Williamstown News

From The Age
Reported by Brent Diamond
Full article - http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/vfl-williamstown-into-first-grand-...

Williamstown won through to their first grand final since 2011 after withstanding a gritty Essendon by 12 points in a pulsating preliminary final at North Port Oval on Sunday.
It sets up a tantalising grand final at Etihad Stadium on Sunday against the Box Hill Hawks; the team they lost to in last year's preliminary final — their seventh of the last nine prelimin finals — by seven points.

Certainly, the mental demons from that final had returned at three-quarter-time after the Seagulls gave up a 27-point lead from mid-way through the third term to trail the Bomber by five-points.

Seagulls coach Andy Collins, who said the win "means everything to the footy club", told his charges at the last change: "You've got to get the ball control back."
He threw opportunist goalkicker Sam Dunell and Cameron Lockwood behind the ball and - along with Ben Jolley, who had 14 of his 28 disposals in the final term, and defender Peter Faulks, who controlled the dangerous Kyle Hardingham – the Seagulls, with the week's break, outran the Bombers, winning 15.12 (102) to 12.18 (90).

Leigh Masters, a former Bendigo Bomber, kicked the opening two goals of the last term, before goals to Mitch Banner and Sam Critchley sealed the result.
Dunell said the week's break — after upsetting Sandringham in the qualifying final — was the difference with their part-time players needing extra time to recuperate.

"We knew we had the legs with a week's break, it's just great to see us run over the top," Dunell said..

"We've been planning for it [making a grand final] since October-November... all that hard work. It's just a great feeling," he said.
Williamstown, with seven players in this year's VFL team of the year, are the first stand-alone team to make a grand final since Port Melbourne, who beat the Seagulls, in 2011. They will be out to win their first flag since 2003 as Collins coaches against Box Hill, a team he is familiar with, having taken the club to finals in 2004-05 and being a former Hawthorn premiership player.

From The Age
Reported by Brent Diamond
Full article - Click here

Williamstown continue to be the pace setters in the VFL after upsetting Footscray by 39 points at Whitten Oval on Sunday.

Cameron Lockwood's goal at the 10-minute mark of the final term was a fitting blow to celebrate his 100th VFL match in style, but realistically this match should have been over much before that.

Perhaps the inaccurate Seagulls flattered the Bulldogs, winning 9.22 (76) to 5.7 (37).

Sam Darley (38 disposals) and Lachie Hunter (34) were prolific for the Bulldogs, but the damage was done on the scoreboard as the Seagulls ran rampant with Mitch Banner scoring two opportunist goals, while Andrew Galluci also snared two majors.

In a low-scoring affair for the most part – only six goals were scored in the first half – the Seagulls finally broke free early in the final term after leading by just 18 points at the last change.

Footscray have been accustomed to playing the game plan that they wanted against most teams so far this season. But two of their losses have been against formidable opponents Box Hill and Williamstown, which have excelled at shutting down the Dogs' running game.

From the Herald Sun
Reported by Paul Amy
Full article - Click here

THE 2015 VFL season kicks off on Friday with Werribee hosting Geelong under lights. Leader sports editor Paul Amy rounds up each club’s ins and outs.

BOX HILL HAWKS

Coach: Marco Bello

Last year: runner-up to Footscray Bulldogs

In: Cadeyn Williams (Richmond), Jack Sandric (Hobart City), Lochie Adey, James Handley (Blackburn), Matthew Burt, Chris Jones, Liam Kidd, Matthew Traynor (Eastern Ranges), Billy Murphy, Sam Switkowski (Northern Knights), James Sullivan (Tatura), Patrick Dillon (Donvale), Xavier Dimasi (Assumption/Calder Cannons), Ben Fitzpatrick (Korumburra/Bena), Dalton Graham (Sandringham).

Out: Luke Andrews, Callan Burns, Corey Cassidy, Sam Cust, Jackson Eade, Tom Goodwin, Jake Kalanj, Tom Miles, Xavier Murphy, Matt Northe, Nick Papadopoulos, Kalem Post, Michael Thompson, Brandon Wood.

The verdict: the Hawks have lost top-line midfielders in Xavier Murphy and Luke Andrew as well as the emerging Brandon Wood. But they’ve picked up former Tiger Cadeyn Williams and have good young players coming through in support of senior men Sam Iles, David Mirra, Marc Lock and Liam Tobin. Premiers in 2013 and runners-up last year, there’s no reason to think there will be a slackening of standards.

Player watch: Mitch O’Donnell. He’s as hard as a coffin nail and he’ll be granted more opportunity after an excellent pre-season.

Celebrating season 2014 with the Casey Scorpions and A Positive Move

Click on read more for a full club by club report.

Reported by Luke D'Anello
Full article - Click here

RELIEF was the buzzword sweeping Burbank Oval on Sunday after Williamstown recorded its first win as a stand-alone outfit since 1999.

After a tight opening, the Seagulls controlled western rival Footscray, claiming an emphatic 41-point victory, 15.8 (98) to 7.15 (57).

It was also the club’s first success under new coach Andrew Collins, following on from tight losses against reigning premier Box Hill Hawks and Northern Blues in the opening two rounds.

Collins conceded the Dogs’ foot skills were superior, but Williamstown erased that disadvantage with “constant pressure”.

Scott Clouston (four goals) and Anthony Anastasio (three) formed a potent combination in the forward 50m arc, while Adam Marcon was a standout in midfield.

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From the Hobson Bay Leader
Reported by Luke D'Anello
Full article - Click here

ANDREW Collins has gone to school on Williamstown’s decorated history since being appointed to the top job last October.

“It has had some of arguably the most significant figures in the history of Victorian footy,” the Hawthorn premiership player said of his new club.

“When you’re talking about JJ Liston, Des Fothergill … right through to the recruitment of Ron Todd in the 1940s to the success of the ‘50s. I’ve learned a lot about the history that I didn’t realise.”

The Seagulls will have to defy recent history to land a finals berth in their first season as a VFL stand-alone outfit after splitting from the Western Bulldogs.