Bailey Williams to become the ninth 2018 Dandenong Stingrays player to reach the AFL
The 2018 Stingrays won the club its first Under 18 premiership. Now almost half the team has gone on to play in the AFL, and coach Craig Black believes there are more to come.
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When Bailey Williams makes his AFL debut for West Coast Eagles tonight, it will be another tick for the talented 2018 Dandenong Stingrays team.
Coached by Craig Black, the side became the first from the ‘Rays to win a premiership in the TAC Cup, which started in 1992 and is now known as the NAB League.
The Stingrays nosed out the Oakleigh Chargers by six points in a gripping grand final at Carlton.
Brilliant bottom-ager Matt Rowell was best-afield for a Chargers side that also included Isaac Quaynor, Noah Anderson and Will Kelly.
Aside from the breakthrough flag, the other milestone by which the Stingrays can be measured is the number of players to have gone on to play in the AFL.
It will become nine tonight when the tall and athletic Williams jumps into the action for the Eagles.
He is the son of former Frankston VFA ruckman Paul “Jacko’’ Williams, a legend of Pines Football Club.
Lachie Young, who had played in the premiership as a 19-year-old, became the first Stingray from the team to rise to AFL ranks, debuting for the Western Bulldogs last year.
This year his brother Hayden (Fremantle), Will Hamill (Adelaide), Ned Cahill (Essendon), Zac Foot (Sydney), Toby Bedford (Melbourne), Sam Sturt (Fremantle) and Matt Cottrell (Carlton) joined him.
Two other Stingrays are with AFL clubs: Mitch Riordan (Gold Coast) is recovering from a knee injury and Sam Fletcher is also on the Suns’ books.
A string of other 2018 Stingrays players is with VFL clubs: captain and best and fairest Campbell Hustwaite (Collingwood), Jai Taylor (Casey Demons), Riley Bowman (Box Hill Hawks), Fin Bayne (Richmond), Jake Frawley (Box Hill Hawks), Dan Frampton (Sandringham) and Lachie McDonnell (Sandringham). Matt Gahan was with Casey in 2019 and went to the NEAFL in 2020.
Black said he was thrilled that so many of the premiership players had gone on to the AFL.
He wasn’t surprised.
“We always thought as a coaching group and as an organisation that we had plenty of talented players and they would go on and play AFL footy,’’ Black said.
“But when you sit back and someone says it’s up to nine, you think, ‘Gee, that’s a big achievement’. It was a great group. We only lost one game for the season, and we came up against a really good Chargers team in the grand final.’’
Black said he remained hopeful that players from the premiership side who hadn’t been drafted would keep playing in the VFL.
“There are guys from that side — Campbell Hustwaite, Lachie McDonnell, Jai Taylor, Fin Bayne — who could quite easily have been given an opportunity. Riley Bowman is another.
“If they keep at it, they might end up as mature-age players on AFL lists, like a Michael Gibbons or a Ben Cavarra, because clubs are having success with players from the VFL.
“I’m still really hopefully there are more players to come and in a few years we might be able to increase it from nine to 10, 12, 13.’’
Black said he was looking forward to watching Williams, whom he described as a “really big talent’’.
“It won’t surprise me if he takes the mark of the week or kicks the goal of the week,’’ he said.
The Williams’ family can’t be at the ground tonight and will instead watch the game on television at their Bittern home.
Paul Williams said it wasn’t long ago that Bailey was running around on their property using gumtrees for goals.
“True story,’’ he said.
“As kids we all dream of playing (AFL) but it’s pretty hard to get that opportunity and to see any of your kids achieve whatever they set out to do is great, but as a footballing family to see him get that opportunity to achieve his dream is fantastic.’’
Williams said Bailey had been close to making his debut in the opening round but a hamstring strain set him back.
He said the West Coast Eagles had looked after him well.
“He’s had to wait a little bit to get his opportunity – that’s due to the nature of the club he’s at,’’ he said.
“He probably would have played by now if he was at most of the other clubs. He’s really happy there and he understands it’s about opportunity and development. He’s ready to go and they’re pretty excited to play him which is fantastic.’’
Williams senior was a champion ruckman who was runner-up in the VFA’s JJ Liston Trophy in 1992 and third in 1993, when he played with the Frankston Dolphins.
Is Bailey a similar player to him?
“Yeah, but he’s about bloody eight inches taller,’’ Williams said.
“Very similar, a lot of people have commented over the years, ‘geez he looks like you, he moves like you’ … he’s a bit quicker and he jumps a bit higher.
“He’s got good hands, he’s got pretty good skills and the beauty about it is he’s got that desire to win. He’s a competitor, there’s no question about it.’’
Williams said the Stingrays’ premiership side of 2018 was “a really special group’’.
“I had the luxury of being involved with a lot of those kids, particularly the peninsula kids throughout the years, coaching – yeah they were a special group,’’ he said.
“Being involved in junior interleague, I remember they would go and play interleague carnivals and teams would literally not score against them. They were so strong right across the ground.’’
Paul and Jodine Williams have three children. Bailey is the “baby’’, with older brother Jesse, 25, and sister Shaye, 22.
They’ll watch the game together tonight, along with Bailey’s nan, Cheryl.
“We don’t get a chance to see him live, anyway, I’d rather him debut and watch it on tele than for it not to happen at all,’’ Williams said.
“We’ll have a quick chat to him today at some stage and then get ready to watch it, mate.’’
Williams said the response from the Peninsula football community since Bailey was named to make his debut yesterday had been overwhelming.
“The response from the people on the peninsula, past players, teammates, opponents and coaches … you realise just how far the football community reaches. It was pretty heartfelt, the amount of people ringing up to wish him all the best. It’s pretty exciting,’’ he said.
Dandenong Stingrays 2018 premiership team
Bailey Williams, Sam Fletcher, Will Hamill, Lachlan Stenning, Daniel Frampton, Campbell Hustwaite (captain), Mitch Riordan (captain), Sam Sturt, Lachie McDonnell, Zac Foot, Fin Bayne, Riley Bowman, Toby Bedford, Ned Cahill, Lachie Young, Hayden Young, Jamie Plumridge, Matt Cottrell, Jake Frawley, Matt Gahan, Jai Taylor, Stephen Cumming, Matt Cumming.
2018 TAC CUP GRAND FINAL
Dandenong Stingrays 2.1, 6.2, 10.7, 12.8 (80)
Oakleigh Chargers 3.2, 3.6, 6.8, 11.8 (74)
Stingrays goals: Z. Foot 2, L. McDonnell 2, B. Williams 2, S. Sturt 2, E. Cahill, F. Bayne, R. Bowman, T. Bedford. Best: C. Hustwaite, D. Frampton, L. Stenning, W. Hamill, S. Fletcher, B. Williams
Chargers goals: D. Williams 4, N. Anderson 2, J. Ross, R. Collier-Dawkins, A. Bosenavulagi, J. Robertson, J. Gasper. Best: M. Rowell, R. Collier-Dawkins, D. Williams, N. Answerth, J. Robertson, L. Westwood.
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