Almanac Footy History: The truth behind Greg Williams failure to register a Brownlow vote in Round 10, 1993.

The Greg Williams Brownlow saga just keeps rearing its head – after 30-odd years!

Quite a few years ago, Richard Griffiths wrote the true story of what transpired that day when the Demons took on the Blues at Princes Park. Diesel amassed 44 possessions and booted a goal and surely was in contention for a Brownlow vote. Richard was Football Manager for Neil Balme that day and Diesel tore the Demons to shreds!

 

 

 

 

TRUE CRIMES: SPECIAL INVESTIGATION

The truth behind Greg Williams failure to register a Brownlow vote, Round 10, 1993.

 

Brownlow Medal night, held the Monday prior to the AFL Grand Final is a wonderful night of glitz, glamour, revelry, celebration, and reflection. The room is chocka-block with former greats of the game, current day champions, club administrators, media and in recent times, for those that could afford a table, a sprinkling of corporate higher flyers and high net worth individuals.

The event starts early – very early. The red-carpet TV event is the precursor to the gala dinner, and it is a wonderful opportunity for the WAGS to promenade. Held at the prestigious Crown Casino, guests make their way up the escalators to the pre-dinner drink foyer where they are greeted by an AFL event official resplendent with iPad and earpiece to confirm your invitation. Having “ticked’ your name off, you are then greeted by two rows of waiters with trays of poured Crown Lagers and flutes of champagne. The long night has begun and will continue into the early hours of the morning.

In 2004, I took a close work colleague of mine to the Brownlow Medal – bit of a reward for a good year’s work. Little did I know what the ramifications of bringing that guest would turn out to be in the ensuing years.

**

Murray ‘Muz’ Bird grew up in Carina, Brisbane a suburb close to Coorparoo just down from The Gabba. He is the eldest of three sons. His father was a renown SP Bookmaker around the traps and a celebrated pest exterminator. Murray’s street was full of kids who played Aussie Rules at the Coorparoo Football Club. He attended a nearby Catholic Primary School, would train during the week at Coorparoo and play games on Saturday mornings. The Under 8 team that Murray played in back in 1970 included a boy called Jason Dunstall who would go onto become one of the greatest full forwards in the game’s history. When looking back Murray recalls Dunstall being no better than any other kid at that age. But Dunstall would blossom into a great sportsman. An accomplished goalkeeper in the Churchie soccer team, a handy cricketer himself Dunstall was an excellent all-round sportsman with a fierce competitive streak.

In his secondary school years, Murray attended Villanova College, played rugby union for Easts and grade cricket for Easts. He was a handy opening batsman, having scored a century and a few 50s in his time at the club. He played in the back pocket in the Coorparoo Under 14 team which would consistently beat opposition teams by more than ten goals. Back in those days, junior coaches were not attuned to player development, teaching or player rotations to expose kids to all positions on the field. Poor Murray was stuck in the back pocket and would hardly see the ball. One day he asked the coach if he could have a try in a position up the field where the action was. “You need to prove yourself first in the back pocket son,” was the ridiculous reply. How can you prove yourself when the ball is never in the vicinity? So, with that Murray quit the club and took up umpiring.

Murray umpired junior games and had a good feel and understanding of the game due to his junior playing days. Around this time, he wanted to keep playing as he had a competitive streak, so he joined the lowly Wynnum club’s Under 16 team. There was a slight problem, however. He was still a registered Coorparoo player and a registered umpire so to avoid any red tape or clearance ‘to and fro-ing’ he decided to play under an alias.

By the time Murray was 17 years of age he had shown enough promise with the whistle he was soon umpiring QAFL Colts and reserve grade games. And in 1982 he was appointed to his first senior QAFL game between Sandgate and Coorparoo. Sandgate was coached by former Carlton star and premiership coach Alex Jesaulenko (who was playing captain-coach) and Coorparoo was coached by former St Kilda and Melbourne strong man Carl Ditterich. It was an era where Australian football was strong in Brisbane, with many former VFL players contributing to the growth of the game. The likes of Mick Nolan, Gary Dempsey, John Rantall and Frank Gumbleton had all made their way to Queensland encouraged by the vision of Allen Aylett to help expand the game in the northern states.

