VFL: Nick Rodda makes fine return as Williamstown bounces Borough

Williamstown strong man Nick Rodda was best-afield as the Towners got the better of their great rival Port Melbourne.

Nick Rodda ices up after his starring role for Williamstown.

He had bags of ice on his left shoulder and his right knee as he sat on the bench in the visitors’ rooms and sipped an energy drink.

As he listened to Williamstown coach Justin Plapp’s after-match talk at North Port Oval on Sunday, Nick Rodda looked liked a man who had put his body into fierce battle.

He probably looks like that after every game.

Willy forward Rodda, 26, is what Plapp calls an “old-fashioned footballer’’.

In straight lines he charges, into bodies he barges.

Plapp employed a similarly rugged style during his AFL and VFL career, and it was no surprise he grinned when he asked about Rodda after the 37-point win over Port Melbourne.

“He’s a beauty,’’ he said.

“Gives you a contest every time. You don’t get much different from him every time he plays. Loves a scrap. Loves it hard. But he’s a very quiet bloke. What you see on the field you don’t see off the field. I like his character. He’s really important for our club. We’re lucky to have him.’’

Justin Plapp says Willy are lucky to have Nick Rodda.

Rodda was the best player on the ground in a match in which more points were kicked than goals in ideal conditions.

At quarter time Port had 1.7 to Willy’s 0.5.

The final score was 12.15 (87) to 6.14 (50), right-footer Rodda having helped the Towners take charge with four goals.

He kicked 4.2 and took eight marks; making the performance the more commendable, it was his first game since the Round 3 clash between Port and Willy, always the fiercest of foes.

A quarter-time stoush was indicative of the rivalry as the clubs contested the Johnson-Callahan Cup, named after club legends Frank Johnson (Port) and Gerry “Monster’’ Callahan (Williamstown).

The scrap began when Billy Myers collected Port’s Corey Wagner as he marked right on the siren. Borough backman Fletcher Roberts ran into remonstrate with Myers and pretty soon most players were involved.

Rodda was the seventh player in and one of the last to get to his feet. It looked like he was keen to have the final word as the teams finally headed to their huddles.

Rodda joined the Towners from the WAFL in 2018, as a key defender.

“I had a couple of ordinary games early on and ‘Collo’ (former coach Andy Collins) tried to hide me in the forward line,’’ he was saying as the ice numbed his sore spots.

“Been there ever since. It’s worked out all right.’’

Complimented on making such a strong return, he said: “I’ve been training with Daniel Cross (former AFL star). He’s our rehab coach down at Willy. He’s been putting me through my paces every night. It probably put me in good stead.’’

Luke Meadows, Charlie Dean, Teia Miles, Jordan Gallucci and Myers were other strong contributors for the Towners.

The win took Williamstown to fifth on the ladder with five wins, one loss and the draw to Richmond. It has a bye in the next round, then a run of seven matches in which to build a springboard for the finals.

“We’ve put ourselves in a really position to push,’’ Plapp said.

“We don’t want to just be a finals team. We want to be a good team.’’

He said his team’s third quarter was “as good as I’ve seen them play’’.

“We broke ‘em,’’ he said.

The Towners have Josh Pickess, Joel Ottavi and Noah Gown to come back into the team.

Port has missed the finals only once under coach Gary Ayres, in 2015, but at 1-6 the second time is coming.

The Borough had only 27 players from which to select the side and went in with players lacking match conditioning.

A series of missed opportunities in the first quarter must have deflated the hosts; they were willing, but not able to convert.

Wagner, with 17 possessions, won the Frank Johnson Medal as Port’s best player in the match, presumably shading Anthony Anastasio, who showed plenty of dash and daring against his former club.

Eli Templeton was handy in his 100th VFL appearance and novice ruckman Josh Hotchkin battled away against a formidable opponent in Tom Downie.