Paul Williams (Australian rules footballer)

Paul Williams
Personal information
Full name	Paul Williams
Date of birth	3 April 1973 (1973-04-03)
Original team	North Hobart (TFL)
Draft	#35, 2007 National Draft, Western Bulldogs
Height/Weight	177cm / 83kg
Playing career1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
1991–2000 2001–2006 Total	Collingwood Sydney	189 (223) 117 (84) 306 (307)
Coaching career3
Years	Club	Games (W–L–D)
2011	Western Bulldogs	3 (2–1–0)
1 Playing statistics to end of 2006 season . 3 Coaching statistics correct as of 2011.
Career highlights
Sydney premiership player 2005 Tasmanian Team of the Century Larke Medal 1990 Bob Skilton Medal 2001, 2002 All-Australian Team 2003

Paul Williams (born 3 April 1973) is a former Australian rules footballer with both Collingwood and Sydney. Since retiring from playing, he has been an assistant coach, including a bried period as caretaker coach of the Western Bulldogs towards the end of the 2011 season. Williams is currently assistant coaching at the Carlton Football Club.

AFL career

Williams began his AFL career with Collingwood, 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). However, at the end of the 2000 season, he was traded to Sydney 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.

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, 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, coach 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

In 2007, Williams took up an assistant coaching role at the Melbourne Football Club, serving there for two years. 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 Bulldogs coach resulted in a 60-point win over bottom-of-the-ladder Port Adelaide. Williams shifted to a midfield assistant coaching role at the Carlton Football Club for the 2012 season.

External links

• Paul Williams (Australian rules footballer)'s profile on the Official AFL Website of the Sydney Swans Football Club
• Paul Williams (Australian rules footballer)'s statistics from AFL Tables
• Williams Eyes History