Werribee will return its core midfield group next season after Tom Gribble, Matt Hanson and Dom Brew all recommitted for 2022. 

The trio led Werribee in clearances and contested possessions in 2021 and will again provide the club with incredible strength around the stoppages. 

In 2021, Gribble tallied almost identical numbers to his 2019 J.J. Liston Trophy winning, season averaging 29.4 disposals per game with Hanson and Brew racking up career highs of 28.6 and 18.2 disposals respectively, while Brew topped the VFL in tackles for a second straight season.  

Werribee football manager Mark Micallef said the club was delighted to have all three players returning in 2022. 

“The re-signings of Tom Gribble, Matt Hanson and Dom Brew are fantastic for the club, all three provide great leadership for us and strength on the inside of the contest which we really pride ourselves on,” he said.  

“Tom is the reigning Liston Trophy winner and enjoyed another strong year in 2021 while captaining the team in our final match. He continues to drive standards at the club and will play his 100^th game for Werribee next season which is a great achievement. 

“Matt is someone we can’t speak highly enough of; he’s been an outstanding player for a long period winning three best and fairests previously, and with his work at the stoppages he’s someone our coaches can rely on to do his job week in and week out. 

“Dom is a competitive beast and another really strong leader and if you talk about blokes that live the club values he is right up there with a Michael Sodomaco. We’re extremely excited to have him committed for another year.” 

Meanwhile, Wylie Buzza has informed the club he will be returning to Brisbane where he’ll be closer to family and friends after he and his partner Sarah recently announced their engagement.  

The former AFL player signed at Avalon Airport Oval for 2021 after spending the previous season on Port Adelaide’s list following four years with Geelong.  

Buzza’s lone season with Werribee saw him top the club’s goal kicking with 20 majors and provide crucial back-up to Matt Lobbe in the ruck, averaging 10 hit-outs a game.  

The club would like to thank Wylie for his time as a player and ambassador for Werribee. We wish him all the best with his move back to Queensland and the next chapter of his life.   

Michael Sodomaco is extending his VFL career into a 12th season. 

The current Werribee captain arrived at Avalon Airport Oval in 2011 straight out of the Geelong Falcons and is now set to add to his 104 matches with the club a year after celebrating his 100-game milestone.

Sodomaco, 30, has played some of the most consistent football of his career over recent seasons and was again one of the club’s best rebounders in 2021 with his dash and decision making out of defence.

He played seven of the club’s nine games this year, missing one match for the birth of his and partner Sarah’s first child Rosie before being a late out in Round 16, the club’s final game of the season.

After a year interrupted by COVID lockdowns Sodomaco said he was looking forward to another season in black and gold.

“I’m excited to recommit, it’s been a weird sort of year but I’m keen to go around again,” he said.

“In a normal season you get to this time of year, finals wrap up and you’re ready to put your feet up for a few weeks before preseason comes around again but playing seven games across the past two seasons there’s certainly not that feeling, you just want to get stuck into it again.

“I had a really solid preseason that put me in good stead for this year, but I’m sure this next one will be a bit of a different challenge now that Rosie is here and I’ll be balancing work, family and footy, but I’m still loving my time at the club and I’m not ready to say goodbye just yet.

“I’ve been at Werribee so long now it feels like my local club, I love the guys we’ve got at the club and I still enjoy rolling into training each night which I think is important.”

Sodomaco averaged a career high 21.7 disposals per game in 2021 while running at 81% efficiency.  He is also Werribee’s longest serving captain having held the position since the start of the 2015 season.

Werribee Football Manager Mark Micallef said it was fantastic to have Sodomaco committed for another season.

“We are delighted to lock-in Sods for another year, he is our longest serving captain and continues to grow as a leader while living the club’s values of community, driven, care,” Micallef said.

“He’s going to continue to provide key leadership for us and play an important role in our defence, and after enjoying a strong season we’re looking forward to seeing him continue that form for another year.”

With Michael Barlow's debut season as coach of Werribee disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, the first-year mentor is now firmly focused on building on 2021 in year two of his tenure at Avalon Airport Oval.  

With the VFL home-and-away season ending two weeks ago, Werribee’s year came to a close after just nine games but, despite the stop-start nature of the season, Barlow will take away plenty from his initial campaign in charge.

“The learning experience of the year has been tremendous for me, I’ve got an understanding of what we’ve done well and what we can stick with, as well as what we can improve and adjust,” he said.  

“I’ve got a greater appreciation for what we’ve got at this club. I’m surrounded by a terrific team of coaches, football staff and volunteers and am thankful for the support from CEO Mark Penaluna and the board led by (president) Martin Carter.   

“We’ve got an incredible playing group, who even with the uncertainty of the season never wavered in their commitment, from not knowing when they’d be training again or when and who we might be playing.  

“Mark Micallef our football manger is six months into the job now and there’s a lot of confidence around what we’ve got and the framework that’s in place to succeed next year, so I’m really excited to begin preparing for 2022.”  

Barlow’s first season at the helm for Werribee ended in five wins and four losses and a ninth-place finish on the ladder.  

Werribee’s first victory came in Round 3, as the Big W defeated reigning VFL premiers Richmond by 80-points in captain Michael Sodomaco’s 100^th game. The team’s five wins were by an average margin of 67 points while three of the club’s four losses were by 11 points or less.   

Werribee CEO Mark Penaluna said he was proud of what Barlow was able to achieve in a challenging season.   

“Mick did a great job in his first year, he came into the position late last December and then had to deal with all the challenges thrown up by the pandemic,” he said.  

“Most of the group began the season having not played in 18 months, but there were some good signs and the team won three games in a row before the season was first put on hold at the end of May.  

“Mick was able to keep players motivated in a landscape that was for ever changing, we’re very confident in his ability and look forward to seeing him get the best out of the group going forward.” 

As part of the Werribee Football Club’s community partnerships two students from SEDA College in Hawthorn are currently combining study and work placement at Avalon Airport Oval.

Tasked with jobs such as readying equipment for training sessions and match days, the students learn about all elements of the club and discover which part of the sporting industry they love most.

Werribee Football Club Community Development Manager, Hamish MacInnes, recently spoke to the Star Weekly about the program.

You can read the full article on the Star Weekly website HERE.
Read the full digitial edition of the Wyndham Star Weekly HERE.