Просмотр кода страницы Английская Википедия:Greg Williams (Australian footballer)

{{Английская Википедия/Панель перехода}}
{{short description|Australian rules footballer, born 1963}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2015}}
{{Infobox AFL biography
| name = Greg Williams
| image = 
| fullname = Gregory Donald Williams
| nickname = Diesel
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1963|9|30|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Victoria, Australia]]
| death_date = 
| death_place = 
| originalteam = [[Golden Square Football Club|Golden Square]]
| height = 176 cm
| weight = 88 kg
| position = 
| statsend = 1997
| years1 = 1984–1985
| club1 = [[Geelong Cats|Geelong]]
| games_goals1 = {{0}}34 {{0}}(10)
| years2 = 1986–1991
| club2 = [[Sydney Swans|Sydney]]
| games_goals2 = 107 (118)
| years3 = 1992–1997
| club3 = [[Carlton Blues|Carlton]]
| games_goals3 = 109 {{0}}(89)
| games_goalstotal = 250 (217)
| sooteam1 = [[Victoria Australian rules football team|Victoria]]
| soogames_goals1 = 9 (8)
| careerhighlights = '''Club'''
*2× [[Brownlow Medal]]: 1986, 1994
*2× [[Leigh Matthews Trophy|AFLPA MVP]]: 1985, 1994
*2× [[All-Australian team]]: 1993, 1994 
* [[Carji Greeves Medal|Geelong Best & Fairest]]: 1985
* [[John Nicholls Medal|Carlton Best & Fairest]]: 1994
* [[Norm Smith Medal]]: 1995
* [[Australian Football League|AFL]] Premiership: [[1995 AFL Grand Final|1995]] 
* All Australian captain 1994
* Carlton Vice Captain: 1993
* [[Australian Football League#Team of the Century|AFL Team of the Century]] – <small>Interchange</small>
* [[Australian Football Hall of Fame]]
* [[Carlton Football Club#Carlton Team of the Century|Carlton Team of the Century]] – <small>Centre</small>
* [[Sydney Swans#Team of the century|Sydney Team of the Century]] – <small>Centre</small>
* [[Carlton Football Club#Hall of Fame|Carlton Hall of Fame]]
* Sydney/South Melbourne Hall of Fame

'''Representative'''
* [[E. J. Whitten Medal]]: 1987
* Victoria Captain: 1989
*2× [[All-Australian team]]: 1986, 1987
}}

'''Gregory Donald Williams''' (born 30 September 1963) is a former [[Australian rules football]]er who represented {{AFL Gee}}, the [[Sydney Swans]] and {{AFL Car}} in the [[Australian Football League]] (AFL) during the 1980s and 1990s. A midfielder, he is a dual [[Brownlow Medal]] winner and at his peak was the then-highest-paid player in the history of the sport, including an under-the-table $200,000 bonus payment.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2003-03-29 |title=Blues busted over secret payments to Williams |url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/afl/blues-busted-over-secret-payments-to-williams-20030329-gdgihd.html |access-date=2023-10-04 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en}}</ref> He was also linked to further controversy during the 1990s.

==Playing style==
Williams made his name as one of the best [[Centre line (football)|centres]] in the history of the game. He was particularly skilful at [[Handball (Australian rules football)|handpassing]], and was the most prolific user of the skill during his era.<ref name=encyc/> The hallmark of Williams' play was his ability to win ground contests, and almost immediately free the ball to nearby teammates via quick, accurate handpassing.<ref name=blueseum/> To that end, Williams' other strengths included his vision and awareness of the teammates around him; he is said to have been heavily involved in midfield tactics at [[ball-up]]s.<ref name=encyc/> His kicking and ball winning skills were also strong.<ref name=blueseum/>

Williams strengths outweighed several negative physical characteristics which could have hindered his career as a footballer. Most notably, he was a slow runner; he had been [[knock-kneed]] as a child and his pace was not helped by five knee surgeries throughout his career. He was also short, stocky and carried extra weight early in his career.<ref name="encyc" />

