Paul Williams (born 3 April 1973) is a former
Australian rules football
Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an Australian rules football playing field, oval field, often a modified ...
er who played for the
Collingwood Football Club
The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed the Magpies or colloquially the Pies, is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's elite competition. ...
and the
Sydney Swans in the
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League (AFL) is the pre-eminent professional sports, professional competition of Australian rules football. It was originally named the Victorian Football League (VFL) and was founded in 1896 as a breakaway competition ...
(AFL). He is also a former assistant coach in the AFL, which most notably included a brief period as caretaker coach of the
Western Bulldogs towards the end of the 2011 season.
Playing career
Collingwood Football Club
Williams began his
AFL career with
Collingwood Football Club
The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed the Magpies or colloquially the Pies, is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's elite competition. ...
, joining them from Tasmanian club
North Hobart. Playing in a number of positions ranging from half back to half forward, the tough-tackling Williams was a regular in the mostly unsuccessful Collingwood side of the late 1990s, racking up 189 games and kicking 223 goals (his best being 6 against Carlton in 1996).
Sydney Swans
However, at the end of the 2000 season, he was traded to
Sydney Swans for two draft picks. There, he immediately made an impact, winning two consecutive
Bob Skilton Medals in 2001 and 2002, as well as being selected in the
All-Australian team of 2003.
In 2005, Williams played in the Swans' premiership side. In doing so, he established an AFL record for most matches played by a player before being in a premiership side, with the Grand Final having been his 294th game. Shane Crawford surpassed this record in 2008.
On 13 May 2006 against Richmond at
Etihad Stadium, Williams became the 45th player to play
300 VFL/AFL games. The Swans won this match by 118 points, setting a record for the biggest winning margin in a match featuring a player playing his 300th VFL/AFL game.
Retirement
On 21 June 2006, Williams announced he would be retiring at the end of the 2006 premiership season, which was his 16th at AFL level (and 6th with Sydney). Reasons cited for his retirement were the fact that his family was based in
Melbourne
Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
, and that more opportunities for selection to younger players such as
Tim Schmidt and
Paul Bevan was important for the club.
On 11 July 2006, senior coach of Sydney Swans
Paul Roos reported at a press conference that Williams was a chance to be rested for the forthcoming game against West Coast. Hours later, Williams announced his retirement, effective immediately due to surgery required on a broken collarbone, not seeing out his initial promise to retire at the end of the season.
Coaching career
Melbourne Football Club
In 2007, Williams took up an assistant coaching role at the
Melbourne Football Club
The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed the Demons or colloquially the Dees, is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's premier comp ...
, serving there for two years.
Western Bulldogs
In 2009, he moved into an assistant coaching role at the
Western Bulldogs, and served there for three years. While at the Bulldogs, Williams served three matches as caretaker senior coach after
Rodney Eade left the club before the end of the 2011 season. Williams' first match as caretaker senior coach of Bulldogs resulted in a 60-point win over bottom-of-the-ladder . During this period, he coached his 2005 Sydney premiership teammate
Barry Hall, who retired at season's end. Williams was however not retained as the Bulldogs senior coach at the conclusion of the 2011 season and was replaced by
Brendan McCartney as the senior coach of the Western Bulldogs Football Club.
Carlton Football Club
Williams shifted to a midfield assistant coaching role at the
Carlton Football Club in 2012 on a two-year contract, but was sacked after one unsuccessful season.
Post-coaching career
Williams now sits on the
AFL Tribunal
The AFL Tribunal is the disciplinary tribunal of the Australian Football League (AFL), an Australian rules football competition. The Tribunal regulates the conduct of players, umpires, and other officials associated with the AFL and its clubs. ...
jury, adjudicating on high-profile cases that arise during the regular season.
Statistics
Playing statistics
:
, - style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,
1991
, style="text-align:center;",
, 37 , , 19 , , 19 , , 21 , , 207 , , 104 , , 311 , , 51 , , 47 , , 1.0 , , 1.1 , , 10.9 , , 5.5 , , 16.4 , , 2.7 , , 2.5
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,
1992
1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General.
* January 6
** The Republ ...
, style="text-align:center;",
, 10 , , 13 , , 11 , , 10 , , 129 , , 63 , , 192 , , 50 , , 22 , , 0.8 , , 0.8 , , 9.9 , , 4.8 , , 14.8 , , 3.8 , , 1.7
, - style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,
1993
, style="text-align:center;",
, 10 , , 20 , , 16 , , 16 , , 198 , , 121 , , 319 , , 61 , , 54 , , 0.8 , , 0.8 , , 9.9 , , 6.1 , , 16.0 , , 3.1 , , 2.7
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,
1994
The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations.
