WATCHING Williamstown without Ben Jolley is an odd sight.
The skipper has barely missed a beat since joining the club in 2008.
“I think I’d missed one game in my time at Williamstown,” says Jolley, now three games back following a month-long lay-off after injuring his shoulder in round four.
He could be forgiven for impatience given the Seagulls won three on the trot, but Jolley says sitting games out with injury is more frustrating when your side is losing.
“It was frustrating to a certain extent but the team was going well during those weeks,” he says. “When they’re winning you think, well it doesn’t really matter if I was out there or not.
“But against Port Melbourne when we lost I thought I could have had an impact.”
Jolley returned two weeks later against Essendon and the Seagulls haven’t lost since.
They are third, two games behind ladder-leader Geelong and with the league’s healthiest percentage. But Jolley and Williamstown aren’t getting comfortable. It has been a highly unpredictable season, that has seen the powerful Port Melbourne lose five games – after losing just six in the previous two seasons – and Collingwood and Frankston rise off the bottom of the ladder. Even Sandringham and Coburg, the only sides above winless Bendigo, are capable of causing upsets.
“Losing another one means that we fall back and the pack catches up. We’re under no illusions that we can fall back,’’ Jolley says.
“This year the depth of the competition has shown that on any given day most of the sides can be formidable.”
The Seagulls are right in the hunt for an elusive VFL flag.
Since its 2003 premiership, Williamstown has lost a grand final (2011), lost five preliminary finals (2006-08, 10, 12), a semi final (2009) and missed finals twice (2004-05).
Jolley says the missed chances don’t weigh on the minds of the playing group.