Williams earned the nickname "Diesel", after the nickname of [[John Riggins]], an American NFL player whose motivational tapes were used by Williams' first Victorian Football League (VFL) Geelong captain [[Michael Turner (Australian rules footballer)|Michael Turner]], and remains widely used.<ref>{{cite web|title=Open Mike - Greg Williams Extended Edition (2011)|website = [[YouTube]]|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFB2D9L5eic&t=2806s|access-date=16 May 2018|date=26 January 2014}}</ref>

==Playing career==

===Before the VFL===
The third of eight children, Williams spent his early life in Melbourne, before moving to [[Bendigo, Victoria|Bendigo]] at the age of 10. There, he played football for the [[Golden Square Football Club]] in the [[Bendigo Football League]], earning strong acclaim at junior levels, representing Victoria in the [[AFL Under 18 Championships|Teal Cup]] in 1980.<ref name=blueseum>{{cite web|url=http://www.blueseum.org/tiki-index.php?page=Greg+Williams|title=Greg Williams|publisher=Blueseum|access-date=30 Aug 2011|date=28 Jun 2010}}</ref>

Prior to the 1982 VFL season, Williams trained in the pre-season with the [[Carlton Football Club]] (to which the Bendigo Football League was [[Zoning (Australian rules football)|zoned]]), but the Blues ultimately rejected him, deterred by his lack of speed and fitness. He returned to Golden Square for the season, winning the [[Bendigo Football League#Awards|Michelsen Medal]] as league [[best and fairest]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bendigofnl.com.au/files/History/20110128%20Senior%20Football%20Records.pdf|title=Senior Football Records|publisher=Bendigo Football Netball League|access-date=30 Aug 2011}}</ref> Carlton invited him to try out again in the 1983 pre-season, but again he was rejected. He returned to Golden Square, and once again he won the Michelsen Medal.<ref name=blueseum/>

===Geelong===
As Carlton had passed on Williams, other VFL clubs were able to recruit him, and prior to the [[1984 VFL season]] he was recruited to {{AFL Gee}}, then under coach [[Tom Hafey]]. Williams made his debut in Round 1 and amassed 38 disposals, and scored three Brownlow votes. He played twelve matches in his first season, missing much of the year with a knee injury. In his second season, he played every match, won the [[Leigh Matthews Trophy|VFL Players Association MVP Award]] and the [[Carji Greeves Medal]].<ref name="blueseum" /> He set new records for handpassing, with 399 handpasses for the season – a record which would stand until [[2006 AFL season|2006]] – and with 28 handpasses in the Round 22 match against [[Fitzroy Football Club|Fitzroy]] – a record which would be tied several times, but not broken until 2008.<ref name="records">{{cite web|publisher=AFL Tables|access-date=30 Aug 2011|title=Player Season and Game Records|url=http://afltables.com/afl/stats/teams/allteams/playershi.html}}</ref>

===Sydney Swans===
At the end of 1985, when Hafey took the job as coach of the [[Sydney Swans]] after being sacked by Geelong, Williams was promptly offered a sizeable contract to follow Hafey to Sydney. Williams was reported to have been offered roughly double the money he was on at Geelong. Williams accepted, and the deal was done with a transfer fee of $120,000 between the clubs, which was much less than the $200,000 that Geelong had sought.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.countryfootyscores.com/media-articles/155-the-archive-with-richard-jones/2565-how-sqaure-boy-diesel-became-a-swan.html|title=How Square boy Diesel became a Swan|publisher=Country Footy Scores|access-date=30 Aug 2011|first=Richard|last=Jones}}</ref>

