With two games to go, the Tigers are sitting fourth on the VFL ladder, just goal difference ahead of Northern Bullants and one game in front of sixth-placed Casey Scorpions, which Werribee will play in what promises to be a blockbuster at Casey Fields this Saturday.
The result could determine which team gets the all-important double chance. Northern Bullants’ two remaining games are against Port Melbourne and Casey.
Whether or not the bye interrupts a team’s momentum has long been debated, but having last weekend off probably comes at an opportune time for Werribee, which has come off two extremely taxing games.
Last week’s win against Bendigo required all the resolve the Tigers could muster to get over the line, while the previous week’s match against Williamstown, in which the Tigers went down by 13 points, was an exhausting, physical encounter.
Werribee coach Paul Satterley said the resilience shown to overcome a stubborn Bombers outfit – themselves vying for a top four spot before the loss – was the type of performance that could boost confidence heading into finals.
“We’ve had a few games lately where we’ve had to grind out wins, and it shows a lot of character in our players to stand up when being challenged,” Satterley said.
“It’s exciting for the club to be talking about top four, when we were second to last at this time last year.”
Captain Dom Gleeson said the side had a new found toughness.
“We’ve turned our season around which we’re proud of and that word resilience I think is a good word. It’s something we probably lacked in the last couple of years I think,” Gleeson said.
Contributing to Werribee’s rapid improvement has been the form of some of the relatively unsung players. Ben Sharp has been Werribee’s most consistent player, while come-back kid Jarrod Mather has had a sensational year as a bullocking midfielder who thrives on high-pressure footy.
“You talk about resilience, he (Mather) has been at the club for four years and he’s played more senior games this year than he has the rest of his time here. He’s had a lot of injuries but he’s stepped up this year and really done the job for us.”
Gleeson, who’s having yet another top year in the midfield, praised Sharp’s maturation as a footballer.
“He was doing the same thing he was doing last year, however he’s just taken it to a new level in terms of what we get out of him every week. We knew he was capable of it and he knew it as well, it has just finally come to the forefront of his game. I think he gets a lot of mentions at the club but other clubs mightn’t put a lot of time into him.
“In the past few years we were relying on too few and this year Satts has made a real point of spreading the load and I think we’ve done that.”
Throw in prolific small forward Robbie Castello, towering North Melbourne-listed ruckmen Majak Daw and Hamish McIntosh, and former Hawk Travis Tuck, who has been so important since his debut in round eight at winning the stoppages, and you have a formidable engine room able to match it with any side.
“We couldn’t be happier with what he’s brought to the club, I think he’s won a lot of people over at the footy club with the way he goes about his footy, the way he attacks the ball.”
Satterley has been particularly pleased with Tuck’s approach to his footy since coming to the Tigers.
Satterley commended young defenders Kyle Hartigan, in his second year at the club, and first-year player Sean Tighe, who have been given plenty of responsibility this season.
Inside midfielder Will Martinello, who was leading the club’s one percenters tally before his hamstring injury five weeks ago, is a chance to return against Casey on Saturday.
Satterley said the senior players have been kept on their toes by the reserves side, which overcame a form slump in recent weeks to defeat the Northern Bullants last Saturday.
“There was some concern about our depth but our reserves players have put their hand up and put pressure on our senior guys,” he said.
