NAB League Boys: Jason Williams steps in as caretaker of Calder Cannons

Cut down by an ACL, Calder Cannons premiership player Jason Williams has found what he thinks is his true calling: coaching.

Jason Williams has taken some knocks since playing in a premiership with the Calder Cannons in 2010.

Once an AFL prospect and a contestant on The Recruit, Jason Williams hasn’t played football since injuring his knee in 2018.

Has he missed it?

Not for a moment, Williams, 27, says.

The ACL injury led him to getting involved in coaching at the Calder Cannons, for whom he played in a TAC Cup premiership in a team twinkling with future AFL stars.

He says coaching is bringing him deep satisfaction and has helped turn his life around, giving him a purpose he had been struggling to identify.

“I love it. I got into it to try to help other people to achieve their dreams and their goals, and it turned out that gave me massive self-satisfaction, self-pride, instant gratification,’’ Williams said on Wednesday.

“The season is so long you can’t help them (players) achieve the ultimate goal every single week. But every single week you can help them develop and get better and get closer to it. And just better prepare them for not only footy but life. That’s the thing I wasn’t expecting, feeling as good about it as I do.’’

Jason Williams on the job for the Calder Cannons.

This Sunday Williams will act as caretaker head coach for the first time, after Ross Smith decided to take a break from football.

Williams joined the Cannons NAB League program as an assistant coach this year and will now steer the boys team for the rest of the season.

“I’m definitely excited,’’ he said. “It didn’t come around the way I anticipated it would, but nonetheless it’s a great opportunity.’’

Williams’ connection with the Cannons began when he was selected in under-age squads. He made the Under 18 list in 2010 and that year figured in the Marty Allison-coached premiership team, counting Mitch Wallis, Tom Liberatore, Brandon Ellis, Dion Prestia and Cameron Guthrie as teammates.

“It was a good time. We had a very talented squad,’’ Williams said.

“I think we had 12 of our grand final side get drafted, bottom-agers and top-agers.’’

Williams himself was promoted as a future AFL player, but it never materialised and in the following years he had some personal battles.

Jason Williams playing for the Cannons against the Dandenong Stingrays.

Williams joined Port Melbourne in 2012 to play under Gary Ayres. Port reached the grand final but Williams lost his father a couple of weeks before the game.

His funeral was held interstate the day before the grand final. Williams attended and then flew back to Melbourne to play. The Borough lost to Geelong, and after the match Williams cut a shattered figure.

He left Port early in the 2013 season, joining Mick McGuane’s Keilor. Then it was on to Diggers Rest, and in 2016 he returned to Port Melbourne and appeared on the television show The Recruit.

A broken hand put him out for much of the season.

He went back to Keilor in 2017 and the following year linked with the Northern Blues for a third dash at the VFL.

Williams was also playing local football for Deer Park, which is where he sustained an ACL injury in the finals.

By that stage he wasn’t enjoying football. He was dealing with “a lot of mental health issues’’.

A friend had taken his own life near the end of 2017 “and I didn’t really deal with it until I hurt my knee’’.

“I remember doing my knee and I remember laying on the table and I just felt this massive weight lift off my shoulders, because I didn’t have to front up to play footy,’’ Williams said.

Jason Williams celebrating a goal for Diggers Rest in the 2015 grand final.

Soon after he linked with the Cannons’ Under 16s squad as a coach. Where playing had been a grind, coaching was a joy.

“My heart was just full. I honestly couldn’t have been happier, couldn’t have been in a better place,’’ he said.

“I honestly believe doing my knee was probably one of the greatest things that’s ever happened to me, because I stopped thinking about myself and my problems and started putting energy into other people and what they wanted to achieve.

“It ultimately helped me heal and fix myself. It’s a story I’m proud of and I guess it wasn’t by design. It just happened.’’

Williams added: “Before this, I didn’t really understand what my purpose was in life. I kind of just drifted through and that’s where a lot of my mental health issues came from, not knowing what I was working towards every day.

“Since I’ve been working with young people, with footy and things I’ve learned along the way, I get this massive sense of enjoyment and pride. That’s my purpose, to help them achieve their goals, understanding that everyone’s goals are different in the NAB League. Some are aiming to play AFL, some are aiming to play every game they can at the highest level they can, some are there just because they want to be there.’’

Jason Williams (left) with other Cannons coaches.

Williams became an assistant coach to the respected Smith this year. He credits Smith and Cannons talent ID lead Matthew Burton with creating an “empowering environment’’ at the club.

“Ross Smith is an amazing footy person,’’ he said. “He allows people to be themselves and makes everyone feel very comfortable. I knew when I was working under Ross that this was the person I want to learn from.

“I’m lucky. I’ve been coached by Gary Ayres. I’ve been coached by Mick McGuane. I’ve been coached by Mick Malthouse through The Recruit. And I’ve been coached by Ross Smith.’’

Williams’ tenure starts with a three-hour trip to meet the Murray Bushrangers on Sunday.