Following an injury-riddled Round 16 clash with Casey, Werribee has made five changes for Sunday’s meeting with Coburg, including two more debutants to bring the tally for the 2025 season to 20.

Luke Preece and Will Kliszewski will become Werribee players #983 and #984 when they run out at Coburg City Oval this weekend.

In a year where the reigning premiers have blooded plenty of youth, helped by the departure of five premiership players to the AFL, Preece and Kliszewski’s inclusion will see Werribee reach 20 debutants for the season, equalling the club’s highest total as a standalone VFL side since 1976.

Preece, the 21-year-old Drysdale defender, joined Werribee as a train-on player after impressing during pre-season trials. He has spent much of the season on the brink of selection, named as an emergency on multiple occasions including travelling as the carryover player for Werribee’s Round 4 trip to Sydney.

2023 marked Preece’s first season of senior football with Drysdale, and 2024 proved a breakout year where he emerged as one of the standouts of the Bellarine Football League. He finished third in the Les Ash Medal and earned selection in the competition’s Team of the Year.

Speaking on Preece’s Round 17 inclusion, Football Manager Kyle Hartigan said:

“Luke is a competitive defender with a great attitude to learn. He has just turned 21, has been training with us, and put together a consistent year for Drysdale. What we’ll get, no doubt, from Luke is that he will play his role and do his best for the team. Luke leaves no stone unturned to get the best out of himself.”

Kliszewski, 19, has enjoyed a breakout 2025 campaign with Yarraville Seddon in the Western Football Netball League. After playing under-18 football as recently as last year, including one appearance in the under-18s early in 2024, he has quickly established himself at senior level. The versatile tall has kicked 18 goals in nine games for Yarraville, been named in the best players seven times, and was selected in the WFNL interleague team.

His strong form has been a major factor in Yarraville’s rise to third on the WFNL ladder, with the club pushing for a top-two finish heading into the back half of the season.

After missing a few weeks through injury, Kliszewski has returned with three strong performances. His most recent outing came in a 20-point win over Caroline Springs in a top-four clash, where he was named among the best. Normally used as a key forward, he spent the entire game in the ruck against the competition’s premier big man, last year’s league best-and-fairest winner, and more than held his own.

Like Preece, Kliszewski joined Werribee as a train-on player during the pre-season and has now been rewarded with a spot on the primary list to make his VFL debut.

Speaking on Kliszewski, Hartigan said:

“Wil is a developing tall. He came down halfway through pre-season, and we’ve seen him develop and flourish, grow into his body, work into his frame, and he’s been playing some really good footy at Yarraville.

He deserves to play at a higher level.”

In other changes, Jackson Grundy returns from injury for his first game since Round 3 after a dominant 28-disposal, three-goal performance for North Warrnambool last weekend, while Hayden Gill and Liam Kershaw both return for their second appearances of the season.

Spencer Johnson, Harry Maguire, Bior Malual, Jaelen Pavlidis and Brady Wright make way for the group of five.

Werribee will be aiming to bounce back from last weekend’s 76-point loss to Casey and snap a five-game losing streak. Coburg, sitting 12th on the ladder, enters the match fresh off a Round 16 bye and in winning form after a thrilling three-point victory over Casey in Round 15.

First bounce is at 1:05 pm, with the game streamed live and free on afl.com.au and the AFL Live Official App for fans back home. Click here to watch live.