Werribee has found Geelong too tough a nut to crack in the Victorian Football League this season.
Two frustrating narrow losses to their rivals up the Princes Highway have put a spanner in the works of Werribee’s finals aspirations.
Werribee lost Saturday’s meeting at GMHBA Stadium by 16 points, while their season opener in Torquay was even closer, losing by four. Both results were bitter pills to swallow.
“We never seemed to be out of the game at all,” Werribee midfielder Ben Moloney said of the latest loss.
“I think that’s why you could really see the disappointment in the rooms and feel it after the game.
“We felt that was one that we could’ve won, similar to round one early in the year.
“We had an opportunity to get back at them, get one on them after the first round, but we didn’t take it.”
It was not a lack of intent, courage or belief that led to Werribee’s downfall. It was more about a lack of polish, something that has eluded them far too often this season.
“It was our own basic fundamental skill errors costing us and some decision making,” Moloney said. “It could’ve been a completely different year if we had’ve just tightened those screws a little bit.
“That’s why the losses are harder to take because we know we’re capable of winning these games.”
Sam Collins can do no more in his bid to return to the AFL ranks. The key defender was once again Werribee’s best.
Moloney has played for three AFL-aligned clubs during his career, so he knows what a league footballer looks like, and he predicts a quick return to the big league for Collins.
“I’d be very surprised if he’s at Werribee next year to be honest,” Moloney said.
“I think he was unlucky not be back on an AFL list this year.
“He’s a quality player and his efforts down back, his marking ability, consistency and leadership has probably kept us in games where we could’ve been blown out of the water.
“He’s an absolute star and off the field he’s a champion bloke and a great player.”
Andrew Hooper kicked three Werribee goals, Josh Porter was a focal point of the attack with two and Nick Buykx bobbed up with two.
Kurt Aylett was one of the hardest workers for Werribee, racking up 13 tackles, while hard nut Matthew Brett had a eye-catching defensive game, restricting Daniel Menzel to two goals.
Werribee is a long way outside the top eight – three games and percentage with seven games remaining. That is no easy task for a side with just three wins out of 11 games.
However, there is one thing you can take to the bank, Werribee will fight until it’s a mathematical impossibility, starting with Sunday’s game against Collingwood, which will be Moloney’s 100th game and Joe Maishman’s 50th.
Follow Star Weekly Sport on Twitter @starweeklysport
