Lisa Williams

I thought I'd look to try touching base with former Western Bulldogs AFLW players, just to see what they're now doing & I'm starting it off with Lisa Brown who was Lisa Williams before getting married.

BW:  Hi Lisa & thank you for talking to me. As I mentioned, it’s nice to look back & reminisce a bit.

LW:  No worries Barry.

BW: Let’s start at the beginning, where did you grow up & who did you barrack for?

LW: I grew up in North Warrandyte with my parents & my older sister. My Dad was a Demons fan so I was converted at an early age & most weekends we’d head to the MCG & watch Melbourne.

BW: Did you have a favourite player growing up?

LW: I was a massive Gary Lyon fan, along with Steven Tingay & Jim Stynes.

BW: Did you do Auskick as a young girl?

LW: No, my 2 main sports growing up were Netball & Surf Life Saving as we had a holiday home at Anglesea.

BW: So, how did you start playing footy?

LW: My first proper taste of playing footy was in secondary school – I pushed to get a girls round robin footy comp going when I was in Year 10. We got that up and running and we played against neighbouring schools but we only played once a year. I then attended Monash University where I studied a Bachelor of Sport and Outdoor Recreation and Secondary Education. Actually, one of my class mates was Katie Loynes who I’d later play with at Diamond Creek. Anyhow, the Uni used to take part in the annual Australian University Games and in my last year at Uni I decided to play. The games were held on the Gold Coast and we had a pretty successful tournament, won the bronze medal & I was selected in the Green and Gold team at the conclusion of the tournament, which was really cool.

BW: From there you must have realised you could play a bit & did that encourage you to persist?

LW: Yes, however I took the best part of the following year off to travel around Europe. When I returned to Australia I contacted my Monash coaches who were involved with Berwick, but given where I lived they suggested I look at playing at Diamond Creek. That was towards the end of 2010 and I played my first VWFL match in 2011 when I was 24.

BW: Great community club Diamond Creek! Who were some of the better players you played there with?

LW: Diamo is certainly an amazing community club! I absolutely loved my time there and I could mention majority of the players I played alongside! Choch (Steph Chiocci), Diana Haines (who was actually pregnant at the time of the AFLW draft) - she was so determined & a great leader, Shae Audley, Millie Barden, Irish (Laura Corrigan), Lamby (Kirsty Lamb), Loynes, LJ Morecroft & Tanya Hetherington… I could go on. Joining our team later down the track were some star players nowadays such as Chloe Molloy and Ash Riddell.

BW: So come October 2016 the first ever AFLW is held. Did you have any expectations & where did you watch it?

LW: I’d spoken with a couple of clubs & one was pretty keen, so I was reasonably confident of being drafted... but not to the Bulldogs – that was a surprise! The day of the draft I had no classes at school so I took the afternoon off, went home & watched it with my boyfriend Ash. When my name was called out I was in utter shock, jumped on the couch yelling and screaming – it was so exciting! It’s funny actually, we’d just moved into our new home my next door neighbour also played footy. I didn’t know her at all, just that her name was Bailey & I’d seen Brooke Lochland outside the house before so I assumed she also played footy at Melbourne Uni. Anyhow as I’m watching the draft, I see the Western Bulldogs draft Bailey Hunt from Melbourne Uni. Shortly after my name gets called out at pick 92 by the Western Bulldogs. Later in the afternoon I went over, knocked on the door and introduced myself to my next door neighbour & now new team mate!

BW: So you had no clue the Western Bulldogs were interested?

LW: No, it was such a shock! I was watching the stream & it must have been slightly delayed because I got a text from Choch (who was at the draft) saying ‘Congratulations Willo’! I was a bit confused and then looked up in time to see my name called on the screen saying I was drafted to the Western Bulldogs - I was stunned and so excited! That night all the Diamond Creek girls met in a pub in Brunswick to celebrate. From Diamond Creek the Bulldogs also drafted Lauren Morecroft, Tiarna Ernst & Kirsty Lamb.

BW: You had to then wait about 4 - 6 weeks, didn’t you before pre season commenced.

LW: Yes, we had training programs that we followed & I actually did a lot of my preseason training with Tirana Ernst, Bailey Hunt and Brooke Lochland (as we all lived really close to each other). It was then quite surreal going to training and having team mates who were recently rivals. I’d always respected them as players and it was great getting to know them and then play alongside them.

BW: So, 2017 rolls around & the first ever game at Princes Park is a lock out, did you go?

LW: No, I would’ve like to but as we were playing the next night, I thought I’d be best to chill out and just watched in on TV… it was incredible to watch though, even from home!

BW: I bet you were expectant then for the Bulldogs first ever game?

