Werribee City was handed a football lesson by powerhouse Green Gully Cavaliers in a 4-0 season opening National Premier League drubbing on the road on Sunday.
Bees coach Nino Ragusa said it was always going to be a massive undertaking for his club to confront such a highly credentialled opponent first up.
“If you look at the two line-ups on paper, the difference in experience and age between the two sides is really one extreme to the other,” he said. “We finalised a squad of about 20 players and the average age is under 23.
“That’s been our policy for the past couple of years and that’s going to continue.
“The reality is … the National Premier League is a very significant jump, and that was evident today.”
The Bees were not totally out of their depth. They took the challenge right up to the Cavs for 35 minutes but could not sustain that sort of high level.
“For 35 minutes, we were very good, on par with them,” Ragusa said. “Then, within five minutes, we were 2-0 down – that’s the ruthlessness of this level.
“As soon as the first goal went down, mentally we went a bit weak, which is the sign of a young side … they could sniff the kill, which is the sign of experience.
“It was disappointing the way we crumbled, but it was very encouraging that at least for 35 minutes, up until the first goal, it was a fairly even game.”
Tommy Dunn was one of the best for the Bees in goals, but even he could not halt the Cavs’ onslaught once they found their groove.
Ryan Filipovic was one of the most damaging for the Bees, slotting into a central midfield role.
“He’s a talent, a class above anything that I have,” Ragusa said.
“His commitment and attitude to date has been exceptional … he pushed really hard today.
“I played him in the middle of the park, but he can play anywhere down the spine. He’s very big and very mobile for his size, and he’s strong.”
The Bees are looking forward to another tough hit-out against Oakleigh Cannons in the Dockerty Cup on Saturday evening.
After a succession of games against lower-league opponents in the pre-season, Ragusa is ready to expose his youngsters to some of the teams they will be facing in the top flight this season.
“I prefer we start playing these big sides week in, week out because it’s the only way this young team will quickly catch up to the standard,” he said.
