Werribee Tigers went down to western suburbs rivals Footscray Bulldogs in a VFL thriller at Avalon Airport Oval on Sunday.
In what was a tune-up for the finals starting this weekend, the Tigers entered the game knowing a double chance was out of their reach after Essendon had rolled Richmond a day earlier.
But there was still a home final at stake and Werribee could not quite get the job done.
The 9.11 (65) – 8.13 (61) defeat handed the Tigers a tough away elimination final against Collingwood at Victoria Park on Saturday, although travelling has been a strong suit for them this winter so it should not daunt them. It was an emotional day for Werribee players and officials, playing their first game since club president John Nicol died of cancer during the week, aged 76.
CLICK HER FOR PICTURE GALLERY/SALES FROM THIS MATCH
Both teams lined up pre-game to mark their respects to the club life member, who had only recently signed off on a new alignment agreement between Werribee and North Melbourne that will take affect next season.
Footscray came out strongly, booting five goals to nil in the first term to shock the home side.
The Tigers hit back in the second, peppering the goal to cut the margin to six points by half-time, although their inability to convert would prove costly. The second half was a real arm wrestle, but the Tigers’ bigs loomed large, the athletic Majak Daw booting three goals while Daniel Currie was an imposing force in the ruck.
Scott McMahon’s steadiness was important for the Tigers, while Matt Hanson and Jason Robinson found plenty of the ball on the club’s multicultural day.
The Tigers led deep into time-on until Bulldogs forward Tom Boyd spun out of a pack to snap the match-winning goal for the Bulldogs.
It provided the Dogs a top-four berth, a finals double chance and the inaugural Health West Cup played for between the two sides.
