The Werribee Football Club is proud to announce the first two of seven inductees into its Hall of Fame as part of the club’s upcoming 60th Year Celebration.

Club games record holder Robbie Castello and long-time administrator and past player Kirk Norton are the first of seven inductees who will be honoured at the club’s 60th Year Celebration.

The event will be held at Club Tarneit on June 15th, with tickets available here.

Robbie Castello

After graduating from the Calder Cannons, Castello was set to head to Coburg until he received a phone call from Mark Penaluna inviting him to pre-season training for the 2004 season.

He debuted in Round 12 that season and never looked back.

In just his third season, the crafty small forward claimed the club’s best-and-fairest award, becoming a Bruce Montgomery Trophy winner. From there, his list of achievements grew. Robbie was Werribee’s leading goalkicker in 2010, a year in which he also brought up his 100th game and was awarded life membership. In 2011, he was named in the VFL Team of the Year for the first time.

The 2012 season was a standout for Castello. He was appointed club captain and also became Werribee’s all-time games record holder, overtaking close friend and fellow 2004 recruit Dom Gleeson.

“I only had the record for a few months, but for Robbie to be the one to break it is great,” Gleeson said.

Castello called time on his VFL career at the end of 2013 following a preliminary final defeat to Box Hill, retiring as a one-club player with 169 games and 179 goals to his name.

CEO Mark Penaluna spoke glowingly of Castello’s contribution; “From a personal perspective, Rob was the second player I recruited here after Dom Gleeson in 2003. Like Dom, both were wonderful servants of the club.”

“Robbie had the ability to play multiple positions, which maybe at times saved him being selected in the team,” Penaluna said with a laugh.

He added: “He later became club captain, while also taking on the role of our inaugural community development manager at the same time.

“The games record holder and all-round good guy, Rob’s been a wonderful servant - and continues to be - at the Werribee Football Club.”

Kirk Norton

Kirk Norton’s impact on the Werribee Football Club spans decades, as a player, administrator, and key architect behind the club’s rise to VFA/VFL success in the early 1990s.

Norton first arrived at Werribee from the Laverton Football Club in the mid-1970s, following a path taken by several players of that era. Debuting in 1974, Norton became Werribee player #148 and played 27 games across three seasons. Most significantly in his playing days, the forward led the club’s goal kicking with 40 majors in 1975.

His playing days were just the beginning of a journey that saw him serve the club for over 18 years.

He first stepped into an off-field role as recruiting officer in 1983 and went on to serve in a number of key positions over the next 15 years, including stints on the committee, as Vice President, Football Manager, and Chairman of Match Committee. His influence was especially significant during the early 1990s, a period that saw Werribee break through for its first-ever grand final appearance in 1991 and premiership win in 1993.

As Football Manager during that era, Norton played a major role in shaping the club’s on-field success. He was central to the recruitment of Donald McDonald, who would coach Werribee to its first VFA premiership in 1993, and in bringing Jack Aziz to the club, who kicked 97 goals in that flag-winning season.

Former General Manager Greg ‘Turtle’ Welsh, who worked closely with Norton during that period, reflected on the significance of his contribution:

“Kirk was instrumental in our success in 1993. He assisted with the recruitment of Donald and, just as importantly, played a key role in getting Jack Aziz from Williamstown.

He had a very smart football brain and found a way of talking to players individually, getting them to do the extra work that finally got us the results in the grand final.”