Werribee Football Club’s Gaetano Faranda has been appointed high-performance manager of Smithy’s VFL representative team.

Faranda, who is serving his second year as high-performance manager of Werribee, joined the club last year and played a large role in the club’s record-breaking 17 game win streak, highlighted by Werribee using only 36 players for the season, considerably less than the VFL competition average of 49.

Faranda is going into his sixth year in the VFL system, previously spending time as the High-Performance Manager at Williamstown and the Head of Strength and Power at Box Hill.

The VFL side will take on the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) on Saturday, 6 April 6 at Glenelg’s Stratarama Stadium during AFL Gather Round. 

Faranda expressed his pride in representing the state and excitement about the return of the Big V. He also emphasised the honour of collaborating across the league, stating, "It’s an honour to get to work with other great professionals across the VFL."

He also attributes his success to the collective efforts of the entire Werribee team, stating, "This opportunity is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our staff and players at Werribee."

Werribee’s Football Manager, Ash Collins, expressed his delight at Gaetano Faranda's well-deserved recognition. "I'm absolutely thrilled to see someone from our club receive such an honourable position representing the VFL," he remarked. "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."

The best VFL-listed players from the 21-team competition will be selected to represent the Big V, with an initial squad and leadership group to be announced soon.

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