Morris Barlow Squad Update
The Werribee Football Club has always opened its doors to talented footballers from the west to allow them to take the step from local footy to the VFL. In recent years this program has been called the Dale Morris Squad in acknowledgement of the journey taken by the Bulldogs star via the Tigers.
This year the program has been updated and taken to a new level and also has a new name - The Morris Barlow Squad – to highlight another AFL star (Michael Barlow) who found his way to the elite level via two years at Avalon Airport Oval.
Werribee invited clubs to nominate players to be part of this squad and forty players from the WRFL, EDFL, Amateurs and Ballarat converged on Avalon Airport Oval to try their luck.
Werribee senior coach Scott West praised the idea.
'I believe forming this squad shows the football club is very serious about continually building its relationship with the local football community and providing opportunities to local players to step up to a higher level where they may not have thought it possible.
For those that don’t continue on with the squad, I believe the experience of the two week program will give them a great insight into what it takes to step up and hopefully they can take that back to their local club and continue to improve to maybe getting another opportunity down the track.”
Tigers Development and Academy Manager Chris Gilham sees the squad as another important talent identification avenue.
“For the ones that don’t make the training squad, the two weeks and the testing along with feedback they get from the club will give them a good indication of what they need to do to improve themselves once returning to their local clubs, where now being under our radar we will continue to monitor their progress going forward.
We understand people develop and mature at different stages so these kids will get opportunities again in our system if they continue to work hard, want to improve themselves and pursue their dreams of getting to the next level'.
The following players have been invited to join the main Werribee pre season training group:
Dyson Stevens (Deer Park), Jarryd Ramsay (Hoppers Crossing), Lachlan McDowell, Andrew Panayi, Alex Eade and Daniel Riosa (Werribee Districts), Billy Isles (Airport West), Kane Barbuto (Keilor), Declan Phyland (Bacchus Marsh) and Matthew Sullivan (Melton South)
Last Modified on 25/11/2011 10:27