IT'S FAIR to say that Zac Williams' 150th game this weekend has been a long time coming.
After notching up 100 games for the Giants in just over six seasons, the last 50 have been full of roadblocks for the player who now finds himself in his boyhood Navy Blue.
With a trade, injuries and personal loss all taking place, there's still been joy for the smiling Williams, who will run out this Sunday with daughter Ayla while wife Rachel greets him at the race.
Speaking ahead of his milestone, this is what he had to say.
On the road to 150 games:
“It feels like it’s been a long time coming, to be honest. I was talking to a few boys about it, I played my 100th game in 2019. It’s been a few years to get me to 150 this weekend.
“It’s a pretty special milestone, especially after the last couple of years. I’ve got my whole crew coming down from home, it’ll be pretty special to be able to celebrate with them this weekend.”
On who’ll be joining him at the MCG this weekend:
“I’ve got my mum coming down from Narrandera, I’ve got my sister’s little crew with her three kids and my brother-in-law coming down as well from Albury. They’ll come down for the weekend, I’ll get to spend it with them which will be nice.
“I’ll play 150 and hopefully they’ll be part of a few things in terms of pre-game stuff and after the game as well, to celebrate that with them. It’ll be pretty special.
“From Narrandera, it’s about a five-and-a-half hour drive, so it’s a decent stint. She loves coming down and watching the boys play. I think she struggled last year when I wasn’t playing, she got a bit bored at home. They’ll all make the trip down this week.”
On Ayla’s excitement levels running through the banner:
“She is. Rach is pretty excited, they got a few bracelets made with ‘Daddy 150’ on it. She’ll be pretty stoked to be able to run through the banner this weekend. I don’t know if I’ll hold her or if she’ll want to run out by herself, we’ll see what happens. They’re pretty stoked.”
On what’s changed in a turbulent few years:
“My maturity levels. I’ve got a little girl now, I got married at the start of this year. Having those types of things to be settled, it was a bit chaotic coming here just after Covid. It took a while to settle and get used to everything that was going on down here.
“The transition wasn’t as smooth as I’d like it to be with injuries, Covid and obviously personal stuff in my family life as well. But now that we’re a bit more settled, I’m back playing footy and only missed one game this year. Being able to have that consistency, my family are loving coming down on weekends and watching footy.
“It’s taken me a while to get to 150 over the last few years, but it’s nice to get there. I never thought I’d get to 150 at all. The way I didn’t come through the draft, I came through as a rookie back in 2012. It’s a pretty significant milestone this weekend.”
On Kevin Sheedy’s role early in his career:
“I was part of the Giants Academy in the early days. I played in the NEAFL [reserves] side as a 16, 17 and 18-year-old. They had eyes on me at the time. To be honest, if ‘Sheeds’ wasn’t at the Giants, I probably wouldn’t have been rookied there. I owe a lot to him.
“He looked after me a fair bit, I think my name at one stage at the Giants was Zac Sheedy when he was there. I’ll definitely take that nickname if it was going to get me games early days. He played a massive part in drafting me and showing me the way early days at the football club, especially a young country boy moving to Sydney.
“I did find it hard moving from home, moving by myself, I didn’t know anyone in Sydney, so ‘Sheeds’ really took me under his wing early days and tried to make things as smooth as possible.”
On his recent move to the forward line:
“I got drafted to the Giants as a mid-forward, I spent a couple of years playing the role I am now. But I quickly got put to the backline at the Giants to fill a role when I first started playing. I played a little bit there, I do enjoy being down there.
“I played the majority of my juniors there, but that was a while ago now. I’ve been playing half-back for the last 10 years, but it’s been a nice switch-up of roles. Playing down there with big Charlie and the rest of the boys, they’ve looked after me.
“They’re putting me in the right spots, their communication for me has been huge. I obviously didn’t train as a forward in pre-season, it was all off half-back, so the fact that ‘Vossy’ has put me down there and the forward line - and the rest of the boys - have embraced me, it’s been good fun.”
On now being the most settled he’s been since joining Carlton:
“I’d say so. I had a pretty long pre-season, I came back into training in December. I pretty much had a full pre-season. Like everyone, you deal with niggles during the season. It’s being consistent, especially with me not having played much footy over the last 18 months.
“I think that’s why I’m backing up each week, making sure I get my recovery stuff done at the start of the week and making sure I’m out on the track more times than I’m not. I’d put it down to being more consistent in training and being able to back it up each week.”
On the impact of Carlton supporters:
“You’re feeling the love and support from all the fanbase. Even after a win on the weekend, you give a football to a kid and you’re running around the boundary, you can feel the energy that the fans are giving to the players.
“It’s something we can feed off. It brings an extra layer to the Club when all the fans are up and about as well.”
