WILLIAMSTOWN
Affiliated: VFA 1884-1995; VFL 1996-present
Club Address: P.O. Box 307, Williamstown 3016, Victoria
Home Ground: Burbank Oval
Formed: 1864; merged with South Williamstown 1888
Colours: Royal blue and yellow
Emblem: Seagulls (originally known as the Villagers)
Premierships: VFA/1st Division - 1907, 1921, 1939, 1945, 1949, 1954-55-56, 1958-59, 1986, 1990, 2003 (13 total); 2nd Division - 1969, 1976 (2 total)
Recorder Cup winners: C.Stanbridge 1933; N.Huggins 1937; A.Cutting 1938; D.Fothergill 1941 (4 total)
VFA Medallists: C.Stanbridge 1933; N.Huggins 1936 & 1937; A.Cutting 1938 & 1939 (3 Medallists/5 Medals)
J.J.Liston Trophy winners: J.Martin 1956; B.Round 1987; B.McTaggart 1988; S.Ghazi 1989; P.Dooley 1996 (5 total)
Williamstown's Official 'Team of the Century': Click here
Highest Score (against current VFL clubs only): 42.18 (270) vs. Box Hill on 26 May 1985
Most Games: 208 by Troy West
Record Home Attendance: 14,000 vs. Coburg on 8 September 1945: Coburg 15.16 (106); Williamstown 12.9 (81)
Record Finals Attendance: 48,238 for 1939 grand final at the MCG: Williamstown 14.20 (104); Brunswick 14.11 (95)
For information on a documentary about the history of Williamstown Football Club and its home ground of Burbank Oval click on the following thumbnail:
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Spectacular action from Williamstown's 3 point win over Oakleigh in the 1949 grand final at St Kilda. |
Williamstown Football
Club was established in 1864, but for two decades the club was only
adjudged worthy of junior status. This changed thanks to a
combination of improved performances during the early 1880s, and the
ambitious zeal of the club's committee, notably its energetic secretary
Duncan McLeod. Achieving senior rating in the VFA in 1884, Williamstown
went on to become the competition's [see footnote
1] longest serving, if not quite most
successful, club.
Its greatest era came during the 1950s when it engaged in numerous memorable tussles with perennial rivals Port Melbourne, more often than not emerging on the winning side, at any rate when it really counted. Indeed, the three year period between 1954 and 1956 was, as far as Town supporters are concerned, the closest thing to heaven on earth imaginable. Each year the grand final pitted Williamstown against the Borough; each year the Borough were heavily favoured to win; and each year Williamstown defied the odds to claim the flag. In 1954 Port Melbourne defeated Williamstown in the 2nd semi final but a fortnight later it was a different story entirely as the Seagulls controlled the game throughout to win by 32 points, 11.20 (86) to 7.12 (54). The 1st ruck dominance of Harry Simpson, Reg Fisher and Alby Linton was the key to Williamstown's victory. |
The following season saw Williamstown take the long route to the grand final, overcoming Moorabbin in the 1st semi final and Preston in the preliminary final. Popular opinion has it that teams which are victorious in the 2nd semi final automatically acquire an advantage in that, come grand final day, they are likely to be fresher than their opponents. However, this was most emphatically not the case in 1955 as Port Melbourne led at every change by 36, 14 and 25 points only to be completely overrun when the stakes were raised during the final term. Final scores were Williamstown 13.19 (97) to Port Melbourne 13.10 (88) with versatile skipper Gerry Callahan and 6 goal rover Alby Linton [see footnote 2] leading the way. Maurie Gear, Max Munday and John Martin were among many other Seagulls players to do well.
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If any doubt still remained that Williamstown 'had the wood' on Port it was dispelled the following year after another resounding 'come from behind' victory. The Borough led for all but the last 20 minutes of the game but once the Seagulls got their noses - or should that be beaks? - in front there was no containing them as they surged to victory by 4 clear goals. Williamstown full forward Alan McPherson kicked a match-winning bag of 6.4, while centre half forward Ken Reed and rover Alby Linton were other useful performers. A slump to 3rd place in 1957 interrupted what might otherwise have developed into a record breaking sequence of six consecutive premierships. The 1958 season brought a restoration of normality as the Seagulls survived a 2nd semi final loss to Moorabbin - having previously succumbed to that club in both minor round meetings - to qualify for the grand final in the most satisfying way imaginable, via a preliminary final defeat of Port Melbourne. |
Williamstown's first premiership captain, Ted Alley. (Click to enlarge.) |
Williamstown appeared sluggish during the opening term of the grand final and changed ends 28 points in arrears. Thereafter, however, they outscored Moorabbin 6.14 (50) to 3.4 (22) to snatch a draw, but the consensus was that they had had sufficient control of the football to have won. In the following week's replay the Seagulls carried on where they had left off, with only some erratic kicking for goal preventing a massacre. Even so, they had forged ahead to the tune of 67 points by the final change, and although the Kangaroos finished with something of a flourish they were never remotely in the hunt. Final scores were Williamstown 13.18 (96) to 8.16 (64), with centreman John Martin and ruckman and captain Gerry Callahan starring.
