Nick Hayes, the most experienced state league player in the VFL has called it a day after 64 games and four seasons with the club.

At 30-years-old, Hayes was Werribee’s oldest player this season, following the departures of veteran teammates Tom Gribble, Michael Sodomaco, Josh Porter and Matt Hanson at the end of 2023. In his final season, the versatile forward played 18 games in Werribee’s premiership-winning campaign, with his 2024 season also seeing him reach the milestone of 200 state league games, an achievement the club honoured at their best-and-fairest night.

Reflecting on his time with the club, Hayes shared, “It’s been a great experience playing at Werribee, and I’ve made some friends for life.”

Speaking about ending his tenure with a Grand Final win, he added, “The premiership is a day I’ll never forget, and the best possible way to finish my time at the club.”

Hayes called time on his Werribee career after his fourth season with the club in what was his twelfth season of state league football. The forward made the switch to Werribee from South Australian club Woodville West Torrens ahead of the 2021 VFL season, fresh from a 2020 SANFL flag. Prior to his six seasons with Woodville, Hayes was originally drafted to Brisbane in the 2013 rookie draft, and spent two seasons with the Lions, where he won the reserves best-and-fairest in his second season up north. During his time at Brisbane, Hayes also won a NEAFL premiership, adding the 2024 VFL title as his third state league premiership across three different competitions.

When joining Werribee in 2021, Hayes noted that the club's values made Werribee a perfect fit for him. "They had a lot of similar values to what I was playing over in Adelaide at Woodville – a standalone club, a real community and team atmosphere, which is exactly what I was looking for here." Although his first season was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic, Hayes made an immediate impact, kicking 10 goals and averaging 15 disposals and six marks per game in his nine matches.

Hayes enjoyed another consistent season in 2022, averaging 15 disposals, more than six marks, and a goal per game, earning him his first top-ten finish in Werribee's best-and-fairest as well as the Coaches Award.

Off the back of his strong 2022 campaign, Hayes was inducted into the leadership group for the first time in 2023, a position he held for his last two seasons at the club. In the 2023 season he played all 21 games, kicking 21 goals, including a career-high four goals against North Melbourne late in the season. Two of his most pivotal goals of the season came in the preliminary final against Brisbane. He kicked two crucial majors, including a miracle goal from the pocket, to help Werribee make the Grand Final.

Hayes kicked off the 2024 season in strong form, building on his impressive finish to 2023. After playing forward and kicking a goal in Werribee’s Round 1 win over Geelong, he once again proved his versatility, delivering one of the standout performances of his Werribee career in defence during the Round 2 clash with Southport. Hayes collected 28 disposals, 11 marks, and nine intercept possessions in a three-point victory. The forward was then selected to represent Victoria in the state league clash against his old league, the SANFL, as the Big V returned to state of origin footy.

In the following weeks after returning to Werribee, Hayes kicked three goals in a half against GWS and celebrated his 50th game with the club, before playing his 200th state league game against North Melbourne in round nine.

Midway through the season Hayes transitioned from forward to a wingman, and went on to play every game for the remainder of the season. For the second consecutive season, Hayes stepped up in the preliminary final against his former side, Brisbane, with a Grand Final berth on the line. The 30-year-old veteran was named among the best players, finishing with 17 disposals, six marks, seven intercepts, and his first goal since Round 15 in the 20-point win.

As Werribee broke a 31-year premiership drought the following week in Hayes’ final game, he reflected on the triumph post-match, saying, “I’m absolutely ecstatic. Obviously, 12 months ago it was the opposite result, so it’s just an unbelievable feeling.”

After joining Werribee for the 2024 season, local product Daly Andrews has committed for a second season with his hometown club, with the midfielder re-signing for 2025.

After three seasons with westside rivals Williamstown as a Western Jets graduate, Andrews returned to his hometown club Werribee for the 2024 season. He reached his 50th VFL game milestone during the year and has now put pen to paper for a second season with the Tigers in 2025.

Andrews called his move to Werribee “pretty seamless,” saying, “I grew up in Werribee; it’s always been home and has always been in the back of my mind,” and in his first pre-season with the club, impressed on the training track and in practice matches, earning a well-deserved spot in Werribee’s Round 1 lineup. Coach Jimmy Allan, in his pre-game guernsey presentation, described the new recruit as a “tough inside mid who’s given us a lot of drive in practice matches,” and Andrews was part of the starting midfield quartet, where he went on to collect 27 disposals and five clearances in a standout club debut at GMHBA Stadium.

