By LIAM TWOMEY
IT WAS an off-season of uncertainty for Ben Warren.
The 24-year-old was de-listed by North Melbourne after four years, 29 games and 34 goals at Arden Street.
What followed was months of waiting, meetings, speculation and hope as the AFL trade period and draft periods passed by.
“You really just have to take it as it comes, otherwise it does your head in,” Warren said.
“The trade period this year was extended to two weeks and most of the time nothing gets done until the last half an hour, or the last day.
“The first two weeks you are just sitting around hoping to hear something and then I guess when it doesn’t come, you have the next two months waiting to see if a club wants to talk to you before any of the draft period.
“I was just doing that and if it didn’t work out, like with me this year, just cop it on the chin.”
Throughout the off-season, Warren continued to train with Werribee where he had built up a strong rapport with the club through the alignment with North Melbourne.
As the final draft deadline approached he was told by coach Scott West that, if unsuccessful in continuing his AFL career, there would always be a place for him at Werribee.
Since joining the club full time, Warren hasn’t missed a beat and was subsequently promoted into the Tigers’ leadership group and named deputy vice-captain.
He said there was a marked difference in his time at Werribee during his North Melbourne days and season 2013.
“With North Melbourne, I would have trained with Werribee maybe five or six times last year. That was the last training session before a game,” he said.
“You only rock up for the games and that is pretty much it.
“Having a leadership role has been great.
“I have got to know a lot of people doing it and I’m just looking forward to hopefully winning a few games.”
Warren didn’t have to wait long before hoping to win a few games became a reality.
Werribee elevated itself to one of the competition’s premiership favourites after defeating Port Melbourne in round one by a whopping 72 points.
The match served as a special welcome to Werribee for Warren, who booted a staggering 11 goals.
“Those days don’t happen very often and I was just lucky enough to be running past a few contests a few times and the ball just ended up in my lap,” he said.
“I think back when I was about 15 or 16 I had a few big hauls but nothing since and nothing in senior footy. I’ve only ever really kicked bags of five or six.
“I had six at half time, or just after. I was thinking I might actually kick seven or eight here. All of a sudden I had that at three quarter time and I was just thinking, far out.”
While he enjoyed his day out on the forward line, Warren said team success was more important than individual accolades.
He wants to see the club go deep into finals this year.
“I have played in three preliminary finals and lost them all at Werribee.
“There is a group of us that get dinner every Monday night and we are quite often talking about finals and going deep into finals.
“That is one of the main reasons I stuck around … it was a very easy choice in the end.”
