Robbie Tarrant takes a strong grab for Werribee. 82246_17 Picture: DAMIAN VISENTINI
By ADEM SARICAOGLU
WERRIBEE made a statement on Saturday, smashing Collingwood by 109 points at Avalon Airport Oval to cement a top four position ahead of the second half of the VFL season.
In their fourth-straight win after going down to Williamstown by seven points in round six, the Tigers were clinical from start to finish as they dismantled a heavily undermanned Collingwood outfit, kicking at least six goals in every quarter while keeping the Magpies to just 10 for the game.
“It was one of those days you dream of as a coach,” Werribee coach Scott West said.
“It was a pleasing effort that we were able to do it right from the first bounce, which was a real focus of ours because obviously we had the break last week and we just needed to get back on the horse real quick.”
Robbie Tarrant was the star up forward with a brilliant display of contested marking that netted five goals, while in-form forward Ben Warren kicked six.
Former West Coast Eagle Ben McKinley also chimed in with four goals as Werribee’s forward line fired without suspended big man Lachlan Hansen.
West said Hansen’s absence may well have been an advantage for the Tigers going forward.
“Sometimes they can get in each other’s way and probably not be as effective as they are when there’s one less of them,” he said.
“Taz (Tarrant) was able to have the main focus as the tall forward without Lachie (Hansen) there, so sometimes they can benefit from the other one not being there. But look he was terrific and Benny Warren and Benny McKinley have been great all year.”
The Tiger’s 26 goals were shared between 12 goalkickers, an increasingly common feature of Werribee’s season.
“I know there was a lot of a goals kicked today but to have multiple goal kickers is a real strength of any team I think because it’s hard to know who to stop.
“I think the flexibility in where you can play your players is a real bonus.”
Warren broke the early first quarter deadlock at the six-minute mark before the Tigers got out to a 28-point quarter time lead.
He then kicked another three goals as Werribee kept Collingwood goalless in the second term, and by half-time their lead was extended to 68.
Two early Collingwood goals in the third term did little to spark interest into the game, as Werribee continued to pile on the goals.
By three-quarter time Tarrant was equal with Warren on the goals tally with four as the Tigers bolstered their lead to 93 points.
It took just four minutes into the last quarter for Werribee to crack the ton when Warren kicked his fifth goal to put the Tigers 101 points up.
Collingwood’s Jackson Paine temporarily brought the margin back to double figures, but goals to Ben Speight and Malcolm Lynch ensured the final margin was three figures at the final siren.
West said it was important his side produced a four-quarter effort.
“I think we needed to set the scene early, and we didn’t just pick it up in the second half or midway through the second quarter, it was right from the start,” he said.
“They came at us a couple of times, obviously early after halftime, but look the consistency was there for four quarters.”
Werribee: 26.18 (174) d Collingwood: 10.5 (65)
Goals: Werribee B. Warren 6, R. Tarrant 5, B. McKinley 4, S. Gibson 2, M. Lynch 2, L. Fairley , R. Castello , B. Speight , W. Martiniello , W. Sierakowski , J. Mather , M. Daw. Collingwood: J. Paine 3, J. Ceglar 3, D. Farmer 2, B. Seccull , R. Cathcart.
Best: Werribee: C. Pedersen, B. Ross, R. Tarrant, L. Harding, B. Warren, W. Martiniello. Collingwood: R. Ferraro, P. Cribbin, J. Ceglar, N. Riddle, C. Tarrant, J. Witts.
