It was a case of third time unlucky for the Werribee Tigers, as their season ended in the penultimate week for the third year running, going down to Box Hill by 52 points at North Port Oval.
The Tigers were able to match it with a team boasting a bevy of AFL experience for large periods, but left to rue a slow start before fading late.
“We just had to play the game for every moment of it, and we probably just ran out of steam in the end. Unfortunately in prelims you often see a result like that… I don’t think the game was what the result was at the end, it was a bit closer,” Werribee Coach Scott West said.
Box Hill jumped out of the blocks early, dominating play and kicking the first five goals, before a Ben Brown free kick and goal got the Tigers on the board after 15 minutes.
“They were good (early),” West said.
“They attacked the footy, they won stoppage and went inside 50. The stoppage stuff let us down early, then we were able to get some ascendency through that area of the ground. We just got beaten around the contest.”
Brown’s goal sparked the Tigers into action, with Jye Bolton proving an unexpected outlet up forward with a brace of goals in quick succession.
A 65-metre Luke McDonald roost took a lucky bounce soon after, as Werribee fought back to trail by less than a kick at the first change.
The Hawks’ size up forward proved a difference, and after Werribee levelled the scores early in the second term through a Ben Speight goal on the run, Box Hill kicked out to a four-goal lead.
West urged his side to be “smarter” at the major break, with the Hawks’ movement by foot more precise and direct, and the Tigers’ at times guilty of overusing the footy.
“We probably turned the ball over through that second quarter. We gave them three or four really easy goals, just from overusing the footy, not taking the first option,” he said.
“The message at half time was let’s be smarter with the way we go about it, take some speed out of the game. We probably just weren’t able to get enough use of the footy.”
Both teams exchanged goals early in the third term, Brown adding two more goals to take his afternoon’s tally to three, the third courtesy of a precision pass from Jarred Moore.
But the Hawks kicked the last two goals of the third quarter to extend the margin beyond four kicks at the final change, before running out stronger in the final term, extending the difference with a handful of late goals.
Moore (32 disposals) again led the way for the Tigers, while young gun Luke McDonald also impressed through the middle of the ground and Dan Currie more than held his own in the ruck duel.
Scott Clouston competed hard although undersized down back, Ayden Kennedy’s influence was enormous in a defence which found itself at times under siege, and Jye Bolton capped off a productive forward display with five goals.
“He’s been really good all year (Bolton)… unfortunately with personnel and what not, he probably hasn’t been able to crack in (to the Senior team). We wanted someone to be able to try and do a job on (Kyle) Cheney, because we realize he sets them up from the back end. He’s kicked five and done really well,” West said.
While the Tigers again fell just short of a grand final berth, West said the season had still been a relatively successful one for Werribee.
“We got to where we were last year, so it’s been a success. Obviously got beaten by more than what we did last year so that’s disappointing, but I think if you went and sat down and looked at the team last year to this year, it’s a totally different team.”
“The Werribee Footy Club like to have success, and we like to think regardless of who’s in the squad we can have a game style that’s pretty competitive. Unfortunately we finished outside the top four, but we managed to win two finals and get to prelim week. That’s successful in itself, but obviously not successful.”
2013 Peter Jackson VFL
Box Hill Hawks 6.5 12.7 16.9 22.12 (144)
Werribee Tigers 6.1 9.6 12.6 14.8 (92)
GOALS:
Box Hill Hawks: Savage 5 O'Brien 2 Tobin 2 Lowden 2 Ceglar 2 Grimley 2 Langford 2 Osborne 2 Murphy Simpkin Retzlaff
Werribee Tigers: Bolton 5 Brown 3 Speight McDonald Maric Sodomaco Ross Warren
BEST:
Box Hill Hawks: Savage Langford Osborne Lowden Hallahan Cheney
Werribee Tigers: Kennedy Meredith Bolton Currie Clouston McDonald
Last Modified on 16/09/2013 18:24