Past #36: Josh Williams - drafted #36 2016 ND - 2 games/1 goal - delisted end 2018

[guapo]

Marley Williams?

Like I said, can't remember us ever having a Willow, yet now we have 2

 

[giantroo]

nmfc.com.au:

Josh Williams - Pick 36

Bryce Lewis Says:

“Josh was one of the quickest players in the draft. He’s an outside-mid who likes to run and carry and take the game on. He’s also been a goal-kicker.

“He’s a good size, about 188 or 189 (centimetres), but needs to put on a little bit of size which he’ll be able to do.

“He’s a player that with his speed and his run, we think has got really appealing attributes."

 

[roos_fanatic08]

Feed the kid

 

[giantroo]

Josh Williams

Outside Midfielder | Hermit Park/Queensland/Allies
12/06/1998 | 189cm | 69kg

Snapshot:

Josh Williams is a Gold Coast Suns Academy player, but unlike Jack Bowes and Brad Scheer, the intrigue of whether he becomes a Sun or joins another club is one that will play out throughout the draft. It is imagined that the decision whether or not to match the bid will depend on when the bid comes as Gold Coast has to be careful not to go into deficit. The other aspect is of course whether they see Williams as a player that addresses a direct need or whether there are other priorities ahead of him.

Williams is your traditional outside skinny midfielder. He runs like the wind, has good bursts of acceleration, a lovely kick and great vision in traffic. He is the line breaker that takes on opponents and backs himself to burn them off with his pace. He has that excitement factor about him, but also has improvements to make to his game.

First of all, his light build means his inside game is limited. He simply gets pushed off the ball at stoppages when facing stronger opponents, so a couple of years in the gym will do him wonders. Luckily he has the traits to be successful as an outside midfielder so developing an inside game while important, is not paramount to his success at AFL level.

In saying that, winning some more ball on the inside will further enhance his game and take it to another level. This, coupled with some endurance work to continue to develop his tank will be important in his future endeavours. The improvements can be made through hard work and are nothing that cannot be addressed.

Overall, Williams has the athleticism down pat and with some running and gym work, he will gradually become a more complete player.


Strengths:

• Speed
• Acceleration
• Vision
• Kicking

There are a lot of fast players in the 2016 AFL draft crop, but Josh Williams may well be the fastest of the lot. Many people cite the 20m sprint, but that judges acceleration more than speed, which is something that Williams is also capable of with good quick bursts.

However his ongoing pace to burn an opponent off over medium distances is a strength of his and the fact he can hit targets with a reliable kick is a big plus. Considering he is purely outside, his kicking would need to be pretty spot on to be considered as a genuine prospect and it is, which is why he received a National AFL Draft Combine invitation.

Aside from his obvious pace and acceleration, Williams also has good vision in traffic and can sum up situations early and make the right decisions. While often quicker players rush their disposal at times, more often than not Williams will weigh up his options and understand the situation before disposing of the ball. His vision is important for the role he plays which is often off half-back or through the midfield running on a wing.

A player that is likely to be used in transitional running at AFL level, Williams is a line breaker who can take on opponents and then open the game up through the middle. Not as versatile as other players, Williams has spent time in the back-end of the ground and could play as the rebounding half-back or wingman when he adapts to AFL life.

Improvements:

• Inside game
• Light build
• Endurance

There are a few improvements that Williams will need to make before he can make a real impact at AFL level. The first is certainly adding to his lighter build. Right now at under 18s level he does not necessarily need the extra strength because there are lighter bodies crashing into him. But at AFL level it goes up a few notches and to win ground balls he will need to put more muscle on.

Secondly, he will need to improve his inside game to ensure he wins his own football and can run both ways at the elite level. There is no doubting his offensive capabilities but if his team is not performing, sometimes you will be required to dig deep and take it upon yourself to win a hardball and therefore this area needs to be developed. No-one expects him to become Patrick Cripps, but winning a bit more inside ball will make him a more valuable asset to any team.