Murray umpired QAFL senior games from 1982 and in 1987 and was then invited to join the VFL Umpire Cadet Squad in Melbourne. He spent that year umpiring in Victorian metropolitan and country leagues and in 1988 was appointed to the senior VFL umpires’ panel. He returned to Queensland to study and between 1988 and 1990 umpired around 30 reserve grade games. He made his senior debut in Round 1 of the 1990 season when the Brisbane Bears took on Richmond at Carrara. Murray had become the first Queenslander to umpire in the VFL/AFL senior grade competition. He umpired well enough that day to be appointed the following week to the Geelong versus Fitzroy clash at Kardinia Park. Gary Ablett Senior booted nine goals that day.

He continued to alternate between senior and reserve grade games over the next couple of years. In late 1991 he was appointed to the St Kilda-Richmond clash at Arctic park – VFL Park, Waverley. It was a bitterly cold, wet, and windy afternoon with a paltry crowd of 15,000 fans. In a lack-lustre affair things started to get out of control in the second half. Murray and Shane Harris had not umpired particularly well that day and the players took matters into their own hands.

As umpires Bird and Harris were being escorted off the ground after the final siren ,Richmond rover Dale Weightman made a bee-line for umpire Bird and blurted, “If you ever umpire another game of AFL football I will retire immediately!”

In Round 2 the following year, Bird was appointed to the Richmond-Collingwood game at the MCG. As is customary, the umpires visited both rooms before the game. Bird entered the Richmond rooms to find Flea Weightman stretched out on a rub down table. Bird approached Weightman and with an extended hand and a wry grin declared, “I’m back!” to which he and Weightman had a healthy chuckle. Legendary coach Allan Jeans coached the Tigers that year and was full of advice and encouragement to young Bird. “Keep your eyes open today sonny. They keep holding on this mob – they keep holding on”, Jeans proclaimed in his inimitable style. The Tigers won five games in 1992 and languished at the bottom of the ladder.

By Round 10, 1993, Bird was establishing himself as a regular senior umpire. Carlton played Melbourne at Princes Park that day and umpires John Russo and Murray Bird were appointed to this important game. Carlton sat in eleventh spot and Melbourne in twelfth spot on the ladder, so it was a vital clash for both clubs. Carlton boasted champions such as Madden, Kernahan, Silvagni, Williams, Alvin and Dean, while the Demons would rely on the likes of Stynes, Lyon, Viney and the flamboyant Jakovich.

Melbourne pulled a surprise at the selection table on the Thursday night. The club had recruited Glenn Molloy from the Norwood Football Club under the father-son-rule. Glenn’s father Graham had played with the Demons in the 1970s and had shown enough form in the SANFL to warrant selection. His form in the reserves had been good and he was deserving of his senior selection.  Coach Neil Balme was philosophically opposed to hard tagging and, despite the prolific ball-winning ability of star centreman Greg Williams, Balme elected not to tag the champion but rather allow Demon on-baller Todd Viney to go head-to-head against his Blues counterpart.

On the morning of Saturday 29^th May 1993 umpire Murray Bird awoke in his Park Royal room adjacent to Melbourne’s Albert Park Lake and went for a leisurely stroll – all part of his normal pre-game routine. He made his way to Fitzroy Street, St Kilda and having studied the form guide over morning breakfast placed a couple of all-up bets plus a few quaddies on the nags. Back in the room, he changed into his blazer and tie and met the awaiting taxi to transport him to Princes Park.

He arrived around 90 minutes before the game and introduced himself to the boundary and goal umpires and reacquainted himself with John Russo with whom he’d umpired a few games in previous rounds. The umpires’ rooms under the Heatley Stand were (already then) old, dark and dank and, having changed, he and Russo prepared themselves to visit the respective teams change rooms to introduce themselves to the players.

It was always daunting to walk out of the rooms, down the race and out to the boundary line towards the away rooms. Murray can still remember the tirade of abuse levelled at he and Russo as they made their way to the Melbourne rooms. Being a Queenslander, Murray had an all-year round tan and this did not go unnoticed by one Carlton fan seated on the fence. A little old lady adorned with a Carlton scarf and duffel coat barked, “Nice legs umpy! Pity you’re a poofter white maggot!” She then proceeded to turf peanuts towards Bird and Russo just to reaffirm her dislike for the men in white.

