Werribee has recorded the second biggest win in its VFA/VFL history, piling on 27 goals to beat Northern Bullants by 160 points at Preston City Oval on Sunday. The victory was Werribee’s third in a row, moving them up to seventh on the ladder after six rounds of the 2021 campaign.

HOW IT HAPPENED

It took just 90 seconds for Werribee to kick its first goal of the game with Nick Hayes getting on the end of a deep forward 50 entry from debutant Ariek Lual. Lual came into the side for captain Michael Sodamaco and impressed early as did another first gamer in Ryan Kemp who kicked two first quarter goals in his season debut. Kemp, Wylie Buzza and Harry Stubbings each kicked two majors in the swashbuckling opening term which saw the Big W lead by 60 points at the first break.

Scoring wasn’t as free flowing in the second quarter with the first goal not coming until the 12-minute mark via Stubbings. Buzza and Kemp also continued to trouble the Bullants defence as they both booted their third majors in the term, while defender Max Spencer added his name to the goals list as Werribee’s total neared three figures at halftime.

With eight individual goal scorers in the first half, it was surprising that Shaun Mannagh’s name was absent from the list as he eventually finished as the game’s leading goal scorer with five. Mannagh opened his account seven minutes into the third quarter, and it didn’t take long for him to add a second. Kemp’s fourth took the lead beyond 100 points while Werribee’s defence limiting the Bullants to a single point in the term, also contributed to the commanding three-quarter time lead.

The visitors rounded out the game by piling on eight fourth quarter goals with the first four coming in the first 10 minutes and the last four over the final seven minutes of the term with Matt Lobbe inserting the exclamation mark on the dominant display by goaling after the final siren.

GOALS
Werribee: S. Mannagh 5, W. Buzza 4, R. Kemp 4, H. Stubbings 3, N. Hayes 3, K. Gray 2, K. Declase 1, H. Garoni 1, J. Henderson 1, D. Brew 1, M. Lobbe 1, M. Spencer 1
Northern Bullants: J. Boyd 1, F. O’Dwyer 1

BEST
Werribee: S. Mannagh, W. Buzza, M. Hanson, N. Coughlan, L. Pinnuck, H. Stubbings
Northern Bullants:

KEY PLAYERS
Matt Hanson: 32 disposals, 14 handball receives, 5 tackles, 10 inside 50s
Tom Gribble: 32 disposals, 13 contested possessions, 5 tackles, 6 inside 50s
Wylie Buzza: 25 disposals at 84% efficiency, 8 marks (2 contested), 12 hitouts, 4 goals
Louis Pinnuck: 24 disposals, 6 marks, 4 inside 50s, 3 rebound 50s
Shaun Mannagh: 20 disposals (16 kicks), 6 marks, 7 inside 50s, 5 goals
Harry Stubbings: 20 disposals, 11 marks (1 contested), 3 goals, 4 score assists
Nick Coughlan: 16 disposals (13 kicks), 6 marks (2 contested), 8 rebound 50s

NEXT MATCH
Werribee vs Sandringham
Saturday May 29
1pm at Avalon Airport Oval

It was not the start to the season we were hoping for going down to Collingwood by 7 points. 

Some poor disposal has cost Werribee in its first VFL match in 616 days, with the Big W going down to Collingwood by seven points at Avalon Airport Oval. In a hotly contested match, the Magpies led by 11 points at the main break as Werribee had little to show from a dominant second term, with turnovers by foot costing the hosts dearly. Wylie Buzza’s lone goal and second of the match was the only major for Werribee in the quarter. At halftime, the home team led almost every major statistical category including disposals (+38), inside 50s (29-22) and tackles (32-18). Nathan Cooper - with support from the rest of the Werribee defence - did an outstanding job on Collingwood’s Mason Cox, limiting the 211cm AFL-listed player to just three disposals and a goal in the first half.

Werribee played its best footy early in the third quarter with three goals in the first 11 minutes giving the Big W the lead for the first time. Wylie Buzza kicked his third and fourth before a Michael Sodomaco goal gave his side a two-point advantage.The skipper converted a set shot following some brilliant work from Matt Hanson to keep the ball in play along the boundary edge. A Will Hoskin-Elliot goal - 18 minutes in - gave the Magpies back the lead, before Joe Maishman cut the margin to just a point late in the quarter, when his attempt from deep in the pocket sailed in. With early goals being crucial, Collingwood built on its buffer in the first six minutes of the final quarter through Cox and Jack Ginnivan. Werribee finally registered its first, midway through the term when Nick Hayes kicked truly after a strong tackle 20 metres from goal, but Caleb Poulter replied almost immediately for the Magpies. Tom Boyd kept Werribee well and truly in the hunt after a big pack mark and goal, however Werribee was unable to add any further score in the final nine minutes despite continually sending the ball back inside 50.

GOALS

Werribee: W. Buzza 4, J. Maishman 2, N. Hayes 1, T. Boyd 1, M. Sodamaco 1

Collingwood: O. Henry 2, M. Cox 2, R. McInnes 1, L. McMahon 1, S. Fowler, J. Ginnivan 1, W. Hoskin-Elliot 1, C. Poulter 1

BEST

Werribee: J. Henderson, J. Clark, B Malual, N. Cooper, M. Hanson, W. Buzza

Collingwood: J. Rantall, M. Lynch, C. Poulter, O. Henry, L. Tardew, I. Chugg

KEY PLAYERS

Matt Hanson: 28 disposals (20 kicks), seven inside 50s
Tom Gribble: 27 disposals, seven inside 50s, five tackles
Kye Declase: 24 disposals, nine marks, five inside 50s, four rebound 50s

Bior Malual: 20 disposals, eight marks, four rebound 50s

Wylie Buzza: 10 disposals, four marks, four goals

NEXT WEEK

Werribee vs Williamstown
Saturday April 24

7pm at Avalon Airport Oval

It seems like a lifetime but VFL football return to Avalon Airport Oval this Saturday. 

 The wait is over. The Big W is back in action this Saturday when Werribee hosts Collingwood to open the 2021 VFL season. No ticket No entry. No worries. Buy your ticket here https://vfl-round1-werribeevscollingwood.intix.com/

On the eve of the 2021 season all the latest from Avalon Airport Oval in the BIG W Podcast. 

Skipper Michael Sodomaco, Football Manager Mark Micallef and  major sponsor Paul Ballan from CB Motor Group chat with Kevin Hillier about the latest around the club.