Finally, building his tank is a big one. He is a lightning quick player, but is so in bursts. At this stage he does not appear to be a prolonged runner and continuing to work on his endurance will be a big step in the right direction. Everyone will see he can run, but for how long? Repeat efforts are crucial at AFL level and with an increased endurance, Williams can really hurt his opponent if the opponent knows he will run all day.


Summary:

Josh Williams is your eye-catching outside midfielder who breaks lines, possesses elite pace, good acceleration and a reliable kick under pressure. He has good vision through the stoppages and thinks his way through situations ahead of other players.

He will need to gain strength and build his endurance as well as work on winning more inside ball, but that is expected to come with time at the elite level. Williams has the traits to be a damaging half-back or midfielder, but with further development, he can become a more versatile all-round player who will hurt opposition in more ways than one.

 

[shinboner magic]

So is that what speed looks like.

Me likey

 

[giantroo]

i hope we just didn't recruit someone because they have leg speed....

Read the post I posted above.

 

[giantroo]

Josh Williams

Outside Midfielder | Hermit Park/Queensland/Allies
12/06/1998 | 189cm | 69kg

Snapshot:

Josh Williams is a Gold Coast Suns Academy player, but unlike Jack Bowes and Brad Scheer, the intrigue of whether he becomes a Sun or joins another club is one that will play out throughout the draft. It is imagined that the decision whether or not to match the bid will depend on when the bid comes as Gold Coast has to be careful not to go into deficit. The other aspect is of course whether they see Williams as a player that addresses a direct need or whether there are other priorities ahead of him.

Williams is your traditional outside skinny midfielder. He runs like the wind, has good bursts of acceleration, a lovely kick and great vision in traffic. He is the line breaker that takes on opponents and backs himself to burn them off with his pace. He has that excitement factor about him, but also has improvements to make to his game.

First of all, his light build means his inside game is limited. He simply gets pushed off the ball at stoppages when facing stronger opponents, so a couple of years in the gym will do him wonders. Luckily he has the traits to be successful as an outside midfielder so developing an inside game while important, is not paramount to his success at AFL level.

In saying that, winning some more ball on the inside will further enhance his game and take it to another level. This, coupled with some endurance work to continue to develop his tank will be important in his future endeavours. The improvements can be made through hard work and are nothing that cannot be addressed.

Overall, Williams has the athleticism down pat and with some running and gym work, he will gradually become a more complete player.


Strengths:

• Speed
• Acceleration
• Vision
• Kicking

There are a lot of fast players in the 2016 AFL draft crop, but Josh Williams may well be the fastest of the lot. Many people cite the 20m sprint, but that judges acceleration more than speed, which is something that Williams is also capable of with good quick bursts.

However his ongoing pace to burn an opponent off over medium distances is a strength of his and the fact he can hit targets with a reliable kick is a big plus. Considering he is purely outside, his kicking would need to be pretty spot on to be considered as a genuine prospect and it is, which is why he received a National AFL Draft Combine invitation.

Aside from his obvious pace and acceleration, Williams also has good vision in traffic and can sum up situations early and make the right decisions. While often quicker players rush their disposal at times, more often than not Williams will weigh up his options and understand the situation before disposing of the ball. His vision is important for the role he plays which is often off half-back or through the midfield running on a wing.

A player that is likely to be used in transitional running at AFL level, Williams is a line breaker who can take on opponents and then open the game up through the middle. Not as versatile as other players, Williams has spent time in the back-end of the ground and could play as the rebounding half-back or wingman when he adapts to AFL life.

Improvements:

• Inside game
• Light build
• Endurance

There are a few improvements that Williams will need to make before he can make a real impact at AFL level. The first is certainly adding to his lighter build. Right now at under 18s level he does not necessarily need the extra strength because there are lighter bodies crashing into him. But at AFL level it goes up a few notches and to win ground balls he will need to put more muscle on.