Having copped a similar level of abuse on the way back to the umpires’ room, Bird and Russo commenced final preparations before making their way onto the field. A couple of stretches and other pre-game exercises had both men ready for the afternoon. Prior to exiting the rooms, Bird rushed back to his kit bag to grab the TAB tickets purchased that morning and carefully placed them in his shirt pocket behind report book and pencil. He would be sure to check the results at the quarter time break. The Carlton scoreboard displayed race results for the fans – and umpires alike!

In front of 23,702 predominantly Carlton fans, the Demons, coming off the back of a surprise victory over the Eagles the week before, took on the out-of-form Blues. After an even first quarter Melbourne skipper Garry Lyon left the field in the second with a bad calf injury which severely dented the Demons fire power. Carlton’s Greg Williams was amassing possessions all over the field but, with Melbourne’s Todd Viney also winning his share of the ball, Balme was satisfied that the mid-field battle was an even affair.

The Demons trailed by 28 points at half time, but it should have been more, if not for Carlton’s inaccuracy in front of goal – they had booted 8.13 to half time. The Blues booted 9 goals 13 behinds in the second half to run out convincing 54-point winners. The Blues were dominant and, if anything, over possessive and wasteful in front of goal. On that day Greg Williams amassed 18 kicks and 26 handballs and booted a goal. For the record, the Demons Todd Viney racked up 16 kicks and 20 handballs – not a bad a day at the office.

As umpires Russo and Bird retreated to the rooms after the match and began to complete the necessary match paperwork and Brownlow votes. Russo, the more senior umpire, asked Bird who he thought deserved the three votes. “Geez Diesel got it a fair bit today, didn’t he?” was the young umpire’s response.

“Yeah, but Hanna was good off half back – I reckon he gets the three votes,” replied Russo.

Three votes to Mil Hanna.

The umpires’ room was all hustle and bustle with interchange stewards, timekeepers, umpires’ observers, trainers, emergency umpires, goal umpires and boundary umpires – all chipping in with their two bobs worth.

“What about two votes? What do you reckon Muzza?” continued Russo. “Geez I reckon Diesel got a bit of the ball today – he just kept getting it,” replied Bird.

“Yeah, but did he make your job any easier today,” retorted Russo.

“No, he didn’t he just kept yelling and screaming about being hung on to,” said Bird.

“Harry played well today,” said Russo.

After showering and changing the two continued the conversation around the final vote – the one vote. “I reckon Silvagni did a good job on Jakovich?” Russo quizzed.

“Didn’t Diesel just keep getting it….” Bird replied. “Murray, did he make your job any easier today? He was mouthing off all day.”

“No, he didn’t,” said Bird.

“Well, fuck him!” Russo responded, definitively.

Bird packed his bags and proceeded to the waiting taxi in the Princes Park car park and made his way to Tullamarine Airport to board a plane for Brisbane.

**

Fast forward to Brownlow Medal night 1993. As the count entered Round 10, the Channel 7 summary of the round included highlights of the Carlton v Melbourne match and reference to the dominant performance of Greg Williams and his 44 possessions. Surely Diesel would poll the three votes.

As AFL Chief Executive Officer, Ross Oakley, commenced reading the votes for the Carlton-Melbourne, Round 10 match, everyone in the room and watching at home on television anticipated the inevitable.

Oakley: “Carlton versus Melbourne. Carlton: S. Silvagni, one vote.”

OK, fair enough, he kept Jakovich to three goals.

“Carlton: J. Madden, two votes.”

Hmm. He gave the mid-field plenty of supply that day, in particular, Greg Williams.

The Channel Seven camera honed in on the Carlton table.

“Carlton” (here we go, G. Williams….) “M. Hanna, three votes.”

What! The room murmured. Carlton fans at home went ballistic. How can a player who gathers 44 possessions in a game of football not register a solitary vote! That can’t be right! Robbery! Did Oakley mis-read the votes?

