Tara Murray
Werribee recruit Daly Andrews decided the time was right for a change.
Having played with Williamstown in the Victorian Football League since finishing in the then NAB League, Andrews decided to make the switch across to Werribee for this year.
Andrews, who has played almost 50 VFL games for the Seagulls including 12 last season, said he felt like he needed a fresh start.
“It has been good,” he said. “I enjoyed it and they’ve been really welcoming at training.
“It’s been pretty seamless, I grew up in Werribee and it has always been home and it’s always been in the back of my mind.”
Andrews said that now was the perfect time for him to make the move and change up his football.
He said there’s no bitter feelings for the Seagulls and leaves the club with good memories.
“I thought about it for a while,” he said. “Williamstown gave me an opportunity straight out of the NAB League and I wanted to stick with them,
“It was awesome and there’s nothing against them. It’s a personal decision and I’ve always had a soft spot for Werribee.
“I’m going back home, I guess.”
Andrews said he had been happy with how he had been developing in the VFL since making his debut in 2019 having joined the club from the Western Jets.
He said he was hoping at Werribee he could take his game to that next level and continue to learn new things and systems.
The 23-year-old joins Werribee at an interesting stage. The club made a grand final last season, but has had three of its leaders retire and another two get picked up on AFL lists.
Andrews is hoping that he can help bridge the gap between those experienced heads who are still around and the younger guys.
“There’s a good mix of older and younger guys and the training has been at a really high standard,” he said.
“There’s lots of leaders leading the way and I definitely want to develop my leadership. I want to help out the young guys and continue to learn.
“I’ve got a bit more experience and hopefully the younger guys can learn from me.”
Andrews said he, like the rest of the playing group, were hoping to return to the final game of the year and hopefully go one step better.
For him though, the main thing is having fun.
“I want to enjoy my footy,” he said. “I feel like the state league can be hard and sometimes it can be challenging mentally.
“I want to get the most out of it.”
Andrews also still harbours dreams of an AFL career. He knows though it is getting harder and harder.
“If it happens, I would be stoked otherwise I’m content to play some good state league footy.”
Looking ahead, Andrews is keen for the fixture to come out and see when they play Williamstown.
“It’ll be really good to play against Williamstown, there’s a few boys at Werribee now.”
