WERRIBEE Districts made a brave decision to use its own football factory ahead of outsourcing for its promotion season in the Victorian Amateur Football Association Premier B.
The Tigers’ acceleration of youth was due in part to the mass exodus from last year’s promotion-winning team but also the bold and innovative thinking of head coach Kirk Norton, who time and again has built and rebuilt the club’s rise up the ranks with youth-laden teams.
History was made on Saturday afternoon when the Tigers claimed their first victory in the VAFA’s second-tier competition and did it with an element of style in a 56-point drubbing of Old Brighton at the Brighton Beach Oval.
Tigers president Rod Harrington told the Weekly it was a day where a number of no-name youngsters arrived to validate the faith the club has in its development set-up and its liberal approach to trust untried youngsters with important roles in the senior team.
“It’s about giving the kids a go,” he said. “It’s a young man’s game and these guys coming through have put the club in good stead. We think if they’re up to it, give them a go, see if they can perform and that’s what they’ve done so far.”
The Tiger cubs had their paw prints all over this win.
Chris Molivas, playing just his second game on the forward line, booted six goals to almost certainly wrap up the three votes from the umpires.
Jameel Sargent and Mitch Chadwick were two more from Tigers’ under-age teams not content to just make up the numbers in their second senior games.
Daniel Schibeci is one of the many success stories of the Tigers’ ‘give the kids a go’ theory.
Four years ago, he was blooded into the senior line-up as a 16 year old.
On Saturday, he ran out as co-captain of the Tigers and snared three goals.
“The depth of the club and these guys coming through from under-age footy and having an impact in the senior team is fantastic,” Harrington said.
The Tigers’ victory was all the sweeter after their gut-wrenching three-point loss to St Kevin’s Old Boys in the opening round at Soldiers Reserve.
They hit the ground running in the first game, exceeding external expectations by doing so well, but ultimately coming up short in what Harrington described as both a “heartbreaker” and an “eye opener”.
The heartbreaker was getting so close, the eye opener was the ability to compete with an established side at the level, which instilled belief into the side heading into the second-round trip to Old Brighton.
The Tigers carried that form into the Old Brighton game and turned it into premiership points.
They held the hosts to just five goals for the game.
The Tigers can travel to Old Ivanhoe with confidence for their third round encounter on Saturday considering the hosts were pummelled by St Kevin’s to the tune of 92 points last start.
■ Old Westbourne Grammarians won a division 3 heart-stopper by three points over Power House at the Westbourne School Ground to give new coach Roger Hand his first win in charge.
■ Point Cook also rebounded after an opening round shocker in division 4 to hand out a 57-point hiding to the Manningham Cobras.
VAFA SCOREBOARD
Premier B: Old Brighton 5.8 (38) lt Werribee Districts 14.10 (94). Werribee Districts: Goals: C. Molivas 6, D. Schibeci 3, A. Alifraco, J. Sargent, A. Taylor, S. Callea, B. Kolang. Best: C. Molivas, D. Schibeci, A. Taylor, S. McCutcheon, M. Chadwick, J. Huxtable.
Division 3: Old Westbourne 8.9 (57) d Power House 7.12 (54). Old Westbourne: Goals: T. Whiting 4, S. Gill 2, S. Kidd, J. Mason. Best: P. Morris, J. Nikola, P. Hudson, D. Benn, S. Kidd, F. Pavez.
Division 4: Manningham Cobras 13.8 (86) lt Point Cook 22.11 (143). Point Cook: Goals: A. Marsh 6, P. Hegarty 3, M. Pozzuto 3, A. Auciello 2, D. Sidwell 2, J. Lampi 2, G. Russell 2, T. Cassidy, T. Wilson. Best: P. Hegarty, P. Auciello, D. Burton, J. Wallert, T. Cassidy, A. Auciello.
