Werribee has secured two key players from its premiership-winning forward line, with Jay Dahlhaus and Jack Riding both re-signing for the 2025 season.

Dahlhaus and Riding both enjoyed career-best VFL campaigns by featuring in 19 and 20 games, respectively—a significant increase from their combined five appearances in the 2023 season.

Jay Dahlhaus overcame injury and concussion setbacks that limited him to just one game for Werribee in 2023 while also playing five matches for his local side, Sebastopol. He made an immediate impact in Round 1 this year, kicking two goals and collecting a career-high 19 disposals. Establishing himself as a mainstay in the forward line, Dahlhaus maintained consistent form with only one goalless game until a shoulder injury sidelined him in Round 14,  including a run of 11 goals from rounds six to nine as Werribee started their undefeated run of 11 games. 

The small forward returned with a four goal haul against the Northern Bullants, and played a key role for the remainder of the season alongside small forwards Zac Banch and Flynn Young, including being named in the best with two second half goals in the Grand Final. Reflecting on that comeback victory, Dahlhaus said; “we rallied together at half time and we really put the pressure on in that third quarter and used our speed and got out the back and we ended up getting on the end of a few goals”. 

Dahlhaus ended the season with 33 goals, almost doubling his previous best tally from 2022, and averaged four marks and three tackles amongst his 11 disposals a game. 

Jack Riding made a huge leap in his second season, increasing his game tally from four last year to 20 and earning Werribee's Most Improved Player award.

Recruited to Werribee after winning North Ballarat’s best-and-fairest in 2022, Riding debuted midway through the 2023 season, where he earned four games in his debut campaign, but after a strong pre-season was picked across half-back for the Round 1 clash this season against Geelong.

After a 12 disposal game against Richmond, Riding was dropped for round four’s Giants clash, but after a Cooper Whyte late withdrawal through injury Riding was put back into the side 24 hours later, and as coach Jimmy Allan later explained, “He was actually filthy. Even when I told him he was in again, he was still filthy. He’s so competitive and he was still angry we left him out in the first place.”

He returned in the forward line, and after standout performances in rounds five (17 disposals and two goals) and six (34 disposals, ten marks and four goal assists) Riding cemented his spot across half-forward. leading the VFL in both goal- and score-assists at the midpoint of the season.

Against Port Melbourne in Round 18, Riding who had kicked three goals to three quarter time then injured his shoulder which saw him miss until Box Hill in Round 21, but returned to play a pivotal role in Werribee’s premiership winning finals run, notably kicking Werribee’s only second quarter goal to cut the margin to 13 points right before half-time. 

Alongside the club’s most improved award, Riding finished in the top ten of the club best-and-fairest and was selected in the VFL Team of the Year 40 man squad after he averaged 19 disposals and five marks per game, and ranked top ten in the competition for goal assists, score assists and score involvements during his breakout year.