BEFORE Werribee played Casey Scorpions in last year’s Semi Final, Ben Ross received the news that all footballer’s dread – he’d been cut from North Melbourne’s list.
Ross, shackled by injuries during his time with the Kangaroos’, played 14 games with the Roos, but didn’t add to that tally last season.
After discussing the situation with John Lamont, a former Werribee premiership player who is the Roos’ development coach, Ross decided to address the Werribee players before the match.
During an emotional outpouring, Ross told the team he considered himself a Werribee player and would leave nothing on the field in a bid for the club to advance.
Ross responded with what many believe to be his best game as he kicked four goals to help propel Werribee into the Preliminary Final.
“It was obviously pretty bad news and I was pretty upset about it. I was keen to let the group know that I was playing as a Werribee player and was trying to help them,” Ross said.
When it came to address where Ross would play in 2012, Werribee loomed large and it surprised few that he chose to return to Chirnside Park as a VFL player.
“It was a relatively easier decision,” Ross said.
“When ‘Westy’ (Scott West) came on board it helped me make my decision quicker because of the type of calibre player he was.
“I felt I could still learn a lot from him and I think I’ve done that in the first few weeks of the season.”
Unlike the previous year when he was coming back from hip and groin surgery, Ross said an uninterrupted pre-season had set the foundations for his straight-out-of-the-blocks start.
This season he was not playing catch-up and that freedom has allowed him to play through the midfield more and play the sort of football that he knows he’s capable of playing.
During the early part of the season, Ross has been one of the Tigers’ most consistent players and that solid start saw him named in the VFL representative squad.
“I’m happy that my name is in that list,” Ross said.
“It will be a great experience if I get to make the final squad. It’s a real honour and something that you never take lightly when you get to represent your State in anything.
“I’m really looking forward to that opportunity should I get in.”
The final VFL squad features a host of former AFL listed players, plus a number of up and coming youngsters that could possibly be on the radar of AFL clubs come draft time at year’s end. The side will feature former AFL listed players such as Ross (Nth Melbourne), Myke Cook (Adelaide), John Baird (Nth Melbourne), Shane Valenti (Melbourne), Sam Pleming (Carlton), Wayde Skipper (Hawthorn/Bulldogs), Ben Jolly (Essendon) and Khan Haretuku (St Kilda).
Last Modified on 24/05/2012 22:01