By Ben Ford
Williamstown were determined to get back on track after a humbling defeat last week, buoyed by the return of ruckman Tom Fullarton.
They started strongly, dominating contested possession early, before Essendon kicked the first goal off a strong rush through the middle.
D. Moloney continued his hot form to kick the Seagulls’ first goal, showcasing his feisty presence in an early push-and-shove.
The opening goals set the tone for a tight first term, before the Bombers added two of the next three majors. The Seagulls’ defence was repeatedly opened up in a red-and-black flurry of ball movement.
H. Hall-Kahan’s strong burst through the middle was a highlight early in the second term, but Essendon took control of the quarter, kicking four goals. A strong defensive effort from the Bombers, arguably their best of the year, saw Williamstown go into half-time 28 points down and facing a second straight defeat.
Coach Justin Plapp made two key positional changes at half-time, moving T. Fullarton into defence and pushing K. Dawson forward.
Both moves proved influential as Williamstown began to dominate inside 50s in the third term. After a couple of early misses, D. Moloney converted a set shot to bring up his third goal, though the Seagulls were wasteful in front of goal, finishing 2.6 from set shots.
Momentum finally shifted in the final five minutes of the term, with D. Hollow snapping a goal and A. Mirkov drilling a long-range effort from 50 metres to square the game.
The only downside came with T. Triffett running off injured late in the quarter. Recent debut, C. Willis responded to give Williamstown a one-point lead, before Mirkov continued his standout performance by setting up H. Ollington, and Moloney kicked his fourth to extend the margin to 13 points.
J. Fitzgerald was also instrumental in the comeback, collecting 40 disposals in a dominant midfield performance to earn best on ground honours.
The Seagulls kicked 7.1 to 1.0 after half-time to completely seize momentum.
N. Colenso sealed the game for Williamstown, restoring the 13-point buffer and capping off a remarkable comeback at Windy Hill and one of the club’s standout wins of the season.
Williamstown return to DSV Stadium next week to face Richmond, aiming to carry the momentum from this performance forward.
Full Time Score
Williamstown: 12.16 (88)
Essendon: 11.9 (75)
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