Almanac Footy: They’re The Boys From Werribee

 

To the Marine’s Hymn (before the Adelaide Crows pinched it :))

 

From the playing fields of Melbourne

To the stands of Chirnside Park

We will fight our battles to the end

And we’ll surely leave our mark

We’re the Tigers of the VFL (VFA) and we sing in harmony

We’re the Tigers bold in black and gold

We’re the boys from Werribee

 

 

There’s a statistic in footy that can never be measured but it’s arguably the most important.

 

‘Will’ or the ‘desire’ or ‘hunger’ that a team possesses, can override whatever talent an opposition possesses.

 

Carlton shouldn’t have won last week’s semi final versus Melbourne but it was sheer will that got them over the line when it seemed all was lost with minutes to go.

 

Thirty years ago last weekend, Werribee played a VFA preliminary final at Moorabbin versus a young and rampaging Springvale.

 

With four minutes to go, Werribee needed three goals and in what was a miraculous finish, our full forward Joskun Aziz kicked the winning goal on the siren.

 

I can barely remember what happened yesterday but my memories of that last five minutes are still lucid. Despite being nervous, we were drilled all year by our coach Donald McDonald to stay in the moment and never think about the outcome. It worked and we were premiers a week later.

 

Unfortunately despite reaching the grand final on four more occasions the 1993 flag is the club’s solitary premiership.

 

Fast forward to last weekend and the latest version of the Werribee Tigers has taken all before them in 2023. Having beaten Brisbane in the preliminary final, they are now in the 2023 VFL Grand Final next Sunday.

 

Whatever coach Mick Barlow and his assistants are doing, it’s culminated into a record breaking year.

 

The 2023 team have now won seventeen games on the trot. Werribee is a standalone club with no players having played an AFL game. They either work or study during the week as opposed to full time AFL players.

 

To put this in further context, Werribee beat Box Hill in the qualifying final a fortnight ago, a team consisting of sixteen Hawthorn listed players. Last weekend’s opponent Brisbane had fifteen.

 

It’s truly extraordinary and it points to great coaching and enormous commitment from the players. The club also has first class facilities for the players to work in due to a massive upgrade in 2018, which also enables a professional environment.

 

When the final siren sounded today it was very emotional for everyone. The families of the players are the ones who feel it the most, knowing just how much work and sacrifice their loved ones have put in.

 

Former skipper Michael Sodomaco has been a great leader over ten years, and there is a big group now that have served the club over six years such as two time Liston Medallist Tom Gribble, Dom Brew, skipper Nick Coughlan, Jack Henderson, Louis Pinnuck, four time B&F Matt Hanson, Kye Declase, and Keegan Gray.

 

It’s a sizable pack of loyal players and it’s something that aligned VFL clubs don’t have. Having that consistency and regularity of players without the transience of AFL players enables a more authentic culture.

 

Along with the families our thoughts today were with the people whose fabric is in Avalon Airport Oval through decades of hard work.

 

Whether its Marty, Pennas, Hutch, Tino, Zach, Turtle, Kev, Stoney, Banger, the late Len ‘Tiger’ Ryan and Shaun Mannagh’s late grandfather Joe, they have all made a huge contribution that should be celebrated regardless of the outcome next week.

 

We are expecting a large contingent of past players to get along to Princes Park next Sunday. These boys play a high pressure game with no fear so the old boys can expect to see an exciting game.

 

There was a hairy moment in the last quarter on the weekend when Brisbane kicked the first three goals but the boys stayed composed and ran away with it by five goals.

 

It’s typical of how they’ve played all year and we wish them all the best for next week’s granny versus the Gold Coast.

 

One thing’s for sure, these Tigers won’t be fazed. Go Tiges!

 

 

 

More from Ian Wilson can be read Here.

 

 

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