WILLIAMSTOWN has enjoyed the exhilaration of a deja vu come-from-behind win over arch-rival Werribee in the VFL at Burbank Oval on Sunday.
Forward Zephaniah Skinner snapped a match-winning goal in the dying minutes to almost replicate the scenes from round six this season, when the Seagulls travelled to enemy territory and trailed most of the day before snatching a thrilling victory at the death.
Seagulls football manager Chris Dixon told the Weekly it was a fitting finish on a day captain Ben Jolley received life membership for 100 games and when the legends of yesteryear had packed the grandstand for ‘past players’ day’.
“The boys really dug in deep for Ben playing his 100th game for the club. It was great for them to be able to chair him off after the game.
“We had a big crowd and the past players were having a premiership reunion. It was a really good day.”
The severity of the Seagulls’ deficit was not as great as back in April.
The visitors held a nagging one-to-three goal lead for the opening three quarters.
The big question was whether the Gulls could run out the game one rotation short after prime-mover Jamie McNamara was bench-ridden after five minutes with a hamstring strain.
Dixon felt that his side, down by nine points, still had a lot of energy at the three-quarter-time huddle.
“The boys had a sense of confidence they could do it again,” Dixon said. “They looked back at round six and thought there would be a good chance of history repeating. You could tell at three-quarter-time, the boys had the confidence to go on and finish the job.
“Our last quarters throughout the whole year have been good. We’ve been able to run over the top of most sides most weeks.”
The Seagulls took the game on and left the Tigers for dead in a pulsating final term.
Jolley, on his milestone day, produced another bottler.
All his trademark efforts were on show being first in for the ball, working hard without possession and his general leadership around the park.
One moment, a rare goal from his boot late in the third quarter, will be remembered as the game’s turning point.
“Ben’s probably not a proven goalkicker, he doesn’t score too many, but the goal he did kick was a really important one,” Dixon said.
“It was the epitome of a captain’s goal. It really kept us in the game just before three-quarter time when Werribee were looking to extend their lead.”
Big performances were needed from Brett Goodes and Ed Carr in the absence of McNamara and they delivered for coach Peter German.
James Wall and Jason Johannisen continued their scintillating second half of the season, while Liam Jones put his hand up for a recall to the Western Bulldogs line-up with three goals.
It was a must-win game for the Seagulls that puts them back in touch with the top-eight.
They will host traditional rivals Port Melbourne at Burbank Oval on Saturday at 2pm.
Meanwhile, Williamstown is setting the AFL Development League alight as it remains undefeated in 15 games.
The Seagulls eased to a 36-point win over Werribee on the back of a six-goal haul from key forward Tom Hill. But victory was costly, with powerful forward Jack Redpath to miss the rest of the season with a fractured wrist.
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