February) and is a very impressive kid who is super determined to make it and also help Werribee achieve our on-field goals.”  

The Werribee Football Club is pleased to announce the reappointment of Michael Barlow as senior coach for another two seasons. 

Barlow’s two-year contract extension will see him remain at the helm of the club until at least the end of the 2024 season. 

“I have a huge admiration for the players, staff and volunteers within our club and their commitment to the program made this decision very simple for me,” Barlow said. 

“My connection to this club and league is significant and I’m excited for that to continue. To have recommitted for a further two years, I appreciate the vote of confidence shown in me from the Werribee board, CEO Mark Penaluna, football manager Mark Micallef, and most importantly my playing group led our captains Tom Gribble and Dom Brew.  

“My immediate focus is the next two months and preparing our group as best we can for the last four games of the home and away season. We will stay in the moment and look to further build on our strong football program.”

The second-year mentor and former Werribee player is 23 games into his coaching tenure after being appointed in December 2020 following Mark Williams’ return to the AFL with Melbourne. 

This year the club is firmly in the mix to play finals with Werribee currently occupying eighth spot on the ladder.

President Martin Carter said Barlow has an innate ability to relate to all walks of life something that resonates with the entirety of the playing list and those at the club.  

"Michael has a clear passion to continue to lead our club and what he has achieved at the helm this year, in his first full season is outstanding,” Carter said.  

“With Michael’s football intelligence, his relationship building skills, and his ability to develop an extremely competitive and united team we look forward to finishing the 2022 season on a high.”

Werribee booked a preliminary final berth with a 20-point qualifying final victory over Box Hill in the first week of Smithy's VFL Finals Series.

Saturday’s encounter against the Hawks was the first of the season between the two sides with the Big W entering on a 15-match winning streak, and the visitors having won five of their last six matches.

In front of a big crowd at Avalon Airport Oval and champion midfielder Matt Hanson's 100th game, the hosts led from start to finish registering a 16th straight win 11.14 (80) to 8.12 (60). They will now face either Brisbane of Williamstown in two weeks' time for a spot in the grand final.

It was a hot start for Werribee with some elite pressure and the first three goals of the game courtesy of set shot conversions from Shaun Mannagh, Kye Declase and Lucas Rocci helping the home side take some early ground.

Box Hill fought back late, reducing the margin to 12 points, meanwhile Werribee ended the term with a staggering 30 tackles.

The Hawks had the better of the chances in the second and went into half-time leading the inside 50s 23-21, but inaccuracy in front of goal kept them at arm’s length as the sides wrestled through a scrappy quarter.

Josh Porter kicked an early goal for the Big W before a late Keegan Gray major gave the hosts some breathing space with a 37-21 buffer.  

Werribee was first on the board in the third quarter with Sam Paea snapping truly nine minutes in and soon after became provider for Jack Henderson to goal from an acute angel to push the margin out to a game-high 27 points.

That advantage didn’t last long with the Hawks responded with three straight in little time, before Declase gave the home team a much-needed steadier at the 30-minute mark via a strong grab at the top of the square.

The early stages of the final quarter would see a push from Box Hill but with the Big W’s defence held firm, ultimately tallying a game-high 22 intercepts, they would eventually wear the Hawks down.

With the game entering time on, back-to-back goals to Harry Grintell and Declase put the margin at 26 points before Noah Lever sealed the game late.

Werribee: 3.4 5.7 8.10 11.14 (80)
Box Hill: 1.4 2.9 5.11 8.12 (60)

GOALS
Werribee: K. Declase 3, K. Gray, N. Lever, H. Grintell, J. Henderson, S. Mannagh, S. Paea, J. Porter, L. Rocci.
Box Hill: B. Ryan 2, J. Thorpe 2, J. Koschitzke, S. Butler, F. Greene, C. Stephens.

BEST
Werribee: L. Pinnuck, N. Coughlan, D. Brew, K. Declase, B. Malual, N. Hayes.

