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Premiership Forwards Confirmed for Next Season

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.

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High-Performance Manager Faranda to Depart

After two seasons as Werribee's high-performance manager, Gaetano Faranda will depart to continue his footballing journey interstate, taking up a new role with West Perth Football Club in the WAFL.

As announced on Saturday by West Perth Football Club, Faranda joins the Falcons as their Head of Strength and Conditioning for the 2025 season.

Faranda has six years of experience in the VFL system, previously spending time as the High-Performance Manager at Williamstown and the Head of Strength and Power at Box Hill.

Since arriving at Werribee ahead of the 2023 season, Faranda has led the club's high-performance team, which played a key role in the side reaching the Grand Final in 2023 and securing the premiership in 2024. Over his two seasons with Werribee, the club used just 36 players each year—the second fewest in the competition—down from 41 in 2022.

Reflecting on his time at the club, Faranda expressed his love and gratitude; “I will be forever grateful to the Werribee Football Club—the friendships I've made and the lessons I've learned over the past two years are invaluable, and this club has made me fall in love with footy again.”

As a Werribee local, the decision to leave his hometown club wasn’t easy for Faranda; “Being a local boy, it was a hard decision to leave Werribee, especially after the premiership. The players and staff make it such an enjoyable place to be.”

“However, after conversations with my partner, those close to me, and others in the industry, I knew it was time to make the leap, as full-time work in football is hard to find in such a competitive field."

Faranda's expertise was further recognised earlier this year when he was appointed high-performance manager of Smithy’s VFL representative team, when the ‘Big V’ returned to take on the SANFL during the AFL’s Gather Round. 

Upon this appointment, football manager Ash Collins Football manager Ash Collins praised Faranda’s work ethic and impact; “It's a testament to the dedication and hard work that GT has put in, and it's a great reflection of the positive direction our club is heading in.”

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Werribee Continues to Lock In Premiership Stars With Cousins Re-Signing

Werribee continues to lock in its premiership stars, with Jesse Clark and Cooper Whyte re-signing for the 2025 season.

Clark and Whyte, who are cousins, played together for the first time this season, and both played crucial roles in the premiership-winning campaign, appearing in 20 games each.

Jesse Clark, who was elevated into the leadership group ahead of the 2024 season, played his 50th appearance for the club in the preliminary final, and celebrated a career-best season with a premiership and third placed finish in the best-and-fairest. 

In his fifth season at the club, the defender compiled a personal-best 20 games, after a combination of the COVID-19 pandemic and an ACL injury meant that Clark had been limited to only 13 matches in his first three seasons. Across his 20 games, he averaged 15 disposals and seven marks a game, including a strong finals series which saw him climb from equal 8th in the best-and-fairest count after Round 20 to his third placed finish.  

Commenting on the success of the season and his enthusiasm for the future, Clark shared he is, “So grateful and excited to be locked in for 2025. The success we achieved this year as a group was an awesome feeling.”

He added, “No doubt we’ll continue to soak up that feeling, but I’m sure all involved will have the hunger to continue to improve heading into 2025.”

Cooper Whyte joined Werribee ahead of the 2024 season after two seasons with Geelong in the AFL. 

One of six debutants in Round 1 Whyte  made an immediate impact against his former club at GMHBA Stadium, collecting 11 disposals, six marks, and seven tackles, earning a spot among the best players.

Whyte showcased his versatility throughout the season, playing a mix of inside and outside midfield, as well as forward and defence. His adaptability earned him the Coaches Award in his debut season under Jimmy Allan, as he averaged 13 disposals, four marks, and three tackles per game through his 20 game, also a personal best tally after making the switch to Werribee.

Reflecting on his re-signing and the season ahead, Whyte said he is “super keen to be going around again and challenging for more success for the club”.

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VALE Robert Allan

The Werribee Football Club is deeply saddened to advise of the passing of Robert Allan, father of senior coach, Jimmy Allan.

