Williamstown will try to upset flag favourite Geelong for a spot in the 2013 Peter Jackson VFL Legendairy Grand Final.
WHEN Williamstown gifted Box Hill Hawks an entry into the Preliminary Final through their poor conversion, the equation for the Seagulls became dauntingly clear.
For Williamstown to win the premiership they were faced with three successive grand finals to achieve their season-long goal.
As daunting as it was and still remains, the Seagulls have reduced its grand finals by one thanks to its season-best performance which rendered Port Melbourne ineffective in last week’s Semi Final.
Obviously, two sounds much better than three, especially when the commodity is wins in September, but to balance the leger Williamstown faces a more herculean task this week – defeat Geelong.
To put it more succinctly or bluntly for that matter, Williamstown must do what no other club has been able to do since late May.
After Casey Scorpions inflicted a 13-point defeat on the VFL Cats at Simonds Stadium in Round 8, Geelong has not lost a match.
More daunting for Williamstown is that during Geelong’s VFL club record winning streak of 12, its average winning margin has been 11-goals.
And, to escalate the challenge even more for the Seagulls, Geelong has defeated Williamstown twice during the home and away season.
Admittedly, the season-opener saw the VFL Cats emerge with a hard fought eight point win at Torquay, a match that went down to the wire.
It was a far different scenario in Round 17 when Geelong won by 47-points, a margin that flattered Williamstown given the VFL Cats had 40 scoring shots to 21.
Geelong won’t field too different a team that prevailed in that match. Captain Troy Selwood is back into the team after recovering from a shoulder injury against Port Melbourne in the second last home and away match.
With the AFL Cats playing on a Friday night, the likelihood of a Geelong player being held out as a ‘safety’ precaution is most unlikely.
It will mean that Geelong will field its strongest possible VFL team.
Conversely, Williamstown will field a team with more VFL players than players from its AFL affiliate Western Bulldogs.
Last week in the triumph against Port Melbourne, Williamstown fielded only eight Western Bulldogs players, but it highlighted the depth of the Seagulls list, especially given next year it will stand alone.
But, more immediately, Williamstown has to steel itself to stop the Geelong juggernaut.
Significantly, Geelong has posted a century scoreline in all but two of its games this season and the last of those was in Round 3.
Shane Kersten and Ryan Bathie provide a formidable one-two punch in attack, but the key to Geelong’s success is its ability to spread the load so if one player is covered someone else can step up.
And, that’s the huge challenge for Williamstown to overcome.
Photo: Arj Giese
Last Modified on 13/09/2013 10:30