WERRIBEE is not buying into the hysteria surrounding its two-point loss to bogey side Williamstown in the Victorian Football League western derby at Burbank Oval on Sunday.
For the second time this season, the Tigers lost to their biggest rivals in heartbreaking fashion after leading for the majority of the game, failing to bury a hoodoo against a side they have not beaten since 2008.
The reaction at Watton Street was not one to blow the result out of proportion like many external sources have done in the days since or to let it define their season in a negative sense.
Click on the image below for our gallery of the big game.
The Tigers’ leaders put on a brave face, showed a calm and mature approach in their assessment of the game and implored their players to learn from the mistakes that led to a horrible deja vu experience.
It is this measured approach that is a by-product of what level-headed senior coach Scott West has brought to the club in his first season at the helm.
Tigers captain Robbie Castello has been around the traps long enough to know that setbacks can be remedied from the first session back on the training track if approached with the right attitude and mindset.
“We look at it, we review it and we move on,” Castello told the Weekly.
“It’s the past, you can’t change it, so there’s no point dwelling on it.
“As long as we learn from our mistakes.”
The Tigers understandably cut dejected figures in the room after the game.
It hurt them to see their hard work over four quarters amount to nought.
Castello said there would be no lingering effects when they face the Box Hill Hawks on the road this Saturday.
“You could see in the rooms after the game how disappointed the boys were not getting the win,” he said.
“You just know the boys are going to hit the track hard, do everything they can to go out there and put it behind us.
“We’re looking forward to a nice and hard contest against Box Hill.”
In their review, the Tigers will look to a handful of black spots within quarters and “execution errors” that occurred at critical times, not a lack of fitness or mental fatigue.
“The effort of the boys and the intensity for four quarters was there,” Castello said.
“A couple of execution errors let us down and maybe a couple of minute lapses during quarters let us down.”
Tigers roaming forward Ben McKinley stitched up another best-on-ground with five goals.
The 25yearold is doing everything short of cartwheels to attract the attention of North Melbourne coach Brad Scott, but still cannot crack it for an AFL berth.
“Ben’s in really good form,” Castello said, “and he’s continued on from last year.
“You know what you’re going to get from him week in week out. We’re throwing him more up the ground and he’s getting his hands on it because he’s a tough match-up, pretty strong above head and has a pretty good engine where he can run and work hard both ways.”
Keeping with the big-bodied midfielder theme, Cam Pedersen continued his sparkling form to be one of the Tigers’ best.
Majak Daw’s development continues with his ruck talents starting to be matched by his ability to rest as a dangerous forward and that was made possible by Will Sullivan’s return as another ruck option after a handful of games in the development league.
SCOREBOARD
SENIORS
Williamstown 14.7 (91) d Werribee 13.11 (89)
Werribee – goals: B McKinley 5, B Warren 3, M Daw 2, N Ablett, B Moloney, R Castello.
Best: B McKinley, C Pedersen, M Daw, B Warren, B Mangan, K Hartigan.
DEVELOPMENT
Williamstown 15.13 (103) d Werribee 9.13 (67)
Werribee – goals: J Risol, T Battaglia, J Treloar 2,
J Graham, A Panayi, B Keast.
Best: S White, N Laracy, A Panayi, J Purton-Smith,
J Keras, A. Eade.
