Following the club's premiership-winning campaign, Werribee is excited to announce its first new signings for the 2025 VFL season, with the young and exciting duo of Jedd Longmire and Rye Penny both joining from Collingwood’s VFL side.

The pair join the 18 players already confirmed to return to Werribee for the 2025 season after the successful 2024 campaign, including premiership captain Dom Brew, whose re-signing was announced on Thursday.

Jedd Longmire joins the club with 16 games VFL experience across the last two seasons. Joining the Pies in 2023 from the Murray Bushrangers where he averaged 21 disposals and five clearances per game Jedd kicked off his VFL career in style, booting six goals in his first three games, and finished his debut season with nine games, including a finals appearance.

Longmire is another Ovens and Murray recruit to Werribee, hailinging from Corowa Rutherglen. At local level he made 13 appearances last season to go with his seven games at VFL level, and was named in the best nine times. That standout form at local level earned Longmire selection as ruck rover for the O&M representative team.

Football Manager Ash Collins spoke highly of Longmire’s addition to the team; “Jedd is a tough, inside midfielder who works tirelessly from contest to contest. At a young age, he already brings leadership and experience to the club from his time in a VFL program.”

Rye Penny arrives at the club holding VFL experience from his two seasons with Collingwood, having played across both the 2023 and 2024 campaigns.

The 20-year-old is a NAB League graduate from the Calder Cannons, where he averaged 13 disposals and five marks per game in 2022. A standout for his high-flying ability as a medium-sized defender, the former volleyballer made a notable impression at the draft combine by matching the all-time standing vertical jump record. His performance earned him an invitation to train with Collingwood’s list ahead of the 2023 season, leading to a spot on their VFL team.

The defender played six VFL games across the last two seasons with the Pies, sharing time with his local club Bacchus Marsh in the Ballarat Football Netball League. Like Longmire, Penny’s strong form at the local level this season too earned him selection to represent his league, where he faced off against the Hampden FNL in the AFL Victoria Representative Games.

While sharing the field at Collingwood the past two seasons, the pair were also teammates in the 2023 Young Guns series, a team selected by AFL recruiters featuring players eligible for that year's mid-season draft. Longmire, whose leadership was showcased by his inclusion in the Collingwood leadership group, was named captain of the side. Both he and Penny were standouts: Longmire with his reliable contested game and Penny in defence with his intercept marking and speed on the rebound.

On Penny's acquisition to the team, Collins shared his excitement; “Rye comes to the club bringing a real point of difference to our defence. His aerial prowess is outstanding, as demonstrated in his draft year when he matched the all-time record for the standing vertical jump at the combine.”