Werribee has registered its first four points of 2021, defeating Richmond in round 3 of the VFL season. After two narrow losses, the Big W celebrated captain Michael Sodamaco’s 100th game and coach Michael Barlow’s first win in style with a resounding 81-point triumph over the reigning premiers.

HOW IT HAPPENED

There was no repeat of the slow starts shown in Werribee’s first two outings of the season with the home team kicking five opening quarter goals. However, at one stage it looked like Werribee’s inefficiency in attack and the team’s inaccurate finishing might again haunt them. Shaun Mannagh kicked his first Werribee goal against his former side inside five minutes but the hosts then kicked five straight behinds. It wasn’t until captain Michael Sodamaco converted from close range that Werribee started to get some reward for effort. Sodamaco’s goal 20 minutes in was the spark Werribee needed and was followed by two from Kye Declase and then Hudson Garoni’s first to give the Big W a 34-point lead at the first break.

It looked like the momentum from late in the first quarter was going to roll on for Werribee early in the second term but after three early misses, Richmond dominated the next 15 minutes. The visitors cut the deficit to 20 points before Max Augerinos finally got the home team back on track at the 25-minute mark. Harry Stubbings added his first goal in Werribee colours soon after, but Richmond had the final say in the half with a late goal resulting in a 24-point difference at halftime.

Richmond continued to claw its way back when the second half began, reducing the deficit to 16 points five minutes into the third. But that was as close as they got, as Matt Hanson and Matt Lobbe lifted in the centre of the ground. Nick Hayes and Tom Gribble goaled two minutes apart before Hanson goaled midway through the term, to stretch the margin further. Werribee’s 46-point three quarter time advantage could have been more had they not finished the term by adding four behinds, from their final five scoring shots.

Werribee put the game beyond doubt early in the last with Wylie Buzza starting a precession of goals in the opening two minutes, with Mannagh and Garoni adding two more by the seven-minute mark. Garoni booted his third with 12 minutes to go and then kicked truly after the final siren to finish as the dominant forward on the ground with four goals. At the opposite end, Nathan Cooper was again outstanding winning all of his defensive duels while Gribble, Hanson, Mannagh and Joe Maishman all enjoyed big days in midfield. Captain and milestone man Sodamaco was also brilliant providing plenty of drive from defence.

GOALS

Werribee: H. Garoni 4, K. Declase 3, H. Stubbings 2, S. Mannagh 2, N. Hayes 1, M. Augerinos 1, W. Buzza 1, T. Gribble 1, M. Hanson 1, J. Maishman 1, M. Sodamaco 1

Richmond: N Cumberland 2, M. Chol 1, S. Stack 1, C. Coleman-Jones, L. Street 1

BEST

Werribee: M. Lobbe, T. Gribble, N. Cooper, K. Declase, H. Garoni, S. Mannagh

Richmond:  D. Eggmolesse-Smith, C. Coleman-Jones, S. Stack, P. Naish, G. McDonagh, L. Street

Werribee captain Michael Sodomaco chalks up his 100th VFL game this weekend. 

It has taken ten years but Michael Sodomaco will run onto Avalon Airport Oval this Saturday afternoon, chalking up his 100th VFL game. Like his debut, this game will be a club celebration, but while the new floodlights stole the show that first night, the spotlight will be firmly focused on the nuggety number three, a far cry from the 75 he wore on debut.

Dom Gleeson was club captain that night: “It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years. I remember the day he debuted in that first game under lights. A few of us earmarked him from almost day one as someone who would lead this club in the future.  He was a born leader at the age of 17. It is no surprise he is still playing. I am really pumped that he can go down as a 100-game player at Werribee.”  

The journey has had many highs and lows as Michael remembered on the latest Big W podcast, but he has stayed loyal to the black and gold:

“I didn’t want to be one of those players that bounced around from club to club. I like the concept of the one-club player and I have always said that I want to play (VFL) while I am enjoying it and I have the time to devote to it.”

Appointed captain by John Lamont at the start of the 2015 season, it was the beginning of a tight partnership: “John put a lot of faith in me and that started our transitional period where we oversaw so much change at the club. We went from half aligned to fully aligned, from two sides to no development side, from the year where we didn’t have any change rooms and played away games every week to now. We have a stable platform where we can build towards bringing some silverware back. Looking back on  John’s and my period, it was very much transitioning the club into a new chapter, where we are stand alone with brilliant facilities and there are no excuses. So hopefully  Mick’s (Barlow) and my time will be more successful.”      

Werribee premiership player, life member and Sodomaco’s coach for the bulk of his VFL career John Lamont rode the bumps along the way: “It has been great to see his development. He had some early maturity in his personality in the way he conducted himself and the way he went about things. Credit to his parents. He has a good sense of humour and there was always banter in the locker room but then he would knuckle down on the training track. One of the big challenges early on were injuries. Sods was a really self-motivated, self-directed young athlete. In that 20 years of the alignment period, we didn’t have blokes chalking up heaps of games, but the character of Sodomaco, he stuck in there and now hits 100 games. It’s a great milestone with a great majority of those being in a partially or fully aligned partnership.”       

