Werribee’s Lachlan Hansen was again potent up forward for the Tigers against the Blues. 81617 Picture: DAMIAN VISENTINI
By ADEM SARICAOGLU
WERRIBEE has continued its good form in the VFL after overcoming a gallant Northern Blues outfit by 14 points at Avalon Airport Oval on Saturday.
The Tigers led at every change but squandered a five-goal halftime lead in the third quarter, going into the final change just six points up.
While coach Scott West admitted it was disappointing to let Northern back into the game, he said the Blues lifted after halftime.
“My expectation was that we start the game again and the intensity and all that part of the game was to increase and to their credit they came out and showed us how to do it,” West said.
“Our main ball-winners just couldn’t get their hands on the footy and they got us on the back foot, so full credit to them.”
Key pillars Lachlan Hansen and Robbie Tarrant gave Werribee the perfect start with the first two goals of the game before Northern fought back to steal the lead.
However Werribee’s Sam Gibson made sure that buffer didn’t last long, restoring the Tigers lead with a goal.
Gibson then snapped another goal two minutes after quarter time to extend the margin to 10.
From there the Tigers piled on three more unanswered goals and were able to respond late in the quarter when Northern finally broke through on the scoreboard.
Northern’s smalls came to the fore after the main break, causing havoc in Werribee’s back line.
Scores were level by the 17-minute mark, but the Tiger’s wouldn’t cough up the lead until the after three-quarter time.
Tyson Thomas put the Blues in front two minutes into the last quarter, but three minutes later Tarrant again restored Werribee’s lead.
The Blues drew level again but the Tigers held their nerve, and with the help of Hansen and Tarrant up forward were able to eventually kick clear, kicking the last two goals of the game.
West said it was pleasing his side eventually responded when Northern clawed its way back into the game.
“We’ve learnt that teams are going to come at you, and you’re going to have to either change your game or change your attitude or respond in some way,” he said.
At three-quarter time West asked his players to lift their intensity.
“The message was that we’re just doing enough to win this game footy and you can’t just do that, because sometimes enough is not good enough.
“Full credit to (Northern), they did it well in the third quarter, but I’m rapt we got the win.”
Having Hansen and Tarrant click in the forward line proved vital in the second half, but West said it was good to have some unpredictability up forward throughout the day.
Werribee: 13.15 (93) d Northern: 12.7 (79)
Goals: Werribee: R. Tarrant 4, L. Hansen 3, S. Gibson 2, R. Castello 2, B. Speight, M Daw. Northern: D. Buckley 4, T. Thomas 2, T. Totevski 2, M. Dorman, K. Lucas, J. Burgess, B. McLean.
Best: Werribee: L. Hansen, R. Tarrant, A. Kennedy, B. Ross, S. Gibson, T. Ruggles. Northern: A. Marcon, B. Bransgrove, J. Bootsma, M. Carter, D, Buckley, K. Lambert.
