Werribee Districts has been the surprise packet of the Western Region Football League season.
Since crossing over from the Victorian Amateur Football Association, the Tigers haven’t missed a beat in their new surroundings.
The division 1 side’s run of good form continued on Saturday, with the Tigers recording a five-point win over Hoppers Crossing, 8.10 (58) to 8.15 (63).
Werribee is second on the ladder halfway through the season, their only loss coming at the hands of the undefeated Deer Park. They also had a tie against Port Melbourne in round four.
Werribee Districts’ president Rod Harrington said he was pleased with how the club had fit into its new competition.
“At the start of the year, we thought that if we could end up being nine wins and nine losses that would be a good consolidation year for us,” Harrington said.
“Coming into a new competition, we didn’t really know what to expect. We thought we had prepared a good footy team. To be where we are has exceeded our expectations.
‘‘It’s certainly justification for what we have done, for sure.”
It’s not just the Werribee senior side that has taken all before it in the WRFL.
The club’s reserves are also second on the ladder, while its division 1 and 2 under-18 teams are first and second respectively.
Harrington praised new senior coach Wade Chapman and his staff for the work they had done.
“Wade is getting to know the players a lot more. He’s getting to know their strengths and weaknesses and they’re understanding his message,” Harrington said.
“I know we’re rapt with the way things are going, from both coaching and playing perspectives.
“It’s a great feeling around the playing group to be getting some wins on the board again, which we struggled to do the last couple of seasons.”
As a VAFA side, Werribee Districts lost a lot of home-grown talent to clubs that could pay their players. Now that the Tigers are in a position to offer match payments, the club is balancing getting some of those past players back with the need to maintain its current list.
“We suspect there might be some of those former players who are open-minded to coming back to the club next season,” Harrington
said.
“Having said that, the most important thing we must do is look after the players who have stuck fast with us and not go over the top bringing ex-players back in.
‘‘That would destroy the fabric that’s been established.”
Werribee Districts will take on Deer Park at home this Saturday.