QUALIFYING FINAL IMAGE GALLERY - VIEW HERE

PLAYER STATS
Nick Coughlan: 25 disposals (14 K, 11 HB) at 88% efficiency, 13 intercept possessions (3 marks), 9 rebound 50s, 2 inside 50s.
Matt Hanson: 21 disposals (13 K, 8 HB), 7 marks, 4 clearances, 5 score involvements, 5 tackles.
Louis Pinnuck: 19 disposals (13 K, 8 HB), 11 intercepts possessions (4 marks), 3 inside 50s, 5 rebound 50s, 5 score involvements, 5 tackles.
Kye Declase: 19 disposals (14 K, 5 HB), 7 marks (2 contested), 5 clearances, 5 inside 50s, 7 score involvements, 4 tackles, 3 goals.
Dom Brew: 19 disposals (12 K, 7 HB), 5 marks, 3 clearances, 3 inside 50s, 2 rebound 50s, 7 tackles.
Bior Malual: 17 disposals (13 K, 4 HB), 6 marks (2 contested), 3 rebound 50s, 2 inside 50s, 2 tackles.
Keegan Gray: 16 disposals (10 K, 6 HB), 5 marks, 2 clearances, 6 inside 50s, 5 score involvements, 3 tackles, 1 goal.
Noah Lever: 15 disposals (10 K, 5 HB), 10 contested possessions, 3 clearances, 4 score involvements, 5 tackles, 1 goal.
Josh Porter: 8 disposals (4 K, 4 HB) at 100% efficiency, 6 marks (1 contested), 9 hit-outs, 5 score involvements, 4 tackles, 1 goal.

NEXT GAME
Preliminary Final
Werribee vs Brisbane or Williamstown
Saturday 16th September. Time: TBA
Avalon Airport Oval, Werribee

Werribee wrapped up its preseason on Friday night with a trip to Highgate Reserve in Craigiebrun to again face a fellow standalone, Coburg on this occassion.

The club named a 28-man squad for the match and among it was a preseason debut for Jack Driscoll with the young ruckman returning to full fitness after a minor injury setback.

Werribee started the match well with key players Tom Gribble, Shaun Mannagh and Nick Coughlan among those to have an instant impact.

Up forward it was a trio of talented youngsters who helped the Big W out to an early lead with Hudson Garoni, Sam Paea and Saad El-Hawli all kicking first quarter goals. 

Coburg, a team that finished 2021 with a 3-7 record while losing four games by four points or less, provided a real challenege for Werribee through the second and third terms.

After holding the Big W to just two behinds in the third quarter the Lions went into the final term with a two-point advantage and quickly extended that when the final stanza got underway.

However, Werribee showed great character to wrestle back control as Gribble led the way in the centre of the ground and the likes of Jack Henderson and Kye Declase continually drove the ball inside 50.

With plenty of repeat entries Josh Porter and several other forwards were able to take advantage while in defence Nathan Cooper and Tom Boyd did all they could to ensure the team a fourth preseason win.

Scroll down to hear from senior coach Michael Barlow and young defender Jesse Clark.

MATCH DETAILS

Werribee: 3.2 6.6 6.8 10.14 (74)
Northern Bullants: 2.1 4.3 7.4 9.7 (61)

GOALS
Werribee: J. Porter 4, H. Garoni, S. Paea, S. El-Hawli, J. Henderson, J. Dahlhaus, S. Mannagh

BEST
Werribee: J. Porter, K. Declase, N. Cooper, J. Henderson, T. Gribble, T. Boyd 

NEXT MATCH

ROUND 1
Frankston v Werribee
Saturday March 26, 7.05pm
SkyBus Stadium, Frankston

Werribee wrapped up its 2022 campaign with a record win over the Northern Bullants at Avalon Airport Oval in Round 22. 

The hosts booted 29 majors while the Bullants went goalless as Werribee completed victory by 181 points. It was the club's biggest win in the VFL and the fourth biggest winning margin in league history. 

