By LIAM TWOMEY
WILLIAMSTOWN has appointed Andrew Collins as head coach for the 2014 season. Collins joins the Seagulls from South Australian Football League Club West Adelaide where he coached the Bloods for six years.
In that time he took the club to a grand final as well as achieving success in the Foxtel Cup.
He has also previously coached Sandringham, Box Hill and Coburg in the Victorian Football League.
Collins, who has signed a two-year deal, replaces Peter German.
The appointment was announced at Williamstown’s best-and-fairest night last week.
“Andrew has had a long coaching record and it stacks up really well,” Williamstown CEO Brendan Curry said.
“He has done an outstanding job over the last six years at West Adelaide. He took over a club that had won a couple of wooden spoons or it might have even won three in a row. So to get them up to be one of the powerhouses in the SANFL … was a great effort.
“I think he is highly respected in the football world and has great knowledge of football players from all around Australia and I think he we will be a great person to help us recruit the top end talent that we have to do as well.”
After a brilliant year, Cameron Lockwood won the Gerry Callahan Medal while Ben Jolley and Willie Wheeler finished second and third respectively.
Lockwood was a picture of consistency throughout the 2013 season and was named in the Seagulls’ best players eight times from his 20 matches.
He also finished with seven goals for the year.
“Cam is our longest serving player and I think it is an outstanding result,” Curry said.
“He is a local Williamstown junior product, he won two Barry Round Medals with the Western Jets. It was only two years ago I think he only played one or two games for the whole year after two hip operations.
“For him to put it all together this year and have a great season as our club vice-captain and really step up and show everyone what he can do was great to see.”
Also on the night, Anton Woods took home the development league best-and-fairest while Anthony Anastasio was named the club’s most improved player.