Carrying his ball-winning form into the season, Andrews averaged over 21 disposals in his first five games, including a 25-disposal game against Richmond, where he also kicked the first goal of his Werribee career with a centre square clearance goal. However, a foot injury sustained against his former side, Williamstown, in Round 5 sidelined him for over a month. Upon his return, Andrews played for his local side, Werribee Centrals, where he showed he was a class above local level to earn his spot back in the team for the Round 11 clash against Frankston, in Dom Brew’s 100th.

In his second game back from injury, following a tough nine-goal loss to Williamstown in Round 5, Andrews faced off against his former side for the second time and had an unforgettable moment, kicking the game-sealing goal in the final quarter as Werribee ran out with the John Pyne Memorial Trophy.

The midfielder strung together seven games, showing great form, with two games being selected in the best players, before a season-ending injury against Southport in Round 19, requiring surgery, sidelined him for finals. He finished the year with 12 games, averaging 18 disposals and five clearances per game.

Looking ahead to 2025, Andrews will be entering his fifth VFL season and sixth year of state league football after heading to play in the SANFL in 2020 when the VFL was interrupted by the COVID pandemic and will look to build on his career-high disposal and clearances averages from his debut campaign with Werribee.

The AFL Draft is fast approaching, set to take place at Marvel Stadium on Wednesday, 20 November—now less than two weeks away. For Werribee, it presents the opportunity to potentially see another player make the step up, with one player invited to the State Draft Combine and three more nominating for the draft.

Werribee has built a reputation as a club where talent is developed and recognised, with several recent names making the leap to AFL lists. Just within the last 12 months, Werribee products Shaun Mannagh and Sam Clohesy were drafted, and both have already made their mark in the AFL.

After winning the Norm Goss Medal with a 27-disposal and six-goal performance in the 2023 VFL Grand Final, Mannagh was selected by Geelong as a 26-year-old with pick 36 in the national draft. After four seasons plying his trade at Werribee, where he earned two selections in the VFL Team of the Year, he surprised no one when he displayed his talent on the big stage—kicking three goals in an AFL qualifying final as Geelong defeated Port Adelaide this year.

Mannagh finished the year with 12 AFL games, booted 15 goals, and his average of 13.3 AFL Player Ratings points across the entire year ranked him No.2 among all forwards across the competition.

Sam Clohesy was drafted to the Gold Coast Suns after winning the Fothergill-Round-Mitchell Medal, becoming Werribee’s fourth player to win the medal and subsequently get drafted into the AFL since 2009.

Clohesy joined Werribee ahead of the 2022 season and, after five games in his debut year, played every match in a breakout season in 2023. His standout finals series, including a 22-disposal, seven-mark performance against Gold Coast in the Grand Final, impressed the Suns enough to select him in the rookie draft.

He made his AFL debut for the Suns in Round 5 and wasted no time making an impact. Clohesy collected 22 disposals and kicked a goal in his first game, securing his spot on the wing for the rest of the season. He played 20 games and was named in the AFLPA 22under22 squad.

Three-time AFL premiership coach Damian Hardwick had high praise for Werribee’s system after Clohesy’s impressive start to his AFL career, “He’s been well coached at the lower levels, obviously at Werribee.”

Gold Coast’s reigning best-and-fairest Sam Collins was one of two Werribee players to join the Suns in 2018. Collins arrived at Werribee for the 2018 VFL season and starred in his campaign with the club, winning the best-and-fairest and earning a spot in the VFL Team of the Year, which led to his selection on the Suns' list for 2019.

Joining Gold Coast at 24, Collins has since credited his time at Werribee with shaping him as a player and person, saying, “I think I’m a much better person and player for it and wouldn’t have had it any other way.” In this second AFL stint after his time with Werribee, Collins has established himself as one of the Suns' key players, becoming the fourth player in club history to win multiple best-and-fairest awards, and was recently named in the All-Australian 40-man squad.

Josh Corbett, who also joined the Suns in 2018, signed with Werribee in 2016 after playing for North Warrnambool. After two years of development, a breakout third season saw him win the Fothergill-Round-Mitchell Medal, kicking 22 goals with an average of 2.4 per game and taking eight marks per game to earn a spot on an AFL list for 2019.

