Werribee will unveil a host of new faces in Sunday’s season opener against the Gold Coast Suns, with nine players set to make their club debut at People First Stadium.

Eight of the nine have previous VFL experience, while Tom Simpson will make his state league debut after earning his opportunity following a standout stint in Canberra.

The remaining eight will pull on the Big W for the first time, with Jordan Busuttil, Lachie Charleson, Sam Donegan, Will Elliott, Josh Kellett, Ajang Kuol Mun, Charlie Lazzaro and Massimo Raso all set to feature in black and gold.

Busuttil becomes Werribee player #987 and will run out for his 13th VFL game, after playing 12 matches in his debut season with Essendon last year. The 23-year-old is a Werribee local who played his junior football with Werribee Districts, and has since been a standout at Williamstown CYMS, where he claimed back-to-back best and fairest awards.

Fresh out of the AFL system, 21-year-old Charleson adds excitement to Werribee’s forward line. He played 31 SANFL games across two seasons with Port Adelaide, kicking 28 goals, and comes into the game in outstanding pre-season form, booting four goals in last week’s final practice match against Footscray.

Donegan, 22, arrives with 25 games of VFL experience across two seasons with the Northern Bullants. He finished 2025 strongly, featuring in the best in six of his final seven matches, while also showing his ability to impact both through the midfield and forward of centre.

Elliott will play his 28th VFL game on Sunday, entering his third season at the level after kicking 27 goals across his first two years with the Bullants. The 21-year-old key forward has carried strong form into the pre-season with multiple goals across Werribee’s practice matches, and will become the first player to wear the number 6 at the club since Shaun Mannagh.

Kellett, 25, was Werribee’s first signing announced for the 2026 season and returns to his local area after 53 VFL games across five seasons with Footscray. A Werribee Districts junior, he will become the third father-son to run out for the club on Sunday, joining Jake Smith and Jaelen Pavlidis, with his father Nigel finishing his career at Werribee in the late 1990s.

Kuol Mun, 23, arrives as one of the competition’s emerging ruckmen, with 23 VFL games to his name across Geelong and Port Melbourne. He took his game to another level in 2025, establishing himself as a genuine number one ruck and averaging 27 hitouts per game.

Lazzaro adds significant experience to the midfield group, with the 23-year-old bringing 39 AFL games from his time with North Melbourne. After being selected with pick No.36 in the 2020 AFL Draft, he debuted in Round 1 of the 2021 season and spent four years at the top level before crossing to Port Melbourne in 2025. There, he played all 18 games and was a standout performer, leading the club for disposals while averaging more than 27 per game.

Raso is one of the competition’s most exciting young talents, with the 19-year-old small forward coming off a 20-game debut VFL season at Richmond where he kicked 26 goals to lead the club’s goalkicking. His performances saw him named a finalist for the Fothergill-Round-Mitchell Medal, highlighting his impact in his first year at the level.

Tom Simpson rounds out the group as the sole VFL debutant, with the 23-year-old midfielder becoming Werribee player #995 after a dominant stint in the AFL Canberra competition with Belconnen. After making his senior debut as a 17-year-old in 2020, Simpson quickly developed into one of the competition’s standout players, playing a key role in Belconnen’s 2023 premiership while claiming the Mulrooney Medal as the league’s Best and Fairest along with the club’s Senior Best and Fairest. He backed it up with another club best and fairest in 2025 after averaging more than 31 disposals and nine tackles per game, while producing one of the more remarkable stat lines you will see, collecting 56 disposals, four goals and nine score assists in a win during the season, earning himself a VFL contract for 2026 and a Round 1 debut at state league level.

Sunday’s clash will see Werribee begin a new era under senior coach Dan Lowther, looking to make a strong start against a Gold Coast side they share a tight recent history with.

Sunday’s match will be broadcast live on Kayo from 12:00pm AEDT, giving supporters back at home the chance to catch all the action from People First Stadium.

MATCH DETAILS:
Gold Coast Suns vs Werribee
Sunday, March 22, 11:00am (QLD) / 12:00pm AEDT
People First Stadium, Gold Coast

Round 1 Match Centre