Dear Mark,
you and your dad now stand together in a grassroots arts display at a national heritage site in the fourth biggest country in the world, the Republic Of Indonesia. The site, Air Kaca, is sacred to the memory of General Douglas MacArthur, sometimes known as The Saviour Of Australia.
I find it absolutely amazing, Mark, that 75 years after your dad started his senior coaching career at Port Adelaide, you are still a vital development coach at Melbourne Football Club, the oldest professional football club of any code of football in the world
This amazes me almost almost as much as the fact your dad achieved everything he achieved in football, after starting his senior career at the age of 24, because for five years he sacrificed playing sport to join the fight against European fascism and Japanese imperialism in WW2.
Mark, please consider supporting my suggestion that Melbourne and Port Adelaide compete next year for the Williams-Barassi Cup on Sunday the 15th June at Adelaide Oval in honour of the footy giants, your father, Foster Neil Williams, and Ronald Dale Barassi. (In future when the two teams clash in Melbourne, it could be possibly called the Barassi-Williams Cup.)
I think this suggestion works now because of the astonishing fact that you are still coaching, 75 years after your dad started his legendary coaching career with the original Magpies, Port Adelaide, in 1950.
The story of Ron Barassi and his dad makes the two names, Williams and Barassi, a fitting pair.
In 1940, Ronald Senior was a premiership player for Melbourne Football Club, but lost his life at the WW2 Seige Of Tobruk less than a year later. Ronald Junior went on to become a legend of the game as captain of Melbourne and dual premietship coach of both Carlton and North Melbourne.
The world can still learn from patriotic champions like Fos Williams and both Barassis.
Can you help, Mark?
Geoff Fox, an old man finding his way in a world that forgets too many heroes of days gone by.
15th December, 2024, Melbourne, Australia
FOOTY FOR FREEDOM 