For the second consecutive season, the Werribee Football Club has had two players selected on draft night, continuing to prove themselves as a standout development program amongst the VFL.

Riley Bice and Aidan Johnson have realised their AFL dreams after being selected by Sydney and Melbourne in the 2024 AFL National Draft respectively. 

Half-back Bice was the first of the Werribee duo selected, chosen with pick 41—the opening selection of the third round—by this year’s Grand Finalists, the Sydney Swans. 2024 was Bice’s first season at Werribee, earning a spot on the VFL list after winning the Albury Tigers’ best-and-fairest the year prior in the Ovens & Murray Football Netball League.

After previously playing a combination of midfield and forward in his footballing journey, Bice started the campaign playing off the half-back flank, and went on to play all 21 games. He earned selection in the VFL Team of the Year, and then on a club level won best first year player and finished fourth in the best-and-fairest in the premiership campaign.

Sydney Swans Head of List Strategy & Player Personnel, Chris Keane, praised Bice’s attributes following his selection, stating; "He's a rebounding half back flanker who possesses really good speed and endurance and that combination can be really hard to find.

"He's already played at VFL level so it's a bit of a different scenario to under 18 kids who don't have that exposure so we expect Riley to adapt pretty quickly."

Aidan Johnson was the surprise selection of the national draft, taken with pick 68 by the Melbourne Demons.

After joining Werribee midway through the 2021 season, Johnson entered 2024 with just one VFL game to his name, having battled injury struggles over his first three years on the list.

However, a breakout season not only saw Johnson add 20 games and a premiership to his tally, but also caught the attention of AFL recruiters, earning his selection in this year’s draft.

Melbourne's National Recruiting Manager, Jase Taylor, expressed his enthusiasm about the opportunity for Johnson; “We're really rapt to be able to give Aidan an opportunity.”

“We're really pleased with the way he's progressed this year, and we feel like he's got AFL talent.

“He plays with a real aggressive edge, he's got speed, he can get back on the ball at ground level and he's just going to make things happen.”

After three seasons of battling injuries, Werribee CEO Mark Penaluna praised Johnson for his resilience despite the setbacks; “It was one after the other … we had to keep reminding him of the old saying that patience is a virtue,’’ Penaluna said.

“We found that his running technique wasn’t helping. He had to amend that. There were times when he was down but by Christ the end result is fantastic for him and a true credit not just to ‘Johnno’ but all our physios and trainers and teammates who helped him get through.’’

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.”

After two seasons leading Werribee’s medical team, head physiotherapist Shea Mulkearns will depart the club to take on a new role with an AFL-aligned program. Shea becomes the latest member of Werribee’s staff to step up to the next level of elite sport, continuing the club’s strong track record of developing talent both on and off the field.

Mulkearns joined Werribee ahead of the 2023 season and has led the club’s medical team over the past two years, playing a key role in the team’s journey to the Grand Final in 2023 and its premiership win in 2024. Under his guidance, Werribee used just 36 players each season—the second fewest in the competition, and down from 41 in 2022. Reflecting on his time at Werribee, Shea said “Werribee welcomed me with open arms and I will be forever grateful for the friendships, learnings and support I received from top to bottom at the club.” He added, “The club is truly a special place and I will look back on my time with a smile.”

Shea’s departure marks the sixth member of Werribee’s football department in the past year to transition into the elite sports environment, highlighting the club’s ability to develop its staff off the field, as well as its players on it.

Just last week, Development Manager Hamish MacInnes departed after six seasons to focus on his full-time position as North Melbourne’s Academies Head Coach. North Melbourne's Head of Strategic Operations and Projects, Nathan Hrovat, described Hamish’s work in game development at AFL Vic and the Werribee Football Club noting, “He will be a great asset to our club, supporting the delivery of academy programs in the region through participation and talent identification initiatives.” This enhances the strong reputation Werribee has built at AFL level in developing its staff and preparing them for the next level.

MacInnes joins Michael Barlow at North Melbourne. 

At the conclusion of the 2023 season, Barlow joined North Melbourne as their Head of Development, saying, “It’s a really significant opportunity for me—to step away from what I’m doing now was no easy decision.” Over three seasons as senior coach, Barlow led Werribee to a record-breaking 17-match win streak and a Grand Final appearance in 2023—a milestone 18 years in the making.

Reflecting on Barlow’s departure at the time, Werribee president Martin Carter said, "Our last two senior coaches have been headhunted by AFL clubs, which says a lot about the status of our club and our senior coaching position.”

Since joining the Roos, Barlow has earned further accolades, winning the 2024 AFL Coaches Association Development Coach of the Year award for his work with North Melbourne’s emerging talent.

Also departing since the end of the season was our Head Analyst Jacob Ellet, who moved interstate for a full-time role as Performance Analyst with Cricket Tasmania, working across all three formats, including for the Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League. Club Doctor Rebecca Beaton, who joined Werribee in 2019, has taken on the position of Chief Medical Officer with the Melbourne Storm (NRL).

High-Performance Manager Gaetano Faranda accepted the full-time role of Head of Strength and Conditioning at West Perth Football Club in the WAFL for the 2025 season.

Faranda reflected on the pivotal role the club played in his professional growth, saying, “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.”

