Tara Murray
Williamstown put out its best performance of the Victorian Football League season to overcome western rival Werribee on Anzac Day.
On Thursday, both teams entered the matches on the back of their first loss of the season.
After an even first quarter, the Seagulls blew the game open in the second quarter with nine goals to one to lead by 53 points at half time.
With the game over at the main break, both teams struggled to hit the scoreboard in the second.
It mattered little for the Seagulls who came away with the win, 15.11 (101)-7.7 (49).
Seagulls director of coaching Jeff Andrews was thrilled with that performance.
Andrews said there was a really good crowd that build late and a good atmosphere with the Anzac Day ceremony before the match.
“We were a bit disappointed from the week before, the Bulldogs were pretty good,” he said.
“Everything we sort of worked on during the week, we saw coming out in the game yesterday [Thursday], so it was good.”
Andrews said it was a typical Williamstown day with a breeze favouring one end.
He said they were happy with their first quarter against the breeze before they made the most of it in the second quarter and that was the match.
Will Fordham had 22 disposals while Ryley Stoddart and Riley Collier-Dawkins had 21 possessions each.
Mitch Cox kicked three goals, while Blake Coleman chipped in with two goals.
Andrews said Collier-Dawkins, Luke Parks and Cox were the standouts along with Fordham, while there were a number of other good players.
“Our midfield definitely gave us first use,” he said. “It was a good spread of contribution.
“It was probably the day that all of the lines connected, the synergy piece that we’ve been waiting for. The energy has been there, but it wasn’t clicking and yesterday [Thursday] it certainly clicked a lot better.”
Andrews said they were starting to get a good idea of where they were sitting in the competition and gave them a bit of a belief.
The Seagulls have a 10 game break between games, facing Casey Demons this Sunday.
Andrews said it would be handy with a couple of injuries.
Finn O’Dwyer will miss with concussion, but Aidan Bonar is likely to return.
