It will be remembered as a proud day for Williamstown Football Club, even if it ended on a sour note.
The Seagulls had the rare opportunity to unfurl not one but two Victorian Football League premiership flags from last season on Sunday.
In front of adoring fans at Burbank Oval, the senior and development league teams had a last chance to reflect on a job done well last season.
Seagulls’ football manager Chris Dixon told Star Weekly past players had come along and club legends Gerry Callahan and Ray Smith unfurled the flags.
“It was a wonderful day for the club off the field, but we were disappointed we couldn’t match it on the field,” Dixon said.
It was a day for the stinging Box Hill Hawks to exact revenge on the Seagulls. The Hawks came out with a plan to physically unsettle the Seagulls, and it worked early on, giving the visitors an early lead in what was arguably the most telling period of the game.
“They brought a lot of heat to the contest early on and we took a while to adjust,” Dixon said.
“The disappointing thing from our end is we didn’t bring that effort and intensity early … and it allowed them to get a bit of a jump on us.”
The Seagulls took a 10-point lead in the final quarter, but the Hawks went on to win with a withering four-goals-to-nil in the last quarter.
“We’re disappointed we didn’t use the ball better,” Dixon said.
“I reckon we’ve had five or six shots that ended up on the full or touched on the line, so if we used the ball a bit better inside 50 and defended their transition, the result might’ve been a bit different.”
Michael Gibbons was at the forefront again in the Seagulls midfield. He certainly enjoys playing against the brown and gold.
“Two really good games against Box Hill,” Dixon said. “His draft prospects continue to shine. Hopefully, there’s more AFL clubs looking at him.”
Sam Dunell was outstanding on the forward line with four goals, while Dylan Conway bobbed up with three at crucial times.
Sean Hetherington finished with two goals after a stellar performance on the wing and Brett Bewley’s booming kicks were a feature off half-back.
The Seagulls face top side Casey Scorpions at Casey Fields on Saturday night.
“It’s going to be a really important game for us,” Dixon said.
“We’ll be looking for a response, looking to bounce back.”
