THE Werribee Tigers moved into the top four with a powerful 109-point win over Collingwood on Saturday.
Two weeks after being pushed to the final siren by a spirited Northern Blues, the Tigers led from the start and were never challenged, winning 26.18 (174) to 10.5 (65).
From 12 scoring shots in the first term Werribee kicked six majors, and despite a Collingwood goal on the siren – the only time Magpies fans cheered all day – the Tigers were in control, booting another 20goals in the next three quarters.
Click on the image below for our gallery of the big game.
North Melbourne players Ben Warren (six goals) and Robbie Tarrant (five) were dominant in the forward half, marking in packs and on the lead with ease.
Cameron Pederson was sensational in the ruck despite giving away 15cm to the 208cm Jarrod Witts, and Ben Ross was again instrumental through the midfield.
Now with a 6-3 record and five wins from their past six games, the Tigers’ confidence is running high and it showed. The speed and accuracy with which Werribee moved the ball was eye-catching.
Coach Scott West said there was very little to fault about his side’s performance.
“It was one of those days you dream of as a coach. We needed to set the scene early, and to do it right from the first bounce was very pleasing.”
“Having no Will Sullivan put us under some pressure but [Cameron] Pedersen and Majak [Daw] rucked well all day and our competitiveness away from the stoppages was something that we got today.”
West said the Tigers’ forward line was functioning well, with 10 other goalkickers helping out Warren and Tarrant. “It’s been a bit of a theme for us this year,” he said. “To have multiple goalkickers is a real strength and it makes it hard to know who to stop.”
He also praised his workhorse backline, which kept Collingwood to just 10 goals for the day.
“The teams who have been really successful have a real stability in the backline and that understanding for each other when under pressure is what we’re trying to get down here.”
Collingwood coach Tarkyn Lockyer was blunt in his assessment of the match.
“It was a smashing in the end,” he said. “The first half was really disappointing. We went into it with a plan and none of it worked.
“Their bigger bodies and their ability to work into space and use the footy was amazing.”
