Werribee’s Will Sierakowski lines up a goal. 82864_09 Picture: MATHEW LYNN
By MICHAEL ESPOSITO
THE margin may have been inflated by a 10-minute period of junk time, but there was nothing unsightly about Werribee’s dominant performance against Sandringham on Sunday.
It was in fact one of the Tigers’ classiest wins yet given the wet conditions and quality of opposition.
After a tight first quarter, Werribee was ruthlessly effective and kicked on to win by 89 points to replace the Saints in third spot on the table.
The Tigers began to take control in the second quarter, kicking six goals to one to post a 26-point lead at the main break.
In the second half Werribee unsettled Sandringham by scoring early in the third and fourth quarters.
Ben Warren kicked two early goals in the third term, which seemed to deflate the Saints, even though they did peg two back in a flat quarter of footy.
Ben Ross all but sealed the deal by bursting out of the pack and converting four minutes into the last quarter, and that’s when the floodgates opened.
Warren, Robbie Castello, Nathan Ablett and Lachie Hansen scored goals in quick succession.
Werribee coach Scott West said it was one Werribee’s most complete performances to date.
“If I had have been told before the game that that was going to be the result I would have thought you were pulling my leg because I rate Sandringham highly,” he said.
“I thought our forward pressure was terrific. I really rated them as a stoppage team, and it thought we were able to compete at stoppages and win our fair share of the footy.”
Werribee, with Travis Tuck sidelined by gastro, utilised the spare man behind the ball with great success, and on numerous occasions had free running players to swing the ball forward from the back line.
Nathan Ablett, in his first senior game of VFL footy, kicked two goals impressed with his ability to make a contest.
“It’s a blessing to be able to have him come into the team, in among all the other key forwards that we’ve got and be able to play a really important role for us,” West said.
“He’s a quality player and he’s just got a bit of poise and knows the right options whether they be by hand or foot.”
The Tigers take their winning streak to five, not including their Foxtel Cup quarter-final victory.
“I think there really starting to gel together as a group,” West said.
“It’s a difficult situation sometimes when you’re bringing multiple blokes from one environment into another environment. Sometimes it takes a little bit of time to gel.”
The Tigers take on Bendigo at Windy Hill on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Williamstown was involved one of the most remarkable games of the season on Sunday, when it came back from 41 points early in the fourth term to record a draw against Frankston.
The Dolphins looked a certainty to cause one of the biggest upsets of the season, something they’ve been threatening to do for a while, but the Seagulls kicked seven goals straight to snag two premiership points.
Williamstown played error-riddled footy for large periods of the match, but still almost came away with the win.
On one hand Williamstown was lucky to steal a draw, but on the other hand too many silly mistakes cost the side victory.
Werribee 20.16 (136) d Sandringham 8.9 (57).
Goals: Werribee: B. Warren 4. B. Speight 3. Sandringham: M. Cook 2, J. Cripps.
Best: Werribee: B. Speight, M. Daw. Sandringham: D. Markworth, S. Dunell.