Robert battled illness for an extended period but was able to witness the proud moment of his son, Jimmy, lifting the premiership cup in his final weeks.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to Jimmy, Kelly, the Allan family, and all of Robert’s friends during this difficult time.

A Service to Celebrate the Life of Robert Allan will be held at Tuckers Chapel, Highton, on Thursday, 10th October, at 10:00am.

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Young Gun Pair Among the First to Re-Sign for 2025

Two weeks after the 31-year premiership wait came to an end, Werribee is excited to announce young guns Jaelen Pavlidis and Jake Smith are amongst the first players to re-sign for the 2025 VFL season.

The duo are the youngest players to take the field for the club this season, with Pavlidis celebrating his 21st birthday just a day before the Grand Final and Smith achieving premiership success at just 19 years of age. Having joined Werribee together ahead of the 2024 season, both established themselves in the premiership-winning side—Jaelen featuring in 18 games and Jake in 15—and have shown no hesitation in committing to the club through to the end of 2025.

Football roots run deep for both Pavlidis and Smith at Werribee Football Club.

Jake this season became the third generation of the Smith bloodline to represent Werribee in the VFL/VFA, following in the footsteps of his father Karl and grandfather Brian. 

Smith’s grandfather Brian (Werribee Football Club player #8) represented the club in their inaugural season and went on to play 37 games across three seasons from 1965 to 1967. Smith’s father Karl (WFC player #356) likewise played for the club for three seasons; 1988 to 1990. 

While, Jaelen Pavlidis’ father, John, has a rich connection to the club as well. A former player (WFC player #408), John also served as a runner, welfare manager, and recruiting manager, earning life membership for his contributions to the club.

Pavlidis joined the club from GWS, where he played 18 games as a midfielder for their VFL side across the 2022 and 2023 seasons. He then switched clubs and positions, making his debut for Werribee as a defender in Round 1 against Geelong.

Pavlidis impressed from the beginning of his Werribee career, earning the Player of the Round in the club’s third match of the season, with 20 disposals and seven marks in a win over Richmond, and was sitting fourth in the best-and-fairest after Round 6. The young defender put together 16 consecutive appearances until injuring his hamstring in Round 18 against Port Melbourne. After six weeks on the sidelines, Pavlidis returned for the preliminary final against Brisbane, and was named in the best players as Werribee made it through to the Grand Final and Pavlidis ultimately won premiership glory in his first season at the club. 

Even with three games missed due to injury, Jaelen finished in the top 10 for the club’s best-and-fairest, averaging 13 disposals and five marks over his 18 appearances.

Football manager Ash Collins shared his enthusiasm about locking in Pavlidis: “He didn’t train as a back during pre-season, but he excelled when we shifted him there in practice matches. We’re excited to see what he can accomplish next year with a full pre-season under his belt as a defender.”

Jake Smith signed for the club ahead of the 2024 season after a dominant year for the Western Jets in the Coates Talent League. Signing at just 18-years-old, the midfielder won the Jets best-and-fairest after averaging 23 disposals and six tackles. His performances earned him a VFL debut last season, where he played for Williamstown against the Casey Demons late in the season. 

Smith broke into the side ahead of the Round 6 clash with Carlton, one of two debutants after the club suffered back-to-back losses for the first time in 620 days. The young-gun impressed allround with 13 disposals, eight clearances and six tackles, and like Pavlidis made the spot his own, stringing together 11 consecutive games until an injury sidelined him for the Round 19 match against Southport, which would be Werribee's last loss of the season. He returned for the final game of the home-and-away season and played a pivotal role in the club’s finals campaign, notably kicking a snapping goal in the hail in the final quarter of the preliminary final when it was a two-point ball game. 

Smith ended the season averaging 15 disposals, four tackles and four clearances a game in his first VFL season. 

Collins also spoke highly of Smith's re-signing, “At just 19 years old, Jake is still a kid and has already performed on the big stage, so we’re really excited to see what he can do with a second full VFL pre-season under his belt.”

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