Playing Coach
Williams began his league career in 1946, aged 24 with West Adelaide. He was the 609th player selected to play for West and made his league debut on 20 July 1946. Williams played 54 games for West Adelaide, including playing as a rover in their victorious 1947 Grand Final against Norwood at the Adelaide Oval. Williams first gained state selection for South Australia while with West Adelaide and also kicked 112 goals for the club until the end of 1949.
Fos Williams left West Adelaide to become Captain-Coach of Port Adelaide in 1950. In his first year at Port he won the club's best and fairest award and led the team to 3rd place. In 1951 he won his 2nd SANFL premiership as a player and the first of a then record 9 as a coach when he led the Magpies to an 11 point win over North Adelaide in the Grand Final at the Adelaide Oval. Under the coaching of Williams from 1950 until 1958 Port returned to a position of power in the league and along with the 1951 win they won 5 in a row from 1954–58 and finished 2nd to Norths in 1952. The Magpies only missed the Grand Final when they finished 3rd in 1953. During their run from 54-58 under Williams Port defeated Norwood in 1955 and 1957 while the 1954, '56 and '58 wins were against his old side West Adelaide. After leaving Alberton at the end of 1958, Williams influence at the Magpies was still evident in his 3 year absence with the teams style of play changing little under new coach (and Williams old team mate) Geof Motley. Motley took over as Captain-Coach and Port would finish 1st in 1959 and 3rd in both 1960 and 1961 before Williams returned in 1962.
During his time as Captain-Coach of the Magpies, Fos Williams wrote the Port Adelaide Football Club Creed.
Read more about this topic: Fos Williams, Player
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