By Lance Jenkinson
Werribee will begin its 2019 VFL finals journey with a tough elimination final against Box Hill Hawks on neutral territory at Adcon Stadium in Port Melbourne on Sunday.
Five wins to end the home-and-away campaign has Werribee full of confidence heading into September.
The Big W produced a memorable eight-point win over Williamstown on the road on Saturday night to clinch fifth spot.
They also take in winning form over Box Hill, having beaten them only three weeks ago by 25 points.
Here are just five good reasons why you should head to Port Melbourne to support Werribee on Sunday:
Riccardi’s big test
You get to see Jake Riccardi, who has emerged as one of the most exciting young prospects on Werribee’s list.
With 35 goals during the home-and-away rounds, Riccardi has stamped himself as one of the premier key forwards in the VFL.
After a massive home-and-away campaign, Riccardi is sure to face close attention from Box Hill defenders.
Can he shrug off a close tag and set the VFL finals alight?
Midfield masterclass
Led by Michael Barlow, the Werribee midfield runs like clockwork and is second to none in the VFL.
When Barlow has been fit and firing this season, he has shown no drop off from his consistent form as an AFL player with Fremantle and Gold Coast.
It is far from a one-man band though.
Tom Gribble and Dom Brew have been in stellar form at the coal face.
All three are suited to the hard contested game that often plays out in the finals
Tough D
The big question mark hanging over Werribee in the off-season was how it would cope without the dominance of key defender Sam Collins, who got picked up by the Gold Coast Suns.
They have done it by committee with a whole back six effort filling the void.
Ryan Hebron, Nick Coughlan, Daniel Nielson and Max Spencer have stepped up in the key defensive posts for Werribee and will pose headaches for opposition forwards in the finals.
Munro’s off-the-ball work
One of the most appreciated players in Werribee’s inner sanctum is Matt Munro.
Munro draws the plaudits externally for his ability to change momentum with some special goals.
It is some of the other aspects of his game that endears him to his teammates and makes the forward line tick better, such as his tackling pressure, unselfishness and leadership.
Munro can often be found directing his younger teammates so they can operate better within the team structure.
You can play your part
In finals, even slight advantages can be the difference between advancing further or packing your bags for the off-season.
Werribee’s players will get a huge lift if the black and gold army out-numbers the brown and gold of the AFL-aligned side.
Make the journey over the West Gate Bridge and cheer on an exciting Mark Williams-coached Werribee team as it takes aim at a second premiership.
