Tom Williams (Australian rules footballer)
Encyclopedia
Tom Williams is an Australian rules football
er with the Western Bulldogs
in the Australian Football League
. Drafted with the 6th pick in the 2004 AFL Draft
, Williams was a late convert to Australian Rules, having been an all-round sportsman, playing representative rugby union
for Queensland
in U-18s.
Tom's father Steve played for the Parramatta Eels
in the New South Wales Rugby League
between 1975 and 1976 and was a co-founder of the Brisbane Broncos
.
Williams was identified as a talent by Mark Browning
, former Sydney Swan
turned AFL Queensland
talent manager. He was rushed into the 2004 Under 18 championships having played just 15 games of Australian rules football, from which he was taken as the Bulldogs first round pick in the draft.
Despite having broken his ankle three times since joining the club, Williams has shown promise of becoming a key position defender, giving the club plenty of reason to keep him on the list.
Williams made his debut against Richmond in round 4 of the 2007 AFL season
where the Bulldogs registered a victory against Richmond
. Willams played well enough to earn a NAB Rising Star nomination in round 18.
in Hong Kong
to rescue a woman attempting to commit suicide. The woman didn't want to be saved. They hauled her to safety after hearing bystanders screaming for help. When they emerged from the harbour they both had minor bruises and cuts. Both were reported to be in good spirits after the incident.
Following the incident, both Williams and Cross were awarded certificates of commendation by Hong Kong's Director of Marine.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er with the Western Bulldogs
Western Bulldogs
The Western Bulldogs are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based at the Whitten Oval in West Footscray, an inner-western suburb of Melbourne...
in the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
. Drafted with the 6th pick in the 2004 AFL Draft
2004 AFL Draft
The 2004 AFL Draft, concerning player acquisitions in the 2004/05 Australian Football League off-season, consisted of a trade period, a national draft, a pre-season draft, and the elevation of rookies...
, Williams was a late convert to Australian Rules, having been an all-round sportsman, playing representative rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
for Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
in U-18s.
Tom's father Steve played for the Parramatta Eels
Parramatta Eels
The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta. The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, with their First Grade side playing their first season in the New South Wales Rugby Football League...
in the New South Wales Rugby League
New South Wales Rugby League
The New South Wales Rugby League is the governing body of rugby league in New South Wales and is a member of the Australian Rugby League. It was formed in Sydney on 8 August 1907 and was known as the New South Wales Rugby Football League until 1984 when forward thinking marketing managers decided...
between 1975 and 1976 and was a co-founder of the Brisbane Broncos
Brisbane Broncos
The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the city of Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland. Founded in 1988, the Broncos play in Australasia's elite competition, the National Rugby League premiership. They have won six premierships and two...
.
Williams was identified as a talent by Mark Browning
Mark Browning
Mark Browning is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Sydney Swans from 1975 to 1987. He won the club's best and fairest award in 1983 and captained the Swans for the following two seasons....
, former Sydney Swan
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
turned AFL Queensland
AFL Queensland
AFL Queensland is the governing body of Australian rules football in Queensland. It was formed in 2000 after the previous governing body for the sport in Queensland, the Queensland Australian Football League , went into voluntary liquidation...
talent manager. He was rushed into the 2004 Under 18 championships having played just 15 games of Australian rules football, from which he was taken as the Bulldogs first round pick in the draft.
Despite having broken his ankle three times since joining the club, Williams has shown promise of becoming a key position defender, giving the club plenty of reason to keep him on the list.
Williams made his debut against Richmond in round 4 of the 2007 AFL season
2007 AFL season
The 2007 AFL Season was the 111th season of the Australian Football League, the highest-level professional Australian rules football league in Australia...
where the Bulldogs registered a victory against Richmond
Richmond Football Club
The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,...
. Willams played well enough to earn a NAB Rising Star nomination in round 18.
Victoria Harbour incident
On 4 October 2007, Williams and fellow team member Daniel Cross leaped into the water of Victoria HarbourVictoria Harbour
Victoria Harbour is a natural landform harbour situated between Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong. The harbour's deep, sheltered waters and strategic location on the South China Sea were instrumental in Hong Kong's establishment as a British colony and its subsequent...
in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
to rescue a woman attempting to commit suicide. The woman didn't want to be saved. They hauled her to safety after hearing bystanders screaming for help. When they emerged from the harbour they both had minor bruises and cuts. Both were reported to be in good spirits after the incident.
Following the incident, both Williams and Cross were awarded certificates of commendation by Hong Kong's Director of Marine.