A DOMINANT final term as the Seagulls came from behind to beat
North Ballarat on Sunday has all but ensured Williamstown will get a
double chance.
On a tough day for footy at Eureka Stadium – a crosswind resulted
in a multitude of boundary throw-ins and an enormous number of stoppages
– Williamstown kicked four final-term goals to turn a nine-point
three-quarter time deficit into a crucial 19-point win.
Liam Jones cut the margin to two points with an early goal, and
Anthony Anastasio put the Seagulls in front soon after with his third of
the afternoon. Goals to Christian Howard and Jones sealed the win.
Earlier, both teams struggled to gain the ascendancy, to which Williamstown coach Peter German credited the Seagulls’ win.
One point separated the teams at quarter time and the Roosters won the second term narrowly to lead by four points at half-time.
North Ballarat snagged three goals in the third term but
Anastasio, dubbed “Little Red” at the club, kept the Gulls in it with an
opportunistic late goal.
He was one of Williamstown’s best, as were defender Lukas Markovic
and main ruckman Cameron Wood, who had an astounding 64 hitouts for the
afternoon, giving the Seagulls’ midfielders plenty of use, particularly
in the last term.
“Up until three-quarter time we hadn’t played our best footy,” German said.
“It was hard to get the momentum with a massive breeze blowing
across the ground, so it was always going to be the team that took its
chances when going inside 50.
“There were a lot of stoppages, a lot of contested ball … we got
that break going inside 50 and lifted around the stoppages, put the ball
into more dangerous areas.”
“Wood was terrific – there were over 100 stoppages for the day,
but he was one of the key catalysts. Little Red, we’ve been trying to
round his game this year, trying to get him to be not just a one-trick
pony,” German said.
“The last few weeks he might not have kicked as many goals but he’s starting to help other players with his pressure and tackling.”
With one game to play, at home against Northern Blues, German said
his side was still yet to play its best football and he was worried
only about the immediate future.
Should Williamstown lose against the Blues, Werribee is the only
team that can usurp the Gulls in the top four – but that would require a
gigantic Werribee win over Collingwood as nearly 16 per cent separates
the two teams.
