Werribee’s off-season momentum continues with another key piece of its backline locked away, as defender Mace Cousins signs on for the 2026 VFL season.

In his first year at the club, Cousins quickly became one of Werribee’s most consistent performers down back. He was named among the best players in the final five games of the 2025 season, cementing his spot in the side with a string of standout defensive displays.

His strong finish to the year was recognised at the Bruce Montgomery Trophy night, where he claimed Werribee’s Best Defensive Player Award, presented by captain Jesse Clark.

Cousins was one of nine Werribee debutants in Round 1, marking his first appearance at any level since 2023 after missing an entire season with a back injury. He collected 14 disposals and four marks on debut and went on to play the opening three rounds before injury interrupted his year.

Returning to the side in Round 15, Cousins made an immediate impact and never looked back, with his ability to intercept, defend one-on-one and rebound from half-back becoming a major asset for Werribee’s back six. A standout performance came in Round 18 against Richmond, where he recorded an equal career-high 20 disposals and eight marks while limiting the influence of one of the competition’s most dangerous small forwards.

Across his ten games for the season, Cousins averaged 13 disposals, four marks and four intercepts, using the ball at almost 80 per cent efficiency. His efforts saw him join a prestigious list of Werribee defenders to have claimed the Best Defensive Player Award, an honour previously owned by the now-retired Nathan Cooper.

When Werribee’s season ended, Cousins carried his hot form into local football with Darley, where he helped the Devils to the Ballarat Football Netball League premiership. Returning for the club’s final four matches, he played a starring role throughout the finals series, opening with a 22-disposal, 11-mark, nine intercept grab performance against East Point before backing it up with 20 disposals and six intercepts in the semi-final.

He saved one of his best for the Grand Final, where he was named among the best players in Darley’s 11.13 (79) to 6.9 (45) win over Sunbury. Cousins collected 17 disposals, 11 contested possessions and eight marks, including five intercept grabs, and even pushed forward to kick 2.1 in the opening term to help set up a match-winning 47 to 0 quarter-time lead.

It capped a remarkable comeback for the 23-year-old, who missed the entire 2024 season before producing a standout 2025 campaign at both levels.

Speaking about his decision to re-sign, Cousins said:

“I loved my first year at the club. I felt welcome as soon as I walked through the doors. With the culture and squad we have at Werribee, I’m very excited for what we can achieve in 2026 and can’t wait to get stuck into it.”

A graduate of the Western Jets, Cousins joined Werribee after two seasons with Geelong VFL, where he was named the Cats’ Best First-Year Player in 2023 after averaging over 13 disposals and five marks per game.

He now heads into 2026 with 22 VFL games to his name.