New role for Williams at Carlton

A KEY part of Carlton Football Club’s success in the 1990s, superstar mid-fielder Greg Williams is set to return to the Blues in a new role as football director.

Inducted to Bendigo’s Sports Star of the Year Hall of Fame in 2001, Williams is arguably the greatest player recruited from the city.

He will play a key role in deciding who Carlton’s next senior coach will be.

A 250-game career by Williams in the VFL/AFL included Brownlow Medal wins in 1986 when at Sydney Swans and in ’94 with the Blues.

The gun centreman from Golden Square earned the Michelsen Medal as the Bendigo Football League’s fairest and best in 1982 and ’83.

He earned the September ’83 award in Sports Star of the Year.

Despite his dominance for the Bulldogs and being in Carlton’s recruiting zone, Williams was classed as being too slow and unfit by some of the Blues recruiting team.

It was Geelong which first took a punt on the player who would go on to be selected on the “interchange” for the VFL/AFL Team of the Century.

In his AFL debut in the first round of the 1984 season, Williams racked up 38 disposals and three Brownlow votes.

He capped his first year with the Cats by winning the best and fairest award and the following season was adjudged by the AFL Players Association as the league’s most valuable player.

By 1986, Williams headed north with legendary coach Tom Hafey to Sydney Swans.

He played six seasons with Sydney, but then wanted to return to Melbourne.

It was Carlton who won the fight to secure the mercurial midfielder, where Williams would go onto become the Blues club champion in 1994 and the AFLPA MVP.

Moved down forward for the 1995 grand final against Geelong, Williams kicked five goals and earned the Norm Smith Medal as best afield in the Blues premiership victory.

A remarkable career, which included being selected in the All-Australian team on four occasions and representing Victoria in nine state of origin contests, ended in 1997.

Williams is a member of the AFL Hall of Fame, centreman in Carlton and South Melbourne/Sydney Swans Teams of the Century, and Hall of Fame member at the Blues and Swans.

What he lacked in leg speed, Williams made up for with ‘footy smarts’ and creative handball to many team-mates.

He was the first player to win a Brownlow, premiership medal and Norm Smith medal across their career.