Word is out, Port to re-sign Williams, but you can't bet on it
The Sunday Age
Sunday June 28, 2009
THE jungle drums that have been beating in Mark Williams' ears have seemingly stopped and The Sunday Age believes the Port Adelaide coach will be at the club next year.Williams has a June 30 clause in his contract and there has been growing speculation that a poor performance today against Geelong could end Williams' relationship with the club, which has been the source of great speculation over the past six months following his public spat with the board over the replacement of captain Warren Tredrea.The board will meet tomorrow night but The Sunday Age believes the two parties have already reached an agreement and Williams will continue to coach next year, which will be his 12th season in the job after taking over in 1999.Williams would not confirm this on Friday and was even happy to suggest there was still some doubt over his tenure."Yeah, you never know . . . like I said with Michael Jackson, no one knew it was his last day today and so you take your opportunities when you can and you do your best every time," he said."I've thought about working really hard with the players and the coaching group to beat Geelong, and that's it. Footy's a little bit like that, you tend to work week by week and that's as far as you go."Williams described the process, where his future had been debated widely in public as well as within the corridors of Alberton, as "difficult", but defended the June 30 clause in his contract that pushed the decision to the mid-point of the season."It's a difficult one for both parties," he said. "I know it's been stated but it's probably been in my contract for 10 years. It's not just this year or the last one."The club agreed to it so it's not just me."The club thought it was sound management by them as well, so I'm very happy with it."Despite Williams' reluctance to confirm his reappointment, bookmakers have removed markets on who will replace Williams as coach at Port.Betstar's Alan Eskander, who still has markets for Richmond, North Melbourne and Collingwood, said he stopped the betting on the Port Adelaide job late on Thursday. "We understand it's a done deal," Eskander said.The Port board is expected to announce its decision tomorrow night or Tuesday morning.Williams' coaching record is impressive, having taken the club to a premiership in 2004, a grand final in 2007 and to three consecutive minor premierships between 2002 and 2004. Port also won consecutive pre-season finals under Williams in 2001 and '02.Port has dropped Steven Salopek from the side to face the Cats and Williams said there was a chance the match committee had recalled him too soon after a shoulder problem."That might have happened (that he came back too early), with his shoulder injury it does correlate to when his form has dropped down," Williams said."Perhaps the physical side of it was OK, but mentally he might not have felt as strong as he did physically."Classy youngster Hamish Hartlett, meanwhile, has re-injured his hamstring and will be out of action for another month.Port was the last club to beat the Cats at home, in a round 21 thriller in 2007, but the Cats turned the tables in the grand final a few weeks later with a record 119-point win. -- With AAP
© 2009 The Sunday Age