Werribee Tigers will be rocking the suburbs in the Victorian Football League on Sunday.
The Tigers will face the Casey Demons at Hogans Road Reserve in Hoppers Crossing, their only game in the city of Wyndham this season, while the multi-million dollar Avalon Airport Oval redevelopment takes place.
Tigers captain Michael Sodomaco is excited to be able to play in front of local fans with so many games being played on the road.
Sodomaco is a Geelong Falcons product and commutes from Hamilton Heights, but as the Tigers skipper of the past three years, he has invested a lot of time into the Wyndham community and is thrilled the Tigers have decided to take a game to the fans in Hoppers Crossing and surrounds.
“It’s exciting, I’m looking forward to it,” Sodomaco said.
“We do take it really seriously that we are representing the region.
“It’s a great chance for the boys who are from the area to be able to play in front of friends and family and people who otherwise might not get a chance to go watch them play.”
Sodomaco has enjoyed a hot start to the season.
In a side that has largely underwhelmed, he has shone like a beacon out of the Werribee-listed players.
Coming into the prime of his career at the age of 25 and as the leader of the club, you would expect Sodomaco to produce the kind of football that has his teammates taking note.
Tigers coach John Lamont has already put Sodomaco’s name forward for Victorian selection again this season.
Sodomaco is professional in the way he goes about it and will just worry about his next game.
He is relishing the chance to split his time between defence and midfield.
“The key to being able to play senior footy, you’ve got to be able to at least have two different roles you can play,” Sodomaco said.
“I went down back for a number of years and now I’m starting to get a few more midfield minutes again, so I’m splitting it half in the midfield and half back, which I enjoy.
“I think versatility is a huge attribute to have because when selection is somewhat compromised by the North Melbourne [listed] boys, you do need to play in a number of different roles.”
Third year into his captaincy, Sodomaco believes he is a better leader than a year ago and a much better leader than his first season.
It is an honour that Sodomaco does not take lightly.
“It’s definitely one of those things you get better at with experience,” he said.
“You look back to the first year and some of the things you did and you wish you could do differently.
“But that’s the nature of the role, you’ve got to put yourself out there a bit and accept that you’re going to make some mistakes, as long as you don’t make the same mistake twice.”
“You’re dealing with people and no two people are exactly the same, so I don’t think anyone has mastered it.
“It comes down to investing in the players and building those relationships, then just backing your gut instinct on stuff and having confidence in the strength of those relationships that the boys will come with you and there’s a bit of trust between you two that you can ask things of them and they can ask things of you.”
Sodomaco is thriving in the semi-professional environment of the VFL.
The Lara product has no intentions of returning to local football any time soon.
“The really good thing about VFL footy, the players that you’re playing alongside are there for the same reason that you are and that’s to challenge themselves and play at the highest level they can.
“It would be fun playing with your childhood mates week to week back at your local club, but at the moment I still want to keep playing and challenging myself at the highest level possible.”
