Werribee has clawed its way to a third win of the 2023 Smithy’s VFL season with a come from behind triumph over Essendon in Round 7.

In mostly wet and windy conditions at the ‘Hangar’ Werribee produced a four-goal to one final quarter to claim victory by 18 points and move into the top eight for the first time this season.

Werribee lost star midfielder Tom Gribble on the morning of the match through illness, with developing forward Cam McLeod making his Werribee debut against his former club.

Despite the absence of the Gribble the league’s reigning J.J Liston medallist, Werribee’s remaining midfielders stepped up with Shaun Mannagh, Dom Brew and Jack Henderson leading the charge.

However, it was second-year forward Sam Paea who took the spotlight booting a career-high four goals in a breakout performance at VFL level.

Paea kicked his first goal on the stroke of halftime and would kick Werribee’s only major of the third quarter before nailing two in the final term to get the Big W home.

Werribee was held scoreless in the opening quarter with the visitors limited by a strong breeze, only going inside going inside 50 on five occasions while the Bombers kicked 3.4 from 13 entries.

Kicking with the wind Werribee’s first score came just two minutes into the second stanza with Connor Thar converting the free kick he won from deep in the pocket, and a five-goal term would see the Big W turn a 22-point quarter-time deficit into a 12-point advantage at the main break.

Kye Declase collected 20 of his 31 disposals in the opening half with Bailey Henderson, Kobe Annand and Josh Porter the other goal kickers for Werribee alongside Thar and Paea.

With both sides unable to score at the pavilion end of the ground in the opening two quarters Werribee became the first team to do so with a behind early in the third before Paea goaled eight minutes into term following some brilliant defensive pressure from Bailey Henderson.

Essendon was quick to reply to Paea’s second major and would end the quarter with consecutive goals to take a three-point lead in to the last.  

It took almost 11 minutes for the first goal to be kicked in the final quarter and it came from an unlikely type with Werribee captain Nick Coughlan nailing his first of the season from just inside 50.

The Bombers regained the lead a minute and a half later but back-to-back Paea goals midway through the term would set the visitors on the path to victory.

Bior Malual then made Essendon pay for a costly turnover exiting defence to all but lock up the four points for Werribee.

The Big W finished with close to 60 inside 50s for the third straight game while taking the honours in other key statistical categories enjoying 10 per cent more time in possession, while leading contested possessions (149-137), clearances (39-33) and tackles (96-75).

FINAL SCORE
Werribee: 0.0 5.4 6.7 10.11 (71)
Essendon: 3.4 3.4 7.4 8.5 (53)

GOALS
Werribee: S. Paea 4, K. Annand, N. Coughlan, B. Henderson, B. Malual, J. Porter, C. Thar.
Essendon: K. Baldwin 2, Q. Narkle 2, T. Wanganeen 2, J. Brown, P. Voss.

BEST
Werribee: S. Paea, D. Brew, K. Declase, S. Mannagh, N. Coughlan, W. Lual.

ROUND 7 IMAGE GALLERY - VIEW HERE