By Tom Williamson, Williamstown Media
Under the lights and in front of a vocal home crowd, the Seagulls showed grit and composure, overturning an early deficit with a relentless second-half performance that saw them kick four goals to put the lead out of reach in the final quarter.
Williamstown welcomed the inclusion of Aiden Bonar and Heath Ollington to the side, while Hugo Hall-Kahan celebrated his 50th VFL appearance – a milestone capped off with a strong performance.
The conditions were near perfect for footy, a welcomed change after last week’s testing weather. A slight breeze favoured one end of the ground, but overall, it was set for a clean, high-energy contest.
The Dolphins got the jump early, taking control in the first quarter and making the most of their 23 inside 50s to apply scoreboard pressure. Williamstown, despite their efforts, trailed by 12 points at the first break.
The Seagulls found their footing in the second term. Goals to Jovan Petric and Noah Gadsby narrowed the margin, and Williamstown began to wrestle momentum through strong rebound efforts off half-back.
Luke Parks stood tall in defence with two critical tackles, helping limit Frankston to just one goal for the quarter. At halftime, the Gulls were within striking distance – just six points adrift.
The third quarter opened in spectacular fashion. Tom Downie, who had an outstanding game with 38 hit-outs and 18 disposals, tapped the ball down to Hall-Kahan, who burst from the contest and delivered the ball inside 50. Brodie McLaughlin found Petric with a sharp pass, and the big forward converted to tie the game within 50 seconds.
From there, the game turned into a see-sawing battle. Frankston responded with goals of their own, but Williamstown matched them step-for-step. McLaughlin’s contested marking and Petric’s brilliance – including a remarkable over the head snap pushed the Gulls in front for the first time since the opening quarter.
Frankston, however, weren’t done. Two late goals in the third saw them reclaim the lead, heading into the final term up by eight points.
With the game on the line, Williamstown found another gear. After a tense opening seven minutes, Jack Noonan broke through with a goal to narrow the gap. Parks continued to dominate across half-back, finishing with 13 marks and providing vital structure behind the ball. His composure helped spark a wave of counter attacks.
Jack Toner gave Williamstown the lead at the 14-minute mark, their first since early in the match. The Gulls didn’t look back, piling on goals through Ollington and Nathan Colenso. A late goal from the Dolphins gave them hope, but a game saving tackle by Gadsby made sure of the result.
It was a gutsy, come from behind win for Williamstown who claim their first of the season heading into a competition bye before their second home game of 2025 against Coburg on Good Friday.
Final Score:
WILLIAMSTOWN 1.4 | 3.6 | 6.7 | 10.11 (71)
FRANKSTON 3.4 | 4.6 | 7.9 | 8.12 (60)
Best Players: Parks, Fitzgerald, Petric, Downie, Triffett
Goal Kickers: Petric (3), McLaughlin (2), Colenso, Gadsby, Noonan, Ollington, Toner