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Keith Abberton, a key member of Williamstown's 1949 premiership team. (Click to enlarge.) |
The Seagulls maintained their momentum the following year and finished off the '50s in style with a 15.21 (111) to 11.10 (76) grand final mauling of Coburg after the Lions had led by 13 points at three quarter time. Rovers George Mazouris and Darryl Ward, centreman Ray Smith and 7 goal spearhead Ray Cullinan were the chief driving forces behind Williamstown's win. As a new decade dawned Williamstown was undeniably the VFA's leading club, but things had not always been so rosy. During the club's early years the competition was dominated by the clubs which would eventually comprise the VFL [see footnote 3] with Williamstown's best effort being a 3rd place finish in 1888. Even after the defection of the VFL contingent in 1897 success did not automatically materialise, and premierships, when they did finally start to arrive, only did so intermittently. Williamstown's first flag came in 1907 with a 7.10 (52) to 3.16 (34) defeat of reigning premiers West Melbourne. The key to the victory was Town's irrepressible opening term burst when they booted 4.4 to 0.2 with stand in skipper Ted Alley, rover Gibbs and full forward Briggs leading the way. |
Williamstown had to wait until 1921 for another tilt at the premiership. Fourth after the home and away rounds they became the first VFA side to achieve a flag from that position when they overcame perennial finalist Footscray in both the final and the challenge final. The two teams actually confronted one another over three consecutive weeks as the final was initially abandoned at three quarter time with Williamstown enjoying a 4 points advantage. It was just as tight the following week, with Town's eventual margin of victory a mere 3 points, but this was increased to 3 goals in the decisive challenge final.
Footscray achieved their revenge when the two sides next met in a premiership decider three years later, winning 11.11 (77) to 3.4 (22) before departing the fold, along with Hawthorn and North Melbourne, to embark on a new career in Australia's premier football competition, the VFL.
Some Williamstown Players of the 1930s |
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T.Byrne, follower |
L.Drew, centreman | J.Lonergan, utility player | A.Cutting, wingman | |||
Williamstown's fortunes over the following decade and a half were not nearly so exalted as they failed to contest the finals in all bar one of the next fourteen seasons, culminating in the ultimate indignity of a wooden spoon in 1938.
| The following year, however, brought a classic 'rags to riches' scenario as Williamstown astounded everyone by going top. VFA football was close to its twentieth century zenith at this point with a huge crowd of 48,238 turning up at the MCG for the grand final, in which unfancied Williamstown was pitted against reigning premiers - and raging hot favourites - Brunswick. The first half of the game saw most pundits' expectations seemingly being realised as Brunswick established a comfortable 22 point advantage, but in the 3rd term the Seagulls came roaring back to overhaul the deficit and go into the last quarter with a 10 point lead. The closing stanza was fiercely contested but Williamstown, with centreman George Fitch and ruckmen Matt Cave and Bill Spokes in dominant form, held on to win by 9 points. |
Williamstown sharpshooter Ron Todd. (Click to enlarge.) |
In 1940 Williamstown had arguably one of the strongest forward lines in VFA history but, despite Harry 'Soapy' Vallence kicking 111 majors for the season and Ron Todd 99, they surprisingly only finished 3rd.
The first post-war grand final in 1945 saw the Seagulls back on the winners' rostrum with a 16.21 (117) to 10.20 (80) defeat of arch rivals Port Melbourne. First year half forward Geoff Spring was Town's best, followed by full back Reg Ryan, half back flanker Arthur Cutting and wingman Norm Chisholm.