FINAL SCORE
Werribee: 5.7 9.9 18.14 29.17 (191)
Northern Bullants: 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.10 (10)

GOALS
Werribee:S. Mannagh 6, K. Declase 5, H. Garoni 5, S. Paea 3, N. Hayes 2, T. Gribble 2, F. Young 2, J. Henderson, C. Ham, J. Porter, M. Sodomaco.
Northern Bullants:

BEST
Werribee: K. Declase, S. Mannagh, H. Garoni, J. Henderson, E. Ajang, S. Paea.
Northern Bullants:

HOW IT HAPPENED
Three goals in the opening six minutes set the tone for Werribee’s big finish to the 2022 season. Nick Hayes, Sam Paea and Shaun Mannagh were all on target early as Werribee jumped out to an 18-point lead in little time. Hudson Garoni joined the party in the 17th minute making no mistake with his second shot of the day before Sam Paea became the first multiple goal kicker with a simple set shot conversion with four minutes left in the term.

A goalless eight minutes to start the second term was ended by debutant Flynn Young who couldn’t have imagined an easier first goal with the exciting forward lining up in the square after being awarded a 50-metre penalty following a mark at the top of the arc. A burst of three goals in eight minutes courtesy of Mannagh, co-captain Tom Gribble and Garoni stretched Werribee’s advantage to 59 points at the 20-minute mark of quarter and the difference remained that at the main break.

The goals came quick to start the second half with Michael Sodomaco on target from long range two minutes in before Paea added his third just a couple of moments later. Josh Porter and Charlie Ham joined the growing list of goal scorers during the term, with Ham’s effort his first of the season. A Kye Declase snap 20 minutes in raised triple figures for Werribee with three further majors seeing the hosts take a 116-point lead into the last.

Werribee booted 11 goals in the final quarter, four of those from the boot of Declase while Garoni and Mannagh each bagged three to finish with hauls of five and six respectively. The home team ended the match +153 in disposals, +15 in clearances and led the inside 50 count 70-27.

KEY PLAYERS
Ollie Hanrahan: 32 disposal (14 K), 7 marks, 7 clearances, 6 inside 50s, 14 score involvements, 2 tackles.
Tom Gribble: 29 disposals (19 K), 14 contested possessions, 8 clearances, 8 inside 50s, 12 score involvements, 2 goals.
Kye Declase: 26 disposals (17 K) at 81% efficiency, 14 marks (4 CM), 11 score involvements, 5 goals.
Jack Henderson: 27 disposals (16 K), 14 handball receives, 6 inside 50s, 17 score involvements, 5 tackles.
Shaun Mannagh: 25 disposals (18 K), 14 contested possessions, 7 marks (2 CM), 5 tackles, 5 clearances, 8 inside 50s, 15 score involvements, 6 goals.
Emmanuel Ajang: 25 disposals (13 K), 16 contested possessions, 7 clearances, 5 inside 50s, 10 score involvements, 4 tackles.
Hudson Garoni: 13 disposals (9 K), 6 marks (4 CM), 10 score involvements, 5 goals.
Flynn Young: 9 disposals (8 K), 4 marks, 3 tackles, 5 score involvements, 2 goals.

ROUND 22 IMAGE GALLERY

Werribee has filled its two remaining list spots and finalised its squad for the commencement of the Smithy’s VFL season with the signings of ruckman Akol Deng and defender Charlie Byrne.

Deng, 24, is a recent convert to Australian Rules football from a professional basketball background and spent last season with the club as a train-on player.

He plied his trade with Yarraville Seddon in the WRFL where he frequently appeared in the best players.

Despite standing at 194cm Werribee football manager Mark Micallef said Deng brings strength, physicality, and great athleticism.

 “We’ve been working in the background with Akol for the last 18 months… he’s one of the most exciting stories for the footy club over the last couple of years,” Micallef said.

Joining Deng on the list for 2023 is 184cm rebounding defender Charlie Byrne.

Byrne, 20, was previously involved with Essendon’s VFL program and played two games for the Bombers in 2021 before relocating to Geelong to play with Newtown and Chilwell.

Micallef said the dashing left footer has come a long way in the last 12 months.

“We’ve kept tabs on Charlie ever since his final season in the NAB League with the Murray Bushrangers,” he said.

“His move to the GFL brought him within close proximity to Werribee and we were thrilled to see him play some really good footy for Newtown and Chilwell last year.”

