As the Smithy’s VFL State Game returns for a third consecutive year during the AFL’s Gather Round festivities, Werribee will once again be represented, with senior coach Daniel Lowther chosen as an assistant coach of the Smithy’s VFL State Team.

Lowther will join Frankston coach Jackson Kornberg’s coaching panel for the clash against the SANFL, which will see the best VFL-listed players from across the competition come together to represent the Big V.

The match will take place at Glenelg’s Stratarama Stadium on Saturday, April 11, with the game beginning at 3:00pm AEST.

The appointment comes as Lowther prepares to coach his first official game in charge of Werribee this Sunday, when the club opens its 2026 campaign against the Gold Coast Suns.

Lowther joined Werribee this season following five years as senior coach of Geelong’s AFLW program, where he guided the Cats from second-last in the year prior to his appointment to back-to-back finals series, including a preliminary final appearance in 2023.

The state game appointment continues Werribee’s involvement with the VFL representative program both on and off the field in recent years. In 2024, the club’s High Performance Manager Gaetano Faranda was appointed High Performance Manager of the Smithy’s VFL State Team.

Werribee was also strongly represented in last year’s State Game victory over the SANFL, with captain Dom Brew leading the VFL side while teammate Louis Pinnuck produced a best-on-ground performance to claim the Frank Johnson Medal after kicking two final-quarter goals to seal the win.

The women’s State Game will also be played earlier in the day, with North Melbourne Werribee premiership coach Brett Gourley again leading the VFLW State Team. The appointment comes as the North Melbourne and Werribee partnership enters its second season following an outstanding first year together, which saw the Kangaroos claim almost everything, including the premiership, six selections in the VFLW Team of the Year and Coach of the Year honours.

The best VFL-listed players from the 22-team competition will be selected to represent the Big V, with an initial squad and leadership group to be announced soon.