From The Sunday Age
Reported by Brent Diamond

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DESPITE producing its best performance of the season against a team rated one of the competitions best, Frankston was denied a preliminary final berth against Port Melbourne as ex-Kangaroo Callum Urch lifted Williamstown to a one-point victory 13.14 (92) to 12.19 (91). "That was definitely the great escape," Williamstown coach Brad Gotch said.

The match proved to be one of the hardest fought contests of the finals series so far, with Frankston making its intentions known early.

Making use of a strong breeze and running the ball beautifully from its back line through Toby Conroy and Luke Collins, Frankston looked certain to test the more favoured Williamstown side right to the wire.

Unable to find a tall marking target in the forward line, the Seagulls looked lethargic against Frankston's running back line.

From The Sunday Age
Reported by Brent Diamond

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TASMANIAN Devils are now extinct after AFL Tasmania ditched its Victorian Football League team in favour of a 10-team state competition.

As revealed in the Sunday Age last month, AFL Tasmania has been working on its state league development for the past three years and will launch the competition on September 23.

AFL Tasmania has invited 10 clubs from across the state — Burnie, Devonport, South Launceston, Launceston, North Launceston, Lauderdale, Clarence, Hobart, North Hobart and Glenorchy — to participate and hopes to have the league up and running next season, with or without a VFL team.

From The Sunday Age
Reported by Brent Diamond

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PORT Melbourne coach Gary Ayres holds a slight hope that the trend of recruiting first-time AFL coaches will change.

The former Geelong and Adelaide coach is hoping to get back into AFL coaching after an impressive season in charge of the Borough, taking the VFL team from fringe finalist to flag favourite in his first season.

The five-time Hawthorn premiership player believes newly appointed Brisbane Lions coach Michael Voss could struggle.

"Sometimes great players don't necessarily make great coaches," he said.

From The Age
Reported by Michael Sharkie

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THREE weeks ago, Williamstown had the top spot on the VFL ladder seemingly sewn up with an impressive percentage after a consistent year of football. But now in the second week of the VFL finals series, Williamstown finds itself in a knockout semi-final against an ever-dangerous Frankston, a position that coach Brad Gotch never expected to find himself in.

"Last week's loss (to North Ballarat) was disappointing, but it was the loss to Werribee in round 20 that has really cost us," Gotch said.

In the final match of the regular season, the Seagulls played host to Werribee in a game they were expected to win. Despite their excellent record at home, they stumbled at the final hurdle and fell from top spot to third after an 11-point defeat. The loss forced Williamstown to head to North Ballarat for a qualifying final.

"At half-time I thought we were a big chance. We had a slender lead, but in the end we didn't quite make the most of our chances on the scoreboard," he said.