Williams continued his strong form into his career with Sydney. In 1986, his first season there, Williams won the [[Brownlow Medal]] in a tie with {{AFL Haw}}'s [[Robert DiPierdomenico]], and made the All-Australian team for the first time; he would back this up with his second All-Australian selection in 1987, and he placed third for the Brownlow in 1989.<ref name=blueseum/> In Round 19, 1989, Williams amassed 53 disposals, which is the second highest ever recorded in a VFL/AFL match; it included another haul of 28 handpasses, and his career best tally of six goals.<ref name=records/>

===Transfer to Carlton===
During 1991, Williams decided that he wanted to return to [[Melbourne]] the following season, and {{AFL StK}} and {{AFL Car}} emerged as the two potential candidates. Since the introduction of the [[AFL Draft]] in 1986, Williams' move would need to take place as a trade, rather than with a transfer fee as had been the case under his first move. Ultimately, St Kilda was not willing to agree to Sydney's requested trade, which would have included future dual-Brownlow Medallist [[Robert Harvey (footballer)|Robert Harvey]], and as a result Williams was traded to Carlton. In the end, a three-way trade involving Fitzroy was negotiated, with [[Simon Minton-Connell]] traded from Carlton to Sydney, [[Darren Kappler]] traded from [[Fitzroy Football Club|Fitzroy]] to Sydney, [[Peter Sartori]] and [[Ashley Matthews]] traded from Carlton to Fitzroy, and Williams traded from Sydney to Carlton.<ref name="blueseum" /> Williams was estimated to be on a contract worth more than $300,000 per year ({{Inflation|AU|300000|1986|fmt=eq}}), which was then the highest contract in the history of the sport.<ref name="encyc" />{{Additional citation needed|date=October 2023}}

===Carlton===
After a solid 1992, Williams returned to career-best form for Carlton in [[1993 AFL season|1993]] and [[1994 AFL season|1994]]. He finished second in the Brownlow Medal in 1993, one vote behind winner [[Gavin Wanganeen]]. In 1994, he polled 30 votes to win the award; he was the tenth player to win the Brownlow Medal twice, and the third to do so at different clubs. Additionally in 1994, he won the [[Leigh Matthews Trophy|AFL Players Association MVP Award]] for the second time, becoming the first player to win the award twice; he won the [[Robert Reynolds Trophy]] as Carlton's best and fairest for the only time in his career. He was also All-Australian in both 1993 and 1994 – the former as vice-captain, and the latter as captain.<ref name=blueseum/> He won the first and only premiership of his VFL/AFL career with Carlton in [[1995 AFL Grand Final|1995]], and he won the [[Norm Smith Medal]] with five goals in the Grand Final. He was the first player to win a Brownlow Medal, Premiership Medallion, and Norm Smith Medal across his career.<ref>{{cite news|title=Medal man|date=1 Oct 2011|access-date=1 October 2011|first=Ashley|last=Browne|publisher=Australian Football League|url=http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/124494/default.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111002085343/http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/124494/default.aspx|archive-date=2 October 2011|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

Williams played two more seasons, before retiring at the end of a controversial [[1997 AFL season|1997 season]] which saw a [[Greg Williams (Australian footballer)#Controversy|protracted legal battle]] between the AFL and Carlton over a suspension Williams received from the tribunal. He finished his career with 250 senior games: 34 with Geelong, 107 with Sydney, 109 with Carlton and 9 for Victoria in State of Origin matches.<ref name="encyc">{{citation|last1=Holmesby|first1=Russell|first2=Jim|last2=Main|title=The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers: Every Carlton AFL Player Ever|publisher=BAS Publishing|place=Melbourne, VIC|year=2004|page=206}}</ref> In his league career he accumulated 3600 handpasses; this was more than five hundred more than any other player before him, so prolific was his use of handpass, and it remained the record until 2006. As of the end of the 2016 season, his career average of 26.9 disposals per game remains the record for retired players, and his career average of 14.4 handpasses per game was the record until the retirement of [[Daniel Cross (footballer)|Daniel Cross]] in 2015.{{Ref|2|Note 2,}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://afltables.com/afl/stats/players.html|title=Player Totals|access-date=28 August 2016|publisher=AFL Tables}}</ref>

