By LIAM TWOMEY
WERRIBEE’S 2013 season is over after the Tigers fell 52 points short against Box Hill.
The Hawks now progress to this week’s VFL grand final at Etihad Stadium where they will take on Geelong.
It was a gallant performance from the Tigers who came up against a host of AFL listed players lining up for the Hawks.
The longer the match went though, the more Box Hill was able to take control and in the end run out 22.12 (144) to 14.8 (92) winners.
“Full credit to them, they played well,” Werribee coach Scott West said.
“Through that second quarter we gave them three or four really easy goals just from probably overusing the footy and not taking the first option.
“We needed to be a bit smarter at certain times of the game but we probably knew we weren’t going to out run them just because of the full time environment that they are in.”
After a high turnover of players in the off-season, Sunday’s game is the second year in a row West has taken the Tigers to a preliminary final.
“We got to where we were last year so it (the season) has been a success,” West said.
“I think if you went in and sat down and put the team last year to this year, it is a totally different team.
“The Werribee Football Club likes to have success and we like to think that regardless of who’s in the squad we have a game style that will be pretty competitive.
“Unfortunately, we finished outside the top four but we managed to win two finals and get to prelim week.
“That’s successful in itself.”
The result also marks the end of an era at Werribee with club captain Robbie Castello retiring from VFL football.
Castello played at the Tigers for 10 years.
His departure may not be the only change in the off-season with West also leaving his future plans open.
“I’m not quite sure, I’d like to think I would be coaching somewhere,” West said when asked if he would be returning to the club.
“I have made it very clear to Werribee that I would like to get back into the AFL system.
“Obviously I love coaching and it is something I want to do for a long period of time.
“I’ll just have to wait and see what the next period of time brings,” he said.
