North Melbourne Werribee has made eight changes ahead of Sunday's trip to face the Casey Demons at Casey Fields.

Crafty forward Ava Gerada is set to make her VFLW debut after joining the Kangaroos from the Calder Cannons ahead of this season.

Small forward Aisling Tupper will play her first game in over a year since rupturing her ACL in R12 last season.

Margie Purcell, Tricia Cowan and Sarah Hosking come in for their first games this season, while Courtney Ugle has been selected for her first game since Round 6.

Kate Reynolds and Charlotte Ryan also return after being unavailable for last weekend's 82-point win over Port Melbourne at Arden St Oval.

Eight North Melbourne Werribee players are being managed as the reigning premiers prepare for their closing two home-and-away matches ahead of this year's finals series.

Skipper Renee Tierney heads the list of outs, which also includes Sarah Ingram, Charlotte Blair, Stella Reid, Elisabeth Jackson, Amanda Ling, Tahlia Meier and Kelsie Ternes.

Following an injury-riddled Round 16 clash with Casey, Werribee has made five changes for Sunday’s meeting with Coburg, including two more debutants to bring the tally for the 2025 season to 20.

Luke Preece and Will Kliszewski will become Werribee players #983 and #984 when they run out at Coburg City Oval this weekend.

In a year where the reigning premiers have blooded plenty of youth, helped by the departure of five premiership players to the AFL, Preece and Kliszewski’s inclusion will see Werribee reach 20 debutants for the season, equalling the club’s highest total as a standalone VFL side since 1976.

Preece, the 21-year-old Drysdale defender, joined Werribee as a train-on player after impressing during pre-season trials. He has spent much of the season on the brink of selection, named as an emergency on multiple occasions including travelling as the carryover player for Werribee’s Round 4 trip to Sydney.

2023 marked Preece’s first season of senior football with Drysdale, and 2024 proved a breakout year where he emerged as one of the standouts of the Bellarine Football League. He finished third in the Les Ash Medal and earned selection in the competition’s Team of the Year.

Speaking on Preece’s Round 17 inclusion, Football Manager Kyle Hartigan said:

“Luke is a competitive defender with a great attitude to learn. He has just turned 21, has been training with us, and put together a consistent year for Drysdale. What we’ll get, no doubt, from Luke is that he will play his role and do his best for the team. Luke leaves no stone unturned to get the best out of himself.”

Kliszewski, 19, has enjoyed a breakout 2025 campaign with Yarraville Seddon in the Western Football Netball League. After playing under-18 football as recently as last year, including one appearance in the under-18s early in 2024, he has quickly established himself at senior level. The versatile tall has kicked 18 goals in nine games for Yarraville, been named in the best players seven times, and was selected in the WFNL interleague team.

His strong form has been a major factor in Yarraville’s rise to third on the WFNL ladder, with the club pushing for a top-two finish heading into the back half of the season.

After missing a few weeks through injury, Kliszewski has returned with three strong performances. His most recent outing came in a 20-point win over Caroline Springs in a top-four clash, where he was named among the best. Normally used as a key forward, he spent the entire game in the ruck against the competition’s premier big man, last year’s league best-and-fairest winner, and more than held his own.

Like Preece, Kliszewski joined Werribee as a train-on player during the pre-season and has now been rewarded with a spot on the primary list to make his VFL debut.

Speaking on Kliszewski, Hartigan said:

“Wil is a developing tall. He came down halfway through pre-season, and we’ve seen him develop and flourish, grow into his body, work into his frame, and he’s been playing some really good footy at Yarraville.

He deserves to play at a higher level.”

In other changes, Jackson Grundy returns from injury for his first game since Round 3 after a dominant 28-disposal, three-goal performance for North Warrnambool last weekend, while Hayden Gill and Liam Kershaw both return for their second appearances of the season.

Spencer Johnson, Harry Maguire, Bior Malual, Jaelen Pavlidis and Brady Wright make way for the group of five.

Werribee will be aiming to bounce back from last weekend’s 76-point loss to Casey and snap a five-game losing streak. Coburg, sitting 12th on the ladder, enters the match fresh off a Round 16 bye and in winning form after a thrilling three-point victory over Casey in Round 15.

First bounce is at 1:05 pm, with the game streamed live and free on afl.com.au and the AFL Live Official App for fans back home. Click here to watch live.

Werribee will be aiming to bounce back from a disappointing showing at Whitten Oval as they head to Coburg City Oval to face Coburg this Sunday at 1:05pm.

Werribee make the trip with an eight-day break and will be looking to snap a five-game losing streak, which sees them currently sitting 15th on the VFL ladder. Last Saturday night saw Werribee fall to Casey by 76 points in their first primetime televised match of the season, and they’ll be eager to make amends with a stronger showing on the road this Sunday.