==Statistics==
<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/G/Greg_Williams.html|title = AFL Tables - Greg Williams - Stats - Statistics}}</ref>
{{Australian rules football statistics legend|p=y}}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|style="background:#CFECEC; width:1em"|
|Led the league for the season only
|-
|style="background:#b7e718; width:1em"|
|Led the league after finals only
|-
|style="background:#DD6E81; width:1em"|
|Led the league after season and finals
|}
{{AFL player statistics start}}
|-style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | [[1984 VFL season|1984]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Gee}}
| 11 || 12 || 4 || 5 || 154 || 158 || 312 || 37 || {{n/a}} || 0.3 || 0.4 || 12.8 || bgcolor="DD6E81"| '''13.2''' || 26.0 || 3.1 || {{n/a}}
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | [[1985 VFL season|1985]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Gee}}
| 11 || 22 || 6 || 8 || 276 || bgcolor="DD6E81"| '''399''' || bgcolor="DD6E81"| '''675''' || 81 || {{n/a}} || 0.3 || 0.4 || 12.5 || bgcolor="DD6E81"| '''18.1''' || bgcolor="DD6E81"| '''30.7''' || 3.7 || {{n/a}}
|-style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | [[1986 VFL season|1986]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Syd}}
| 2 || 24 || 28 || 21 || 311 || bgcolor="DD6E81"| '''379''' || bgcolor="DD6E81"| '''690''' || 90 || {{n/a}} || 1.2 || 0.9 || 13.0 || bgcolor="DD6E81"| '''15.8''' || 28.8 || 3.8 || {{n/a}}
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | [[1987 VFL season|1987]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Syd}}
| 2 || 22 || 21 || 11 || 255 || bgcolor="DD6E81"| '''332''' || 587 || 56 || 46 || 1.0 || 0.5 || 11.6 || bgcolor="DD6E81"| '''15.1''' || bgcolor="DD6E81"| '''26.7''' || 2.5 || 2.2
|-style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | [[1988 VFL season|1988]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Syd}}
| 2 || 18 || 20 || 14 || 280 || bgcolor="CFECEC"| '''249''' || 529 || 64 || 34 || 1.1 || 0.8 || 15.6 || bgcolor="DD6E81"| '''13.8''' || bgcolor="DD6E81"| '''29.4''' || 3.6 || 1.9
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | [[1989 VFL season|1989]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Syd}}
| 2 || 17 || 19 || 23 || 214 || bgcolor="CFECEC"| '''258''' || 472 || 63 || 28 || 1.1 || 1.4 || 12.6 || bgcolor="DD6E81"| '''15.2''' || 27.8 || 3.7 || 1.6
|-style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | [[1990 AFL season|1990]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Syd}}
| 2 || 11 || 17 || 6 || 164 || 185 || 349 || 46 || 18 || 1.5 || 0.5 || 14.9 || bgcolor="DD6E81"| '''16.8''' || bgcolor="DD6E81"| '''31.7''' || 4.2 || 1.6
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | [[1991 AFL season|1991]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Syd}}
| 2 || 15 || 13 || 16 || 163 || 249 || 412 || 44 || 21 || 0.9 || 1.1 || 10.9 || bgcolor="DD6E81"| '''16.6''' || 27.5 || 2.9 || 1.1
|-style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | [[1992 AFL season|1992]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Car}}
| 2 || 16 || 2 || 10 || 204 || 185 || 389 || 58 || 28 || 0.1 || 0.6 || 12.8 || 11.6 || 24.3 || 3.6 || 1.8
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | [[1993 AFL season|1993]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Car}}
| 2 || 23 || 21 || 9 || 297 || bgcolor="DD6E81"| '''367''' || bgcolor="DD6E81"| '''664''' || 84 || 29 || 0.9 || 0.4 || 12.9 || bgcolor="DD6E81"| '''16.0''' || bgcolor="DD6E81"| '''28.9''' || 3.7 || 1.3
|-style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | [[1994 AFL season|1994]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Car}}
| 2 || 22 || 15 || 12 || 278 || bgcolor="DD6E81"| '''364''' || bgcolor="DD6E81"| '''642''' || 56 || 40 || 0.7 || 0.5 || 12.6 || bgcolor="DD6E81"| '''16.5''' || bgcolor="DD6E81"| '''29.2''' || 2.5 || 1.8
|-
| scope=row bgcolor=F0E68C | '''[[1995 AFL season|1995]]'''<sup>#</sup> || {{AFL Car}}
| 2 || 17 || 29 || 15 || 185 || 179 || 364 || 63 || 21 || 1.7 || 0.9 || 10.9 || 10.5 || 21.4 || 3.7 || 1.2
|-style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | [[1996 AFL season|1996]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Car}}
| 2 || 18 || 11 || 7 || 169 || 161 || 330 || 51 || 18 || 0.6 || 0.4 || 9.4 || 8.9 || 18.3 || 2.8 || 1.0
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | [[1997 AFL season|1997]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Car}}
| 2 || 13 || 11 || 9 || 171 || 135 || 306 || 52 || 20 || 0.8 || 0.7 || 13.2 || 10.4 || 23.5 || 4.0 || 1.5
|- class="sortbottom"
! colspan=3| Career
! 250
! 217
! 166
! 3121
! 3600
! 6721
! 845
! 303
! 0.9
! 0.7
! 12.5
! 14.4
! 26.9
! 3.4
! 1.6
|}