Secondly, he will need to improve his inside game to ensure he wins his own football and can run both ways at the elite level. There is no doubting his offensive capabilities but if his team is not performing, sometimes you will be required to dig deep and take it upon yourself to win a hardball and therefore this area needs to be developed. No-one expects him to become Patrick Cripps, but winning a bit more inside ball will make him a more valuable asset to any team.

Finally, building his tank is a big one. He is a lightning quick player, but is so in bursts. At this stage he does not appear to be a prolonged runner and continuing to work on his endurance will be a big step in the right direction. Everyone will see he can run, but for how long? Repeat efforts are crucial at AFL level and with an increased endurance, Williams can really hurt his opponent if the opponent knows he will run all day.


Summary:

Josh Williams is your eye-catching outside midfielder who breaks lines, possesses elite pace, good acceleration and a reliable kick under pressure. He has good vision through the stoppages and thinks his way through situations ahead of other players.

He will need to gain strength and build his endurance as well as work on winning more inside ball, but that is expected to come with time at the elite level. Williams has the traits to be a damaging half-back or midfielder, but with further development, he can become a more versatile all-round player who will hurt opposition in more ways than one.

From this, his kicking is a non issue.

 

[giantroo]

 

[Kangas_11]

I know people here don't put much stock into combine tests, but it is interesting to note that Josh finished in the top 5 of both the kicking and goalkicking tests.

Put on a bit of muscle and I reckon we've got an absolute gem here, and exactly what we need. Ahern + Williams on our wings in 2018 will completely change the look of our team

 

[Steele7]

We have speed. Like how Josh takes the game on hard with run. Just what North needs.

 

[DunderHead]

Looks like a kid they could turn into an elite wingman. Given he needs to add strength and endurance you would expect him to take time. could be a big pay off somewhere in the future.

 

[Firestarter]

Like I said, can't remember us ever having a Willow, yet now we have 2

And considerably how many people want Choco to arrive and usurp Brad ...

 

[GarnerSmash]

In the modern game wingmen don't get the space they used to get, so need to be able to play a contested game too. They need to be as good at running defensively as they do offensively. They need to have a very high footy IQ. They need more than pace.

Joyce referred to Williams' work ethic being very good. Which is great because he has a mountain of it in front of him, both physically and in learning the game. Very much a project but dat blistering pace is a good place to start.

 

[Twinkletoes]

Welcome aboard Willo "the wisp". Over to you now kid.

 

[SMaturin]

Just get him to do repeat runs from Arden st to the Elizabeth st maccas with 3 large Big Mac meals in between

 

[trooroo4life]

From this, his kicking is a non issue.

Over short distances yeah, but I reckon his limit is about 40m.

In the videos above all his long kicks floated instead of having real penetration. Mind you it is hard kicking at full pace, once he learns to compose himself and give himself a bit more time it may help.

 

[koshari]

Lock him in the weights room with Maj, he'll be shoulder pressing 90+kg by the end of the first session.

and to embarrassed to ever take a shower.

 

[dus]

Reminds me of Brett Peake.

Dat pace.

 

[remfan101]

Williams hoping his moves pay off at the Draft

• 
  

Posted on Tuesday, 22nd November, 2016

By the time he turned 18, Josh Williams had lived in four different places.

Three of those were with his family, but one – which could turn out to be the most important chapter of his life – was on his own.

At the tender age of 17, Williams made decision to leave the family in Townsville, and head to the Gold Coast (under the watchful eye of the Gold Coast SUNS Academy) to have a crack at being drafted.

“I moved down at the start of this year. It was great to be given the opportunity by the Academies,” Williams said.

“It was a difficult thing to comprehend at the start. I moved down late last year just to trial it, but I had a great group of support around me, and the SUNS did make the move a lot easier. It was great to have the boys from Cairns like Jack Bowes and Daniel Charlesworth coming down with me, and the boys already down here like Brad Scheer made me feel very welcome.

“I was living with family friends at different stages, but it has been really good for me on the independence side. I learned to cook and clean and a few other things you wouldn’t necessarily do living at home, so I think it has been really good for my development as a person.