Werribee CEO Mark Penaluna joined the chorus of praise for the skipper:

“He came to us highly recommend by Michael Turner (Geelong Falcons Manager) and he has been a wonderful servant of the Werribee Footy Club for 11 years now. A lot of times you can see the players through the parents and Michael has amazing parents in Steve and Felicity. He has battled a lot of hardships but is totally respected by everyone.”     

More than anything the expectant first time father wants a win this weekend:

“He or she has done the right thing delaying the arrival to let me get the 100th out of the way. I want to say thanks to everyone involved at the Werribee Footy Club. It’s been a huge part of my life; my entire adult life has been spent at the club. Everyone from property stewards right through to the CEOs, Presidents, members and just people who come and show their support on the weekend, it’s just been a huge part of my weekly routine for 10-plus years. I love the club and am happy to have played 100. I hope there were a few good ones in there. Let’s try and get the win this weekend. That’s what we will be busting our gut for.”   

A slow start has cost us in round two against arch rival Williamstown. 

Werribee has suffered a second straight loss to start the season, going down to Williamstown by 11 points in the John Pyne Cup. The Seagulls kicked six goals to one in the opening quarter, with Werribee unable to make up the difference under lights at Avalon Airport Oval.

HOW IT HAPPENED

For the second week Werribee conceded the first goal of the match but was again quick to reply through Nick Hayes six minutes in. The next 12 minutes were telling with Williamstown pilling on five  goals as the Seagulls dominated in the centre to take a 28-point lead into the quarter time break. The early part of the second term was played in Werribee’s half of the ground, however it was again Williamstown who added the first major. The visitors’ seventh goal of the match extended their lead to 33 points, before the Big W kicked three of the next four, via Hudson Garoni, Matt Hanson and Bior Malual, to remain in touch at the main break.

Just one goal was scored in 32 minutes of play in the third quarter. Matt Lobbe’s major came midway through the term as the hosts finally got some reward after dominating possession.  Trailing by 20 points, Werribee failed to take advantage of several chances early in the fourth, and the hosts soon found themselves four goals down. Tom Boyd hit back 10 minutes in, but Werribee was unable to make further inroads, with its next goal only coming when the game was gone, as Williamstown was happy to sit back and defend its lead. Despite the loss there were positives, including an excellent debut from Shaun Mannagh. Nathan Cooper was again strong in defence while Hudson Garoni produced an encouraging display up forward.

GOALS

Werribee: H. Garoni 1, B. Malual 1, T. Boyd 1, K. Declase, M. Hanson 1, N. Hayes 1, M. Lobbe 1

Williamstown: C. Rich 2, N. Rodda, J. Gallucci, J. Ottavi 1, J. Pickess 1, D. Henderson 1

BEST

Werribee: S. Mannagh, M. Hanson, K. Declase, N. Coughlan, N. Cooper, H. Garoni

KEY PLAYERS

Matt Hanson: 25 disposals, 18 contested possessions, six tackles and a goal
Shaun Mannagh: 24 disposals, 21 kicks, 11 handball receives, 13 inside 50s

Michael Sodamaco: 20 disposals, 16 kicks, five rebound 50s, seven tackles

Max Spencer: 17 disposals, 15 kicks, five rebound 50s, nine marks, five tackles

Hudson Garoni: 11 disposals, five marks (three contested), one goal and two score assists
 

NEXT WEEK

Werribee vs Richmond
Saturday May 1

2:05pm at Avalon Airport Oval

Michael Sodomaco heads the leadership group for 2021. 

A key cog at every football club is the leadership group, and with round one done and dusted, we take a look at the strong group of on-field leaders steering Werribee towards a second straight finals appearance.

Led by veteran captain of six years Michael Sodomaco, the leadership group is a mixture of experience and youth who will galvanise the playing group and set standards for the whole club.

Supporting Sodomaco is returning vice captain, Matt Hanson, with Tom Gribble and Nick Coughlan also joining him in sharing the role. Rounding out the group is Dominic Brew, Max Spencer and Jack Henderson, with the latter two stepping into the group for the very first time.

Sodomaco is honoured to captain Werrribee for the sixth straight season, and is proud of the journey the club has taken during his time in charge.

“Werribee Football Club has been a massive part of my entire adult life and I take great pride in leaving it in a better position than when I started. During my captaincy we've seen a huge transition from an aligned club to a standalone club in brand new facilities, and now in a new competition format. Now is the time to consolidate and become a club that is regularly challenging for the premiership,” said Sodomaco.

Season 2021 is set to be one quite like no other, with the expansion of the VFL into the northern states, a challenge which Sodomaco is confident the leaders of the club have embraced.

“One of the most important roles leaders play is to drive a clear vision for everyone to work towards. The new competition presents a number of unique circumstances that all teams will have to deal with. With a strong vision of what we're working towards, we can put steps in place to get there - whatever obstacles pop up,” he said.

The inclusion of youth to the group - in the form of 24 year old Spencer and 21 year old Henderson - excites Sodomaco, with both players seen as the future of the club.

“The two new additions to the group are Jack Henderson and Max Spencer, both of which have a bright future ahead of them at the club. I'm excited for them to get a taste of things this year because they'll be the guys to drive the club forward once us older blokes hang the boots up,” said Sodomaco.

Catch Sodomaco leading the Big W in the round two clash with Williamstown at Avalon Airport Oval this Saturday night. The first bounce is at 7pm. 

Article by Joseph Turmine.