Williamstown has become the first side to win two Foxtel Cup titles, defeating West Perth by 63 points in a dominant display at Simonds Stadium.
The Seagulls kept their opponents goalless for three quarters on their way to a 10.11 71 to 1.2 8 victory.
Williamstown produced the perfect team game with winners on every line, but it was Ben Davies that stood out, named the Coles Medal winner for his best on ground performance amassing disposals at will in the first half to help set up the win.
West Perth’s score line was the lowest recorded in the four years of the competition, failing to surpass the 2.1 13 by Mt Gravatt against Claremont in 2012.
The first half was all one way traffic for Williamstown, as their pressure in the middle of the ground and ability to keep the ball in their forward half gave them a sizeable advantage early.
Williamstown possessed all the options up forward with five marks inside 50 to nil in the first term, as the likes of Scott Clouston, Jake Owen and Leigh Masters provided regular marking options.
Sean Tighe shouldered the ruck duties with the support of Owen, and the likes of Ben Davies, Kane Lambert, Adam Marcon and Jack Johnstone benefitted.
After Owen and Clouston both marked and goaled in the early stages of the game, the Seagulls quickly jumped out to a 12-point lead. Late inclusion Charlie Nastasi – for Ryan Ferguson – was gifted a 50 metre penalty to goal, and soon after Jack Dorgan walked into an open goal to provide the Seagulls with a 23-point lead. On the stroke of quarter time, Lambert roved well in front of goal to give Williamstown a 32-point quarter time lead.
The defence of Williamstown was proving difficult to penetrate, as Peter Faulks, David Fahey, Brad Mangan, Stephen McCallum, Jake McKenzie and Nick Sing were unable to be passed.
Ben Davies owned the wing in the first half with 12 disposals, pushing the Seagulls inside 50 on numerous occasions.
In a goalless second term, Williamstown failed to make the Falcons pay on the scoreboard, adding only five points to its quarter time lead.
Tighe did it on his own to start the third term, grabbing the ball out of the ruck inside 50 to wobble through his first to push his sides lead out to 43 points. This quickly turned to 49 points as Nastasi received a free for high contact to kick his second goal.
Continual transition from defence to attack was a highlight for Williamstown, as they kept West Perth goalless to three quarter time, heading into the final term with an unassailable 51-point lead.
West Perth finally broke its goal drought a minute and a half into the final term, as Corey Chalmers goaled, but it was to be the Falcons first and last goal of the match.
Williamstown finished full of run, with Jack Johnstone adding a pair, and Clouston completed a strong performance up forward with his second to complete a 63-point demolish of the 2013 WAFL premiers.
The ability of the Seagulls to continually push the ball forward kept the Falcons defence under pressure all night, tripling their oppositions inside 50 count 51 to 16.
Davies and Lambert starred in the middle for Williamstown, but it was the defensive work of Mangan, Sing and Fahey – just to name a few – that repelled every West Perth attack that was the difference in the game.
As well as Williamstown claiming its second title, Andy Collins produced the unique feat of coaching back to back Foxtel Cup winners after last year leading West Adelaide to the title. Captain Ben Jolley played his first 2014 Foxtel Cup match in the Grand Final, and was the only player to have also been part of Williamstown’s 2011 Foxtel Cup title.
Williamstown also fielded 21 of 22 players (the only exception being Clouston) that had come through the TAC Cup system.
Williamstown will return to VFL duties this weekend as they host Bendigo on Sunday at Burbank Oval.
Williamstown 5.4 5.9 7.11 10.11 71
West Perth 0.2 0.2 0.2 1.2 8
W Goals: Clouston, Johnstone, Nastasi 2, Lambert, Dorgan, Tighe, Owen 1
W Best: Davies (Coles Medal), Lambert, Tighe, Sing, Fahey, McKenzie, Clouston
WP Goals: Chalmers 1
Ben Jolley spoke with SEN after the Foxtel Cup win.
Last Modified on 23/07/2014 00:17