Fred Williams (Australian footballer, born 1919) explained

Fred Williams
Fullname:Frederick Williams
Birth Date:28 August 1919
Originalteam:West Subiaco (MFL)
Height:175 cm
Weight:78 kg
Position:Utility
Statsend:1950
Years1:1938–50
Games Goals1:129 (unknown)
Sooyears1:1946–48
Sooteam1:Western Australia
Soogames Goals1:4 (1)
Coachyears1:1948–49
Coachgames Wins1:37 (7–30–0)
Careerhighlights:
  • captain 1946–49
  • leading goal-kicker 1946
  • best and fairest 1946
  • Team of the Century (2008)

Frederick "Fred" Williams (28 August 1919[1] – 3 April 2007) was an Australian rules football player and coach who played for the Subiaco Football Club in the Western Australian National Football League (WANFL) between 1938 and 1950, also coaching the club between 1948 and 1949. He also played representative football for Western Australia between 1946 and 1948.

Career

Originally from the West Subiaco Football Club in the Metropolitan Football League (MFL), Williams made his debut for Subiaco in 1938. He left the club in June 1939 to train with the Geelong Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL),[2] however, the WANFL were unwilling to approve a transfer, despite Geelong's protests.[3] Williams returned to Subiaco for the 1940 season, which The Western Mail reported "created considerable interest, and came as a complete surprise to those 'not in the know'".[4] In 1941, Williams finished third in the Sandover Medal behind teammate Haydn Bunton and Ern Henfry of .[5]

At the conclusion of the 1941 season, Williams enlisted in the Australian Army. He served in New Guinea and New Britain during the war, and played in several army football teams, which included captaining a team which included Bernie Naylor and other senior footballers.[6] Williams returned to football in 1946, and was named captain, kicking 22 goals to be Subiaco's leading goalkicker,[7] as well as winning the club's best and fairest award, the President's Trophy.[8] He also represented Western Australia in three interstate matches during the season.[9] When not playing football, he worked as a meter reader for the Water Supply Department.[6] In 1948, Williams was appointed coach of Subiaco.[10] The club was generally unsuccessful during Williams' tenure as coach, losing over 80% of its games. He resigned as both captain and coach for the 1950 season, and announced his retirement at the end of the season, having "reached the stage where he preferred to make way for another man".[11]

In 2005, Williams was named Subiaco's "Club Legend" for the season, a WAFL initiative allowing "each club to honour a past champion by displaying their image and career details on the match ball for that particular season".[12] He died in April 2007 at the age of 87.[13] In 2008, Williams was named as an interchange player in Subiaco's Team of the Century.[14]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Fred Williams (Subiaco). wafl.com.au. 27 June 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20160305031521/http://www.wafl.com.au/players/view/2340. 5 March 2016. dead.
  2. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12142669 SUBIACO STAR FOR GEELONG
  3. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11235052 WILLIAMS AND GEELONG
  4. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article38414347 Sporting Highlights
  5. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48387907 SANDOVER MEDAL FOR BUNTON
  6. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article53245540 FOOTBALLERS ON MONDAY
  7. http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/wi-x-y-z.htm#Fred%20Williams%20%28Subiaco%29 Frederick Williams (Subiaco)
  8. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article46248088 SUBIACO TROPHIES
  9. http://www.wafootball.com.au/country-football/downloads/doc_download/13-state-games-1904-1950 State Games 1904–1950
  10. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article39088252 FOOTBALL
  11. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article47845568 F. WILLIAMS PREFERS TO WATCH
  12. http://www.wafootball.com.au/news-archive/312-peter-featherby-subiacos-legend-for-2007 Peter Featherby: Subiaco's Legend for 2007
  13. http://www.footygoss.com/index.php/main/club_news/subiaco/view/subiaco_legend_passes_away/ Subiaco legend passes away
  14. http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/all_star_teams_%28n-z%29.htm#Subiaco Subiaco: 'Official Team of the Century'