By Gerald Lynch

Werribee made it 12 wins on the trot in Round 18, topping Frankston by 44 points at Avalon Airport Oval to retain the SkyBus Cup.

On an overcast afternoon the hosts had to work hard against the Dolphins who were again up for a fight against a more fancied opponent, and while the visitors came hot out of the blocks, the Big W were victorious 15.19 (109) to 10.5 (65).

Several Werribee leaders stepped up to help the Big W overturn a quarter time deficit, among them Dom Brew with 26 disposals and 14 tackles, and Shaun Mannagh with 24 disposals and a game-high three goals.

Kye Declase was also a key contributor tallying 23 disposals and two goals, while Nathan Cooper was best afield after a strong performance in defence.  

The opening term was an indication of how the day would play out as a hotly contested game. After Werribee opened up the scoring with two behinds and then its first major through Mannagh it was Frankston who took control with four consecutive goals giving the Dolphins an encouraging lead.

Werribee wrestled back some of the momentum late in the quarter but didn’t make the most of its opportunities inside 50 and went to the first break trailing by 10 points. 

In the second quarter the Big W got the game going on their own terms, dominating time in possession and inside 50s, 16-9.

However, inaccuracy in front of goal meant that the Dolphins remained in touch on the scoreboard.The hosts kicked 2.8 for the term and after holding Frankston scoreless took a narrow 10-point advantage into the main break.

The home team’s inaccuracy continued early on in the third stanza, but it would soon become one-way traffic for Werribee.

Two goals in as many minutes for Declase saw Werribee’s buffer out to 23 points 10 minutes into the term, and goals to Sodomaco, Mannagah, and Paea pushed the margin out to 41 points heading into the final period.

The Big W started strong in the final term and all but put the game to bed in the opening five minutes thanks to goals from Josh Porter and Michael Selsby with a brilliant snap.

Frankston surged late with four of the next six majors to give Werribee something to think about ahead of their next game, before Porter marked his return to the side by kicking his second goal of the day, after the final siren.

Werribee: 2.4 4.12 10.15 15.19 (109)
Frankston: 4.2 4.2 5.4 10.5 (65)

GOALS
Werribee: S. Mannagh 3, H. Garoni 2, K. Declase 2, S  Paea 2, J. Porter 2, D. Brew, M. Sodomaco, J. Boyd, M. Selsby.
Frankston: M. Johnson 3, F. Ryan, M. Szybkowski, K. Owens, W. Fordham.

BEST
Werribee:N. Cooper, S. Mannagh, D. Brew, J. Porter, S. Paea, H. Garoni.

NEXT GAME
Round 19
Werribee vs North Melbourne
Sunday 30th July, 1:05pm
Arden Street Oval, North Melbourne

Werribee broke its run of three straight losses by recording an emphatic 53-point victory over GWS to return to the winners list in Sydney on Sunday.

The Big W enjoyed their best start to a match this season with a four goal to one opening term before extending a 17-point half time advantage to 44 at the end of three quarters. 

The return of experienced pair Matt Hanson and Nick Coughlan was significant with four-time best and fairest winner Hanson best afield after a dominant display in midfield, while key defender Coughlan was just as important down back in his first match since round one.

FINAL SCORE
Werribee: 4.4 7.7 13.10 16.11 (107)
GWS: 1.0 5.2 7.2 8.6 (54)

GOALS
Werribee: H. Garoni, J. Dahlhaus 2, O. Hanrahan 2, M. Hanson 2, K. Declase 2, N. Hayes, S. Mannagh, J. Porter, J. Driscoll, B. Malual.
GWS: H. Grintell 3, M. Monaghan, R. Angwin, L. Chisholm, J. Fahey, E. Grace.

BEST
Werribee: M. Hanson, N. Coughlan, K. Declase, J. Dahlhaus, H. Garoni, B. Malual.
GWS:

HOW IT HAPPENED

Werribee’s first quarter was its best of the season as the Big W kicked 4.4 while limiting GWS to just a single goal to take a 22-point lead into the first break. Matt Hanson and Shaun Mannagh helped to set the tone early with the pair booting Werribee’s opening two goals inside the first five minutes before taking control around the footy. Nick Coughlan and Charlie Ham were also busy early, cleaning up across halfback while the Werribee defence held the Giants to just three inside 50 entries for the term, the last of which resulted in their only goal via a late free kick.

