The boy from Rochy honoured

by ROD GILLETT

A HOST of the Melbourne Football Club's greatest names blazed a trail to Rochester in northern Victoria last Saturday night (7 October) to honour former player David Williams, who has coached his hometown team for the past 15 years.

Former Demon captains and all-time club greats, Robbie Flower, Garry Lyon and Noel McMahen, himself a former Rochester coach, attended the function in person while videos captured tributes from Williams's former coaches, Ron Barassi and John Northey, and former team-mates, Chris Connolly and Kelly O'Donnell, both now at the Fremantle Football Club.

Robbie Flower told the 350 people in attendance at the function in the Campaspe Valley Community Centre that his greatest disappointment in football was to see Williams dropped from the Melbourne team for the preliminary final in 1987. He firmly believes that had Williams played against Hawthorn on that fateful day when Gary Buckenera slotted that late goal that the result may have been different. Flower rated Williams the best team player he played with in his illustrious career at Melbourne.

In his video tribute the Melbourne coach at the time, John Northey, acknowledge that he had made a grave mistake by dropping Williams for that game.

Williams went to Melbourne in 1983 and played 67 games, including the Demons' losing grand final in 1988, and kicked 102 goals before a bad knee injury ended his VFL career. He made an attempt to play at Richmond in 1989-1990 before returning to play at Rochy half-way through 1991 season.

"Dirty" as he is affectionately known by the Rochester football faithful took over as coach in 1992 when he led the Tigers to a Goulburn Valley League premiership over Tatura - the club's first since the all-conquering 1962 team went through the Bendigo Football League season undefeated. He has coached the club ever since for a total of two premierships from six grand final appearances.

Former Melbourne premiership captain Noel McMahen who led the Demons to flags in 1955 and 1956 and played in the 1948 premiership team told the gathering that his greatest thrill in football was to coach Rochester to its first-ever premiership win in the Bendigo League in 1958.

One of the best players in that team that also won again in 1959 was Williams's father, Ron who had been recruited from Box Hill. Ron later coached the Under 18s team in the Bendigo competition where he was notorious for turning up for training late from his tyre business in his overalls and work boots and running wind-sprints with the boys.

David, now runs the tyre business after a stint running the Rochester Hotel. Through his businesses, he has also been a major club sponsor. Williams puts more back into the football club than he takes out - a refreshing approach in the modern era.

In his address Williams chose not to dwell on the past but to focus on the future and his desire to lift Rochester back up the ladder after a disappointing season in 2006. After 15 years at the helm, Williams is looking forward with no thoughts of retirement. Beware of the wounded, wily Old Tiger!

10 October 2006

australianrules.com.au

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