Cats mourn man who kept them in town
THE Geelong Football Club may have been relocated and lost its identity if not for the conviction of Graeme Williams.
This is the view held by former Cats president and ex-Geelong mayor John Holt, who led the tributes after the 81-year-old’s passing last week.
A brilliant sporting administrator and equally talented sportsman, Williams was also a leading figure in the building industry as a gifted architect with significant works in Ballarat and Geelong.
He sat on the Cats’ board from 1974-82, held the position of social club president and was a Geelong delegate at VFL (now AFL) board level, fighting for the Cats in a time of change across the league.
“He was held in very high regard by both (then league powerbrokers) Jack Hamilton and Allen Aylett,” said good mate Holt, who was Cats’ president in the early 1980s.
“It was an era when the VFL were relocating clubs, like South Melbourne went to Sydney.
“I’m quite sure Graeme’s contribution did a lot to keep Geelong in Geelong. That was a very significant contribution.
“He also did a lot to bring the football club and the social club together.”
Tennis was also a passion and a talent and he was yesterday acknowledged as one of Geelong Lawn Tennis Club’s “greatest and most influential members” over the past 50 years.
Williams was the longestserving president in the club’s 136-year history, holding the position between 1974-90, and a club life member for several decades.
He also represented the region in tennis country week carnivals with distinction over two decades.
His connection with tennis stretched far beyond the region, even until recent years, and he was the vice-president of the Australian Davis Cup Tennis Foundation for almost 30 years.
As such, he was a recipient of the Australian Sports Medal for his service to sport.
“Graeme’s wise counsel on all manner of sporting matters and his dedication is reflected in his regular attendance at meetings and functions, often in later years using the ‘Geelong Rattler’ as his preferred mode of transport,” read a report on his retirement from the Davis Cup foundation in 2014.
Williams was farewelled at a funeral service in Grovedale yesterday.
“He contributed so much to the Geelong community, particular in football and tennis, while being a great player himself,” Holt said.