==Honours and achievements==
{| style="margin-right:4px; margin-top:8px; float:right; border:1px #000 solid; border-radius:8px; background:#fff; font-family:Verdana; font-size:8pt; text-align:center;"
|- style="background:#fff;"
| colspan="2;" style="padding:3px; margin-bottom:-3px; margin-top:2px; font-family:Arial; "| '''[[Brownlow Medal]] votes'''
|-
! style="width:50%;"| Season
! style="width:50%;"| Votes
|-
| [[1984 Brownlow Medal|1984]]
| 7
|-
| [[1985 Brownlow Medal|1985]]
| 15
|-
|- style="background:#D9F9E9;"
| '''[[1986 Brownlow Medal|1986]]'''
| '''17'''
|-
| [[1987 Brownlow Medal|1987]]
| 13
|-
| [[1988 Brownlow Medal|1988]]
| 2
|-
| [[1989 Brownlow Medal|1989]]
| 16
|-
| [[1990 Brownlow Medal|1990]]
| 7
|-
| [[1991 Brownlow Medal|1991]]
| 8
|-
| [[1992 Brownlow Medal|1992]]
| 6
|-
| [[1993 Brownlow Medal|1993]]
| 17
|-
|- style="background:#D9F9E9;"
| '''[[1994 Brownlow Medal|1994]]'''
| '''30'''
|-
| [[1995 Brownlow Medal|1995]]
| 6
|-
| [[1996 Brownlow Medal|1996]]
| 7
|-
| [[1997 Brownlow Medal|1997]]
| 3
|-
| '''Total'''
| '''154'''
|-
| colspan=2| <small>Key:</small>
|- style="background:#d9f9e9; border:1px solid #aaa; width:2em;"
| colspan=2| <small>Green / '''Bold''' = [[List of Brownlow Medal winners|Won]]</small><!--
<br />* = joint winner</small>
|- style="background-color:#FFCCCC; border:1px solid #aaaaaa; width:2em;"
| colspan=2| <small>Red / ''Italics'' = [[Brownlow Medal#Ineligibility|Ineligible]]</small>
-->
|}