In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
, style="text-align:center;",
, 10 , , 18 , , 31 , , 21 , , 169 , , 85 , , 254 , , 56 , , 47 , , 1.7 , , 1.2 , , 9.4 , , 4.7 , , 14.1 , , 3.1 , , 2.6
, - style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,
1995
, style="text-align:center;",
, 10 , , 22 , , 30 , , 22 , , 306 , , 107 , , 413 , , 88 , , 56 , , 1.4 , , 1.0 , , 13.9 , , 4.9 , , 18.8 , , 4.0 , , 2.5
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,
1996
, style="text-align:center;",
, 10 , , 21 , , 38 , , 25 , , 295 , , 105 , , 400 , , 87 , , 32 , , 1.8 , , 1.2 , , 14.0 , , 5.0 , , 19.0 , , 4.1 , , 1.5
, - style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,
1997
Events January
* January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States.
* January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis.
* January 1 ...
, style="text-align:center;",
, 10 , , 22 , , 28 , , 23 , , 332 , , 163 , , 495 , , 99 , , 46 , , 1.3 , , 1.0 , , 15.1 , , 7.4 , , 22.5 , , 4.5 , , 2.1
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,
1998
, style="text-align:center;",
, 10 , , 16 , , 9 , , 11 , , 219 , , 95 , , 314 , , 61 , , 38 , , 0.6 , , 0.7 , , 13.7 , , 5.9 , , 19.6 , , 3.8 , , 2.4
, - style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,
1999
1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons.
Events January
* January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers.
* January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
, style="text-align:center;",
, 10 , , 17 , , 14 , , 9 , , 206 , , 98 , , 304 , , 46 , , 17 , , 0.8 , , 0.5 , , 12.1 , , 5.8 , , 17.9 , , 2.7 , , 1.0
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,
2000
2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year.
Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
, style="text-align:center;",
, 10 , , 21 , , 27 , , 17 , , 253 , , 118 , , 371 , , 88 , , 70 , , 1.3 , , 0.8 , , 12.0 , , 5.6 , , 17.7 , , 4.2 , , 3.3
, - style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,
2001
The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
, style="text-align:center;",
, 10 , , 23 , , 25 , , 28 , , 282 , , 143 , , 425 , , 92 , , 62 , , 1.1 , , 1.2 , , 12.3 , , 6.2 , , 18.5 , , 4.0 , , 2.7
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,
2002
, style="text-align:center;",
, 10 , , 19 , , 21 , , 18 , , 273 , , 146 , , 419 , , 52 , , 68 , , 1.1 , , 0.9 , , 14.4 , , 7.7 , , 22.1 , , 2.7 , , 3.6
, - style="background:#eaeaea;"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,
2003
, style="text-align:center;",
, 10 , , 23 , , 20 , , 9 , , 263 , , 154 , , 417 , , 66 , , 72 , , 0.9 , , 0.4 , , 11.4 , , 6.7 , , 18.1 , , 2.9 , , 3.1
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
, style="text-align:center;",
, 10 , , 21 , , 9 , , 8 , , 229 , , 156 , , 385 , , 59 , , 44 , , 0.4 , , 0.4 , , 10.9 , , 7.4 , , 18.3 , , 2.8 , , 2.1
, - style="background:#eaeaea;"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,
2005
2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
, style="text-align:center;",
, 10 , , 19 , , 5 , , 4 , , 194 , , 121 , , 315 , , 51 , , 44 , , 0.3 , , 0.2 , , 10.2 , , 6.4 , , 16.6 , , 2.7 , , 2.3
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,
2006
, style="text-align:center;",
, 10 , , 12 , , 4 , , 4 , , 108 , , 67 , , 175 , , 52 , , 24 , , 0.3 , , 0.3 , , 9.0 , , 5.6 , , 14.6 , , 4.3 , , 2.0
, - class="sortbottom"
! colspan=3, Career
! 306
! 307
! 246
! 3663
! 1846
! 5509
! 1059
! 743
! 1.0
! 0.8
! 12.0
! 6.0
! 18.0
! 3.5
! 2.4
Coaching statistics
:
Paul Williams' coaching profile at AFL Tables
/ref>
, - style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal" , 2011
The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
, style="text-align:center;",
, 3 , , 2 , , 1 , , 0 , , 66.7% , , 10 , , 18
, - class="sortbottom"
! colspan=2, Career totals
! 3
! 2
! 1
! 0
! 66.7%
! colspan=2,
Honours and achievements
Team
* AFL Premiership (Sydney
Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
): 2005
2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
Individual
* Bob Skilton Medal (Sydney Swans/South Melbourne F.C. Best & Fairest): 2001, 2002
* All-Australian: 2003
*Harry Collier Trophy (Collingwood FC Best First Year Player Award): 1991
*Wrecker Award (Collingwood FC Leading Desire Indicator): 1991
* Larke Medal: 1990
* Tasmanian Team of the Century - Interchange
References
External links
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Paul
1973 births
Living people
All-Australians (AFL)
Collingwood Football Club players
Sydney Swans players
Sydney Swans premiership players
Bob Skilton Medal winners
Tasmanian State of Origin players
North Hobart Football Club players
Australian rules footballers from Tasmania
Western Bulldogs coaches
Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame inductees
Allies State of Origin players
VFL/AFL premiership players