WERRIBEE Tigers will take their rivalry with Geelong Cats up another notch on Sunday when the two teams square off in an eagerly anticipated Victorian Football League preliminary final at North Port Oval.
The winner will book a place in this year’s grand final, the losers pack their bags for an early than expected holiday.
The Tigers advanced to preliminary final week via the direct route after beating Casey Scorpions in a low-scoring qualifying final and will be full of energy having rested up sore bodies at the weekend.
The Cats did it the hard way.
They lost their qualifying final to Port Melbourne, then came from behind to beat a plucky Box Hill Hawks by 14 points in the semi-final on Sunday.
The Tigers won the only clash between the two sides in round five by 37 points, but the Cats have picked up their form in the second half of the season and will be no pushover.
Get there early for the curtain-raiser AFL Victoria Young Guns game.
This could be the last chance for a host of young VFL, TAC Cup and even local players to impress in front of the AFL recruiters.
Western Jets youngsters Ajdin Elkasovic, Josh Bench, Spencer White, Jack Walker and Scott Greenhough have been named in the initial squad.
The Tigers bowed out of the development league finals on Sunday, with a disappointing 20-point loss to the Box Hill Hawks in the preliminary final at Casey Fields.
VFL finals
Development League preliminary final
Werribee Tigers 10.10 (70) lt Box Hill Hawks 12.18 (90)
Werribee Tigers — Goals: A Panayi 3, D Schibeci 3, J Risol, K Barbuto, J Bolton, J McCormack. Best: B Moloney, T Ruggles, J Bolton, D Schibeci, K Barbuto, J Risol.
Werribee Tigers initial team for Sunday’s preliminary final versus Geelong Cats
B: Mangan, Kennedy, Sherlock
HB: Wormald, Hartigan, Harding
C: Speight, Gibson, Sierakowski
HF: Warren, Pedersen, Mather
F: Ross, McKinley, Castello
R: Daw, Lynch, Sharp
Int from: Martiniello, Moloney, Keras, Ablett, Tuck, O’Dwyer, Sullivan, Bolton, Wilson