'''Team'''
*'''[[AFL Premiership]] ([[Carlton Football Club|Carlton]])''': 1995
*'''[[McClelland Trophy]] ([[Carlton Football Club|Carlton]])''': 1995
*'''[[Australian Football League pre-season competition|Ansett Australia Cup]] ([[Carlton Football Club|Carlton]])''': 1997
'''Individual'''
*'''2× [[Brownlow Medal]]''': 1986, 1994
*'''2× [[Leigh Matthews Trophy|Leigh Matthews Trophy (AFLPA MVP Award)]]''': 1985, 1994
*'''4× [[All-Australian team|All-Australian]]''': 1986, 1987, 1993, 1994
*'''[[John Nicholls Medal]]''': 1994
*'''[[Australian Football Media Association Player of the Year|Australian Football Media Association Player of the Year Award]]''': 1994
*'''2× [[Herald Sun Player of the Year|Herald Sun Player of the Year Award]]''': 1993, 1994
*'''[[Norm Smith Medal]]''': 1995
*'''[[Australian Football Hall of Fame|Australian Football Hall of Fame Inductee]]''': 2001
*'''[[Carlton Football Club]] Hall of Fame Inductee''': 1999
*'''[[Sydney Swans]] Hall of Fame Inductee''': 2009
*'''[[AFL Team of the Century]] - Interchange Bench'''
*'''[[Carlton Football Club]] Team of the Century – Centre'''
*'''[[Sydney Swans|South Melbourne/Sydney Swans]] Team of the Century – Centre'''

==Controversy==
Williams was a highly controversial figure during his career, and was involved in several scandals.

;Tribunal record
Williams frequently found himself in trouble with umpires and had many [[AFL Tribunal|tribunal]] appearances – often as the result of overzealous retaliation against his taggers.<ref name=encyc/> He was charged a total of 19 times, found guilty 12 times, and suspended for a total of 34 matches during his career.<ref name=law1997>{{cite web|url=http://footystats.freeservers.com/Special/1997review.html|title=1997 Review|publisher=Footystats|access-date=30 Aug 2011|year=1997|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130507043301/http://footystats.freeservers.com/Special/1997review.html|archive-date=7 May 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> He was also known for his generally impolite treatment of umpires, and the Tribunal found him guilty of verbally abusing an umpire on three occasions, for which he was twice fined and once suspended.<ref name="1995f">{{cite web|url=http://footystats.freeservers.com/Special/1995review.html|title=1995 Review|publisher=Footystats|access-date=31 Aug 2011|year=1995|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130518073900/http://footystats.freeservers.com/Special/1995review.html|archive-date=18 May 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

;Illegal player payments
In February 1992, it was uncovered that both Williams and the Sydney Swans had breached the league's salary regulations. Williams had received additional, undeclared payments via one of Sydney's sponsors during the 1990 season, with both the club and the player aware of the rort. Both plead guilty to the AFL. The club was fined $50,000, and Williams was fined $25,000 and de-registered by the league for eleven weeks. Williams was in his first pre-season with Carlton at the time, and his debut for the club was delayed until Round 7 as a result of the deregistration.<ref name=blueseum/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://footystats.freeservers.com/Special/1992review.html|title=1992 Review|publisher=Footystats|access-date=31 Aug 2011|year=1992|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616181803/http://footystats.freeservers.com/Special/1992review.html|archive-date=16 June 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>

