Australian Football

Shane Williams was a talented utility with a broad complement of football skills: strong overhead, a good kick and a smooth ball handler. He played his early football with Essex Heights in 1976 before spending the 1977 and 1978 seasons with North Hobart, playing 34 games and scoring 41 goals, as well as representing Tasmania three times.

The 1979 season found Williams at Richmond where he would produce some excellent football, only to be repeatedly sidelined with injury. In half a dozen seasons with the Tigers he only made 27 senior appearances, kicking 14 goals. Over the same period he played for the reserves no fewer than 65 times, mostly when returning from injury rather than after having been dropped. He enjoyed a strong 1982 season, including playing on a wing in the grand final loss to Carlton.

In 1984 Williams transferred to Geelong where he would endure three injury-affected seasons whilst playing just 21 senior games. It was a similar story at his next port of call, Footscray, where he added a final 13 VFL games in 1987-8. His last game in a Bulldogs jumper was the 1988 reserves grand final in which Footscray prevailed over North Melbourne.

In 1989 Williams returned to Tasmania and threw in his lot with Sandy Bay. His three season stint with the Seagulls saw him register 41 appearances and eight goals. He coached the side in 1990 and for part of 1991.

Author - John Devaney