FINALS stalwart Werribee has been a model of consistency since the beginning of the '90s. In the age of the football club yoyo, where teams regularly shoot up and down the ladder, the Tigers have almost been the immovable object entrenched in September action.

The boys from Chirnside Park haven't missed a finals series since 2000, and even more impressively, have missed only twice in the past 17 seasons, though they have won only one flag in that time, knocking over Port Melbourne in 1993.

Big things were tipped for the Tigers this season, but after four rounds they were still winless

Werribee coach Simon Atkins believes, however, that his team can build on its maiden victory last week — a 100-point mauling of North Ballarat on the road.

"We've been working on the smaller things that haven't been working out for the first four weeks," Atkins said.

The Bombers have lost their past three games, while the Cats have won their past four games by an average of 61 points to be sitting in second position on the ladder after five rounds.

"Geelong has a healthy list right across the board and no doubt they have some quality players in their VFL team," Bombers coach Matthew Knights said yesterday.

"When you look at different parts of the ground and you see Charlie Gardiner and Todd Grima up forward, then in the midfield you see a Steven King, Mathew Stokes and and James Byrne, and in defence you see a Tim Callan, Josh Hunt and Max Rooke and players like that.

"The quality in their line-up suggests they are going to be very hard to beat, but in saying that, we played the best we had for the whole year last week against Williamstown.

North Ballarat had more of the football than Werribee and yet was still crushed by 100 points.

That is the way it happened for the Selkirk Roosters in their forgettable Victorian Football League round five assignment on Sunday.

For coach Gerard FitzGerald, this statistic added to an already frustrating outcome as North Ballarat slipped to two wins and three losses.

But it should make the problems which led to the hiding easier to fix.

Well, in theory anyway.

Efficiency is always a focus for FitzGerald and this is where the Roosters must pick-up against Port Melbourne at Port Melbourne today.

PLAYING Werribee at Bartercard Oval today represents the "Last Chance Saloon" for a number of experienced Devils and their finals chances.

Devils' coach Daryn Cresswell said yesterday if his side loses today, slipping to a 1-5 win-loss record for the season, it is time to put a line through the season and rebuild for the future.

"The guys realise how important the game is," Cresswell said.

"If we can't win this week we will just have to play more young kids and probably the older guys will get overlooked because we just have to start developing.

"If we don't win this week, our chances of making the finals are pretty slim so we will have to start looking to the future. Blokes like (Ben) Fagan, (Sam) Fielding and (James) Charlesworth will get more opportunities to play at this level."

Hardy will miss tomorrow's clash with Port Melbourne in the Victorian Football League at Port Melbourne.

Selkirk Roosters football manager Marg Richards said Hardy had broken team rules.

However, she was not prepared to elaborate any further on what Hardy had down to feel the wrath of the match committee and player leadership group.

Hardy is in his first season with the Roosters after graduating from the North Ballarat Rebels in the TAC Cup under-18 competition.

He has played in all four senior matches, making a significant impression with performances in the ruck, and at centre half forward and centre half back.

He told The Courier in the leadup to Sunday's heavy loss to Werribee that he was determined to get a second chance in an AFL draft after missing out last year.

Coach Gerard FitzGerald said Hardy had let down himself and the team.

The Bombers were scheduled to play Geelong at the QEO this Sunday in their round six clash, but following an inspection of the ground yesterday, the game has been transferred to Skilled Stadium.

Officials from the Bombers, Geelong and VFL don't deem the ground surface to be in a satisfactory condition to host the VFL match this weekend.

"There are a lot of concerns, mainly through the middle of the ground about the unevenness and lack of grass cover," Bombers' general manager Matthew Allan said.

"Through the middle of the ground it gets a bit sandy and there is no grass cover, some bits are very firm and it's patchy in other parts.

Only one tipster Alan Schuback an avid Sandringham fan from the old Can Hill days of Alfie Beus selected 6 winners, therefore collects $30. He can now buy a few cans and sink a few at the can Hill end of Trevor Barker Oval. Another $30 will go to the tipster who selects 6 winners in Round 6. If more than one tipster selects 6 it will go to the tipster nearest the aggregate score for the Box Hill v Northern Bullants clash (ABC match of the day). If no tipster selects 6 winners it will jackpot to the following week.

TWO TIPSTERS SHARE AGGREGATE SCORE

Two tipsters Carmine 'Mudassar Nazar' Miranda an old Dandenong Red legs supporter in the days of Herman Van De Beek and Eddie Melai shares the aggregate score with Rick Woodstock who is on the Coburg bandwagon as he is a Richmond supporter. Pity the poor tigers after the flogging Geelong gave them. Each collect $20 each. By the way Mudassar is also a Richmond supporter.

The next aigrette score will be the Round 7 match between Tasmania v Coburg at Bellerive Oval in Hobart.

EIGHT EQUAL LEADERS- TIGHT AT THE TOP

Alan Schuback courtesy of his 6 winners shares the lead with Alex Boyke, seagull/zebra Blackrocker Doug Newington, Geelong and old Geelong West fan Brett Gillett, Taswegian Gavin Inglis, old red leg Mudassar, novice Olga Starks and old Oakleigh fan Peter 'Willo' Williamson who wore a duffle coat with John Cunningham on it.