;1993 Brownlow Medal
When Williams finished one vote behind winner [[Gavin Wanganeen]] for the 1993 Brownlow Medal, it was noted that Williams had received no votes in Carlton's nine goal victory against {{AFL Mel}} in Round 10 at [[Princes Park (stadium)|Princes Park]] – a match in which Williams accumulated 44 disposals, kicked a goal and was generally thought to have been the most dominant player on the ground. The votes in that game attracted some media attention at the time, and Williams' poor relationship with umpires was often considered to have been a factor in his failure to poll votes.<ref name="law1993">{{cite web|url=http://footystats.freeservers.com/Special/1993review.html|title=1993 Review|publisher=Footystats|access-date=30 Aug 2011|year=1993|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130610140012/http://footystats.freeservers.com/Special/1993review.html|archive-date=10 June 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2006, one of the umpires in that match, Murray Bird, alleged this to be true, stating that he had wanted to award votes to Williams, but that his more senior colleague on the day, John Russo, had overruled him on the basis of Williams' negative attitude towards him. Russo denied the allegations. Williams briefly considered a legal challenge for the 1993 Brownlow Medal, but did not proceed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.afana.com/drupal5/news/2006/09/27/potential_brownlow_scandal-309|title=Potential Brownlow Scandal|first=Lisa|last=Albergo|date=27 Sep 2006|access-date=1 Sep 2011|publisher=AFANA}}</ref>

;Racial vilification
In August 1995, Williams was charged with racially vilifying West Coast Eagles opponent [[Chris Lewis (Australian rules footballer)|Chris Lewis]], after referring to him as a "black c***" during a match; he was one of the first players charged under an AFL rule, introduced in June 1995, which was specific to racial vilification. The case was settled with a public apology from Williams to Lewis; no penalty was imposed.<ref>{{citation|first=Greg|last=Gardiner|title=Racial Abuse and Football: The Australian Football League's Racial Vilification Rule in Review|journal=Sporting Traditions|volume=14|issue=1|date=November 1997|url=http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/SportingTraditions/1997/st1401/st1401d.pdf}}</ref> It was not the only incident between the two players in their careers, with Lewis suspended for spitting at Williams in a match in 1993.<ref name="1995f"/>

;Suspension appealed through the courts
Williams was involved in a particularly controversial tribunal case following an incident in Round 1 1997. After the final siren of Carlton's match against Essendon, umpire Andrew Coates stepped in to break up a small conflict between Williams and Essendon's [[Sean Denham]]. Williams pushed Coates in the chest to continue the exchange with Denham. The contact was not violent in nature, but was forceful enough to knock Coates off balance.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.footy.com.au/dags/97/wrapup/wrapup_r02.html|title=Weekly Wrapup|first=Tim |last=Murphy|date=5 May 1997|access-date=30 August 2011}}</ref> Coates did not report Williams for the incident, but after viewing video footage, the AFL brought its own report against Williams to the tribunal. He was found guilty of "undue interference with an umpire" and suspended for nine matches.

Because the length of the suspension would have personally cost Williams $100,000 in match payments, Carlton decided to challenge the decision in the [[Supreme Court of Victoria]]; at the time, there was no Appeals Board at the AFL Tribunal, so the courts were the only place to appeal decisions.<ref name=law1>{{cite web|title=The Supreme Court Hearing|access-date=30 Aug 2011|url=http://www.law4u.com.au/footylaw/footy_law_shearing.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110219144555/http://www.law4u.com.au/footylaw/footy_law_shearing.html|archive-date=19 February 2011|df=dmy-all}}</ref> An injunction against the suspension was awarded on the Friday after the match, allowing Williams to continue playing until the case was heard (although he did have to serve a three-week suspension for a kneeing offence committed the very next week). Prior to Round 10, the court overturned the nine-week suspension,<ref name=law1997/> with Justice John Hedigan making direct recommendation that the AFL Tribunal establish its own appeals process as part of his judgement.<ref name=law1/> The AFL then appealed Hedigan's decision in the Victorian Court of Appeal, and the three justices found in the AFL's favour (by a majority of 2–1), and re-instated Williams' nine-week suspension, to be served starting in Round 17. Carlton attempted to take the case to the [[High Court of Australia]], but the High Court rejected the application. Altogether, Carlton suffered more than $400,000 in legal costs.<ref name=law1997/> Williams served six matches of the suspension before retiring at the end of the season. The AFL did act on Hedigan's recommendation, and established an Appeals Board for the 1998 season.

