By Lauren Wood, Williamstown Media
Co-Captain Cameron Polson returned to the lineup mid-week to replace the injured Nick Ebinger and round out Williamstown’s changes for Round 15.
However, a late change saw emergency Oscar Sasalu called in just minutes before the first bounce to fill the shoes of Tom Downie and provide ruck support to Lucas Impey.
The opening term started quietly with just a solitary behind for Williamstown in the first 10 minutes.
But the tide began to turn when Brodie McLaughlin, fresh off a seven-goal haul the week prior, carved out space inside 50. Showing composure, he handed it off to Blake Coleman who slotted the Seagulls’ first major from a set shot.
Moments later, a clean rebound off a Borough misfire saw the ball whisked from traffic and land once again in McLaughlin’s hands at the arc.
Polson delivered the ball with precision and McLaughlin did the rest, kicking truly for his first of the day.
The Gulls’ momentum was put on pause late in the quarter as the Borough capitalised on a high tackle free kick and a breakdown in the Gulls’ defensive structure, slotting back-to-back goals to draw level.
But Williamstown struck back almost instantly. From the ensuing bounce, three clean possessions saw the ball sail back inside 50 to—you guessed it—McLaughlin, who nailed his second to close out the term.
Williamstown led 3.1 (19) to 2.0 (12) at quarter time.
The second term began slowly for the Seagulls, with Port Melbourne slotting two early goals to momentarily hit the front.
But a clever play from Gadsby set up Sasalu, who marked and dished off to a free-running Nathan Colenso in the semi-circle. Colenso finished with class to level the scores.
With ten minutes gone, Damon Hollow made a statement with a ferocious tackle on the wing to win a holding-the-ball free, and the pressure was back on the Borough.
Williamstown capitalised late in the quarter when Riley Collier-Dawkins burst through from an intercept and fed it to Colenso in the pocket, who unselfishly found Coleman.
Coleman snapped a goal off no momentum—just pure strength.
Just before the main break, Impey’s ruck tap landed in the path of Hollow, who flew through and soccered it mid-air out of congestion. The ball sailed through for an unbelievable goal that had Gulls fans roaring.
Williamstown entered the rooms at the half with a 9-point lead.
The third quarter opened with an intercept by Finn O’Dwyer down back, setting up a slick handball chain ending with Gadsby hitting Sasalu on the lead.
Sasalu then found Colenso who bombed it home from 45 to kick his second.
Williamstown’s intensity lifted, and so did the margin. Goals to both Coleman and McLaughlin—each their third—stretched the lead to 28.
The Borough didn’t go away, though, and kept themselves in it with a goal-for-goal response across the term.
Heath Ollington added another for the Gulls, bursting from a stoppage and kicking truly on the run from a tight angle.
At the final change, after a 36-minute quarter, Williamstown held a 23-point lead: 12.3 (75) to 8.4 (52).
Port came out hungry in the last, kicking the first two goals to cut the margin to single digits and put the heat back on the Gulls.
But Damon Hollow, having a bullish day, laid yet another massive tackle to flip momentum once again. The Gulls worked it forward where McLaughlin found himself in space to slot his fifth.
Not done yet, Hollow followed up with another pressure act in the middle before Toby Triffett launched forward, combining with Collier-Dawkins and Colenso, who nailed his third to put the result beyond doubt.
When the final siren sounded at the 31-minute mark, Williamstown had secured their eighth consecutive win, 14.5 (89) to 11.6 (72), and took home the Callahan-Johnson Cup over the Borough in the process.
McLaughlin added another five goals and eight strong marks to his stellar 2025 campaign, while Collier-Dawkins was once again electric with 24 disposals and 10 clearances—backing up last week’s best-on-ground performance.
Collier-Dawkins’ efforts helped lift the team’s total clearances to 54, comfortably above their season average of 40.5.
After a tough loss this time last year, the win holds extra weight for the blue and gold, who now look ahead with the aim of stretching their streak to nine when they face the Bullants at Genis Steel Oval this Sunday.
Final Score:
WILLIAMSTOWN: 3.1 | 6.1 | 12.3 | 14.5 (89)
PORT MELBOURNE: 2.0 | 4.4 | 8.4 | 11.6 (72)
Best Players: McLaughlin, Colenso, Collier-Dawkins, Impey, Greiser, Triffett
Goal Kickers: McLaughlin (5), Coleman (3), Colenso (3), Ollington (1), Hollow (1), Gollant (1)