LW: It was crazy and amazing. I remember getting to Whitten Oval & not really knowing what to expect. In the rooms before the game we could hear the crowd outside & it was deafening when we ran out onto the ground – gave me goosebumps! It’s a feeling and a moment that I’ll remember for the rest of my life.

BW: What position did you play during the 2017 season?

LW: I usually played on the wing and as AFLW was 16 per side, I mainly played off half back.

BW: How many games did you play for the Bulldogs?

LW: I played 6 out of the 7 games, missed the trip to Brisbane which I was gutted about as was the team’s first interstate trip.

BW: Who were some of the better players you played with at the Bulldogs?

LW: KB, Sparky, Blackers, Chops (Jamie Lambert), Nicky Cal, Kearney, Brooke Lochland… once again, the list could go on.

BW: So, come the end of the year & the dreaded exit interview. How did that go?

LW: Yes, we reviewed the season and debriefed with the coaches – we were given feedback about our individual performances and we were also encouraged to provide feedback to the coaches about the program. Feedback that I had passed on to the coaches very much aligned with the other players and the club, to their credit, took that on board and a number of changes were made for the 2018 season (which saw a huge on field improvement for the team and of course the premiership). Sadly, at the conclusion of the season I was not offered a new contract.

BW: Were you given reasons why?

LW: Yes, I didn’t really have enough impact on the field and wasn’t really getting enough of the footy during games… which I can understand and agree with. I just didn’t really cement myself into a position within the team unfortunately.

BW: So what did you then do?

LW: I went back to Diamond Creek for 2017 VFLW season, although it was the last year for St. Kilda Sharks, Eastern Devils, Diamond Creek, etc. in the VFLW competition.

BW: They were good days at Diamond Creek.

LW: They were the best! I have made so many lifelong friends from Diamo and we really were (and still are) a great community club. We had so many awesome people involved on and off field - people like Russell Lamb (Kirsty’s dad) for example, always cooked dinner for us after every Thursday night after training.   

      

BW: I’m pretty sure he’d have been eating the food!

BW: Where did you then play?

LW: I played at Essendon for the VFLW 2018 season, along with my ex-Bulldogs and Diamond Creek teammate Lauren Morecroft. It was an awesome new chapter in my footy journey and I really loved the club and the 2018 VFLW season.

BW: You were captain at Essendon too?

LW: Yes, I was very honoured to be voted in by my teammates and named captain for our inaugural season, it is something I’m extremely proud of and I really enjoyed the role.

BW: Did you watch the 2018 AFLW Grand Final?

LW: Yes definitely. We were actually on our preseason camp for the Bombers. I remember we had just finished our training session and it was pouring down with rain and we watched the game before having lunch together.

BW: How was that for you personally?

LW: When the match finished, everyone left the room to go to eat lunch, LJ Morecroft and I sat and watched the players on TV received their premiership medals & we both had a tear in our eye. I guess you could say it was, bittersweet. I was so proud and happy for all the Bulldog girls, our former team mates. Training and playing alongside them, you know how hard everyone had worked to get there. And also knowing how close we had come to realising a childhood dream – it would have been so incredible to be a part of. I was stoked for the girls who were up on the podium.

BW: Now you didn’t play VFLW in 2019 did you?

LW: No, in October 2018 Ash & I got married & before the start of the 2019 season I found out that I was pregnant!

BW: Probably a good reason not to play I would have thought. What did you have?

LW: A little boy; Jordy who was born in October 2019!

BW: Congratulations to you & Ash, there’s nothing better. Speaking of Ash, what does he do?

LW: Thank you! He certainly is my greatest achievement to date – I am absolutely loving being a mum! Ash used to work at the Bombers but in 2019 he took up the role of General Manager Women’s Footy at Carlton.

BW: So, do you have a soft spot for any AFLW team?

LW: Yes, well because of Ash I follow Carlton in AFLW… but I also pay a lot of interested in the competition in general with so many friends and ex-teammates playing for different teams.

BW: Understandable. What are your plans for 2020?

LW: I’m working at the moment on getting my fitness and strength back (after having a baby). I’m not sure what my footy future looks like – I want to be fit enough to have the option to play again one day should I decide to but also know my priorities have obviously changed now with my son and family being my number one. Before the lockdown (due to Coronavirus) I had committed to being the runner for Essendon VFLW… but I guess we’ll just wait and see what happens moving forward. I know I definitely still want to be involved in footy in some way, shape or form.

BW: Cheers Lisa & thank you for your time. No one will ever be able to take away from you that you played in the Western Bulldogs inaugural game. Congratulations to you & Ash on the safe arrival or Jordy& good luck in the future, I’m sure I’ll see you around.

LW: You’re welcome, thanks Barry!