As the count entered the final round Essendon’s Gavin Wanganeen held a one vote lead (18 votes) over the ineligible Garry Hocking (17 votes) from Geelong with Carlton’s Greg Williams sitting in third place on 16 votes. Carlton played Sydney in the final round of 1993 and held on to a one-point victory in a thriller. Greg Williams had 10 kicks and 17 handballs that day. Umpires Peter Cameron and Andrew Coates awarded Williams one vote. As the votes were read out Channel 7’s cameras caught Williams uttering something under his breath – unbelievable.

Meanwhile back in Brisbane Murray Bird’s phone started to ring. One call after another from mates in Melbourne and Brisbane. The Brownlow Medal coverage was not beamed into Brisbane, so poor Murray was oblivious to the furore erupting in the football world Down South.

For the record, Stephen Silvagni had 6 kicks, took 2 marks, and had 5 handballs for a total of 11 disposals that day. Justin ‘Harry’ Madden had 9 kicks, 3 marks and 5 handballs for a total of 14 possessions. Mil Hanna had 12 kicks took 4 marks and had 7 handballs for 19 disposals. Greg Williams amassed 18 kicks, took 3 marks, had 26 handballs, and booted a goal for a total of 44 possessions. On the same day Carlton’s Adrian Gleeson had 29 possessions, Brad Sholl 28 and Peter Dean 21. Peter Dean received 3 votes at Carlton’s Best and Fairest that year for that match.

The following year Bird umpired the Footscray-Carlton game at the Whitten Oval with Peter Carey and Anton McKernan. Again, Williams was forthcoming with plenty of verbals and advice to the umpires including Bird. After giving the all clear for a Bulldog goal, Bird was making his way back to the centre square when Williams ran towards him hurling abuse and obscene expletives.  “You cost me the Brownlow!” screamed Williams, punctuating his sentiment with some choicee abuse.

Bird stopped, turned, and reaching for his report book said, “you can’t say that Diesel, be careful.”

At another centre bounce Williams continued with the tirade of abuse. Again, reaching for the report book, Bird was about to take Williams number. Then big Justin “Harry” Madden intervened and said to Bird “put it away Murray, I promise he won’t say anything for the rest of the match.”

Bird was chuffed that Harry Madden knew his first name and duly put the report book away.

Years later Bird confided, “If I had reported Williams in that match in 1994 and he got weeks I would have cost him two Brownlow Medals! Williams won the 1994 Brownlow Medal (his second) with 30 votes from West Coast’s Peter Matera on 28 votes and Garry Hocking from Geelong third with 20 votes.

By October 1996, I had found my way to Queensland as CEO of the governing body and state league. At my first staff meeting I asked everyone to introduce themselves and tell me what their role was in the organisation. Mark Browning, Dean Warren, Neville Nash – then “I’m Murray Bird and I am the Junior Program Manager.”

 I paused then thought carefully, “I know you,” I said. “Aren’t you that bloke that reported Allen Jakovich back in 1994?”

 “Yes, that’s right,” he sheepishly responded. We had a good laugh about the exploits of the flamboyant Jakovich.

Then I remembered something else. “Didn’t you umpire that game when Greg Williams had 44 possessions against Melbourne at Princes Park and couldn’t get a vote?” I asked.

“Yes, that was me – and John Russo,” Bird replied.

“What the fuck happened there? He murdered us!” I quizzed.

Murray was to tell the tale over a couple of beers a few weeks later and I was both stunned and fascinated.

**

Fast forward to Brownlow Medal night 2004 and, after one of numerous toilet breaks, the unsuspecting Bird made his way back towards his table when AFL General Manager of Game Development David Matthews called him over where a group had huddled together. “G’day Murray. There’s someone I want to introduce you to,” said the smiling Matthews.

And with that none other than Greg Williams turned, put his hand out and said, “G’day mate.”

Bird was taken aback at first but engaged in friendly conversation.

To his credit and with the passing of time, Murray felt obliged to tell Williams of the events in the umpires’ room after Round 10, 1993. “I suppose you want to know what happened that day,” he asked.

He proceeded to describe what took place and Williams listened intently. “Russo hated me,” was the only comment Williams made.

Williams thanked Murray for his honesty and returned to the main ballroom. And that was the end of the matter.

Not so.

**

In September 2006, Herald-Sun footy journalist Darryl Timms was on the phone to Bird to confirm details surrounding the deliberation between Bird and Russo in determining the votes of Round 10, 1993. Again, Bird told the tale – he was getting good at it by now as he had repeated the story ad nauseum for over ten years by this time.

