By Ben Ford
A true winter feel hit early, with thick fog hanging over the ground as the Seagulls opened their Round 7 clash against Richmond.
Fans bundled up as H. Hall-Kahan broke the ice with Williamstown’s first goal in a fast-starting, back-and-forth opening term.
Richmond hit back with two quick majors, before D. Hollow responded with a strong running goal to keep the Seagulls right in the contest.
The game shifted sharply in the second and third terms as Williamstown took full control.
A. Mirkov responded after a tough early battle, finishing with 14 hitouts to advantage and a superb goal to level the scores at 33 apiece. D. Cunningham, returning from a calf injury, then hit the scoreboard to give the Seagulls the lead.
From there, Williamstown’s trademark scoring bursts came to life again, with another chain of three consecutive goals swinging momentum firmly their way.
At the other end, their defensive pressure was outstanding—led by Parks—holding Richmond without an inside 50 for a 20-minute stretch while restricting them to just one behind.
The Seagulls started the third term strongly, though concern briefly struck when Mirkov landed awkwardly and required assistance from the ground, especially with Braydon Preuss already sidelined. He later returned to steady things, but not before J. McHale produced a highlight of the day with a superb set-shot bend to extend the margin to 21 points.
Williamstown had chances to put Richmond away in the third but couldn’t fully capitalise, with several behinds including a near Goal of the Year effort from J. Fitzgerald.
Mirkov then returned from the bench to settle any Richmond momentum, kicking his second goal as the Tigers threatened to close the gap.
As the sun set and conditions became tricky, Williamstown’s backline stood firm. Parks was outstanding again, finishing with five contested marks in a commanding display.
At three-quarter time, Coach Justin Plapp challenged his side to finish the job—and they responded in style.
B. Kennedy’s second goal helped put the result beyond doubt, with Williamstown powering away in the final term. Hollow capped off a brilliant afternoon with five goals in his best performance in blue and gold, while Fitzgerald was everywhere again with 40+ disposals in a dominant midfield showing.
The Seagulls finished full of run, kicking five goals in the last quarter alone to secure a strong 37-point win.
Now sitting inside the top six with back-to-back victories, Williamstown head into the bye before returning for a Friday night clash against Box Hill back at DSV Stadium.
Full Time Score
Williamstown: 16.11 (107)
Richmond: 10.10 (70)
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