A familiar face in key forward Josh Porter has re-joined Werribee after three years away from the club playing country football.

Porter played 48 games for the Big W between 2014-16 and then 2018 and is now set for his third stint at Avalon Airport Oval after most recently playing with his home club the Wangaratta Magpies in the Ovens and Murray FL.

The now 27-year-old kicked 54 goals across his four previous seasons with the club and will again provide us with a strong target up forward with his size and contested marking ability.

He said it was fantastic to be returning at an exciting time for the club.

“I’m happy to be back, I reached out to Tom Gribble who had some really good things to say and then a few others like Sods (Michael Sodomaco) and Brewy (Dom Brew) reached out to me, and it sort of went from there,” he said.

“I’ve still been living in Melbourne these past few years and for me I didn’t want to travel anymore and missed the competitive side of the VFL and Werribee as well as the professionalism, so that all factored into my decision.

“I’m still the right side of 30, I think for my position I feel I’m hitting my peak and the systems that the club has in place will allow me to get the best out of myself, so I’m excited to be back.”

Werribee football manager Mark Micallef said it was great to add a veteran player like Porter.

“Werribee supporters will be familiar with Josh who had four years at Werribee previously, playing some really good footy in that time,” he said.

“Josh has great character, knows our environment and our players, and we think he is going to be a really good addition for our forward line stocks.”

Werribee is excited to announce the addition of former Sydney Swans rookie Brady Rowles for 2022.  

Rowles, 20, joins the club from Essendon VFL having spent the past season with the Bombers following a year on Sydney’s rookie list in 2020. 

Possessing great athleticism Rowles will add blistering pace on the outside for Werribee and is likely to line-up in several different positions next season.  

Having previously worked with Michael Barlow who was an assistant coach with Vic Country in 2019, Rowles said he was thrilled to be linking back up with the now Werribee mentor.  

“I had a fair bit to do with Mick going through the Vic Country program and I also know Jesse Clark through Vic Country so that makes it easier coming in and knowing a few faces,” he said.  

“I’m looking forward to more opportunity here, I’ve played a lot of different roles and quite a bit up forward over the last couple of years, but I’m keen to get more exposure through the midfield.”   

Rowles is well advanced in his preparations for next season and has already been working diligently with development coach Luke Gallaher and the club’s high-performance staff.  

Werribee football manager Mark Micallef said the club was delighted to add a player with the attributes Rowles has.  

“Brady is a really exciting addition to our football club,” he said.  

“He’ll play for us on a wing and half-forward, but we also see him potentially rolling through the midfield, he’s quick and bouncy, is well balanced and moves well. 

“He’s still very young (turns 21 in February) and is a very impressive kid who is super determined to make it and also help Werribee achieve our on-field goals.”  

Werribee has secured signatures from three of its youngest players with Emmanuel Ajang, Noah Gribble and Harrison White signing on for 2022.

Ajang will enter his third year on the Werribee list and will look to earn a VFL debut in 2022 after not having the opportunity in 2020 and then coming close on several occasions this past season.

The 190cm midfielder enjoyed a brilliant year with Geelong West being named in the Giants’ best players eight times in 10 games.

Meanwhile, Gribble and White are set to join the club on a full-time basis, if they go unselected in this month's AFL National and Rookie drafts, after completing their NAB League careers with the Geelong Falcons and Western Jets respectively.

Both took part in Werribee’s most recent preseason and trained with the club throughout 2021 before getting their first taste of VFL football late in the season.

White debuted against Casey in Round 12 while Gribble, the younger brother of Werribee’s 2019 Liston Trophy winning midfielder Tom, made his first appearance in the final game of the year.

Werribee football manager Mark Micallef said it was exciting to have the young trio commit.

“Emanuel Ajang had a great year at Geelong West in the GFL where he played in the midfield. We see massive potential in Emmanuel with him being able to provide us great strength at the contest as well as an ability to get the ball on the outside," Micallef said.

"He is a great person to have at the club and has grown leaps and bounds in 2021 and we’re extremely excited to see what he can produce in 2022.

“Noah Gribble is an outside midfielder with speed and capacity to cover the ground really well and the ability to work from contest to contest.

"We see him developing into an inside-outside midfielder with the capacity to drive the ball inside 50. He’s the younger brother of Tom and had a really strong season with the Geelong Falcons as well as being really impressive in his debut for us.

“Harrison White is a great story being a local Werribee boy. He is a hard worker and someone who has utilised our facilities for his development.

"He’s crafty player and after overcoming some injuries had a terrific season with the Western Jets. Harrison did some good things in his Werribee debut, and we see him developing into a speedy high half-forward who can push into the midfield and use the ball well."

Werribee is set to welcome back former player James Saker in a coaching role for 2022.  

Saker who played alongside senior coach Michael Barlow in 2008-09 will take over as backline coach and also oversee team defence.  

A talented key defender on the field, Saker played 52 games for Werribee from 2008-11 before becoming senior coach at Ovens and Murray FL club Lavington in 2012. He led the Panthers for six seasons and guided them to two grand final appearances and another two preliminary finals in that time.  

Saker, who has been playing football at Torquay since 2019, said he was thrilled to be returning to coaching.  

“The last couple of years have been a bit stop start for everyone and I think I’m more passionate about the coaching side of it rather than playing now and this is a pretty good opportunity to step into at this level,” he said.

“I got the call from Mick and had a bit of a think about it but once I made the call I was really excited by it. I think getting back to a club I’ve had some history with and know a lot of the people around the place is exciting to be a part of again and to try to help bring it some success.

“Team defence is obviously huge in all levels of footy and I’m keen to build that team defence culture. Everyone is going to have that job to do and it’s great when everyone is on the same page. I think the thirst for knowledge and learning that the players will have is one aspect I’m really looking forward to.”  

With Saker’s arrival in the coaches box Tom Perrett will move into a new role for 2022. Werribee football Manager Mark Micallef said the club is close to finalising its coaching group for next season.  

“We’re very pleased to have James join us, he comes from an experienced background as both a player and coach and will be great for the defensive side of our game,” he said.  

“Being a Werribee past player, he is a well-respected person at our club, and we look forward to having James and his family as part of the Werribee family once again. 

“With James coming onboard Tom Perrett will shift roles which will add to his coaching credentials. Tom’s a very adaptable coach and is someone we’re trying to mould into really well-rounded coach.”  

The club has also retained Luke Gallaher and Wassim Rafihi as development coaches. 

“Luke and Wassim both joined us for the 2021 season and did a fantastic job in their development roles, so we’re excited to have them continue to contribute to that part of our program,” Micallef said.