On September 25, 2006, Timms wrote; “The credibility of the Brownlow Medal was under fire last night after a former umpire claimed Greg Williams was robbed of the prestigious award in 1993.”

“I know the chances of me getting another Brownlow are a million to one, but I should have won three and I don’t give a stuff what anyone says. I just want the truth to come out with what really did happen, and I was robbed.” Williams said.

In explosive claims made by former AFL umpire Murray Bird, he alleges his umpiring partner John Russo refused to recognise Williams’ 44 possessions in the Round 10 game against Melbourne.

Russo denied Bird’s allegations.

“I would be astounded if Murray Bird had said that because it didn’t happen. If Murray remembers it a different way, then that’s Murray’s right. But I certainly don’t recall anything like that happening,” said Russo.

The dual Brownlow Medallist has instructed barrister Tony Nolan, SC, to explore all legal options.

Williams said he had a long-running feud with Russo. “He would hardly ever give me a free kick and I’d give him buggery. But even that day it wasn’t the case, I had 44 possessions, so I didn’t have time to be arguing with him,” said Williams.

Even former Kangaroo champion Wayne Carey weighed into the issue accusing Williams of going overboard by getting lawyers involved in a bid to claim a retrospective third Brownlow Medal.  But Carey also labelled umpires “little germs” and said he was glad the issue of them holding grudges against outspoken players like Williams had been raised.

Carey was a seven-time All-Australian who failed to win a Brownlow Medal despite dominating the AFL in the 1990s.

In late 2006, Bird received a phone call. On the other end was Greg Williams. At first Murray thought it was an old mate making a prank call, but it soon became evident that the voice at the other end was indeed the man known as Diesel. Williams requested a meeting with Murray in Brisbane to discuss athlete management as Bird had recently helped form a player management company with former Lions star Alastair Lynch. Thinking nothing of it, Murray agreed to meet so within days Bird and Williams met at an Eagle St Pier restaurant on the Brisbane River. But unbeknown to Bird accompanying Williams was veteran player manager and legal eagle Peter Jess.

It was an amicable meeting, but clearly the topic of conversation was not around athlete management but not surprisingly the day Williams failed to register a Brownlow vote courtesy of Messrs Russo and Bird. Again, Bird revealed the full details but when Jess suggested that he would be taking the matter further, Bird could only say that if required he would provide his honest recollection of that day back in 1993.

Suffice to say the Greg Williams Round 10, 1993 non-Brownlow vote saga died a natural death and no legal challenge was pursued by the Williams camp.

Greg Williams played a total of 250 games with three clubs in Geelong, Sydney, and Carlton. In his debut game against Fitzroy the unknown Williams who had been rejected by Carlton gathered 38 possessions and polled three Brownlow votes. He represented Victoria on nine occasions, won two Brownlow Medals (1986 and 1994), was a four time All-Australian and captain in 1994, 1995 Premiership player and Norm Smith Medallist, a member of the AFL Team of the Century and the list of honours go on.

The conclusion that can be drawn in respect to that Round 10 game in 1993 was that yes Greg Williams was not John Russo’s favourite player because of his consistent abuse over the years. And yes, Diesel was mouthing off that day. But why wasn’t he reported for abusive language if that was the case. Of his 44 possessions 26 of them were handballs which according to Russo went unnoticed – maybe. What is more concerning was the apparent lack of thought and collaboration between Russo and Bird in the rooms after the game. Russo was clearly the more senior and dominant umpire and based on Bird’s account gave scant regard to Murray’s opinion. Did they have access to the match statistics? Were there any guidelines or protocols provided to umpires in respect to the definition of what constitutes best, and more importantly what constitutes fairest, to assist their determination?

Across his 14-year, 250 game career Greg Williams polled a total of 154 Brownlow Medal votes. If he polled just one vote in Round 10, 1993 Greg Williams would have joined legends of the game and triple Brownlow Medallists in Haydn Bunton Snr, Dick Reynolds, Bob Skilton, and Ian Stewart.

And Murray Bird’s final words on the matter: “It was just embarrassing.”

 

 

More revelations from Richard Griffiths can be read HERE.

 

 

 

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