Jake Riccardi became the second player from Werribee in as many years to win the ‘Fothergill’. After missing out on the AFL draft, Riccardi joined Werribee in his first season out of the TAC Cup, under coach Mark ‘Choco’ Williams, who recognised his talent and pinpointed key areas for improvement. “He embraced the challenges that were set in front of him. He was always the first out on the track [doing extras],” Williams said.

Riccardi showcased his goalkicking ability early, booting seven goals in his first three games, and finished the season with 38 goals from 20 games, earning Werribee’s leading goalkicker award and a spot in the Team of the Year.

His standout season earned him a spot at GWS with pick 51 in the national draft. Continuing the theme of Werribee’s mature-age draftees making an immediate impact, AFL legend Jonathan Brown was quick to compare him to some of the game’s greats, saying, “This bloke looks like Wayne Carey in his second game ... or Matthew Pavlich or Nick Riewoldt, roll them all together”.

Also making an immediate impact was Fremantle midfielder Michael Barlow, who, after two standout seasons at Werribee, where he won the Fothergill-Round Medal, was drafted to Fremantle ahead of the 2010 season.

He made a memorable start to his AFL career, collecting 33 disposals and kicking two goals on debut – the most possessions ever recorded by a player on debut since Champion Data began tracking statistics. Despite missing eight home-and-away games due to a broken leg, Barlow continued his impressive form, winning the AFL Players Association Best First Year Player Award in 2010.

Barlow went on to play over 100 AFL games and was named in Fremantle’s ‘25 since ‘95 Team’, cementing his place as one of the club’s greats.

Current North Melbourne stars, All-Australian squad member Tristan Xerri and captain Luke McDonald, both spent time with Werribee to bolster their chances of making it onto an AFL list in their draft years. They trained with the squad throughout the year and made appearances as the 23rd man.

Xerri particularly credits Werribee for shaping his career: “They’ve been great looking after me and giving me the opportunity last year,” he said. “It gave me confidence being able to perform at VFL level and showed the recruiters what I can do. It’s maybe what got me over the line, so that was great.”

Other players who have gone on to have successful AFL careers after being drafted from Werribee include retired veterans Ben Brown, James Podsiadly, Dale Morris, and Kyle Hartigan.

Ben Brown, who grew up in Tasmania, regularly praises Werribee recruiter Mark Stone as one of the main reasons he made it to the big stage. In a recent post-retirement interview, Brown said, “I made the move across and the rest is history. I’ve definitely got Mark Stone to thank for putting in that time and eventually getting me across.” Brown went on to have a ten-year AFL career and retired with over 350 goals, four leading goalkicker awards, and an AFL premiership.

Podsiadly, one of Werribee's all-time greats, earned his place on an AFL list after six seasons and over 100 games for the club, where he claimed both the J.J. Liston Trophy and the Frosty Miller Medal. Geelong drafted him with pick 50 in the 2010 rookie draft at the age of 28. He wasted no time showing his ability at AFL level, polling 13 Brownlow votes in his debut season. The forward went on to play over 100 games and win a leading goalkicker award in a premiership year with the Cats in a six-year AFL career.

Dale Morris refused to give up on his AFL dream, and after four seasons with Werribee, was picked up by the Bulldogs in the 2004 rookie draft. The defender went on to play 250 games, win an AFL premiership, and earn selection as an All-Australian, owing much of his AFL career to his time at Werribee. Reflecting on his journey, Morris has said, “The good thing about playing for Werribee was that I was able to line up on AFL-listed players and perfect my craft - I really built my confidence and belief from there, knowing that if I got a shot, I would be ready.”

Kyle Hartigan opted for Werribee over other VFL clubs after missing out on the draft, drawn to the club's strong track record of helping mature-aged players break into the AFL. His decision paid off, as he went on to play over 130 games across Adelaide and Hawthorn.

As Hartigan returned to Werribee to coach this season, he said “Guys getting drafted, people look around and go, ‘how about all these guys getting drafted or rookied or get an opportunity in the AFL from Werribee, that’s the club I want to go to’

“That just makes people want to come to the footy club and it makes it a lot easier if you have guys that want to come there. It makes success a lot easier.