Williamstown vs Carlton
11th May 2024
By Jaryn Makepeace, Williamstown Media
The sun was shining at DSV Stadium as Williamstown aimed to secure their fourth consecutive win. In Round 8, they were met by Carlton.
The Seagulls’ first two inside-50s saw Blake Coleman’s mark called touched and Jack Brown slipping over before he could mark it, resulting in no scores. Carlton then applied pressure, scoring an easy goal off the crumb. Jovan Petric managed to get out the back and kick a nice dribble for Williamstown’s first goal. He also played a key role in the Seagulls’ second, using great vision to find Corey Ellison, who kicked a goal. Carlton then responded, levelling the game. Luke Parks, as usual, took consecutive intercept marks, one of which set up Jovan Petric for his second goal.
Starting with a great tap from Tom Downie to the skipper, Williamstown’s ball movement from the back half was excellent, resulting in Max Philpot kicking his first goal. Precision and class from Blake Coleman gave Brodie McLaughlin a shot at his first, making it five goals and no behinds for the Seagulls. Jack McHale kicked the first blemish for the Seagulls at the 27-minute mark, but Jack Brown followed up with a goal to extend the lead to 24 points. Carlton managed to kick a goal before the siren for quarter time.
The umpires awarded a free kick in front of goal, allowing Carlton to score the first of the second quarter. Max Philpot applied great forward pressure on two occasions, with the second leading to Brodie McLaughlin scoring. Carlton increased the pressure in the second quarter, forcing Williamstown to fight for every possession. Will Fordham broke through unselfishly, setting up Harry Minton-Connell for a well-executed goal. Williamstown led at the half, 8.4.52 to Carlton’s 4.4.28.
To commence the third term, Jack Toner delivered his weekly elite highlight with a great snap from the boundary that somehow went in. Williamstown started to put the foot down and Brodie McLaughlin kicked a snap from 40 meters out. Luke Parks and Aiden Bonar worked well together, getting the ball out of the back half. Despite numerous forward entries, Williamstown struggled to add a score on the board. While their ball movement out of the 50 were good, a bad kick or handball often led to the ball being re-entered in the Blue’s favour. Carlton managed to kick two goals in a row before Corey Rich scored the last goal of the quarter, extending Williamstown’s lead to 31 points at three-quarter time.
The first bounce of the final quarter seemed to put a spell on Williamstown, with everything going Carlton’s way as they kicked goal after goal. Carlton scored two goals off the back of two 50-meter penalties and got within one point before a dump kick somehow went through for a behind to level the scores. With what felt like seconds left in the quarter, Carlton kicked a goal and a point to snatch the lead, leaving fans on the edge of their seats. Williamstown had conceded six consecutive goals in the fourth. Jovan Petric took a big mark and rushed to kick a goal, bringing Williamstown within one point. Stoppage after stoppage ensued until a free kick was awarded to Tom Downie with one second on the clock. The siren sounded, and Downie managed to kick the goal to win the game. For the second time this season, Williamstown secured victory with a goal after the siren.
Final Score
Williamstown: 13.10.88
Carlton: 12.11.83
Goals: Brodie McLaughlin 3, Jovan Petric 3, Corey Ellison 1, Jack Brown 1, Max Philpot 1, Tom Downie 1, Harrison Minton-Connell 1, Corey Rich 1, Jack Toner 1.
Best Players: Luke Parks, Tom Downie, Will Fordham, Jack McHale, Brodie McLaughlin, Jack Toner.
