By Simon Dang
Williamstown pulled yet another great escape at Burbank Oval today as young Bulldog Jarrad Grant calmly slotted home after the final siren to give the Seagulls a three point victory.
The Seagulls started off strongly firing nine goals to three to set up a 38 point lead by quarter time. Captain Brett Johnson and forward stalwart Patrick Rose led the way both chiming in with two majors. Things were looking for grim for the Tigers but as the second quarter played out, they slowly worked their way into the game. With AFL stars Joel Bowden, Mark Coughlan and Nathan Brown running around, the Tigers gained confidence in their display and despite going into half time still 21 points behind, the functionality of the team especially of forward Nick Carnell would have almost had the Tigers going into the change rooms with the momentum.
Things continued to look up for Coburg as their forwards stood up and reeled the Seagulls in. Carnell, Cleve Hughes and Adam Pattison fired 5 majors to all but levels things up before late goals to David Stretton and Patrick Rose nosed WIlly ahead at three quarter time. The Tigers continued their push as a shootout took place in the last quarter. The lead chopped and changed with both teams seemingly looking to out-nose each other. Goals from Andrew Browne and Nathan Brown put Coburg up by 14 points late in the quarter and it looked like the Seagulls may have been outclassed but it wasn't to be.
Debutant John Shaw brought the Seagulls to within a kick before Jarrad Grant then marked 45 metres out and began lining up as the siren blew. With the Seagulls 3 points behind, the equation at hand was the stuff of childhood dreams. Score a goal and win the match, miss and lose.
Despite coach Brad Gotch admitting slight nerves at the young Bulldog's recent "checkered history of kicking for goal," Grant showed no sign of such slotting from left to right and, once again, leaving the Burbank crowd with their hearts in their throats jumping for joy.
Williamstown 9.2 11.3 14.5 19.5 (119)
Coburg 3.0 7.4 12.6 18.8 (116)
GOALS:
Williamstown: Rose 4 O'Keefe 3 Johnson 3 Grant 2 Wood Cloke Shaw Little Skipper Stack Stretton
Coburg Tigers: Hughes 4 Carnell 3 Brown 2 Pattison 2 Coughlan 2 Bowden Clifton Browne McMahon Thomson
BEST:
Williamstown: Skipper, Johnson, Shaw, Cloke, O'Keefe
Coburg: Polak, Bowden, Brown, Clarke, Hughes, Carnell
Last Modified on 13/07/2009 16:54