malreid
Senior List
Swans veteran to hang up boots
Peter Lalor
June 21, 2006
SYDNEY champion Paul Williams is expected to announce his retirement today.
The veteran of 303 senior games began with Collingwood before shifting to NSW in 2001. He won the premiership in his 294th game last year.
The announcement as the Swans and Magpies prepare to meet at Telstra Stadium on Saturday night.
Coaches Paul Roos and Mick Malthouse got together in Sydney yesterday to discuss the game and join with their colleagues in criticising rule changes. Both said they believed a decision to speed up the game by introducing instant kick-ins from behinds was contributing to the number of injuries this year.
Malthouse said coaches were ignored in the rule-making process and were confused by shifting interpretations but were ready to help if asked.
"One of the concerns of the coaches is that if we just had a bit of an idea of what they believe the game needs to look like in five years, we could then we can possibly help out in regards to the game," Malthouse said. "But each year you just get a new set of tweaks or rules that come through and you adjust and by the end of the season you have probably mastered them and then the next year another set or variation of them comes."
The Collingwood coach is frustrated by shifting interpretations of the rules, claiming the umpires applied some differently now to earlier in the season.
He said the rules committee was not representative enough and added the game would be in trouble if the AFL made rule changes on the basis of medical information of unknown origin.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,19537548-36035,00.html
The article doesn't actually say much about Willo retiring, does anyone know if he will play against Collingwood or is he seeing out the year.
Can't say I have heard much about it and it comes as a surprise.
Maybe this will finally give a chance to Jarred Moore.
Peter Lalor
June 21, 2006
SYDNEY champion Paul Williams is expected to announce his retirement today.
The veteran of 303 senior games began with Collingwood before shifting to NSW in 2001. He won the premiership in his 294th game last year.
The announcement as the Swans and Magpies prepare to meet at Telstra Stadium on Saturday night.
Coaches Paul Roos and Mick Malthouse got together in Sydney yesterday to discuss the game and join with their colleagues in criticising rule changes. Both said they believed a decision to speed up the game by introducing instant kick-ins from behinds was contributing to the number of injuries this year.
Malthouse said coaches were ignored in the rule-making process and were confused by shifting interpretations but were ready to help if asked.
"One of the concerns of the coaches is that if we just had a bit of an idea of what they believe the game needs to look like in five years, we could then we can possibly help out in regards to the game," Malthouse said. "But each year you just get a new set of tweaks or rules that come through and you adjust and by the end of the season you have probably mastered them and then the next year another set or variation of them comes."
The Collingwood coach is frustrated by shifting interpretations of the rules, claiming the umpires applied some differently now to earlier in the season.
He said the rules committee was not representative enough and added the game would be in trouble if the AFL made rule changes on the basis of medical information of unknown origin.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,19537548-36035,00.html
The article doesn't actually say much about Willo retiring, does anyone know if he will play against Collingwood or is he seeing out the year.
Can't say I have heard much about it and it comes as a surprise.
Maybe this will finally give a chance to Jarred Moore.