Werribee made history on Sunday claiming its second Victorian Football League premiership in stunning style, holding off Southport by a goal. There were plenty of highs and lows in the game and the season overall. Tara Murray caught up with some of the key players right after the game to get their reactions.
The coach
Coach Jimmy Allan went on a journey and half on Sunday before finally claiming the VFL premiership in his first season as coach of the Tigers.
Allan, who played at the club previously, returned to the club this season from South Australia to take on the coaching role.
There were plenty of ups along the way with the club claiming its first minor premiership since 2005.
Now in their second grand final in as many years, the Tigers had to stay in the game for the whole match to come away from the premiership.
“There was not one bit of joy in watching that game,” Allan said. “It was the worst experience I think I’ve had in footy, I don’t think it will sink in for a little bit.
“Just happy we came out on the right side.”
The Tigers were down at half time and probably should have been further behind had Southport been able to convert.
Allan gave his playing group a spray at half time. He said he wasn’t proud of it.
“I just wasn’t happy with how we were playing,” he said.
“I thought they bullied us a little bit, we just needed to win some contests and I just know what they are capable of and we didn’t do that at all in the first half.
“The main message was after I calmed down that we were only 13 points down, we can turn this around really quickly.”
When Southport kicked the first goal of the third quarter, Allan wasn’t sure what he said he worked.
But the Tigers went on to kick the next seven goals to turn a 19 point deficit into a 25 point lead.
“They’ve been able to do it all year,” Allan said. “It’s an unbelievable group and they never give up and we played some exceptional footy towards the back end of the third quarter and half way through the last.”
Having played in two close matches this season it was no surprise to see Southport come back and make it a game again, with only a goal in it.
As for the last three minutes.
“The last three minutes were the worst three minutes of my footy career, we just hung on for dear life and they kept peppering,” Allan said.
“To our credit we found a way as we’ve done for most of the year really proud and I’m sure it will sink in now.”
Allan said it was nice to have tasted premiership success at the Tigers after being part of the side’s loss back in 2005.
“I was only a young kid then and you think it’s going to happen all the time,” he said. “I was only 20 or 21, I thought we were the best team all year but we played really poorly in the grand final and then came home like a steam train.
“If we ever get back here, it would be nice if there’s a comfortable margin.”’
Allan was full of praise for the whole group.
“We are young, people write you off,” he said. “Our whole thing was to try and get to work and put the work in.
“To their credit from day dot, whether they agreed with the subtle changes I wanted to make, they jumped on board and supported me and they’ve just been fantastic and I couldn’t ask for any more.”
Mr Reliable
Nick Hayes never felt comfortable in Sunday’s premiership win against Southport.
Having been part of last year’s disappointment, Hayes knew what it was like to be on the wrong side of the result.
He was thankful that they were able to do enough to get the job done.
“It is unbelievable,” he said. “Obviously a very different feeling to 12 months ago.
“I’m just so excited and enjoying the moment.
“We were definitely hopeful that the young guys could step up as they had last year and we got a few new guys in here this year.
“I suppose about midway through the year we were tracking pretty well. We had the belief in the group that we could get back into it and who knows what happens when you get to finals.”
Hayes said they were a bit fumblely in the first half and missed some opportunities.
He said they had to just stick to it.
“We had to be a bit cleaner with the ball which were in the second half,” he said. “It never felt comfortable.
“We always knew they would come again and there was a bit of a breeze that way and they are a quality side and that is exactly what they did, they showed that fight right until the final siren.”
Hayes, who spends most of his time on the wing, was sent behind the ball in the final quarter like he has many times this season.
He said there were plenty of nerves late.
“We called me back as the seventh there for a bit, we had a few extra there,” he said. “We were just hopeful that we could lock the ball in our forward half and keep it there
“We got the win which was incredible.”
Nick Hayes finished wit h13 disposals, six marks, six tackles and three clearances.
“It’s Incredible,” he said. “It’s been 31 years and so I’m happy that we could do it.
“There will be celebrations for a couple of days. We’ll get back to the club and enjoy the night and see what happens from there.”
The Norm Goss Medallist
When Werribee needed someone to step up in the second half, it was no surprise that it was Jack Henderson.
A VFL team of the year member, Henderson had formed a nice one-two punch with Dom Brew in the middle of the ground,
The pair got to work and Henderson was able to float forward and kick two important goals in the third quarter.
He finished with 23 disposals, seven marks, eight tackles and five clearances to go along with his two goals.
There wasn’t much surprise when he was awarded the Norm Goss Medal as the best player on the field.
“It is amazing,” he said. “It’s bittersweet after our loss last year.
“The belief in the playing group and the guys that stuck around it is just enormous.
“Massive turnover of coaches, players and it’s just an amazing feeling. It hasn’t quite sunk in yet.”
