By Lauren Wood, Williamstown Media
Williamstown made the trip north to the Gold Coast for Round 18 to take on 2024 grand finalists Southport Sharks.
They welcomed a trio of inclusions, with Tom Mundy and Oscar Sasalu returning to the side and debutant Luke Scicchitano stepping out as a Seagull for the first time.
Williamstown had taken the points in the earlier encounter between the two sides this season, but this time around, they were up against a Southport outfit coming off the bye and sitting third on the ladder.
Gloomy skies and heavy humidity set the tone for what would be a wet afternoon at Fankhauser Reserve.
Shortly after the first bounce of the day, a mismatch with Southport’s ruck led to a push in the back, handing Jack Brown a free kick, which quickly transitioned to Brodie McLaughlin.
The league’s leading goalkicker made no mistake from 50 out, slotting the opener with precision.
Before the ball could make it back to the centre, an act of ill-discipline from the Sharks gifted McLaughlin another shot, and he duly converted his second within the space of 30 seconds.
The Sharks struggled to move the footy with any real purpose under pressure from the Gulls, and with just a minor score to their name, debutant Luke Scicchitano layed a crunching tackle before bursting from a contested ground ball to launch another Williamstown attack.
Scicchitano’s efforts ended in a classy chain of play that saw McLaughlin selflessly hand the ball off to Nathan Colenso for a textbook team goal.
Williamstown’s early energy carried them to a 3.4.22 to 1.3.9 lead at quarter time.
After a predicted rocket from their coaching staff, Southport came out firing in the second, lifting their intensity around the contest and quickly getting the first goal of the quarter.
But Williamstown hit back through a moment of brilliance from Heath Ollington, who launched the ball forward to a waiting McLaughlin. The number 6 wheeled around, assessed his options and kicked truly on the run for his third.
Yet, that would be the last highlight for the visitors for some time.
With Williamstown’s defence under pressure, the Sharks took control, piling on five unanswered goals and flipping the contest on its head.
Inside 50s were stacking up and the Gulls couldn’t generate any drive off half back. By the time the siren blew for half time, the margin had ballooned to 20 points in favour of the home side, and the tide was well and truly with the Sharks.
Needing a response, Williamstown came out after the main break with clear intentions. A clean transition from full back opened the quarter, ending in Colenso snapping truly off the back of some courageous work from Noah Gadsby.
But again, Southport had the answers, rattling off another string of four goals to extend their lead to a game-high 46 points.
Riley Collier-Dawkins broke a 20-minute drought with his first goal of the season, courtesy of a free kick earned from a bulldozing Hugo Hall-Kahan clearance.
It sparked some late momentum, and McLaughlin sprinted past his defender to add his fourth being a clever ground-level finish just as the quarter ticked past 30 minutes.
With Hall-Kahan also chiming in with a late goal, the Seagulls clawed the margin back to 34 points at the final break.
The sky darkened as the final quarter began, and rain loomed large. Southport opened the scoring again, but McLaughlin responded—his fifth of the game, matching his output from the sides’ last encounter.
Toby Triffett soon joined the scorers, converting from a 45-degree angle after earning another free kick.
Williamstown showed strength in the wet, outscoring Southport in the final term. Gollant and Hollow combined for back-to-back goals before Collier-Dawkins delivered his second goal—this time from beyond the arc in slippery conditions.
Hall-Kahan also added his second and with the margin down to just 16 points, the Seagulls had some late life.
But the Sharks would have the final say, converting one last major before the siren to secure the win.
It was a frustrating afternoon for Williamstown, whose inconsistency across the four quarters ultimately proved costly in a 22-point defeat.
Yet, Hugo Hall-Kahan achieved a tireless performance for Williamstown’s side with 29 disposals, 8 marks, 6 clearances, and 2 goals.
The Seagulls will now return to DSV Stadium for a double-header against Collingwood this Saturday. With their top 10 spot on the line, supporters can expect a fired-up Williamstown outfit ready to bounce back from three consecutive losses.
Final Score:
SOUTHPORT SHARKS: 1.3 | 7.7 | 13.9 | 17.10 (112)
WILLIAMSTOWN: 3.4 | 4.5 | 8.5 | 14.6 (90)
Best Players: Hall-Kahan, Greiser, Triffett, McLaughlin, Fitzgerald, Collier-Dawkins
Goal Kickers: McLaughlin (5), Hall-Kahan (2), Collier-Dawkins (2), Colenso (2), Triffett (1), Hollow (1) Gollant (1)
