Fos Williams - Coaching

Coaching

After retiring from playing following the 1958 premiership, Williams coached the South Adelaide Panthers in 1960. Unfortunately Williams could do little with the under performing Panthers and the club finished 8th in his only season in charge. Williams returned to Alberton in 1962 as coach taking over Geof Motley, who stayed on as team captain. Williams would once again lead Port Adelaide to premierships in 1962, 1963 and 1965. From the time he returned in 1962 until 1968 Port Adelaide appeared in every SANFL Grand Final, unfortunately losing the last 3 in a row (1966–68) to the Jack Oatey coached Sturt who would go on to win 5 in a row (adding 1969 and 1970) equalling the 5 in a row won by Williams and Port from 1954-58.

Fos Williams continued to coach the Magpies until the end of the 1973 season when they finished 5th. During his 21 seasons at the helm of the Magpies, Port Adelaide had competed in 21 finals series, 16 Grand Finals and had won 9 premierships. At the time this was the record for coaching in the SANFL. Ironically it was the man who replaced Williams as Magpies coach for 1974, John Cahill, who would go on to break Williams record of 9 premierhsips when he won 10, all with Port Adelaide.

Williams returned to West Adelaide as coach in 1974 but the side finished with its 3rd 'wooden spoon' in a row by finishing 10th and last. Williams recruited former Port Adelaide rover Trevor Grimwood in 1975 and the club improved, making their first finals series since 1969 by finishing 5th in 1976 and improved again to reach the finals again in 1977, ultimately finishing 3rd after losing to Glenelg in the Preliminary Final at Football Park. 1977 also saw Grimwood win the Magarey Medal. 1977 was also destined to be the 23rd and last SANFL Finals series featuring Fos Williams as a coach.

After finishing with a 14-8 record in 1977, West Adelaide slumped in what was Fos Williams last year as an SANFL league coach in 1978. The Bloods finished with a 5-17 and could only manage 9th place. Following the season Fos Williams retired from coaching.