Key defender and backline mainstay Sam Azzi becomes Werribee’s 13th player to re-sign for the 2026 season.

After breaking into the senior side in Round 14 of the 2024 campaign and holding his spot through to the premiership, Azzi hasn’t missed a game since. Playing all 18 games, he was just one of five Werribee players to feature in every match throughout 2025.

Forming a reliable partnership with new recruit Ryan Eyers down back for the first half of the season, Azzi helped Werribee finish as one of the top six defensive sides in the VFL once again this year. With Eyers and Emerson Jeka also re-signing, Werribee fans will get their first look at all three key defenders lining up together for the first time in 2026.

Azzi averaged nine disposals per game at the highest disposal efficiency in the team, while ranking sixth across the competition for total spoils with more than five per game.

His standout performance came in Werribee’s thrilling one-goal win over Port Melbourne, where he recorded a career-high 17 disposals and 12 marks, including eight intercepts and five intercept grabs, standing tall as a wall in defence as Werribee held on for an eight-point victory.

The key defender will enter 2026 with 31 VFL games to his name. Originally from North Albury in the Ovens and Murray League, Azzi joined Werribee ahead of the 2023 season. After battling injuries in his debut year, where he played just three games despite starting in Round 1, he broke into the senior side midway through the 2024 premiership run and has been a mainstay ever since.

His strong North Albury connection, as well as his emerging leadership role within the club, was on show when he presented Foster Gardiner with his debut guernsey ahead of his Round 11 debut against North Melbourne. The Gardiner twins joined Azzi and vice-captain Dom Brew as two more North Albury products on Werribee’s list.