The crowds flocked through the turnstiles as the Werribee Tigers played their last home game of the season against Tasmania at Bartercard Oval last Sunday.
Fans were involved early as a Werribee/Western Bulldogs team tackled a Tasmanian side in a `legends game' curtain-raiser. The game featured some great names, including Jack Aziz, Merv Hughes, Michael Frost, Kevin Leece and David Lyons and a host of others.
The game was played in great spirits, with the Tasmanians ultimately running out narrow victors. Although most who donned the boots had stacked on a few kilos and lost considerable leg speed, they put on a spectacle for all in attendance.
But the burning question remained whether the Tigers would continue their surge up the VFL ladder.
Werribee boasted an impressive record against Tasmania - the Tasmanians had never beaten the Tigers since their inception into the VFL competition in 2001.
Both sides were desperate for the win - Werribee to keep its top four hopes alive, and Tasmania to remain in the race for a finals berth.
Tasmania was quick out of the blocks and played an extremely exciting brand of football, but couldn't match its intensity around the ground with scoreboard pressure.
Despite some early inaccuracy from both teams, it was Werribee's potent forward pair of Jarrod Garth and James Podsiadly who managed to regain some goal kicking touch, which had been lacking in recent games, and boot the Tigers to a slender lead early on.
In very warm conditions, the match was played at a ferocious pace, forcing both coaches to rotate heavily through the midfield.
The Tigers held the Devils at bay most of the day until a Tasmania surge late in the third term threatened to rain on the party.
The Tigers showed resolve in the final term, eventually running out comfortable 35-point-winners. Tigers' captain Travis Robertson sealed the win in the dying stages of the game with a prodigious set-shot from 60 metres.
Salim Hassan was a work-horse for the Werribee side. The exciting utility's most exciting moment came in the final term, taking a high-flying screamer much to the delight of the raucous home supporters.
Sam Wormald impressed through the midfield, coming off the back of a bright debut last weekend, while Teghan Henderson continued his recent good form to again be one of the Tigers' most prominent.
The victory guaranteed the Tigers a spot in finals action. A win in its final two games would almost certainly earn the team a top four finish. At one stage the goal appeared almost impossible, after a mid-season slump saw the team languishing outside the eight.
Werribee meets North Ballarat away from home on Saturday in what will be another crucial encounter.
The Reserves' finals hopes were dashed at the hands of Sandringham, going down 17.16.118 to 15.10.100.
SCOREBOARD:
Werribee 2.4 7.6 12.10 19.13.127
Tasmania 1.4 4.7 9.10 13.14.92
Best: Hassan, Wormald, Henderson, Young, Skipper, Podsiadly
Goal Kickers: Podsiadly 5, Garth 3, Wormald 2, Davidson 2, McCormack, Robertson, Gleeson, Hassan, Skipper, Castello
Last Modified on 22/02/2008 11:20