“I’ve got two younger sisters, so it was initially a bit hard on them, but they, along with my parents have been so supportive of me. They have always ben there for me along the way and help me take everything in my stride.”

The ability to move down to pursue a footy dream doesn’t happen without a back-story. It’s not something that happens over night.
Williams was born in Adelaide. Even though he wasn’t there for long, it was a place that fostered his love for footy.

From Adelaide, the Williams’ clan packed up their bags and headed for Rockhampton, where he began playing football with the Glenmore Bulls.

They didn’t hang around there too long though. When Josh was six the family was on the move again; this time to Townsville.

That’s where Williams found his football home, the Hermit Park Tigers.
Staggeringly, if Williams name is read out this Friday or Monday, he will be the fourth AFL player drafted from Murray Stadium, following in the footsteps of Josh Jenkins, Jake Spencer and Braydon Preuss.

While Hermit Park and AFL Townsville played a huge role in getting Williams to where he is today, 2016 was the year he was discovered on the national stage.




Josh Williams completes an agility test during the NAB AFL Draft Combine at Etihad Stadium on October 08, 2016 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Adam Trafford/AFL Media)



Once arriving at the SUNS, it was clear he was destined to pull on the Q jumper.

“Coming down from Townsville I probably thought I knew 50 per cent of what football is about, but I quickly learnt I knew about five,” Williams laughed.

Playing in the NEAFL this year with the coaches like Skinny Lappin and Aaron Rogers, they have been amazing. The amount of development we go through has been incredible.

“Then being able to play with and against the Brisbane boys in the Queensland Academy, and having the high performance coaches like Adrian Fletcher is incredible. It’s a really good experience rubbing shoulders alongside everyone.”

His Queensland work led to an Allies call up, and some serious time in the SUNS NEAFL side.

“I’ve been happy with my performances. Obviously there is still a long way to go with my strength and endurance, but I hope that my assets like my speed has been getting me noticed,” he said.

Williams – who has been compared to Isaac Smith with the way he moves – is lightning quick, breaks lines when he tucks the footy under his wing, and gains valuable metres all over the ground. That’s what he says he would bring to a club.

“I think my speed and finishing off would be the two biggest things. Whether that’s hitting a target after a 50-meter run or kicking a goal, that line breaking ability and finishing off are my biggest strengths,” he said.

“The competitive side of me is what gets me up in the morning. Knowing that there are others out there doing extras, you have to do more. The term I use with my dad is GST. Giving that extra 10 per cent. I have to keep doing those extras to make myself a better player and a better person.”

There is one passage of play that is burnt into my mind from this year, and no doubt burnt into the mind of every recruiter who was at Metricon Stadium for the Queensland game against Tasmania.

Williams gathered the ball on the half back flank on the interchange side of the ground and put his skates on.

One bounce… two bounces…. three bounces… four bounces… before kicking from 40 and slotting the goal. It was breathtaking, and he made it look easy.

“If someone has never watched AFL before and you show them that play, I think that sums up my game and probably the excitement of the code in general,” he said.

So now, in just three days time, Williams will sit down with his family in Townsville hoping to hear his name called out at the 2016 NAB AFL Draft.

“It would mean the world to me. The support around me has been so good and I know it will be even better on the night. If I were to get picked it will be an amazing feeling. For 18 years you’ve had a footy in your hands, and now it could all come together,” he said.

And if it does, he will have one person in particular to thank.

“Dad is my role model. The amount of support and advice he gives me on everything, not just football, he has been so good. He is always up for a phone call, and will always have time for me. He has definitely made the transition down to the Gold Coast really easy for me.”

The NAB AFL Draft takes place this Friday night, November 25, before the NAB AFL Rookie Draft on Monday.

 

[giantroo]

 

[Flawed Genius]

 

[Kangaroos4eva]

Do you have a job at *?

 

[LT Smash]

There are going to be a few people begging to be let aboard the Josh Williams bandwagon in the not too distant future.

 

[Firestarter]

The Jee-Wiz wagon.

 

[Harris 10]

Can i get on him for GF sprint.