By Lauren Wood, Williamstown Media
The clash marked the anniversary of Williamstown’s 2015 Premiership win – a 54-point triumph over Box Hill in the Club’s second year as a standalone side.
The milestone theme continued, with Jake Greiser running out for his 150th Williamstown game and CEO Ashley Baker overseeing his final matchday in the role before departing for Queensland.
DSV Stadium was a packed house, with the VFLW side already picking up a win over the brown and gold and the 2015 premiership team watching on from the sidelines.
Both sides came in expecting a physical battle, and that’s exactly what they got.
Box Hill hit the scoreboard inside the first minute and made the most of their AFL-listed experience early. The Seagulls were under pressure but didn’t take long to find their feet.
Riley Collier-Dawkins marked the footy just outside 50, and while his pass missed intended target Brodie McLaughlin, it landed in the hands of Heath Ollington, who calmly converted from the set shot.
The athletic young forward has now kicked a goal a game in 2025 and continues to impress.
Moments later, a brilliant transition started with Joel Fitzgerald and ended with Tom Downie’s left foot finding McLaughlin at a tight angle.
The league’s leading goal kicker showed his class, working the angle perfectly for his first of the day – an after-training special that he had clearly put work into.
Down back, Fitzgerald was defending well – cleaning up at ground level and spoiling in the air to support the ever-reliable Luke Parks.
The Hawks were wasteful, registering three straight behinds, but Williamstown couldn’t capitalise either, adding a couple of their own.
Eventually, Gollant was rewarded with his second free kick and curled a classy snap around the body to give the Gulls the lead for the first time.
But Box Hill struck back late, adding two goals before quarter time to head into the first break up 28–20.
The second quarter commenced and Ollington was everywhere – intercepting in defence, laying a strong tackle in attack, and stirring the Hawks with his pressure.
It led to a 50m penalty and a chance for Max Philpot to stroll in and kick his first goal since returning from injury last week – a well-deserved moment in front of a home crowd.
Despite the unusual lack of wind at DSV Stadium, Williamstown appeared to be kicking to the scoring end.
McLaughlin added another major, and when Gollant slotted his second – this time from the goal square after an arm chop and 50m penalty – the Seagulls were in control.
A spoil from Toby Triffett set up a crucial moment for Williamstown, and skipper Cam Polson finished it off with a tidy snap off his right foot.
The Seagulls looked dominant midway through the term, but the Hawks again surged late. After only two behinds for the quarter, they slotted back-to-back majors in the final five minutes to cut the margin.
Williamstown went into the rooms holding a slender two-point advantage – 45–43 – in what had been an arm wrestle of a first half.
The crowd rose again early in the third, with Nathan Colenso nailing his 25th goal of the season.
Greiser, as he so often does, delivered a brilliant series of disposals, his footwork drawing roars from the crowd and lifting his teammates.
Gollant continued his day out, pulling down a strong contested mark and slotting his third to put Williamstown 13 points clear.
Box Hill’s ill-discipline proved costly again, giving away a 50m penalty after Jack Brown was contested late.
Brown made no mistake with his first goal of the day – the third goal of the game that came directly from 50m penalties.
With a 19-point buffer, things were looking good for the Seagulls.
Hugo Hall-Kahan then reminded the crowd what he can do at full flight – bursting away from traffic and letting fly from the arc. It was his 50th goal at VFL level, and a beauty at that.
Colenso soon added another after a courageous mark, extending Williamstown’s lead once more and pushing their momentum to its peak.
But true to form, the Hawks answered. The final minutes of the third term turned into a shootout, and they cut the margin to 16 points heading into the last change of ends – 75–59.
It was the Seagulls who blinked first in the final term, with the Hawks striking inside 90 seconds. The home side had to enter game saving mode – and fast.
After two missed opportunities from Box Hill, Brodie McLaughlin delivered a clutch third goal from another tight angle, giving Williamstown some breathing room again.
The crowd believed, and with a double-digit lead midway through the quarter, the Gulls were within touching distance of the best win of the season.
But the final ten minutes flipped the script.
Box Hill’s seasoned core found another gear, piling on four unanswered goals as the Seagulls ran out of gas.
It was a cruel ending to what had been a courageous showing, but one that underlined the quality of the ladder leaders.
The moment, however, still belonged to Jake Greiser, who was chaired off by co-captain Polson and former teammate Ben Cavarra to a standing ovation.
Greiser finished with 25 disposals – 22 of them kicks – leading all players in his side in a fitting display of why he’s been such a valued figure at the Club.
It marked Williamstown’s second consecutive loss, with the group now turning their attention to next Saturday’s trip to Southport. Having beaten the Sharks earlier in the season, the question now is: can they do it again?
Final Score:
WILLIAMSTOWN: 3.2 | 7.3 | 12.3 | 13.4 (82)
BOX HILL: 4.4 | 6.7 | 8.11 | 13.14 (92)
Best Players: Gollant, Greiser, Toner, Fitzgerald, Parks, Collier-Dawkins
Goal Kickers: McLaughlin (3), Gollant (3), Colenso (2), Ollington (1), Polson (1), Philpot (1), Hall-Kahan (1), Brown (1)