==Personal life==
Williams has a son, Jake, who trained with Carlton in the 2007 pre-season, but was ultimately not drafted to the AFL. Jake was eligible to be selected by either Carlton or Sydney under the [[father–son rule]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aflinsider.net/carlton-and-jake-williams/ |title=Carlton and Jake Williams |date=1 October 2006 |publisher=AFL Insider |access-date=1 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120331131728/http://www.aflinsider.net/carlton-and-jake-williams/ |archive-date=31 March 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

==Health==
In February 2013 it was reported<ref>[http://au.news.yahoo.com/sunday-night/features/article/-/16197435/knockout-blow/ "Knockout blow ", ''Sunday Night'', 24 February 2013, Seven Network current affairs program. Retrieved 24 February 2013.]</ref> that Williams was among a group of seven former AFL and [[NRL]] players who were tested by researchers at [[Deakin University]] and found to have symptoms of [[chronic traumatic encephalopathy]] (CTE), a degenerative condition which has affected some athletes who have had a history of severe concussions and other head traumas. It was reported that Williams was suffering memory loss, including that he no longer recalls many specific details about some of his greatest football achievements, such as Carlton's 1995 premiership game.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/afl-star-blames-concussion-for-memory-loss/story-e6frf7kf-1226584564338|title=AFL star blames concussion for memory loss|work=Herald Sun|date=24 February 2013|access-date=24 February 2013}}</ref>

==Notes==
<small>:1.{{note|1}} Match statistics for kicks, handpasses and disposals are available only since 1965.</small><br>
<small>:2.{{note|2}} Limited to players with fifty or more league games played.</small>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{AFL Tables|ref=G/Greg_Williams.html}}
* {{AustralianFootball|ref=greg%2Bwilliams/11913}}
* [http://www.blueseum.org/tiki-index.php?page=Greg+Williams Greg Williams Profile in Blueseum]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070928042351/http://prod.www.afl.cfour.com.au/Season2007/Awards/HallofFame/Players/tabid/856/Default.aspx AFL: Hall of Fame]

{{1995 Carlton premiership players}}
{{AFL Brownlow Medallists}}
{{Multiple Brownlow Medal winners}}
{{AFL MVPs}}
{{Norm Smith Medal}}
{{Australian Football Media Association Player of the Year}}
{{Herald Sun Player of the Year}}
{{E. J. Whitten Medal winners}}
{{AFL Team of the Century}}
{{Sydney Swans Team of The Century}}
{{Carlton Team of The Century}}
{{Carji Greeves Medal}}
{{John Nicholls Medal}}
{{1986 All-Australian team}}
{{1987 All-Australian team}}
{{1993 All-Australian team}}
{{1994 All-Australian team}}
{{1986 Victoria State of Origin players}}
{{1989 Victoria State of Origin players}}
{{1993 Victoria State of Origin players}}
{{1996 Victoria State of Origin players}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Greg}}
[[Category:1963 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:All-Australians (1953–1988)]]
[[Category:Australian Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Brownlow Medal winners]]
[[Category:Norm Smith Medal winners]]
[[Category:Leigh Matthews Trophy winners]]
[[Category:Carji Greeves Medal winners]]
[[Category:Victorian State of Origin players]]
[[Category:Geelong Football Club players]]
[[Category:Sydney Swans players]]
[[Category:Carlton Football Club players]]
[[Category:Carlton Football Club premiership players]]
[[Category:John Nicholls Medal winners]]
[[Category:Australian rules footballers from Bendigo]]
[[Category:Golden Square Football Club players]]
[[Category:All-Australians (AFL)]]
[[Category:E. J. Whitten Medal winners]]
[[Category:Australia international rules football team players]]
[[Category:VFL/AFL premiership players]]
{{Навигационная таблица/Портал/Английская Википедия}}
[[Категория:Английская Википедия]]
[[Категория:Википедия]]
[[Категория:Статья из Википедии]]
[[Категория:Статья из Английской Википедии]]