Werribee continued its dominance early in the second quarter and with Tom Gribble and Jack Henderson working their way into the match scoring opportunities quickly followed. Hudson Garoni added his second goal of the match just two and half minutes into the second before Jay Dahlhaus and Ollie Hanrahan helped extend Werribee’s led to 38 points after 13 minutes of play. However, the Giants hit back from the midway point of the term kicked four straight goals to drag the margin the back to 17 points at halftime.

Having kicked 7.7 up to halftime Werribee missed three of its first four shots on goal to start the third quarter before Nick Hayes kicked truly just before the nine-minute to give the visitors a 32-point buffer. GWS responded with two of the next three majors but with Bior Malual and Kye Declase continuing to drive the visitors forward the margin grew in Werribee’s favour. Delclase kicked his second goal of the quarter 25 minutes in before Garoni and Josh Porter converted their close-range efforts to end the third.

GWS had the chance to reduce Werribee’s 44-point point lead early in the final quarter but after missing their first three attempts Ollie Hanrahan made no mistake at the other end giving the Big W the first goal of the fourth. Having not topped 100 so far this this season Jack Driscoll brought up the ton for Werribee 19 minutes in while Dahlhaus, who continued to chase and tackle right up until the end, became Werribee’s fifth multiple goal kicker with the final major of the match.

WATCH MATCH REPLAY & HIGHLIGHTS  

KEY PLAYERS
Matt Hanson: 34 disposals (15 contested possessions), 10 marks, 4 tackles, 8 clearances, 4 inside 50s, 9 score involvements, 2 goals
Tom Gribble: 28 disposals at 93% efficiency, 11 handball receives, 8 marks, 5 clearances, 8 score involvements
Kye Declase: 25 disposals (18 kicks), 13 marks, 5 inside 50s, 4 rebound 50s, 7 score involvements, 2 goals
Nick Coughlan: 21 disposals (17 kicks) at 81% efficiency, 7 marks (2 contested), 5 rebound 50s
Bior Malual: 19 disposals (17 kicks) at 84% efficiency, 11 marks, 3 inside 50s, 5 score involvements, 1 goal
Sam Clohesy: 19 disposals (14 kicks), 4 marks (2 contested), 3 tackles, 3 clearances, 4 inside 50s, 5 score involvements
Jay Dahlhaus: 14 disposals (10 kicks), 6 marks, 5 tackles, 4 inside 50s, 8 score involvements, 2 goals
Hudson Garoni: 12 disposals (8 kicks), 5 marks (1 contested), 9 hit-outs, 5 score involvements, 3 goals

NEXT MATCH
Round 10
Werribee vs Collingwood
Sunday May 29, 12pm
Avalon Airport Oval, Werribee

Werribee backed up its win over an undefeated Gold Coast with another top four scalp, trumping reigning premier Casey at Avalon Airport Oval in Round 10.

Victory over the Demons came despite the hosts being two rotations down for the majority of the second half, with Kobe Annand and Matt Hanson going down injured after veteran Michael Sodomaco withdraw just before the bounce.

The 16.10 (106) to 12.6 (78) result was the Big W’s fifth straight win and sixth of the season and came in front of members of Werribee's 1993 premiership who watched on as part of the club's 30-year reunion.

It was far from the perfect start for the home team with Casey jumping out to a two-goal lead inside the opening three minutes, but the Big W would eventually get their game going, trailing by just two points at the first change.

Keegan Gray gave Werribee first blood in the second stanza with a quality finish in the second minute putting the hosts ahead for the first time, before second majors to Sam Paea and Hudson Garoni had the Big W nine points clear midway through the quarter.

Casey regained the lead for a second time at the 25-minute mark as a result of back-to-back goals, but Werribee then nailed three in the space of five minutes courtesy of Boyd, Garoni and Kye Declase to go 12 points up with a couple of minutes remaining in the half.  

