Werribee defeat Box Hill to Close Out Home and Away Season
19 August 2024
Werribee sewed up the fifth minor premiership in their club history with a 11-point win over Box Hill to close out the home and away season away.
Werribee sealed the minor premiership for the first time since 2005 after a strong first half set up the two goal victory over the Hawks on Sunday.
Coming into the clash behind Footscray on the ladder, Werribee came into Sunday needing the four points to go into finals on top of the ladder and responded by kicking five of the first six goals to set the tone early.
Bior Malual and Jack Henderson were a class above in Sunday’s clash and were standouts for Werribee. Malual earned himself the Totally Workwear Player of the Round with a 17 disposal, ten mark outing which included seven goal involvements, three goal assists and a goal. Henderson led the way on the inside, finding 27 disposals and nine clearances.
Riley Bice continued his strong form, accumulating 26 disposals and eight marks across half-back. Fellow defenders Louis Pinnuck (19 disposals and 12 marks) and Jesse Clark were also instrumental in the tight win, while Sam Paea impressed in the backline in his return after a shoulder injury in Round 5, taking eleven marks in his 15 disposals.
Sam Conway was strong in the ruck, providing Werribee's midfielders with first use by winning 36 hitouts, while also winning five clearances himself.
Werribee got off to the best possible start, with Jay Dahlhaus dribbling home the first goal within 90 seconds, igniting a burst of three goals in the opening six minutes. Flynn Young then slotted his first goal of the afternoon, and Dahlhaus added his second major, bringing his season tally to 29.
The rest of the first quarter turned into a hard-fought contest, as Box Hill managed to halt Werribee’s momentum, scoring the only goal in the next 25 minutes to trim the Tigers’ lead to 13 points by the first break.
Werribee came out firing after quarter-time, with Cooper Whyte and Zac Banch both finding the big sticks in the opening six minutes. Banch found his second five minutes later a coast-to-coast goal starting with Sam Paea in defence. It was goal for goal for the remainder of the second quarter which saw Werribee kick away to a 33 point lead at the main break. Harry Grintell kicked his first major in ten games thanks to a piece of Bior Malual brilliance, before Malual found himself lining up for goal and converting truly from 30 metres out.
After back-to-back Box Hill goals after half-time, Malual again found a free teammate inside 50, and Hudson Garoni nailed the set shot for his first of the afternoon. This goal extended Garoni's scoring streak making him the only player in the VFL to kick a goal in all 18 games.
Two late goals to Box Hill reduced Werribee’s lead to 15 points at three quarter time. The Hawks upped the pressure to the start the final quarter, themselves needing the four points to earn a double chance in finals. However, following a tense opening ten minutes of the last term Jay Dahlhaus snapped truly for his third of the day and put the minor premiers in good stead. Box Hill kicked the final two goals of the quarter but it would be too little too late as Werribee ran out as 11 point winners.
FINAL SCORE:
Box Hill: 1.3 3.4 7.7 9.9 (63)
Werribee: 3.4 8.7 9.10 10.14 (74)
GOALS:
Box Hill: S. Mitchell (2), J. Thorpe (2), J. Arundell, J. O’Sullivan, C. Porter, B. Ryan, D. Wood
Werribee: J. Dahlhaus (3), Z. Banch (2), H. Garoni, H. Grintell, B. Malual, C. Whyte, F. Young
BEST:
Werribee: B. Malual, J. Henderson, J. Clark, L. Pinnuck, S. Conway, D. Brew
