Tara Murray
Werribee Districts were able to hold off a physical Hoppers Crossing in their annual Anzac Day clash in the Western Football League.
The long-time Wyndham rivals in the division 1 competition, the match up between the two sides is one of the biggest on the calendar.
The Tigers led at each of the breaks with the Warriors not allowing them to blow out the margin.
The Warriors came hard in the final quarter with five goals but fell just short as the Tigers kicked two of their own to win, 14.10 (94)-12.10 (82).
Tigers coach Chris Gilham said it was a good result for his side.
“We’re lucky to have the opportunity to play on Anzac Day,” he said. “It’s always well supported and well done by both clubs.
“They had a goal to be physical and aggressive. It was a good solid game of footy and to get a win like that in those circumstances was good.”
Gilham said they started the game pretty well and they were able to play a lot of their football.
He said the Warriors had come late but they had done enough to get the win.
Jack Bonnett, Tim Jenkins, Michael Luxford and Lucas Rocci kicked two goals each for the Tigers.
Gilham said he was really happy with the spread of contributors they had in the win.
“We’re a look team this year,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of youngsters.
“Without being dominant, we’ve had a lot of young kids do some things at key times. Late in the last quarter young Jack Bonnett kicked a crucial goal, our young ruckman, Josh Puli, pushed forward and took a mark kicked a crucial goal.
“Lucas Rocci has had an outstanding start to the season. So has Bailey Siwek and Sean Gregory in defence is once again leading the charge there.
“Some young guys are coming up into our team and having an impact, which is really pleasing.”
For the Warriors, Jackson Viola kicked five goals and was named their best.
The Tigers remain undefeated after three rounds, while the Warriors are yet to win a match.
Gilham said this was coming despite fielding a very different line up to last season when they won the grand final.
“We had 11 of the 22 that didn’t play in our grand final,” he said. “We are a very new team and a very young team that lost a lot of experience.
“We’re giving a lot of the young boys who are coming up and there’s the great recruitment of Rocci coming back to the club from the VFL and some guys who weren’t available last year.”
The Tigers face Parkside this week. It’ll be the first time the two clubs have faced each other
Gilham said it was a really even competition as shone by them and Hoppers Crossing being at different ends of the ladder despite their closeness on Anzac Day,
In other results, Point Cook Centrals beat Yarraville Seddon, 16.13 (109)-16.7 (103). Point Cook had the bye.