Goals came in quick bursts for both teams in the third quarter with Casey adding two in little time to give them back the lead early before Werribee replied through Nick Hayes and Tom Gribble.

Two more majors for the Demons put the visitors in front again, however a miracle goal from the pocket by Matt Keast tied the scores at the 24-minute mark before Hayes and Noah Lever converted set shots to give Werribee a double figure advantage.

All five of Werribee’s third quarter goals came off turnovers with Louis Pinnuck, Nathan Cooper, Sam Closhey and Wardell Lual playing a big part in winning the ball back for the home team.  

With a six point margin in favour of Werribee going into the last the hosts would only stretch their lead with Bior Malual finally registering the Big W's 14^th goal of the day after six minor scores including five consecutive behinds.

A second major to Noah Lever following a strong pack mark and a Dom Brew stoppage-goal from a boundary throw-in all but confirmed the four points for Werribee at the 22-minute mark, while the defence capped the performance by holding Casey to just two behinds in the term.   

The final statistics again made for good reading for Werribee who came out on top in disposals (+86), contested possessions (+34), tackles (+18), inside 50s (+12) and clearances (+8).

FINAL SCORE
Werribee: 2.2 8.3 13.4 16.10 (106)
Casey: 3.2 7.3 12.4 12.6 (78)

GOALS
Werribee: H. Garoni 3, N. Hayes 2, N. Lever, S. Paea 2, K. Gray, J. Boyd, D. Brew, K. Declase. T. Gribble, M. Keast, B. Malual.
Casey: J. Schache 2, J.Melksham 2, J. Smith 2, A. Moniz-Wakefield, B. Brown, G. Grey, M. Jefferson, T. McRae, M. White. 

BEST
Werribee: D. Brew, K. Declase, J. Boyd, N. Lever, T. Gribble, H. Garoni.

PLAYER STATS
Tom Gribble: 33 disposals (22 K, 11 HB), 13 handball receives, 8 inside 50s, 7 clearances, 4 score involvements, 5 tackles, 1 goal.
Dom Brew: 28 disposals (20 K, 8 HB), 19 contested possessions, 10 clearances, 5 inside 50s, 5 tackles.
Shaun Mannagh: 26 disposals, (20 K, 6 HB), 9 inside 50s, 6 clearances, 8 score involvements, 4 tackles.
Kye Declase: 23 disposals (14 K, 9 HB) at 91% efficiency, 10 handball receives, 6 inside 50s, 2 rebound 50s, 6 score involvements, 2 tackles.
Louis Pinnuck: 19 disposals (15 K, 4 HB), 8 intercept possessions, 5 rebound 50s, 2 inside 50s.
Matt Hanson: 19 disposals (10 K, 9 HB), 12 contested possessions, 7 clearances, 3 inside 50s, 4 tackles.
Jack Boyd: 15 disposals (5 K, 10 HB), 13 contested possessions, 3 contested marks, 23 hit-outs, 7 score involvements, 4 clearances, 1 goal.
Noah Lever: 12 disposals (6 K, 6 HB) at 92% efficiency, 4 intercepts, 4 score involvements, 2 goals.
Hudson Garoni: 10 disposals (6 K, 4 HB), 5 marks (1 contested), 5 score involvements, 3 tackles, 3 goals.

ROUND 10 IMAGE GALLERY - VIEW HERE

NEXT GAME
Round 11
Werribee vs Coburg
Saturday 3rd June, 1:05pm
Coburg City Oval

Werribee capped the home and away season with a 33-point away win over Sydney in Round 22 to secure a 15th consecutive victory and a 16-2 win-loss record in 2023.

The Big W entered Sunday’s game unable to finish anywhere other than second on the ladder as Gold Coast comfortably accounted for Carlton Reserves a day earlier to lock up top spot.

With the result against the Swans having no bearing on what's to come, the fixture became a finals tune up for Werribee, with the visitors extending their record win streak courtesy of a 13.11 (89) to 8.8 (56) result.

