Scott Sherlock’s 100th VFL game was one he and his teammates would rather forget in a hurry.
Werribee could not lift for its loyal servant. The Tigers were uncompetitive in an 111-point belting at the hands of Geelong Cats at Simonds Stadium on Saturday.
Tigers coach John Lamont was disappointed with the performance of his side on what should have been a memorable occasion for Sherlock.
“If you’re competitive in the game and get done narrowly, you’ve still got a bit of pride in your effort,” Lamont said.
“We were annihilated and there’s no escaping that. It’s disappointing for a player who has been at our club for a milestone of 100 games that he’ll remember it for all the wrong reasons.”
Werribee made a promising start and went to the quarter-time huddle feeling as though it was in the contest.
The Tigers trailed by eight points at the first change, but had enjoyed the lion’s share of scoring shots. The message from the coaches was positive.
What happened to the Tigers in the next two quarters was embarrassing.
They conceded 16 of the next 17 goals to be staring at a 106-point deficit by three-quarter time.
“Too often we make mistakes with the ball and create turnovers, which creates scoring opportunities for the opposition,” Lamont said. “Sure, their pressure had a part to play, without a doubt, but we just couldn’t hold our nerve. They scored too heavily and then we became a bit passive … blokes didn’t want the ball in their hands and we had a drop in confidence.”
Injuries have no doubt played a part in Werribee’s seven-game losing streak, but there was more than enough quality on the field on Saturday to be able to take the challenge up to the seventh-placed Cats.
It was only the second time the Tigers have been blown away this season – the first time, after being thrashed by Williamstown they bounced back to beat Box Hill Hawks in round six. The Tigers haven’t won a game since that day.
Lamont is far from confident there will be a similarly positive reaction when they take on North Ballarat at Avalon Airport Oval on Saturday following the debacle against the Cats.
“You’d have to ask the 23 players, what can you guarantee?” he said “I could come up with some statement to answer that question, but words are cheap, so we’ve got to wait and see. We’ll have a framework in terms of what we expect from the playing group and we’ll coach them and try to help them be the best players they can – but then they’ve got to go out there and execute.”
With six games to go and a tough run home, it seems finals are out of reach of Werribee. The Tigers were talked about as top-four contenders after a promising 3-0 start, but they have lost eight of their past nine to sit in 12th place, three games and percentage outside the top eight.
