Tara Murray
Going back to basics is paying off for Werribee in the Victorian Football League, with the team securing back-to-back wins.
After losing its first two games, Werribee has now won its last two, to even the ledger heading into its first bye of the season.
Werribee coach Michael Barlow admits they looked to take a slightly different approach after the first two rounds.
“I would like to be 4-0, but it’s a real learning process for me too,” he said.
“After the first two games, I put my hand up. I’m learning and growing on the job as as well.
“I stripped it back and took the emotion, and the anxiety and stress out of win-loss and stripped it right back to the effort and executing for longer periods of the match, which we were able to do the last few weeks and the scoreboard takes care of itself.”
Barlow said the biggest thing in the last couple of weeks has been improved execution, while gelling together as a team.
For most part he was thrilled with his side’s performance against Box Hill Hawks on Saturday.
With the exception of a period in the third quarter, Werribee was on top in the 13.12 (90)-8.5 (53) win.
Werribee led by as much as 44 points in the third quarter, before the Hawks brought the margin back to 18 points. Werribee steadied in the last quarter to run away with the game.
Barlow said at times they were their worst enemy, by not making the most of the opportunities when they went forward.
He said they continue to have patches in the game when they aren’t getting their hands on the ball.
“We know Box Hill and what they bring and brought it for a number of years and the way they play and they are a really good contested ball side when they get up and going,” he said.
“We wanted to strip that back off them and try and make it really basic by outnumbering them at the contest and winning the contest and allow our game to flow on from there and give our forwards an opportunity.
“We had a patch again where we aren’t getting our hands on the ball and not allowing ourselves an opportunity to take the air out of the match when under pressure.
“In terms of lapses, it’s a work in progress. It’s important to mould together and train together and look to execute as much as we can on game day consistently.”
Hudson Garoni backed up his four goals from round three with another five against the Hawks.
Barlow said Garoni’s performance on the weekend summed up the side’s performance of not being able to put together a four quarter performance.
“He’s someone I really challenged at three quarter time,” Barlow said.
“He had a brilliant game offensively, but there were some moments when they did come back some of our forwards weren’t providing a contest.
“It was a really challenging one for me as a coach, you see the good he had provided up until that point.
“I think his last quarter was his best quarter, when he got back to the meat and potatoes of competing. I’m loving coaching him.”
Max Spencer, Kye Declase and Dom Drew were among the other standouts.
Werribee has a bye this week.
