WILLIAMSTOWN came a cropper for the second time in as many Victorian Football League finals series against traditional rivals Port Melbourne.
Last year, the Seagulls were blown off the park on grand final day by the Borough. This time it came a game earlier, in a preliminary final, but the 34-point loss was no less painful.
It was a youthful Seagulls outfit that travelled over the West Gate Bridge hellbent on reaching football’s biggest day.
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But their payback mission began on the back foot as they trailed by 13points at quarter-time.
The margin never blew out to more than three goals at any change and the underdog Seagulls gave a good account of themselves and kept within striking distance up to three-quarter-time.
But in the end the Borough won it pretty comfortably. In the last quarter the defending premiers did all the attacking, with 19 inside-50s to three.
It was only the Borough’s inaccuracy that stopped the margin from blowing out further.
The Seagulls managed just one point in the last.
Fletcher Roberts was an ace up the sleeve for Seagulls coach Peter German. The young tall has spent most of this season playing as a key defender, but he pushed forward and posed a threat with three goals.
The Seagulls’ usual suspect, Ben Jolley, left nothing in reserve. The inspirational leader got his hands dirty with 21 touches and tried to will his side across the line.
Brett Goodes, Kwame McHarg, and Cameron Lockwood were big possession-winners, while young defenders Michael Talia and Jack Frost stood firm under the finals spotlight.
Steve McCallum put his best foot forward in a lockdown role on dual Liston medallist Shane Valenti.
This was a failed mission for the Seagulls, but German and his coaching team can be mightily proud of what their young side has achieved against the odds this season.
The Seagulls finished the home-and-away campaign with a flurry of wins to come from no man’s land in ninth to just miss out on a double chance. As it turned out, they didn’t need the aid of a double dip, as they staved off a late comeback to beat the Bendigo Gold by 12 points in the elimination final and backed it up with a semi-final smashing of minor premiers Casey Scorpions by 37 points.
One step short of a grand final hurts, but a big preseason and addressing one or two structural needs and this Seagulls outfit should be a force again next season.
They will hold the Gerry Callahan Medal night at the Burbank Oval Function Centre on October 5.
VFL preliminary final
Port Melbourne 12.15 (87) d Williamstown 7.11 (53)
Williamstown — Goals: F. Roberts 3, K. McHarg, B. Goodes, D. Conway, S. McCallum. Best: J. Frost, S. McCallum, M. Talia, B. Jolley, B. Goodes, F. Roberts.
