“I’M PUMPED to be in the position of Director of Football and I’m so glad to be back. I’m a passionate Carlton man.
“I hope you can hear my passion.”
Speaking to Carlton Media’s Tony De Bolfo, club great Greg ‘Diesel’ Williams has opened up about his new role on the Board of the Carlton Football Club.
A former premiership player and Brownlow Medallist in the Navy Blue, Williams returned to IKON Park over a fortnight ago as one of four additions to the Board.
As Director of Football in a time of change at the old Carlton ground, Williams spoke about his plans, processes and expectations for what’s to come at his club.
Having played in Carlton’s most-recent premiership, he said he was completely understanding of the current frustration from the loyal supporter base.
“I’m probably the most frustrated, and that’s why I’ve taken this role on,” Williams said.
“I love everything about Carlton. I must say I understand everyone’s frustration since that 1995 Grand Final: we haven’t [won a premiership] since and we’ve been an average or below average team since then.
“I really understand everyone’s frustration, I understand Kernahan’s frustration, Marc Maclure’s, David Parkin’s, John Nicholls’ frustration: all the great players who have played here. I know the members and supporters are frustrated as well. I’m making that clear, I understand it.
“I think we’ve got a lot of great people here at the Club: we’re going to make some changes and get this place going again. I’m really confident that will happen.”
While Williams wouldn’t put a timeline on when success would happen, he made no secret of a shift and elevation in standards, stemming from those already at the Club and those to join in the coming weeks.
With “serious, open” conversations having already taken place in previous weeks, Williams said actions were already in the pipeline to turn things around.
“I’m really confident with the people here already, and the new ones that we’re going to bring in, that the football department is going to be in good hands,” he said.
“It’ll be made very clear that the standards are going to be a lot higher than they’ve been. The players know that — they’re all so excited, they all want to be here.
“I know we can get the football department going and I know the talent on that Board is going to get a lot of other things going. It can turn quickly.
“But, at the moment, we’re 13th — and that’s the way I’m treating it.”
‘Diesel’s’ comments on:
The senior coaching selection panel
“The process is different for different people, for different levels of coaches. It’s a short list, we’ve picked a short list of quality coaches and we’re looking forward to - in the next few weeks - coming up with the right person.
“The football department, there’s been some changes there with assistant coaches and such. We’re all over that. We’ve got great people on the panel, David Parkin has been unreal already.
“The group that we’ve got there have done a lot of work behind the scenes.”
His job outline
“My main job is - obviously with the Board - to put the right people in the right positions and let them do their job. I’m going to be around more, throwing things around.
“If I think we can do something better in any area, I’ll be making sure I’m telling them.
‘I’m really confident with the people here already, and the new ones that we’re going to bring in, that the football department is going to be in good hands.”
Driving the Club forward
“I’m confident with Luke Power and Dan [O’Keefe] in the development program. They’re seriously good at what they’re doing, [working with] all of the other assistants we get.
“The players are well looked after, but they’re going to be tested. We’ve been average for too long. The players have got to lift and the whole club has got to lift.
‘I’m confident with the Board and the people we get in that we’ll be getting back to clubs worrying about us when they play us. That’s the main thing.”
For Williams' full comments, watch the video in the player above.