While the club's recent success over the past two seasons has highlighted its ability to develop staff both on and off the field, these six individuals are added to the growing list of Werribee staff members who have gone on to make their mark in elite sport following their time with our club.

This includes psychologists like Jacqui Louder, who served as Werribee’s team psychologist from 2007 to 2011 and currently works across both AFL and NRL clubs, strength and conditioning coaches such as Cam Micallef, who worked with Werribee from 2011 to 2014 and is currently with Carlton, as is our former statistician Jack Noble, who now serves as Carlton’s Football Analyst. Additionally, operations staff like Sam Sargeant, who began his journey at Werribee, now works as Cricket Administration Coordinator for the Women’s BBL.

Werribee’s influence extends beyond Australian sport, with Johann Bilsborough, who served as the club's Fitness Coach in 2006, now working as a Director of Performance & Rehabilitation in the NFL. Bilsborough also previously worked as the High-Performance Manager and Director of Sports Science for the Boston Celtics in 2018.

After one of the great individual VFL seasons in 2024, star midfielder Dom Brew will return to Werribee next season, re-signing for 2025 to add to his tally of 111 club games.

Brew’s eighth season with Werribee was unforgettable, highlighted by an outstanding array of accolades: Werribee life membership, VFL State Team captaincy, Smithy’s VFL Team of the Year captain, the J.J. Liston Trophy, VFL Coaches MVP, a second consecutive Bruce Montgomery Trophy, and the ultimate honour of leading Werribee to its first premiership in 31 years.

With veteran midfielders Tom Gribble and Matt Hanson departing at the end of 2023, along with Werribee losing nine players from its previous Grand Final side, Brew embraced an added responsibility coming into 2024. “Those boys were a bit of a shelter for me,” he shared. “When they left, I felt a real heavy weight on the shoulders—I know I didn’t have to, but I did.”

He went on to play every one of Werribee’s 21 games in 2024, his second consecutive season without a missed match. He averaging a career-high 29 disposals, and led the VFL in tackles and clearances.

Brew’s J.J. Liston Trophy win showed his domination across the competition for the season. He polled 31 votes, the second highest in the award’s history to have the medal won by Round 17 ahead of Gold Coast half back Rory Aktkins and perennial podium sitter Boyd Woodcock from Southport.

So big was his lead, the count was called off with four rounds to go.

Reflecting on his journey at the VFL Awards Night, Brew spoke about the work that has gone into reaching this level, especially having come through an unconventional path without TAC Cup experience as a junior “No one would have thought I’d be here where I am now, even last year. I might not be the quickest, I’m not the most skilled, I’m not the tallest, I’m not the strongest, but I think I do a pretty good job of putting it together. And I won’t quit.’’

With captain Nick Coughlan sidelined during the finals through injury, Brew stepped up to lead the team. He averaged over 30 disposals in the finals series, with a standout 27-contested-possession and 15-clearance game in the Grand Final, which saw him come second in the Norm Goss voting as Werribee held on to a six point victory.

His passion for the club was evident through his emotional post-match interview: “That’s the life work, isn’t it? We won the minor premiership, but we shouldn’t be here. There’s a lot of boys under 22—I’m so proud.”

When asked if he was worried at half-time being down by three goals Brew said “Never [worried]. Never count us out. There’s people that get knocked down and they don’t get up, but us boys from Werribee, we get back up everytime and keep going.”

2024 was Brew’s eighth season at the club, arriving in 2017 from North Albury where he shared the playing field with Shaun Mannagh. Their local coach, former AFL star Jason Akermanis, advised the pair to give VFL a go.

He broke into the senior side Round 9, 2017 debuting against the Northern Bullants and making an immediate impact for John Lamont’s side, picking up 22 disposals, seven clearances and laying nine tackles. Brew never looked back after that point, playing the remainder of the season and averaging 17 disposals and 12 tackles.

In his first full season in 2018, Brew quickly gained a reputation as one of the league’s top tacklers, with his 149 tackles—averaging nearly 11 per game—ranking him second in the competition. He built on this momentum in 2019, playing a personal-best 20 games, finishing runner-up in the Bruce Montgomery Trophy, and earning both the club’s Best Defensive Player and Most Courageous Player awards.

When long-standing captain Michael Sodomaco standing down after seven years of captaincy following the 2021 campaign, Dom Brew was voted co-captain alongside Tom Gribble for the 2022 season. Coach Michael Barlow at the time saying “In all my time in football clubs I’ve never seen someone invest in others as much as Dom Brew does”. Brew has since remained in the leadership group, being named vice-captain under Nick Coughlan for 2023 and 2024.

2023 was a major breakout season for the hard-nosed midfielder, who expanded his offensive game this season while still negating the opposition’s best onballer, bumping his average disposals from 20 to 25 per game to establish himself as one of the league’s best ball winners. As Werribee went on their record-breaking 17-match win streak and reached their first Grand Final in 18 years, Brew played every game and earned a maiden VFL Team of the Year selection and claim his first Bruce Montgomery Trophy.

Reflecting on his re-signing, Brew addressed Werribee fans; speaking on the highs of 2024 before signing off with “Those that know me, let’s make 2025 even better - pumped to get back into it”.