Tara Murray
New Werribee recruit Rye Penny is keen to get back to playing consistent Victorian Football League matches and put his name back on the radar of AFL clubs.
Penny, who played with Gisborne and the Calder Cannons growing up, attended the AFL state combine in 2022 and was in contention for the AFL mid-season draft in 2023.
But this year he managed just two VFL games for Collingwood, as he spent the majority of the season playing with Bacchus Marsh in the Ballarat Football League.
Penny said he wanted a fresh start and Werribee seemed like the ideal spot to do that.
“I can’t wait,” he said. “We started training a few weeks ago.
“The big one for me was mostly about getting more opportunities. At standalone clubs there are more sports available.
“I was seeking that changed environment as something wasn’t working at Collingwood this year.
“I loved the people there but footy wise, Werribee was looking good for that.”
Penny said the Tigers approached him and there were a few clubs that he had been chatting to.
He said Werribee was one of the keener teams and it worked out well.
“They seem to be one of the better structured clubs and the environment they have, I’m already enjoying it,” he said.
“The facilities are good and there’s so many good things, it wasn’t too hard a decision in the end.”
Penny said while he enjoyed his first season with Bacchus Marsh and playing with his schoolmates, he was keen to play at that higher level more consistency.
Coming into a side that won the premiership, Penny knows he’ll have to fight for a spot in the line and it’s something he’s up for it.
While he’s keen to cement a spot in the Tigers lineup, he’s keen to keep his AFL dream alive.
Four players have been drafted from the Werribee the past two seasons, while Dom Brew is training with the Western Bulldogs during the pre-season to try and secure a spot.
“I felt I was so close in my draft year and last year,” Penny said. “This year changed and I played more local footy.
“It’ll be good to get back out there playing VFL footy. The club [Werribee] is becoming a prominent place to get recruited from as mature age picks.
“The dream is still alive and I can hopefully work towards that again.”
Penny and the group have already hit the track for pre-season. He said he was enjoying it so far.
“There’s heaps of focus on recovery as I’ve had a lot of overuse injuries in preseason.”
Meanwhile the Tigers have announced two more recruits for next year.
Anthony Depasquale and Archer Gardiner are the latest signings.
Gardiner continues Werribee’s strong connection with the Ovens and Murray League.
The 19-year-old midfielder arrives at Werribee from North Albury, the home club of premiership players Dom Brew and Sam Azzi.
Gardiner joins the VFL with over three seasons of senior football experience.
Depasquale joins Werribee after a standout 2024 campaign, with the 21-year-old forward coming to the club from Kyabram in the Goulburn Valley Football League.
He has spent three seasons with Kyabram, consistently showcasing his strong goalkicking ability, booting more than 130 goals.
