PEOPLE talk about premierships being the be-and-end-all for football clubs, and admittedly when you look back through the annals of history that is the first stat column anyone looks at.
But they hard to win if you don’t have a club full of people pulling in the same direction – and that is exactly what a rebuilding Williamstown has and why there are not many people who leave of their own volition once they walk through the gates at Point Gellibrand.
People like Jake Greiser, who became a rusted on Seagull as soon as he arrived from the Western Jets at the end of 2014.
Greiser, 27, who will play his 100th Smithy’s VFL game for Williamstown in its time-honoured Johnson-Callahan Cup derby against Port Melbourne at DSV Stadium on Good Friday, said he honoured to be part of the Seagulls family.
“It’s an absolute honour. It’s been a long journey, I think it’s my 10th season now so I’m super, super proud to get out there and tick off the 100th this week,” Greiser said.
“Since day one it has always felt like home for me. The players, the staff, the coaches, everyone involved with the club has been amazing.
“There were a few VFL clubs interested but usually you go to Werribee or Williamstown out of the Jets program and the footy club at Williamstown were just too good to say no to.
Greiser has enjoyed a lot of good times at Williamstown, with the Seagulls making at least the preliminary final in his first five years and being on track to repeat that before the 2021 season was abandoned.
But that coveted premiership medal has so far eluded him, having dropped out of the team just before the finals in their most recent premiership year of 2015 and being a part of the heartbreaking three-point loss to Richmond in the 2019 decider.
“It (last year) was tough to deal with at first – having a tougher year with injuries and a younger list we had obstacles to overcome,” he said.
“Having lost a few closer games it felt like winning was going to be a tough task at times but the boys didn’t drop their heads and I still went to every game thinking we could win.
“That has helped us for this year knowing we’ve got a few new guys and once the chemistry starts to build I’m pretty confident this group is a resilient one and we can push hard each week.”
Those new guys are a pretty impressive bunch of recruits, with former AFL-listed players Marty Hore, Oscar McDonald, Harry Jones and Mat Walker and Casey Demons premiership player Corey Ellison among the high profile arrivals
Former stars Ben Jolley, Jason Pongracic, Nick Ebinger and Josh Pickess also returned, while the development of the club’s younger brigade who were exposed to senior football last year has continued.
“I feel like we’ve got a really good balance at the moment and the new guys are providing a bit of that extra edge we may have been lacking at times in the past.
“Jack Toner coming back from his ACL, he’s come back really well from his injury; Corey Preston, Noah Gadsby, Daly Andrews, these guys are really stepping up.”
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Greiser was looking forward to reaching his milestone against the old enemy Port Melbourne in front of a huge Good Friday crowd, another thing that keeps him coming back.
“The supporters are what makes the club and hitting that 1000 (member) milestone (this week) is awesome for us,” he said.
“It’s really what we play for, having the ability to get out there and put some smiles on people’s faces and if we do get to win there’s nothing better than walking back into the changerooms and getting that round of applause.”