Seagulls skipper toughs it out

[Dale61]

WILLIAMSTOWN skipper Brett Johnson typifies the old adage when the going gets tough, the tough get going.

Heavily tagged by former Seagulls teammate Paul Licuria during last Saturday's round 11 VFL clash with Collingwood at MC Labor Park, Johnson was able to shed the shackles when it most counted.

Williamstown led by only three points going into the final quarter against a very competitive Magpies unit.

That's when Johnson lifted his work rate to kick two last term goals, one from a free kick and the other from just inside the boundary on the wrong side of his natural left foot.

The skipper was complimented by Patrick Rose who chimed in with two additional goals to give the Seagulls breathing space and record a 34-point win.

The Seagulls' 10th win of the season leaves them clear top of the ladder.

Johnson, 26, had 26 disposals (16 kicks, 10 handballs) to be the best player on the ground.

Delighted Williamstown coach Brad Gotch said it was Johnson's best game since leading Victoria against South Australia.

"He was back to his good self," he said. "He worked through the first half when Licuria tagged him heavily. Then Johnno had other guys watching him. He pushed through that to be a very good player after a quiet month, by his standards. He was really driven before the game."

Gotch was full of praise for the Collingwood side which contained 11 players who he coached during the Magpies and Williamstown alignment.

"Collingwood were very good," he said. "I wasn't in a panic when they kicked five first quarter goals. You have to look at how good the opposition was. Collingwood worked really hard and we weren't doing a lot. They were getting their hands on the ball first and that meant we were doing a lot of chasing. They had a lot of really good players."

Williamstown was on the back foot from the opening 10 minutes when defender Brennan Stack was assisted off the ground with serious leg injury. He was driven to Richmond's Epworth Hospital for an X-ray for a suspected fractured tibia in his left leg.

A Williamstown medical spokesman said Stack could be sidelined for up to six weeks.

Collingwood led by 19 points at quarter-time with half-forward Brent Macaffer booting three goals. He finished with 4.3 for the game and was a constant threat.

The Towners dominated play in the second quarter scoring goals through Josh Hill (two), Jason Cloke, David Stretton and Dean Galea. But they were also off target with Galea, Cloke, Rose, Ben Jolley, Scott Meyer and Stretton all missing set shots.

The Seagulls' defence held firm in the third term when Collingwood kicked a wasteful 2.4. At the other end the Seagulls forwards also missed their targets with 0.5.

Gotch said the wide expanses of the MC Labour Park meant he had to create two or three options close to goal.

Galea and Matt Little alternated on veteran Collingwood defender Simon Prestigiacomo, which allowed room to move for Hill to step from the wing to deep in the forward line where he booted 4.1 from 15 disposals.

Speedster Stretton had 27 disposals, working mainly across the half back line, Western Bulldogs recruit Sam Reid impressed with 25 touches, and Jolley and Liam Picken both had 24.

Jarrod Harbrow finished the game full of running with 10 last quarter midfield clearances and 22 touches for the game.

Street was the dominant big man on the ground with 14 disposals and 39 effective tap outs. But the giant faces an anxious couple of days awaiting a VFL tribunal appearance after crashing into Shannon Cox in the third quarter.

Street ran into Cox a split second after he had taken a mark 30 metres from the Magpies goal.

The Magpies player was taken by ambulance to the Royal Melbourne Hospital for a brain scan. Collingwood's best included former Williamstown players Licuria, with 32 touches, and Ryan Cook, 25.

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