Henderson said the guys who were part of last year’s grand final had reflected on the past 12 months.
He mentioned culture as a big thing and those who have come before them. Former coach Michael Barlow congratulated him mid-interview.
“Mark Penaluna, we keep speaking about him, it’s unbelievable,” he said.
“Coaches in past like Michael Barlow, Mark Williams, Johnny Lamont, it’s not just Jimmy [Allan] coming in now, even though he has done an amazing job,
“It’s the people before, players before, it’s a huge effort from everyone.”
Henderson said at half time it felt like a bit of deja vu for the group after having to come from behind in the preliminary final.
He said they were backing themselves in.
“There was belief at three quarter time that I could come back and get the job done and run them off their legs and we showed that,” he said.
“There were some nerves there. Wylie Buzza climbed from about nine rows back and nearly took a hanger [which would have resulted in a shot on goal].”
“I was a bit nervous then but we got the job done.”
Henderson said there were plenty of players that could have been awarded the best on ground medal.
He said he was lucky to have his couple of goals go through with the wind behind him.
“It’s quite humbling and it’s by product of everyone,” he said. “The premiership medal was the one I’ll be looking on for the future.”
Allan said it didn’t surprise him to see Henderson step up and you have leaders for a reason.
As for the celebrations.
“I reckon it’ll be weeks, I don’t think days does it justice.”
The new guy
This time last year, Cooper Whyte was unsure what his football future held.
He was delisted from Geelong after playing one AFL game in his two years at the club.
Whyte soon found himself at Werribee as one of the new guys coming into the team that made last year’s grand final.
With opportunities there, Whyte made his debut in round one and became a key player in the team.
On Sunday, he became a VFL premiership player.
“It is unreal,” he said after the game. “The first year with these boys and they’ve sort of welcomed me with open arms and I couldn’t be happier to be part of it.
“I was injured in rehab through the pre-season so to come in a bit later and still feel like as much of a part of the group as I was is just unreal.
“It goes to show the culture we’ve got at the club and the people involved. They’re just all great people.”
Whyte has played a number of positions throughout the season and has become a key part of a new look midfield.
He said the leaders at the club had really taken him under their wing including Dom Brew and Jack Henderson.
“They are great leaders,” he said. “I’ve played a bit everywhere this year to have them take me under their wing.
“Obviously they’ve got really good strengths of their own and to learn off them has been unreal for me.
“The culture of the leaders of the club have left behind for us, the standards are driven through the leadership group currently, through Dom Brew and Nick Coughlan.”
In the grand final, Whyte, like his teammates, thought they could get back into the game after trailing at half time.
Whyte kicked a goal early in the last quarter after intercepting a kick in before Sam Paea kicked one to put them 25 points up.
Despite this, Whyte said they always knew that it was going to be close with the Sharks reducing the margin to a goal.
“There was a bit of a panic and I had a few stoppages in the forward half and I was playing on [Jacob] Heron who is a quality player for them. It was a bit of a panic but luckily we pulled through.”
Whyte finished with 14 possessions, five tackles, five marks and five clearances along with a goal.
The captain
When star midfielder Dom Brew won the J.J Liston Medal as the best player in the VFL, he said he would give it back if it meant he would become a premiership player.
On Sunday, Brew was able to complete the set as he helped Werribee claim its first premiership since 1993.
Brew was his usual dominant self in the midfield with 30 possessions, eight tackles and 15 clearances despite feeling he didn’t have his best game.
“It is unreal,” he said. “It is what it’s all about.
“I get to see all these boys for the rest of my life [at premiership reunions]. It’s the only reason you play footy.”
Brew was one of those who felt the pain of last year’s grand final loss. With a number of the experienced boys stepping up, Brew had to step up again.
He captained the side most of the year with Nick Coughlan missing through injuries.
Brew said he couldn’t be prouder of the group and how they proved a lot of people wrong.
“There was no quit in those boys,” he said. “They stood up today [Sunday], those young boys.
“I took a back seat and I’m so grateful that I did.
“Jack Henderson Dal [Jay Dahlhaus] and little Zac Banch and Johno [Aidan Johnson]… I could keep going, they just stood up.
“Sam Paea taking big marks, It was just everything that you want to see.”
While his side was down at half time, Brew knew that the game was anything but over.
They copped an absolute rocket from coach Jimmy Allan.
“It was one of the best cooks I’ve got, but that is surreal,” he said. “He knows how to pull the strings and he got it going.”
The Tigers got out to a 25 point lead before Southport got it back to one goal late in the piece.
Brew was thinking what all Werribee fans were thinking at that point.
“Didn’t it just go on, on and on,” he said. “Far out, I was just waiting for the bell to ring and thank god it did.”
Brew said straight after the game that he can’t believe that it’s real and that he was still pinching himself.
He said the celebrations were going to go on for a few days.
The CEO
