Werribee is finals bound after a convincing 25-point win over Frankston in the final round of the season.
After three straight losses in a row, the Tigers finals hopes rested on a win against Frankston, and they did not disappoint leading from start to finish, securing their place in the top 8 with a 15.13 103 to 12.6 78 victory, as Dale Fenney reports.
Werribee came out strong early, kicking the first three goals of the game to jump out to a 19 point lead. Frankston then settled, with goals to Khan Haretuku and Leigh Kitchin cutting the margin to nine points. The Tigers lead quickly jumped out to 20 points at quarter time, with Addam Maric the star for Werribee in the first term kicking three goals to help his side wrestle back control.
Frankston opened the second term full of run with Ben Cavarra scoring the first goal. In a nine goal second quarter, Werribee and Frankston battled it out in a strong contested game with Frankston pulling to within eight points, only to have Werribee score a late goal to Lee Dale for a 15-point half time lead.
Frankston started off strongly early in the second half but weren’t able to make Werribee pay on the scoreboard via inaccuracy to goal. Werribee kicked three goals in a row to highlight their determination to play finals footy with Jye Bolton kicking two and Trent Shinners the third. Michael Lourey kicked a late goal to bring the margin back to six goals and a chance in the last.
Frankston were able to get effective possessions and this led to a Lourey goal early in the last. Despite Frankston kicking two out of the last three goals, the Dolphins were never able to take a hold of the game and provided Werribee the win by 25 points and a finish in sixth position on the ladder, denying Geelong a spot in the finals.
After the game, John Lamont was pleased that his team was able to secure a place in the finals
“Very, very pleased obviously. We’ve been disappointed after we lost our last three games at home … to be in this sort of situation where we have to come down to Frankston and to win away from home is fantastic for us.”
“We’re really pleased that both teams, including the development squad, is in the finals as makes it a pleasing result for the club.”
Simon Goosey thought his team had a chance and a few bad mistakes had his team dreading the what ifs.
“I thought we were a chance. When they got away from us they kicked a few goals through our mistakes in particular in the first quarter.
“I thought we matched up well I reckon they probably got three goals that we allowed them to get through our mistakes.”
With the season over for Frankston, Goosey has already started to look to 2015.
“We’ve got to keep this young group together and make sure we top them up and were already starting to talk to players which is important.”
Next week Werribee take on North Ballarat in an Elimination Final at North Port Oval on Sunday.
Last Modified on 25/08/2014 19:36