Werribee Districts are chasing the ultimate reward for another home-and-away season of excellence.
The Tigers have been the competition’s leading club over the past three seasons as they attempt to add to their maiden Western Football League division 1 premiership in 2023.
They finished the regular rounds with a 16-2 win-loss record, a game clear of Yarraville-Seddon, after suffering an agonising one-point defeat to rival Hoppers Crossing in last year’s decider.
Werribee Districts will enjoy a rest this weekend and will next face the winner of Saturday’s clash between the Eagles and Caroline Springs in a major semi-final.
“To get top spot was a good reward for our consistent home-and-away season,” coach Chris Gilham said.
“We know we’re not miles ahead of anyone. You can throw a blanket over the top four and I’ve said it the whole way. Hoppers have finished fourth and they’re a very good line-up. Yarraville and Caroline Springs are very formidable opponents.
“Obviously, we all want to win the grand final. That’s what’s celebrated in Aussie rules footy, so that’s the main goal, as it is for everyone.
“But we’re also very proud of the fact three years in a row, our seniors and reserves have finished on top of the ladder. It’s no mean feat to have your whole squad both finish top.
“It shows the consistency of our club and the depth of our club over the last couple of years, so we’re proud of that, but obviously we want to turn that opportunity into hopefully being there on grand final day.”
The Tigers were beaten in consecutive weeks by Hoppers Crossing and Caroline Springs in rounds 14 and 15.
Gilham said his side took plenty of lessons from those defeats and added they would “definitely hold us in good stead”.
Werribee Districts boast no shortage of star power, with Daniel Nielson returning to the club this year and bagging 64 goals from 17 games.
“It was probably one area we lacked last year. Most years we’re a little bit undersized. We’re definitely not undersized this year. He’s given us that really deep, strong contest,” Gilham said.
Sean Gregory has starred in the back half, while Harrison White has fired in the middle and hit the scoreboard after calling time on his Victorian Football League career, adding to a strong midfield group which features skipper Dillon Viojo-Rainbow, vice-captain Josh Mould and Lucas Rocci.
The Tigers defeated Parkside by 38 points in round 18 on Saturday, 14.22 (106)-10.8 (68).
“We’re under no illusions that the big tests are coming and any of the top four or five can win it. It’s very, very even at the top. The head-to-heads between all those teams, we’ve all beaten each other and lost games to each other,” Gilham said.
“We definitely know that finishing top doesn’t mean we’re any better than the other teams.”
