Mark Williams (Australian footballer, born 1983) facts for kids

Mark Williams (born 13 April 1983) is an Indigenous former Australian rules football player. He played for the Hawthorn Football Club and Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was known for being a strong forward player.

Playing Career Highlights

Starting with the Hawks

Mark Williams joined the Hawthorn Football Club after being chosen as pick number 43 in the 2000 AFL Draft. He made his first appearance in the AFL in 2002. Mark started as a small forward, which means he played closer to the goal.

However, his coach, Alastair Clarkson, saw that he could be even better as a full forward. This position means he played even closer to the goal, focusing on scoring. In the 2005 season, Mark kicked an amazing 63 goals. This made him the top goal scorer for his club that year.

Mark was famous for his exciting style of play. He also had a special way to celebrate goals called the "shotgun." He would pretend to shoot a shotgun after scoring. In 2006, he was again the top goal scorer for Hawthorn, kicking 60 goals.

Tough Times and Big Wins

In 2007, Mark had a knee injury that stopped him from playing most of the season. He only played four games that year.

In 2008, Mark was part of a big moment. He made a gesture towards Port Adelaide coach, Mark Williams. This gesture was an imitation of something the Port Adelaide coach had done before. Mark was told not to repeat the action.

Later that year, Mark played in the 2008 AFL Grand Final. This was a huge game! He and teammate Stuart Dew kicked four goals in just three minutes. This helped Hawthorn get into a winning position. Mark scored three goals in total during the Grand Final, which was the most by any player in that game. Hawthorn went on to win the premiership!

Moving to Essendon and Retirement

In 2009, Mark injured his knee again, which meant he missed about half of the games that season. After the 2009 season, Mark was traded to the Essendon Football Club. A trade in AFL means players can move between clubs.

His first game for Essendon was tough, and he didn't score any goals. As his career neared its end, Mark found it hard to get a spot in the main team. He played for Essendon's reserve team, the Bendigo Bombers, until he announced his retirement on 25 July 2011.

Life After AFL

After retiring from the AFL, Mark continued to play football at a local level. He played for Ballan in the Central Highlands Football League in 2012 and 2013.

Mark also became a coach! At the end of 2015, he became the first-ever coach for the Newport Power club in the Western Region Football League. In his very first season as coach, he led the team to win the premiership!

Honours and Achievements

Team Awards

• AFL premiership player (Hawthorn): 2008
• VFL premiership player (Box Hill): 2001

Individual Awards

• 2x Hawthorn leading goalkicker: 2005, 2006
• Indigenous All-Stars team: 2003