Oliver Lees
Werribee Centrals coach Rhyce Prismall believes his side is ready to make the leap into finals in the Geelong and District Football League.
Centrals finished in seventh place last year, three wins short of making the top five.
The competition was tight at the top with just three wins separating first and fifth place.
Prismall, who took over as a playing coach of the club in 2020, said the evenness of the ladder was a good sign for the league.
“It gives us confidence knowing that if we can be a bit more switched on and perform it won’t take much to catapult ourselves up if teams fall away,” he said.
“But it works two ways, you can’t take anyone lightly in our competition.”
The Centurions have signed some new faces to help spark that rise up the ladder.
Zac O’Halloran will bolster the ruck and forward line after playing division 1 in the Victorian Amateur Football Association.
O’Halloran played 150 games for St Bernards where he was their best and fairest player last season and was also named in the club’s team of the decade.
Keegan Gilbert is another recruit from St Bernards.
Another new player that has excited Prismall is Kur Kur, who previously played for Glen Orden before taking a break from football last season.
“He has a bit of x-factor,” he said.
“He was almost best on ground in our practice match, he’s very athletic and a hard matchup.”
Tyler Crennan will return to the side after a stellar 2023.
Crennan finished runner up in the league’s best and fairest behind Corio’s Joel Bennett.
He was also named in the forward pocket for the team of the year with his teammate Michael Culliver named on the wing.
Prismall said he envisions Crennan splitting his time between the midfield and forward line.
“He’s just a workhorse, he would have to be the fittest bloke in the competition,” he said.
“I think he can take his game to a new level.
“He’s always been very good on offence and has taken defence to a new level, so I think he’s going to be 20 per cent better.”
Prismall himself will spend the first few weeks on the side line due to a broken finger.
Centrals will take on Corio in round one on April 24 at Shell Reserve.
Due to clubroom redevelopment works, Centrals will play just one of its first seven matches at home.
