It was a good weekend for Werribee, who returned to the top eight with an away win at Sandringham on Sunday, and at local level, Werribee’s players continue to string together strong performances.
Read how 16 Werribee players performed at local level across eight leagues, including interleague action, in the seventh edition of the 2025 Weekly Player Report.
Ovens & Murray Football Netball League:
Foster Gardiner - North Albury
Foster Gardiner was a standout for North Albury on a tough day, as the Hoppers went down to second-placed Wangaratta by 50 points. Named among the best, Gardiner was his side’s only multiple goal scorer with two majors. He was praised for his hard work all day to keep the ball in North Albury’s forward half, finishing with 15 disposals and six tackles, in a commendable all-round effort in the loss.
Archer Gardiner - North Albury
It was a tougher day for Archer on the wing in the nine-goal loss for the Hoppers. After a strong patch of football the previous month, the side’s ball movement affected the wingmen’s game to limit him to 12 disposals for the day. Still, he maintained his trademark pressure, a consistent feature of the Gardiner twins' game each week.
Ray Murphy - Corowa-Rutherglen
Ray Murphy was named in the best in a strong outing in the midfield as Corowa went down to Wodonga by 20 points. His stoppage work was again a standout, continuing his consistent season after missing the maority of 2024 due to injury, and ended with 15 disposals and four clearances.
Jedd Longmire - Corowa-Rutherglen
Longmire played a key role at the coalface, racking up 18 disposals and six clearances. His voice and leadership around the contest were strong, and he looked dangerous driving out of stoppage playing alongside Ray in Corowa’s midfield.
Ballarat Football Netball League:
Rye Penny - Bacchus Marsh
Penny was one of Bacchus Marsh’s most reliable performers in their narrow six-point loss to Ballarat. In tricky conditions, he provided strong drive off half-back and was assertive in the air, finishing with 20 disposals and six marks, including multiple intercepts, in a well-rounded defensive display.
Joel Cadman - Darley
Cadman continued to build momentum in his second game back from injury, playing a full match in Darley’s 101-point win over Sebastopol. He pushed up the ground with confidence, gathering 21 disposals and hitting the scoreboard with his first goal of the season in a strong two-way performance from the wing.
Isaac Nixon - Bacchus Marsh
Isaac Nixon played his second game back from injury, lining up alongside Rye Penny in Bacchus Marsh’s narrow loss to Ballarat. After a quiet first half, Nixon was shifted to half-back where he provided run and began to have more influence late in the game, but it was not enough as the Cobras fell by six points.
Essendon District Football League:
Hayden Gill - Deer Park
Gill put in a dominant display as Deer Park enjoyed a 145-point win over East Keilor. The forward rucked for most of the game, and stuffed the stat sheet, collecting 23 disposals, 12 contested possessions and five tackles to be named in the best in the big win. Despite the one-sided contest, Gill’s work rate stood out in the tough conditions on Saturday.
Reuben Rode - Greenvale
After being tagged last week, Rode returned to his ball-winning best in Greenvale’s loss to Aberfeldie. The hard-running midfielder worked tirelessly all game, finishing with 24 disposals and seven inside 50s as Greenvale drop to ninth for the season.
Geelong Football Netball League:
Charlie Byrne - Newtown & Chilwell
Charlie Byrne delivered another strong performance in Newtown’s 75-point win over Grovedale, helping them climb to third on the GFNL ladder. He was effective on both sides of the ball, defending well and setting up play with clean ball use as he went at over 70% efficiency from his 21 kicks, and took four intercept marks amongst his seven marks.
Liam Kershaw - St. Joseph's
Kershaw was serviceable in St Joseph’s 43-point win, as they maintained their undefeated start to 2025. In a highly contested game played in tough conditions, the winger collected 14 disposals and five marks, with the youngster continuing to show glimpses of breaking through with more involvement.
Cooper Ward - St. Joseph's
Cooper Ward put together another impressive performance for St Joseph’s, earning a spot in the best after kicking four goals in a big win. The 18-year-old continues to find his feet through the midfield, showing growing confidence and impact around the ball.
Western Football Netball League:
Wil Kliszewski - Interleague
Wil Kliszewski continued his impressive run of form, representing the Western Football League in their interleague win over the Southern League at Melbourne Avalon Airport Oval. The young key forward was a standout, taking several strong contested marks and having four to five shots on goal, capping off another outstanding performance in what has been a strong start to 2025.
Tom Stapleton - Interleague
The young Parkside ruckman also represented the WFNL in the interleague win at Werribee’s home ground. Playing as the second ruck, he played his role well and made a solid contribution to the team’s impressive performance.
Murray Football League:
Fergus Pinnuck - Cobram
Ferg Pinnuck was named among the best as the second-placed Cobram fell to Tongala. Splitting his time between midfield and half-forward, Pinnuck was a lively target inside 50, kicking two of his side’s nine goals. He also used the ball well when pushing up the ground, in just his second game of the year.
Goulburn Valley Football League:
Dom Gugliotti - Mooroopna
Dom Gugliotti fought hard in a tough day for Mooroopna, who went down to Kyabram by 70 points. In a solid individual performance, Dom Gugliotti defended well and finished with 17 disposals and four marks.
