Greg Williams tells Mark Robinson how to make AFL footy great again

HE’S achieved nearly all there is in the AFL but Greg Williams can’t sit through a match without turning off the television. He tells MARK ROBINSON how the game has changed and his plan to fix footy.

Greg Williams is concerned about where the game is heading. Picture: Tim Carrafa

HE played 250 games for three clubs in two states, won two Brownlows, two club B&Fs, one Norm Smith Medal and one premiership but Greg Williams can’t sit through a game.

He tells MARK ROBINSON how the game changed and his plan to fix footy.

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MARK ROBINSON: Greg, when did the game change in your eyes?

GREG WILLIAMS: Rotations changed it, mid to late-2000s. The Swans-Eagles Grand Finals, those two years or so. They were man-on-man and it was pretty tough, ugly football. Before that, defensive flooding had come in with (Rodney) Eade. That was a major problem, the flooding. I could go back to Wallsy (Robert Walls) when he started the zone when I was playing. The kick-in zone was new for us.

Do you attend games?

I’ve been to three this year. The first game, Richmond v Carlton; Essendon v Adelaide, also Round 1; and one other. But I haven’t been back.

Do you watch games on TV?

Yep, all the time.

Do you ever switch them off?

All the time. I’ll watch a quarter maybe and then look on the app for the scores. I sat down to watch the Geelong-Carlton game (Round 10) and I turned it off at quarter-time. I didn’t enjoy it at all. It was just too defensive. Too much focus on tackling and pressure. It’s gone too far defensively.

Greg Williams believes tacklers get away with too much and wants more free kicks to be paid to free the game up. Picture: Getty Images

Do you see the game being as creative now?

No way, because it’s impossible. There’s no space, no time. I hate the look of the scrum and the congestion. There’s too many players around the ball. Richmond’s pressure (last season) was better than everyone else, but they also run and handball forward, charge forward and pressure like hell when it goes in to the forward line. It’s kamikaze. It’s all about defensive mindset. I know Richmond is scoring and Melbourne is scoring, and West Coast, but I’m sure it will change again because clubs will work them out. But how are we going to stop the congestion?

You tell me ...

Rotations. I know it’s boring and I don’t want to be old-fashioned, but I’d like to see a 2018 version of how the game used to be played in the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, ’90s. It was a better version and now it’s lost its way because of the scrum and no space and it being too defensive. It doesn’t have to be like when I played, but I’d like to see it a bit closer. We’ve got to have a full-forward, a centre half-forward. The highlights of the game aren’t there any more. I’m not saying the players are no good. I couldn’t be more proud of today’s players, but they have to be freed up to play better football.

So, what’s your plan?

I’d love to talk to Steve Hocking or Leigh Matthews or anyone, because it’s a huge problem. The interchange rotations have to go down to 60, then 40 and then 20. The players will get tired and won’t be able to cover defenders as they do now. The game will open up. I don’t care how good a runner they are, they won’t be able to do it.

Coaches argue less rotations would mean more injuries.

I don’t think that’s the case. The players will adjust and they will be fine.

AFL great Greg Williams wants interchange rotations to be slashed. Picture: Tim Carrafa

Have we let the tackler go too far?

Way too far. They’ve let the tackler get away with murder. Blokes have got to be careful. If you touch me on the head or shoulder, just pay the free kick and the game will open up. I used to get frustrated when I watched my daughter play netball because of how technical the officiating was. You can’t take a step. You can’t touch them. The whistle blows. And netball is pretty much the same now as it was 30 years ago.

But the AFL is so different to what it was.

Agree. I don’t want it said that Greg Williams thinks we should play football like netball. The point is, they’ve got their rules and they are stringent on them. We’re not. The AFL has done pretty well by forwards. You can’t chop their arms, can’t put hands in the back, and if you grab a forward’s jumper and pull it an inch it’s a free kick. But if a ruckman’s jumper is grabbed it’s not always a free kick. We have to get technical.

The opposition should leave Patrick Cripps alone. I was watching Tom Mitchell last week and he was tagged by Tom Rockliff. He was facing Mitchell and not the ball, and his arms were trying to shepherd Mitchell and he got away with it. Nothing from the umpires. It made me angry. Pay a free kick for blocking. The rules are in place to make the game more open than it is.

Who should own this? The umpires? The AFL?

Hocking’s got to own it. This is not a huge change, it is a technical change. There’s all this talk about rewarding the tackler. I hate that. I hate the fact the bloke who’s first there gets whacked because two or three players are hanging back to jump on him. Four umpires is a good idea.

They will have more time to look. I also hate the pushing and the shoving and, you know, (Jed) Lamb from Carlton just hassling blokes because he’s not that good a player. They’re allowed to punch and push opponents ... it’s weak as water, that. Carlton are doing it and they can’t even play. They’re s---house and they’re going around acting like they’re tough. I think it’s disgusting. It does nothing for the game and for junior football.

Hawthorn’s Tom Mitchell wrestles with Port Adelaide opponents last week. Picture: Getty Images

You departed Essendon at the end of last season. What was your role there?

I was there for a year. Skills and development. I enjoyed it.

Why aren’t you there this year?

I didn’t get paid much, which was fine, but I wanted to do it and get paid properly or not do it.

What did you notice about today’s players and their training that was different to when you trained?

There’s a lot of meetings and a lot of discussions on zones and defence, which is a big part of it. I did go to meetings for a while.They spent a lot of time on zones. I don’t think it’s that complicated. I stopped going because I didn’t need to learn about a zone any more.

So how much are coaches to blame for today’s problems?

Coaches aren’t coaching. In today’s game, what do you think they do during a game? They don’t make a move. They don’t make rotations. They already know the rotations. They do stuff-all on game day.

Williams would love to have a chat with Steven Hocking about the state of the game. Picture: Getty Images

What do they say at the breaks?

They say, ‘Our tackles are down. We’re two behind on contested possessions’. What difference is that going to make to a player? There’s nothing to coach, there’s no moves. They only have one ruckman who doesn’t come off. (Jeremy) McGovern plays centre half-back and just cuts off as much as he can. What tactics are there? The zone? The flood? Let’s switch inside and try to move it through the middle? You know what young players get taught to do first? Defend. I love (Nathan) Buckley and the Scotts (Brad and Chris). Good on them, but don’t tell me they make moves to help win games.

How urgent is it to fix the game?

It’s got to be done gradually, but it’s urgent and I think Hocking’s the man.

Why do you care?

It’s my game as well. I’m still passionate about skills and playing and I like helping players even today.

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Originally published as Greg Williams tells Mark Robinson how to make AFL footy great again