Coburg enters the clash sitting 12th on the ladder, a significant rise from their 18th-place finish in 2024. They come in fresh off a Round 16 bye and in winning form, having staged a comeback to defeat Casey by three points in a Round 15 thriller.

The Lions will also be chasing their first win against Werribee since 2016. In their most recent meeting in Round 16 last year, Werribee recorded a dominant 79-point victory, with Zac Banch, who has tonight been named for his AFL debut this week, starring with four goals in a best-on-ground performance.

The first bounce is at 1:05 pm, with the game also streamed live and free on the AFL app and AFL.com.au. Click here to watch the game live.

MATCH DETAILS - ROUND 17
Coburg vs Werribee
Sunday, July 20, 1:05 pm
Barry Plant Park, Coburg

Round 17 Match Centre

Watch live at afl.com.au

While it was a tough week for Werribee at VFL level with a 76-point loss to Casey, there were plenty of standout performances at local level. Several Werribee-listed players returned from injury in impressive fashion to headline the action.

Read how the nine Werribee boys performed across six local leagues in the 15th edition of the Weekly Player Report.

Hampden Football Netball League:

Jackson Grundy - North Warrnambool
Returning for his first game after a long layoff from an injury sustained during the state game bye, Jackson Grundy didn’t miss a beat alongside Michael Barlow in the midfield in North Warrnambool’s thrilling one-point loss to Warrnambool. Splitting his time between midfield and forward, Grundy delivered a best-on-ground performance with 28 disposals and six clearances, and made an impact on the scoreboard with three goals in an outstanding comeback display.

Goulburn Valley Football Netball League:

Anthony Depasquale - Kyabram
After a run of eight consecutive VFL games for Werribee, Anthony Depasquale returned from injury with a game for Kyabram, and starred in a massive 164-point win over Tatura. Playing primarily forward, he finished with 25 disposals, seven tackles and continued his strong goal kicking form locally, also booting three goals for the game, working his way into the game after a slightly rusty start.

Western Football Netball League:

Wil Kliszewski - Yarraville Seddon
Wil Kliszewski put together another strong game for Yarraville Seddon, earning a spot in the best in a big win over Caroline Springs, coming out 20-point winners in a top-four clash. Normally a key forward, Wil spent the entire game in the ruck against the competition’s premier big man, last year’s league best-and-fairest winner, and more than held his own. Kliszewski finished with 10 disposals (eight contested), five tackles and 25 hitouts, with his follow-up work at stoppages a highlight in a strong showing.

Ballarat Football Netball League:

Isaac Nixon - Bacchus Marsh
Coming off a stretch of three three-goal hauls and a five-goal performance at interleague, Isaac Nixon was again a dangerous presence up forward in Bacchus Marsh’s 35-point win over North Ballarat. He took 11 marks from 17 disposals and kicked 1.5, with inaccurate kicking the only thing stopping a big day out.

Rye Penny - Bacchus Marsh
Rye Penny delivered one of his strongest games of the year across half-back, gathering 14 disposals and standing out both offensively and defensively. His defensive efforts included five spoils and a pair of intercept marks, and his drive off half back was a standout.

Ovens & Murray Football Netball League:

Jedd Longmire - Corowa-Rutherglen
Jedd Longmire was a standout as Corowa-Rutherglen defeated Albury for the first time in 17 years with a commanding 50-point win. The midfielder combined his trademark aggression with composure going forward, finishing with 18 disposals (seven contested), six clearances, four tackles and one goal. He was named in the best for his consistent four-quarter effort.

Raymond Murphy - Corowa-Rutherglen
Ray Murphy also played a key role in the historic win, finishing with 15 disposals (seven contested), six inside 50s and three tackles. He was involved in eight scoring chains and linked up well with teammates on the outside while applying his trademark defensive pressure. Murphy was also named among Corowa-Rutherglen’s best players on the day.

Archer Gardiner - North Albury
Archer Gardiner returned after a few weeks off and showed glimpses to break the game open in North Albury’s narrow eight-point loss to Lavington. He finished with 11 disposals and five tackles, with his defensive pressure again a highlight, as it is weekly for the Gardiner brothers.

Essendon District Football League:

Reuben Rode - Greenvale
Reuben Rode stuffed the stat sheet in Greenvale’s high-scoring loss to Airport West. Splitting his time between midfield and forward, Rode racked up 27 disposals (16 contested), nine clearances, seven tackles and kicked a goal. Despite the added attention from his opponents, he continued to push forward and provide drive all day.