Williamstown are set for a Preliminary Final showdown with traditional rivals Port Melbourne, after the Seagulls accounted for minor-premiers Casey by 37-points in Saturday’s VFL semi-final.
Fierce tackling and heavy pressure around the contest put a deflated Scorpion outfit under the pump from the outset, with the home side taking until the halfway mark of the second term to score.
Dictating terms from the first bounce, Williamstown handled the blustery Casey Fields conditions the better of the two sides with tight, contested football the order of the day.
Rotating between the ruck and deep forward, Tom Hill drew first blood for the Seagulls at the 13 minute mark, taking a strong grab and converting the first of his two goals from close range.
Williamstown capitalised on opposition turnovers, with Pat Veszpremi and Matt Panos hitting the scoreboard as a result of Scorpion mistakes deep in the Seagulls’ forward half, helping the visitors to a 21 points to nothing lead at the first break.
Their season on the line, the Scorpions came out a more determined outfit in the second term, with an obvious lift in aggression and desperation around the contest.
A lack of marking options in Casey’s forward line continued to haunt the home side as they struggled to make an impact on the scoreboard. Meanwhile at the other end of the ground, an intercept mark and goal to Fletcher Roberts helped extended Williamstown’s lead.
Breaking their drought with two consecutive behinds, it was finally at the 26 minutes mark of the second quarter that Scorpion Jai Sheahan produced the team’s first major, chipping the margin back to 20 points in what would seemingly be a low-scoring affair.
Casey could not control the Seagulls influence for long with Panos starting the third term strongly, getting a toe onto a wayward ball to guide through an opportunistic goal.
Building on the momentum, Williamstown went onto make it two in the first four minutes with Veszpremi’s quick thinking resulting in his second major for the day.
A slippery ball gave players a more difficult task in the second half, while a strong breeze continued to play havoc.
Lining up against the wind, Tom Hill kicked the Seagulls third consecutive goal for the term from a tight angle in the forward pocket, before Casey responded shortly after off the back of a free kick with their second major for the match.
Having a hand in an Ed Carr goal, Veszpremi was quick to make it two in succession with an impressive shot from long range to make the result all but a foregone conclusion.
Scoring two goals each in the last term, the final siren confirmed the inevitable. Casey was to bow out of the 2012 finals race in straight sets, while the Seagulls snared their eighth consecutive win and a Grand Final rematch against the Borough in next Saturday’s Preliminary Final at TEAC Oval.
Casey Scorpions 0.0 1.4 3.4 5.8 (38)
Williamstown 3.3 4.6 9.8 11.9 (75)
GOALS: Veszpremi 3 Panos 3 Hill 2 Carr Conway Roberts
BEST: Wall Jolley McNamara Goodes Carr Lockwood
