Mark Williams opens up on 'bullying' in Hall of Fame address
The legendary Port Adelaide coach was inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame, where he joins his father Fos Williams.
Former Port Adelaide coach Mark Williams has detailed the hardships he and his family endured in the year's leading up to the Power's AFL premiership breakthrough in 2004. Williams, who was inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame on Tuesday, described how his memorable celebration after winning the flag - pulling at his tie as a nod to Port Adelaide's reputation under him as being 'shockers' - was driven in part by the reaction from Adelaide footy fans at the time.
Williams touched on a number of topics in his well-received speech, notably imploring the AFL and fans to do better by the league's cohort of Indigenous players. He joins his father, Fos Williams, in the AFL Hall of Fame, after his induction when it was founded in 1996.
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Now a development coach for Melbourne, Williams said it had been a difficult path to success after joining the Power as coach in 1999. His father, who had long been a key figure in the club's rise to a powerhouse of the SANFL, proved to be a difficult name to live up to.
But live up to the name he did, coaching from 1999 to 2010, guiding the Power to their first AFL premiership, knocking off three-time premiers Brisbane in sensational fashion in 2004. He admitted on Tuesday that it had been a difficult path to walk, one which affected not just himself but his immediate family.
“We were getting a lot of flack, it was hard living in Adelaide. Walking down the streets, my family was getting bullied and abused,” he said. “People see the pulling of the tie and try and understand it.
"(But) If you walked a mile in my shoes or theirs (my family), you would understand how difficult it was. To everyone’s credit, the Port Adelaide players, staff and board — everyone stuck together really closely. We worked on it and worked on it and kept going and kept believing in ourselves and finally got there.”
Mark Williams declares AFL must support Indigenous players
Importantly, Williams said the AFL's support for the upcoming referendum on the Voice to Parliament was a welcome result. He said he was immensely proud of the role Indigenous players had in the '04 triumph, saying it was an example of what could be achieved when such players were properly supported.
“I love the fact that it gives my mates in the Aboriginal world and multicultural world an opportunity to play and show what they can do,” Williams said. “I really admire the AFL for talking and standing up for the Yes vote for the Voice (to Parliament).
“I am political and I am saying we have to do the right thing and understand how bloody hard it is for the Aboriginal players to make their way in the AFL. We need to support them and understand them.
"When we get them there, make sure we give them opportunity and absolutely demand the best from them — and expect the best. I want them to be best on ground, not just making up the numbers. Grand final day (on 2004), that’s what we saw when Port Adelaide won.”
Byron Pickett won the Norm Smith Medal, while fellow Indigenous Power teammates Gavin Wanganeen, Peter Burgoyne and Shaun Burgoyne also played key roles in Port's 40-point victory over the all-conquering Lions.
Williams enjoyed an illustrious playing career in the SANFL with Port Adelaide, before taking his talents to the VFL/AFL at Collingwood and Brisbane. He would coach Port in the AFL for more than a decade, and has also had senior assistant roles at Essendon, GWS, Richmond, and now the Demons.
Williams worked under coaching icon Kevin Sheedy at Essendon and GWS, declaring during his speech there should be a statue of the four-time Bombers premiership coach outside of the MCG.
With AAP
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