Werribee has wrapped up its preparations for the 2026 Smithy’s VFL season with a fourth and final practice match against Footscray.

Taking on the Bulldogs at Whitten Oval, Werribee showed flashes of the exciting football that could be on display under Dan Lowther in 2026, before Footscray finished strongly to claim the win.

With the Bulldogs’ AFL season already underway, the opposition featured ten AFL-listed players, presenting a strong challenge for Werribee in the final dress rehearsal before the season officially begins, with Footscray eventually running out 46-point winners, 17.14.116 to Werribee’s 10.10.70.

Werribee made a bright start, producing some of its best football of the pre-season in the opening quarter.

On what was a perfect morning for football with a 10:00am start, it took less than five minutes for small forward Lachie Charleson to snap through the first goal of the day, after receiving the handball from key forward Brady Wright.

The Bulldogs responded with two quick goals, but Werribee answered with four of its own to finish the term strongly.

Noah Tullio showed his smarts around goal with a clever crumbing snap, while Jack Riding marked his first game in the black and gold for 2026 after training with Hawthorn’s AFL side this pre-season by kicking a goal on the run.

Charleson added his second with another dribbler from close range, before the recruit from Port Adelaide’s AFL program produced one of the highlights of the quarter, snapping a banana from the boundary line after a deliberate out of bounds free kick inside 50 to give him three goals for the term.

Footscray kicked the final goal of the quarter to trim Werribee’s lead to 12 points at the first break.

The Bulldogs lifted in the second quarter, winning the term five goals to two, although Werribee’s goals again came through its small forwards, with Tullio and Massimo Raso both converting set shots.

Footscray gained the ascendancy in the second half, kicking nine goals to three as Werribee rotated its squad after half time, with 29 players taking part in the hitout.

Charleson continued his impressive morning with his fourth goal, Werribee’s only major of the third term.

Eli Pearce, who entered the game after half time, kicked truly from a set shot early in the final quarter, before youngster Cooper Hall produced a determined moment late in the match. After going back with the flight to take a courageous mark that was ruled short of the distance, Hall quickly snapped over his shoulder for the final goal of the game right on the full time siren.

Werribee will now turn its attention to Round One, where the club opens its 2026 campaign against the Gold Coast Suns this Sunday at midday (11:00am local time).

FINAL SCORE:
Werribee: 5.3 7.4 8.7 10.10 (70)
Footscray: 3.3 8.8 11.13 17.14 (116)

GOALS:
L. Charleson (4), N. Tullio (2), C. Hall, E. Pearce, M. Raso, J. Riding