Werribee plays back-to-back home games for the first and only time this season with a Round 16 match-up against Coburg on Saturday afternoon. 

Werribee will start the match in eightieth position on the ladder after beating North Melbourne by 47-points to claim a fifth win from its past six games to advance to 7-5 on the year. 

Coburg were four-goal winners against Gold Coast last week and have been much better than their 3-9 record suggests having fallen on the wrong side of the ledger in several close matches.

We're down to our final three home games of the season but it's not too late to enjoy the benefits of a club membership with a three-game deal just one of the options available.

A membership gets you free entry to home matches, half-priced entry to away games, discounts on merchandise and benefits with sponsors & partners. Sign up today HERE.

Game day entry for non-members is $10 for adults and $5 for concession. Kids under 16 get in for free.

Visit match centre on afl.com.au

Round 16
Werribee vs Coburg
Saturday July 9, 2:05pm
Avalon Airport Oval, Werribee

Werribee returned to the winners list at Avalon Airport Oval on Saturday rebounding from a loss in Round 14 with a 47-point triumph over North Melbourne.

The result improved Werribee’s record to 7-5 and the team now sits inside the top eight for the first time this season (8^th) following the completion of Round 15.

FINAL SCORE
Werribee: 4.5 7.8 10.11 15.15 (105)
North Melbourne: 3.1 5.4 6.3 9.4 (58)

GOALS
Werribee: J. Dahlhaus 3, K. Declase 3, L. Wagener 3, H. Garoni 2, T. Gribble, N. Hayes, M. Hanson, S. Mannagh.
North Melbourne: E. Ford 3, M. Mitchell-Russell 2, J. Edwards, J. Gutherie, T. Howard, M. Walker. 

BEST
Werribee: K. Gray, L. Wagener, D. Brew, T. Gribble, K. Declase, J. Dahlhaus.
North Melbourne:

HOW IT HAPPENED
Werribee made five changes ahead Saturday’s clash with the Kangaroos and a further two on the day of the game as Ollie Hanrahan (illness) and Michael Sodomaco (calf) withdrew late, paving the way for Daniel Sharrock and Logan Wagener to return.

Along with co-captain Tom Gribble late inclusion Wagener had a significant impact early. After Shaun Mannagh and Kye Declase kicked the first two goals of the game Wagener bagged the next two majors to see the Big W out to a 22-point lead at the 25-minute mark of the opening term.

However, despite Werribee’s first quarter quarter dominance the hosts found themselves a point down six minutes into the second term after the Roos closed out the opening stanza with two late goals before booting the first two majors of the second.

Gribble was the man to get Werribee back on track with the 2019 Liston Trophy winner kicking his side’s first goal in the second quarter via a free kick after 13 minutes. That was followed by Jay Dahlhaus’s first of the afternoon while Declase stretched the margin further converting from 50 after the halftime siren. Leading by 19 points at the main break the Big W also ended the half +69 in possessions.

North Melbourne scored the opening goal of the second half inside the first 90 seconds of the third and over the next 10 minutes pushed hard to further reduce Werribee’s advantage. Thankfully Lou Pinnuck and Nick Coughlan stood in the way with the pair able to cut off many of the Roos’ attacking efforts.

Having added just two rushed behinds in half a quarter Werribee’s first goal of the third came at the 18-minute mark courtesy of a Dahlhaus snap and the hosts soon had three in a row as Nick Hayes an Hudson Garoni nailed majors in the final five minutes to give the Big W a 32-point buffer.

A couple of North Melbourne goals in the first half of the last quarter cut Werribee’s lead slightly but the Big W again had no problem responding with the hosts putting the game beyond doubt with four of the final five majors.

Keegan Gray’s ball use was important over four quarters as he tallied 25 disposals at 80% efficiency while Werribee’s other co-captain Dom Brew did a brilliant job negating key Roos midfielder Harry Jones. Werribee dominated in the contest finishing +31 in contested possessions, while leading the clearances 42-24, as well as the tackle count 85-63.

KEY PLAYERS
Tom Gribble: 41 disposals (19 kicks), 18 contested possessions, 7 marks, 11 tackles, 13 clearances, 5 inside 50s, 11 score involvements, 1 goal.
Keegan Gray: 25 disposals (15 kicks) at 80% efficiency, 6 marks, 5 inside 50s, 4 rebound 50s, 4 score involvements.
Noah Gribble: 24 disposals (19 kicks), 9 marks, 2 tackles, 4 score involvements.
Kye Declase: 19 disposals (13 kicks), 5 marks, 2 tackles, 3 inside 50s, 9 score involvements, 3 goals.
Lou Pinnuck: 19 disposals: (13 kicks), 10 marks (5 intercept), 2 tackles, 8 rebound 50s.
Logan Wagener: 19 disposals, 9 handball receives, 4 tackles, 7 score involvements, 3 goals.
Dom Brew: 18 disposals, 15 tackles, 5 clearances, 3 inside 50s, 3 rebound 50s, 5 score involvements.
Hudson Garoni: 17 disposals (13 kicks), 10 marks (2 contested), 4 hit-outs, 5 inside 50s, 7 score involvements, 2 goals.
Nick Coughlan: 16 disposals (13 kicks) at 88% efficiency, 7 marks (2 contested, 4 intercept), 3 rebound 50s, 5 score involvements.

VIEW MATCH GALLERY

NEXT MATCH
Round 16
Werribee vs Coburg
Saturday July 9, 2:05pm
Avalon Airport Oval, Werribee

The Werribee Football Club is proud to launch its first ever Indigenous guernsey ahead of NAIDOC Week which commences Sunday.

The jumper was designed by Noongar woman and Indigenous artist Kirby Bentley and will be worn by Werribee players in Saturday’s round 15 match against North Melbourne at Avalon Airport Oval.

The name Werribee is an Aboriginal word meaning backbone or spine and is the prominent feature on both the front and back of the guernsey being depicted through boomerangs.

Land (leaves), water (blue lines), meeting places (circles in circles), people and elders (arches in double arches) are also included in the jumper's design.

It explains that - "Through land and water, we stay connected. Brining our words together and paying respects to our elders past, present and emerging."

As part of educating players, staff and officials a presentation and smoking ceremony will be performed by local Bunurong members prior to training on Thursday night.

Bunurong representatives will also complete a Welcome to Country before the opening bounce on Saturday.

Werribee Footballl Club CEO Mark Penaluna said it is great to be recognising First Nations people and their culture.

"We're very proud to be celebrating Indigenous culture and look forward to seeing our players wear the club’s first ever Indigenous guernsey against North Melbourne this weekend,” he said.

“We are grateful to have had Kirby design the jumper and look forward to welcoming members of the Bunurong group on Thursday evening and again on Saturday."

NAIDOC Week runs from July 3 to July 10. The current theme of the celebration is Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up! You can find out more about NAIDOC Week HERE.

During our round 14 match against Port Melbourne a player was racially vilified by a member of the crowd. We have been working with the Port Melbourne Football Club and the AFL to investigate this incident.

If you were at Friday’s match and heard this comment or others please report it via the AFL’s Respect and Responsibility form at eafl.austfoot.com.au/afl-makeareport/#/landing or contact our CEO Mark Penaluna by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Werribee Football Club is an inclusive and community-based club that works diligently to provide a safe and welcoming environment for our players, officials, staff, members, supporters, spectators and patrons supporting our team or our opponents.

Vilification, racial or otherwise, has absolutely no place in our club, nor do the people who perpetuate or accept this behaviour.

These are not empty words or hollow sentiments. Enough is enough.