It was the seasoned campaigners who steadied Werribee’s ship, dragging their side to an 18-point win over a mysterious Essendon in the VFL’s opening game at Windy Hill on Saturday.
There was a bit of the unknown about the Bombers going into the game because of some of the makeshift pieces added to the side this season in the wake of the well-publicised off-season saga with WADA.
The rejigged Bombers made it clear from the outset that they would be no pushover, taking a 25-point lead into half-time, a rude awakening for the Tigers.
“People have underestimated them,” Tigers’ coach John Lamont told Star Weekly. “Sure it’s affected the depth of their club, but the ones they’ve brought in who are playing in the VFL are not kids.
“[Sam] Grimley, [Nathan] Grima, [James] Polkinghorne, [Craig] Bird and [Jonathan] Simpkin – these blokes are experienced.
“Bird and Simpkin are AFL premiership players at Sydney and Hawthorn respectively.
“They’re going to be a reasonable outfit, don’t worry about that. They’ll send out a reasonably balanced team each week.”
Werribee’s four-goal deficit at the mid-point was not all about the Bombers.
Sure, the hosts won the lions’ share of contested balls, used the ball better and were braver with their movements.
But the Tigers were a bit off-colour themselves, and needed to re-group at the half-time break.
“We weren’t proactive enough; we weren’t smart enough with our defence,” Lamont said. “When we had our turn with the ball, we didn’t use it with enough composure.
“The effort was there in the first half.
“I didn’t think we had to play any harder, we just had to play smarter, and we did that in the second half.
“It’s always pleasing when you give them a bit of a framework and they respond.”
In a game of two halves, Werribee totally blitzed the second half, piling on 10 goals to two for a comeback win.
It was the experienced players who pointed the way for the Tigers.
Scott Sherlock took charge when moved from defence to the midfield.
Farren Ray guided his young teammates in his first game back in Tigers’ colours since 2007.
Jake Wilson, Nick Meredith and Nathan Laracy were composed under pressure, while livewire forward Robin Nahas jagged four goals.
Mason Wood, still young at 22, but with four years of VFL experience under his belt, produced a best-on-ground display across half-forward. Wood was the key part of a well functioning forward line.
“He had a terrific game,” Lamont said.
“As a forward coming up to meet the ball, he took a number of marks and hit the scoreboard. Part of being in an effective forward line is working in with the other players, and he did a pretty good job with that.
“We think we had a good mix of talls and mediums and smalls. They all got on the scoreboard, which was good.”
Declan Mountford carried his impressive pre-season form into round one to be the stand-out Tigers’ first gamer.
Werribee will be looking to make it two-from-two when it faces a Frankston side coming off a 144-point opening round hammering this Sunday at Frankston Oval.
