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Top footballers receive fan mail from many people, with the senders representing a vast cross section of the community.But it’s a safe bet that only one Australian Rules player has a telegram from former Indian Prime Minister, Indira Ghandi. Former Subiaco star Colin Williams showed us the “Delhi Medal” he was awarded in India, and told of a telegram he subsequently received from the  Stateswoman recently. “It was after the 1969 season that Subiaco and East Perth, in conjunction with Air India, travelled to India, visiting Bombay, New Delphi and Agra and took part in two exhibition games in New Delhi. It was a fantastic trip, although the heat was oppressive, especially in the National Stadium at New Delhi, and there was nobody watching, but I was lucky enough to win a medal for best player.”“After we arrived back home the Club hosted a function for us, and it was there that I was presented with the Delhi Medal and telegram by a representative of the Indian Embassy. Unfortunately, Austin Robertson borrowed it, saying he was going to write a story for the Daily News, and I still haven’t got it back.”As the name of Indira Ghandi is much revered in her country, Colin Williams is held in similar vein at Subiaco Football Club. Son of East Fremantle player of the twenties, Grove Williams, he is one of the most highly regarded players to pull on a boot at the Maroons, playing two hundred and fifty two league games, and was named in the club’s official Champion Team, 1946 to 76. He was also picked in the final squad of fifty for the Subiaco Team of the Century, and was vice captain and full back in Haydn Bunton’s best team of the years he coached Subiaco.  A product of the Scarborough junior competition, Williams represented Western Australia at the Brisbane State Schoolboys carnival in 1959, along with Graham Ramshaw and Terry Opie(Perth), Peter Gow,  Robert Hawkes and Gordon Rodger(Subiaco), Graham Shortte(South Fremantle), Geoff McMurray(Swan Districts), Colin Cutler and Robert Stanley (East Perth) and Peter Panegyres(West Perth). Coached at junior level by highly regarded mentor Kevin Smythe, he was a centreman before a few added inches turned him into a ruckman. A seventeen year old in 1963, he played thirds at Subiaco under coach Bob Browning. An exceptionally strong man, Williams was a good overhead mark, and a dogged competitor.  When league coach Dave Cuzens was sacked late in the season, Browning was thrust into the vacancy, and responded by promoting three of his more promising players into the senior side. Williams, Ron Dolphin, and Rodger were the trio chosen, but Rodger subsequently withdrew due to personal matters. Playing three games in a row, Williams returned to the thirds for the last qualifying round so he could play with them in the finals. The advent of Keith Slater as playing coach in 1964 saw Colin in the side on a half forward flank. In those days the teams were on the radio on Thursday nights and in the newspaper on Friday mornings, so it was with some precipitation that he picked up the paper one morning to see his name as centre half back for a game against Swan Districts alongside that of Ken Bagley. “Bagley was a hero of mine,” Colin recalled. “I remembered how good he was in the 1961 grand final, and the thought of lining up on the bloke was a daunting prospect.” Williams did well in the encounter, and went on to become Subiaco’s key half back. At centre half back for the first semi final, Williams did a good job on opponent Ian Brewer, but his side lost by two goals to ultimate premiers, Claremont. He became one of the top defenders in the WAFL in ensuing seasons, but they weren’t prosperous times for the club. It wasn’t to be until 1968 that they played in a final once more, going down to East Perth by a heartbreaking three points, followed by another loss the following season in the corresponding game, this time to Perth by twelve points. The end of season trip to India at the end of that year was a highlight for Colin, but for an incident in New Delhi. “It was supposed to be a friendly game, and it was being played in good nature by both sides until an incident involving Mal Brown and Graham Dearle, resulting in smashed teeth for the Subiaco youngster,” he said. “It did put a dampener on the whole trip.”It was in 1967 that Williams acquired the nickname of “Evil.”“That was the year Alan Killigrew came over and coached Subiaco,” he said. “ Big Bob Johnson also joined us from East Fremantle, as did another Victorian, Allan Carr, from North Melbourne. After one of our escapades on a boat trip, Carr called me “Evil,” and it stuck.” When Brian Sarre retired after the end of the 1969 season, Williams was the natural replacement, and stepped into the breach admirably. After the big kicking of Sarre, Colin brought a change to the way kickouts from goal were effected. “I wasn’t the big, booming kick Sarre was, but I did know how to find a team mate’s chest,” he said. “I would look for the bloke thirty or forty metres out, who could set up a run on, rather than try to emulate Brian.” It was a facet of his play that Perth coach Ern Henfry remarked on, and it was the forerunner of today’s tactics. It had been a travesty that he hadn’t been recognized by the State selectors previously, but that appeared to change when he was named in the Western Australian side to play South Australia in 1970. It was to be the only State guernsey the defender got. He seemed to be an unfortunate victim of a limit on how many players could be selected from individual clubs that was in force at the time, but for someone of his ability not to be used at the higher level was inexplicable to many experts and supporters of the day. With Austin Robertson and Sarre automatic choices, and team mates such as George Young, Cam Blakemore, Keith Watt and Mike Fitzpatrick in the mix, it was a difficult situation for a player of his ability and a restricting system. The full back finished in the top ten in 1970 Sandover Medal voting.Relatively injury free, Colin Williams copped a few setbacks in 1972, not helped by a couple of suspensions, and his football suffered as a result. His job with the Fire Brigade was affecting his training commitments, and he got the distinct feeling approaching the 1973 season that new coach Ross Smith was preparing to cut him loose. “I reckon there might have been a replacement picked out for me,” he recalled. Receiving the advice from team mates to “just get fit,” he knuckled down to the task, and reaped the rewards by being a key player in a remarkable long awaited flag. “I had thought I’d never play in a premiership,” Colin remarked. “It was a memorable year in more ways than one. After being initially under a selection cloud, it was satisfying to not only bounce back and be part of the flag, but to finish high up in the club fairest and best voting.” Subiaco hadn’t beaten West Perth in four encounters over the year, had lost the second semi to them by eighteen points, but triumphed by thirty two points on grand final day.  Williams retired in 1976, his knee finally protesting too much, and he had an operation in early 1977. Coaching the seconds the following season, he became a State selector in 1979.Colin Williams’s sporting ability was quickly transferred to the golf links, and he won the club championship at Mount Lawley Golf Club in 1992 and 93, as well as being three times runner up. In his younger years he was also a first grade cricketer, as a fast left arm bowler opening the attack for Scarborough’s first ever A Grade pennant side with Mick Malone, and also represented West Perth.  Phil Tierney(East Perth), Ron Evans(West Perth) and Murray Couper(Perth) were three goalsneaks Colin rated highly, while he reckoned that Laurie Kettlewell, Cam Blakemore, Austin Robertson and Wally Martin(“talk about casual, he’d use the football like it was a basketball.”) were some of the best he played with. These days Colin Williams is enjoying retirement with wife Rhonda, and, along with his golf, enjoys taking her on trips to far away places.     The changes in the game over the last twenty years has seen the tradition of local league clubs eroded, the past often insignificant to the new generation of football followers.  But the name of Colin Williams is one that is still as part of the Subiaco furniture as the 1973 flag. He was one of the club’s greatest, and is a legend at the Lions.               

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