By Malaya Rodezno, Williamstown Media
Sunday morning football was a celebration, with the Seagulls welcoming back captain Eliza Straford after her recovery from a season-ending ACL injury last year, and marking midfielder Emily Eaves’ 50th VFLW game.
A late change resulted in Mia D’Agostino replacing Chloe Bain, following the earlier announcement of Charli Sette’s debut this week.
Williamstown gained all the territory within the first few minutes.
Returning skipper Eliza Straford got Williamstown on the board early with a quick snap through traffic. The Seagulls swarmed her in celebration — a highlight of just how important her return is to the Club.
A few minutes later, ruck Krystal Russell booted through her first VFLW goal after receiving a free kick.
The Seagulls had all the momentum in the first quarter. Continuing the surge, Talia Motta booted through Williamstown’s third goal of the quarter, after using her body to take the mark.
Williamstown led 20 – 1 at the first break, keeping the Hawks goalless in the quarter.
The second quarter was full of chaos as the Hawks looked to surge the ball forward. Within the first two minutes, Box Hill had kicked a goal.
Williamstown defenders Eloise Freeman, Laura Blue and Zoe Day held up and were constantly pumping the ball back into attack.
The Seagulls showed tenacity and were effectively feeding off the crowd with ferocious pressure.
Despite only kicking 1 behind for the quarter, Williamstown were able to hold off the Hawks to have an 11-point lead at the main break.
Opening the second half, 50-gamer Emily Eaves streamed through on the run, kicking Williamstown’s fourth goal of the game.
The third quarter consisted of many stoppages however the Seagulls were able to hold on and convert.
Straford then kicked her second goal of the game, giving Williamstown a 20-point lead, entering the final term.
Box Hill came out hard in the final quarter, kicking two goals within a few minutes, trimming the margin to only seven points.
Forward Gabriella De Angelis had a chance to respond but managed a point instead.
The Seagulls were challenged, but managed to get the win by eight points. Each player played their role and it was rewarded with a boost back to the winners list.
Doing it all for Williamstown was India Barker and Eliza Straford. Barker gathered 13 disposals, 6 tackles and 7 inside 50s, while Straford collected 16 disposals, 7 tackles, 5 clearances and kicked two goals.
Defenders Jemima Wrigley and Eloise Freeman both played a key role in the win. Wrigley collected 17 disposals and 5 tackles, whilst Freeman managed 9 disposals which were all intercept possessions.
Williamstown kept Box Hill to one of their lowest scores all season, holding them to just three goals.
The Seagulls will now focus on their final home and away game of the season against Collingwood at DSV Stadium next Saturday after the bye weekend, as they look to extend their winning streak and push for a finals spot.
Final Score:
WILLIAMSTOWN 3.2 | 3.3 | 5.4 | 5.5 (35)
BOX HILL 0.1 | 1.4| 1.8 | 3.9 (27)
Best Players: Barker, Straford, Wrigley, Freeman, Sette, Eaves
Goal Kickers: Straford (2), Eaves, Motta, Russell
