By Tim Doutré
IT WAS a bitter-sweet celebration for Werribee captain Dominic Gleeson who notched up his 100th VFL game on Sunday as his side went down to Collingwood by 50 points, ending any faint hopes of a late finals dash.
The Tigers travelled to Visy Park with their season virtually over while the Magpies needed a win to keep their hopes alive and the team with more to lose saluted, the final score 13.14.92 to 5.12.42.
The Tigers captain was not happy to lose in his milestone match but said it hurt more to have their finals hopes dashed. “I was a little bit disappointed to lost that on the milestone,” he said. “I had a few of the boys come up and apologise saying sorry but it is really nothing to do with it, you play to make finals.”
The Tigers are three games and percentage out of the eight with three games left to play in the season. They would require Collingwood, Sandringham and Coburg to go winless in the final rounds – and not drop any more games themselves – to pull a rabbit out of the hat and make finals.
“The nail’s in the coffin for finals now,” Gleeson said. “I haven’t seen the ladder yet or anything but I just think, we were aiming to win the final four games and sort of leave it up to fate but now we are not in it which is disappointing.”
Last week’s bye could not have come at a worse time for the Tigers who knocked off the reigning premier North Ballarat in Ballarat the week before.
“Momentum is a wonderful thing and coming off the North Ballarat game which we won well … it wasn’t good (timing),” Gleeson said.
Putting Sunday’s loss behind him, the Tigers skipper who took up the role this season after the departure of James Podsiadly, reminisced fondly about his VFL career. “I have had a really good time. I wouldn’t swap it for anything. I joined Werribee because it reminded me of my home club of Koroit. It has got that real country feel to it – a great culture.”
Sunday saw the Magpies make their intent clear in the opening term booting five majors and keeping the toothless Tigers goalless.
It was tough to claw back from there, Gleeson said.
“We chased a bit of tail all day really. It was really disappointing. We went in with a firm game plan – to be accountable and to move the ball quickly.
“We focussed on our tackle count and it was really down in the first quarter and by halftime and that’s where we lost it.”
The visitors got a little respect on the board in the second term and matched it with the opposition in the second half of the match but the black and white had iced the cake earlier riding their margin home for win number eight to keep their spot in the eight.
The Tigers look forward to two consecutive home games in their last three games of the home and away season with Coburg this Sunday.
It should be an interesting game after Richmond’s (Coburg’s AFL affiliate) 55-point thumping at the hands of Sydney.
The VFL side could be bolstered with a few AFL players as Richmond caretaker coach Jade Rawlings swings the axe.
“Nobody likes being beaten at home no more so than us,” Gleeson said.
“Hopefully we can get a bit of support behind us and hopefully we can play some better footy.”
