It’s time for Werribee Districts to go all in, push the chips to the middle of the table and lock up second spot in Western Region Football League’s division 1.
The Tigers can all but secure a top-two finish in their first season back in the competition with a victory against St Albans on the road at Kings Park Reserve on Saturday.
Finishing second or third is neither here nor there, as both teams get the luxury of a double chance and will face off in the first week of the finals. But it would be a just reward for what coach Wade Chapman and his players have brought to the WRFL this season.
The Tigers opened up a six-point break over third-placed Spotswood with a hard-fought 11-point win over Altona at Soldiers Reserve on Saturday, and gaining four points against the Saints should be enough for them to stave off the Woodsmen.
The Tigers face two of the bottom three clubs in the competition – Albion and Yarraville-Seddon – in the run home, games you would bet on them winning. That would leave them needing only one win from their other two road tests against St Albans and Spotswood.
If you’re the Tigers, you don’t want to roll the dice in a penultimate round showdown against Spotswood.
“It’s going to a good preparation for the finals,” assistant coach Marty Porter said.
“Those sides are certainly up and about. It will be a really good challenge for us to see if we can match it with those teams on their home turf.”
The Tigers’ past month was mirrored by their hot-and-cold performance against Altona at the weekend.
Their first half was pure silk, with their renowned running game in full gear to take a 31-point lead into half-time.
“All of the key areas that we value were pointing in the right direction,” Porter said.
“We were working hard both ways.”
The second half was far from satisfactory, letting a hungry Altona side back in the game.
The Vikings booted six goals to two in the third term and made a last quarter run before falling short 13. 14 (92) to 13.3 (81).
The Tigers’ tendency to switch off for periods is a worry heading into the finals.
“[It’s] probably because they’re a younger group … we just have lapses of concentration,” Porter said. “It’s an area that we need to keep working on.”
Chris Molivas is shaping as one of the X-factors for the Tigers.
Molivas booted five goals against the Vikings, making it 17 in three games, but he’s far from a one-trick pony.
“His form over the past month has been very impressive,” Porter said.
“Although he’s played most of the season up forward, he’s quite versatile and has the ability to run through the midfield and go down back as well.
“He’s a bit of an athlete: good overhead, good at ground level and can be a running-type player and link up by hand.”
Travis Dean was the standout midfielder, while co-captain Brent Morrow took a number of telling marks in defence. Ruckman Tate McCutcheon was dominant aerially when the game was on the line, and the dead-eye Ryan Harrington put the game out of reach of the visitors with five goals.