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Harold 'Soapy' Vallence marks from behind against Prahran. (Click to enlarge.) |
Williamstown's next grand final appearance came in 1948 but Brighton proved too strong. However, the following year they made the most of comparatively limited scoring opportunities to down Oakleigh by 3 points. Final scores were Williamstown 10.5 (65) to Oakleigh 8.14 (62) with Williamstown's aerial supremacy coming to the fore at critical stages during the match. Williamstown began the 1950s slowly but after claiming 3rd place in 1953 they were poised for one of the most concerted eras of success in VFA history, as described earlier. During the 1960s, after a comparatively bright start - 3rd place in 1960, and runners up in 1961 and 1964 - this invincibility disappeared. In 1967 the Seagulls were relegated to division two where they remained for two seasons, losing the 1968 grand final to Geelong West before beating Sunshine the following year. A 1st division grand final appearance in 1970 (lost to Prahran by 50 points) flattered to deceive and when the Seagulls next contested a grand final six years later it was back in division two. Thankfully, however, the Seagulls ended up on the right side of the ledger this time, defeating Mordialloc comfortably by 57 points. The win was sweet revenge for the occasion earlier in the season when Mordialloc had kicked an all time record score of 34.12 (216) at Williamstown's home ground. |
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Action from Williamstown versus arch rivals Coburg in 1989: Danny Del Re (Williamstown, right) contests with Ken Ingram. |
The Seagulls' real return to ascendancy had to wait another decade, although when it came it was more often a case of frustration than fulfillment, reminiscent in some ways of Port Melbourne's fortunes in the 1950s. In the eight seasons between 1985 and 1992 the Seagulls appeared in all bar two grand finals [see footnote 4] with the following results:
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Year |
Result of Grand Final |
| 1985 | Sandringham 14.16 (100) defeated Williamstown 13.16 (94) |
| 1986 | Williamstown 17.9 (111) defeated Coburg 14.14 (98) |
| 1988 | Coburg 16.18 (114) defeated Williamstown 12.15 (87) |
| 1989 | Coburg 10.13 (73) defeated Williamstown 7.11 (53) |
| 1990 | Williamstown 16.11 (107) defeated Springvale 15.15 (105) |
| 1992 | Sandringham 19.16 (130) defeated Williamstown 13.8 (86) |
When the VFL was transformed into a feeder league for the AFL in 2000 Williamstown, along with Werribee, initially aligned themselves with the Western Bulldogs. However, after just one season of this arrangement the Seagulls opted out, and entered into a unilateral alignment with Collingwood. As with all such arrangements there would, almost inevitably, be one or two initial teething problems, but there seemed absolutely no reason to suppose that the liaison between two of Australia's proudest clubs [see footnote 5] should not go on to be both long-standing and fruitful.
Such an expectation was given partial credence as early as 2003 when the Seagulls overcame Box Hill in the grand final in front of a crowd of 10,000 at Optus Oval. Veteran Adrian Fletcher won the Norm Goss Memorial Medal as best afield. In 2004, however, the team endured a premiership hangover of sizeable proportions, with a total of just 6 wins from 18 matches only being good enough for 10th place on the ladder. There was marginal improvement in 2005, but a 7-11 record still failed to procure finals participation. Much better was to follow, however, as in 2006 the Seagulls developed into a bona fide premiership threat, qualifying for the finals in 4th place with an 11-7 record, before comfortably overcoming minor premier Northern Bullants in a qualifying final. This result earned Williamstown a preliminary final encounter with Geelong, but after a hard fought game it was the Cats who prevailed by 27 points. However, after a couple of mediocre seasons it seems the Seagulls were once again a force to be contended with, an impression reinforced in 2007 when they again comfortably reached the finals, only to bow out of premiership contention, just as in 2006, at the preliminary final stage.
With Victorian football set to undergo yet another restructuring exercise at the end of the 2007 season, Collingwood and Williamstown announced that they would be dissolving their seven year old partnership forthwith. The Magpies subsequently indicated that they wished to field a standalone team in the VFL from 2008, while the Seagulls made it known that they were keen to enter into another partnership arrangement with one of Melbourne's AFL clubs. Few people were surprised then when, at the beginning of October, it was announced that Williamstown had agreed a three year alignment deal with the Western Bulldogs.
Where now?
or
Footnotes
1. Following the VFA's demise at the end of the 1995 season, this record is one that will endure. Return to Main Text
2. Linton finished the 1955 season as the VFA's top goalkicker with 84 goals, a rare accomplishment for a non-full forward. Return to Main Text
3. Or, at any rate, some of them, notably South Melbourne during the 1880s and Essendon during the 1890s. Return to Main Text
4. The VFA still operated a two division system until 1989. The first four of Williamstown's grand final appearances listed in the table were all in 1st division. Return to Main Text
5. Williamstown is actually the older of the two clubs, by eight years. Return to Main Text