Williamstown was dumped from the Victorian Football League premiership race after a 23-point loss to arch rival Port Melbourne in a fairly one-sided preliminary final at Fortburn Stadium on Sunday.
The Seagulls produced a performance that was inadequate for the stakes on offer, only truly firing a shot once the Borough had pulled out to an unmanageable lead.
It was a disappointing end to an otherwise superb season for the Seagulls, who were minor premiers after the home-and-away rounds.
Williamstown was nowhere near its best on the penultimate weekend of the season and that was evident early in the game.
The Seagulls lacked the energy they needed at the coal face, while Port Melbourne’s stifling defence forced them into errors with the ball.
A goalless opening term and a 24-point deficit was a true reflection of where the Seagulls were at in the contest.
Williamstown never truly recovered after its slow start.
The Seagulls had patches of control in each of the last three quarters, but those were only fleeting. Players flashed in and out of the game for the Seagulls, but only Jack Dorgan was a genuine four quarter contributor, with his damaging left boot rescuing the Seagulls time and again.
Adam Marcon, Ayce Cordy, Nick Meese, Ben Jolley and Jack Charleston had their moments, but nothing sustained. Joel Tippett did well deep in defence considering the amount of ball that came his way.
The Seagulls also lost the last ever AFL Victoria development league grand final to Casey Demons by 12 points in the curtain-raiser.
Leading by five points at three-quarter time, the Seagulls conceded five goals to two in the fourth. The senior grand final will be contested by Port Melbourne and Richmond at Etihad Stadium from 3pm on Sunday.
