WERRIBEE Districts has taken the first step on the long road to survival in the Victorian Amateur Football Association Premier B.
The Tigers have turned the corner, snapping an eight-game losing streak with a spectacular come-from-behind win over Parkdale Vultures away at Gerry Green Reserve on Saturday.
This is no overnight recovery for the Tigers, who have threatened numerous times with improved form over the past month and finally reaped the rewards of their hard work.
“The first couple of games of the year we got blown out of the water,” Tigers president Rod Harrington told the Weekly.
“It was like ‘gee, this is going to be a long, hard year’, and it has been.
“But there has been improvement week after week and this was reward for all the hard effort everyone has put in: players, coaches, people around the club.”
The Tigers refused to roll over when things were looking dire on Saturday.
They showed their steely resolve with a stunning last-quarter fightback.
Trailing by 21 at three-quarter time, a weaker side would have put the game in the ‘too hard’ basket, but the hungry Tigers delivered an eight-goals-to-two last quarter.
Matt Turner, a youngster playing his first season of senior football, booted four goals in a superb final term. “They just don’t give up,” Harrington said. “We were the dominant team on the day, but we just couldn’t put the score on the board.
“Eventually, if you keep chipping away, the dam walls will break and that’s what happened.”
Chris Molivas had the scoreboard humming with five goals.
The Dean brothers – captain Matt and Shaun – and Ben Morton led from the front.
Sudan-born ruckman Bol Kolang produced one of the best games of his short career. “He was by far the best on ground in the ruck,” Harrington said. “He’s only been playing footy for three years.”
The Tigers have seven days to celebrate their first win of the season, but it will be back to reality on Saturday when they host top side Old Trinity at Soldiers Reserve.
Who knows what’s possible. The Tigers enter on the back of a win, while Old Trinity has lost two of its past three games.
In division 3, Old Westbourne got the jump on Richmond Central to lead by 19 points at quarter-time, but its joy was short-lived at the Westbourne School Ground.
The Warriors wound up losing by 34 points, their ninth straight loss to start the season.
In division 4, Point Cook had a costly 29-point loss to Mt Lilydale, which saw them slide to fifth on the ladder. The Bulldogs also got off to a flyer to lead by 25 at the first change, but could not sustain it over the course of four quarters.
