Scott West praised Ayden Kennedy’s defensive efforts on Sunday. 83486_04 Picture: DAMIAN VISENTINI
By MICHAEL ESPOSITO
IT wasn’t the ugliest win, but it certainly wasn’t the prettiest.
Werribee toiled all match against a persistent Coburg side to record a four-goal win at Avalon Airport Oval on Sunday.
No team led by more than 10 points until the last term, when Ben McKinley took a strong pack mark and converted to hit the front and captain Robbie Castello kicked two quick goals to break Coburg’s resistance.
“We’ve changed his role to more a crumbing forward rather than a leading forward that he’s been in the past,” Werribee coach Scott West said of Castello.
“It just shows if we van get a mismatch deep, he’s really dangerous in that one-on-one contest.
“Conditions were tuff and the breeze was up. We didn’t know what way it was blowing to be honest.
“We knew we just had to grind it out and in the end it opened up for us.”
Werribee kicked the first five points of the game, but it wasn’t until the 22nd minute of the first quarter that Gibson Turner broke the deadlock and goaled for Coburg.
Coburg’s pace was a concern for Werribee and the away side got out to its biggest lead of the game – 10 points – late in the second half.
But Werribee never let Coburg out of sight, despite being far more wasteful in front of goal.
Scott Sherlock showed class and composure to slot one through at full pace and McKinley, who kicked five for the day, put Werribee in front by two points at the main change.
The intensity lifted in the third quarter and Coburg kicked three straight goals before Ben Warren and Majak Daw replied late in the term.
Daw lifted in the third quarter and took vital marks at both ends of the ground.
“Every week, I think he’s growing in stature,” West said.
“His positioning behind the footy when he has to is terrific. I thought he dropped a few early, with the swirly conditions it’s hard to judge, but what he does is create that contest. It’s not all about the mark, it’s about the contest he creates and the opponents that he draws, it sometimes frees someone else up.”
West said Werribee’s pressure improved in the last quarter when the Tigers shut Coburg out of the game.
I” think the pressure around the ground was better, the game opened up so we were able to run a bit more and with higher balls coming into the defensive 50, I thought Ayden Kennedy was terrific and Brad Mangan was good in the air.”
Werribee did kick waywardly in front of goal, but producing 35 scoring shots was a reflection of its dominant and versatile forward line, which consisted of big targets in McKinley, Warren, Nathan Ablett and Cam Pederson, clever smalls such as Castello and Ben Speight, and players such as Daw who can push up the ground and provide another option.
Werribee will take on Williamstown at Burbank Oval this Sunday and will play Claremont in the Foxtel Cup Grand Final in Perth on 4 August, after Claremont thrashed a significantly under-strength Port Melbourne side on Saturday.
Werribee 16.19 (115) d Coburg 14.7 (91)
Goals: Werribee: B. McKinley 5, B. Warren 4. Coburg: L. Cartelli 3, T. Elton 2.
Best: Werribee: M. Lynch, B. McKinley. Coburg: W. Wheeler, L. Cartelli.
