Mark Williams ‘conflicted’ over who to support in Richmond-GWS preliminary final

HE enjoys a matchday kick-to-kick with Dustin Martin and his daughter dates GWS star Dylan Shiel. But who will Mark ‘Choco’ Williams support in the preliminary final?

Mark Williams during his days at the Tigers. Picture Dean Martin

PREMIERSHIP coach Mark ‘Choco’ Williams has a dilemma.

The former GWS and Richmond assistant is “conflicted” as to who to support heading into Saturday’s blockbuster preliminary final between the two clubs.

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Williams, who coached a premiership at Port Adelaide in 2004 before his coaching journey moved to the rival clubs, has close ties with both the Tigers and Giants — and more particularly with two of the game’s biggest stars.

After serving as Kevin Sheedy’s right-hand man at the Giants, Williams was an assistant at Punt Road for four seasons.

Williams told the Herald Sun earlier this year he enjoyed a pre-match kick-to-kick with Tigers superstar Dustin Martin before each of the club’s home matches.

Mark Williams has a strong relationship with Dustin Martin. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

On the other side of the coin, Williams’ daughter Georgie is the long-time partner of Giants midfield dynamo Dylan Shiel.

Whichever way the result falls at the MCG on Saturday evening Williams believes he’s a winner. But this weekend could prove tricky.

“I don’t know what to do,” Williams said.

“I’m very happy to take advice on this ... I spent two years, only two years, with GWS, but there’s about 12 (players) that played on the weekend that (I had a lot to do with).

“I was lucky enough that (Giants CEO) Dave Matthews invited me up there with Wayne Campbell (for the semi-final against West Coast) and I got a text from Leon (Giants coach Leon Cameron) to invite me into the rooms before the game.

“There was 12 or 14 players that I greeted and we reminisced a little bit about the early days.”

While Williams sat close to the interchange at Spotless Stadium last week — saying he even offered some advice to Shiel and big man Jon Patton as they sat on the bench — this weekend he’s unlikely to play a similar role as he watches on with 90,000-plus screaming Tiger fans.

“I’m very much conflicted,” he told SEN.

“All I know is I’m getting a ticket to the grand final. I know I’m going to be there because I know one of those teams are going to be waving the flag, that’s for sure.

“I’ll definitely be hoping that Dustin plays very well and certainly Dylan does as well, and you know all the boys that I had something to do with I hope go well and the others I don’t really care too much about!”