Matt Hanson accumulated a game-high 34 disposals in his 99th game and is now set to make his 100th Werribee appearance in the club's Qualifying Final against Box Hill in two weeks’ time.

Just as dominant were Dom Brew (33 disposals), Tom Gribble (31 disposals), Shaun Mannagh (29 disposals, 2 goals) and Kye Declase (27 disposals, 2 goals) along with former captain Michael Sodomaco who again did as he pleased off halfback with 27 disposals at 93 per cent efficiency.

Hudson Garoni was the dominant forward on the ground with three majors taking his season tally to a career-best 40 goals.

The key forward fired Werribee’s first goal of the game six and a half minutes into the contest and just 10 minutes later the visitors lead was 29-0 after majors to Hanson, Bior Malaul and Mannagh.

The Big W took advantage of a game-high 17 inside 50s in the second term to stretch their advantage to 33 points at the 18-minute mark, before the Swans again goaled in the later stages to reduce the margin.

Werribee’s fast starts carried on into the second half with Decalse booting his two majors within the opening seven minutes of the third quarter.

As they did in the first term, the Big W’s defence lead by captain Nick Coughlan limited the Swans to just a lone goal in the third, with Will Gould’s major a quick response to Declase’s double strike.

Garoni’s third goal and then back-to-back goals to Sam Paea and Mannagh early in the fourth quarter had the visitors up by 51 points and the result all but confirmed.

The Swans added four of the last five goals, but the sting was well and truly out of the game as Werribee’s focus now turns to its first finals campaign since 2019.

The Big W ended the match +139 for disposals (437-298), +87 for marks (151-64), +17 in clearances (46-29), +14 for inside 50s (53-39) and +12 in tackles (71-59).

Werribee: 4.5 7.6 10.9 13.11 (89)
Sydney: 1.0 3.4 4.4 8.8 (56)

GOALS
Werribee: H. Garoni 3, S. Mannagh 2, K. Declase 2, M. Hanson 2, J. Porter, B. Malual, S. Paea, M. Keast 2.
Sydney: W. Gould 2, L. Rankin 2, J. Bartholomaeus, H. Morrison, C. Warner.

BEST
Werribee: M. Sodomaco, K. Declase, T. Gribble, H. Garoni, S. Clohesy, D. Brew.

PLAYER STATS
Matt Hanson: 34 disposals (23 K, 11 HB), 13 handball receives, 10 marks, 5 tackles, 4 clearances, 6 inside 50s, 2 goals.
Dom Brew: 33 disposals (20 K 13 HB), 18 contested possessions, 6 marks, 7 tackles, 11 clearances, 5 inside 50s, 3 rebound 50s.
Tom Gribble: 31 disposals (14 K, 17 HB) at 84% efficiency, 8 marks, 2 tackles, 4 clearances, 3 inside 50s, 2 rebound 50s.
Nick Coughlan: 29 disposals (21 K, 8 HB), 10 marks (5 intercept), 3 tackles, 6 rebound 50s, 5 score involvements.
Shaun Mannagh: 29 disposals (18 K, 11 HB), 13 handball receives, 6 tackles, 9 clearances, 5 inside 50s, 2 rebound 50s, 2 goals.
Kye Declase: 27 disposals (7 K 14 HB), 13 handball receives, 10 marks, (3 contested), 5 tackles, 3 inside 50s, 8 score involvements, 2 goals.
Michael Sodomaco: 27 disposals (16 K, 11 HB) at 93% efficiency, 6 marks, 2 tackles, 3 clearances, 3 rebound 50s, 7 score involvements.
Sam Clohesy: 23 disposals (15 K, 8 HB) at 96% efficiency, 10 marks, 3 tackles, 2 inside 50s, 3 rebound 50s, 6 score involvements.
Kobe Annand: 15 disposals (5 K, 10 HB) at 93 % efficiency, 7 marks (1 contested 3 intercept), 17 hit-outs, 3 tackles, 4 clearances.

NEXT GAME
Qualifying Final
Werribee (2nd) vs Box Hill (3rd)
Saturday 2nd September or Sunday 3rd September
Avalon Airport Oval, Werribee