I suspect CHOCO  had a very big impact on winning the flag too.  Keep him around for heavens sake

Definitely.  Get him through to end 2023 at least!!! He’s development work across the youngsters has been sensational.  His word to Trac to focus and get the footy was a catalyst.  Need to keep him and have Choco setting the standards and not having players relax with one premiership.  

Concur. A Tiger mate of mine reckons he was instrumental in getting Dusty up a cog or two and no doubt has done similar with Trac. Very important piece in our coaching structure.

Definitely, but also remember that he is now 63 as well. I'd say 4 more years at maximum for Choco and then we should be looking at getting a younger bloke in. 

PJ retired at 67, and I'd say Choco's role is nearly as demanding as his.

41 minutes ago, Colin B. Flaubert said:

Definitely, but also remember that he is now 63 as well. I'd say 4 more years at maximum for Choco and then we should be looking at getting a younger bloke in. 

PJ retired at 67, and I'd say Choco's role is nearly as demanding as his.

Not sure about that, but I reckon there's a way if Choco is keen to scale his role back to purely hands on with the players in skill acquisition drills at training that he could do for years and years to come. He could be 80 and if he's still in good health teaching guys how to kick properly, how to handball and how not to fumble. 

I recall Choco saying that he was pleased and surprised that Melbourne offered him a long term contract when he signed on, I think it was at least 3 years. 

He looks good for his age I reckon. Let’s hope the AFL industry is ageist and he doesn’t get poached.

Absolutely! We MUST re-sign Mark "Choco" Williams!

The man is a bit eccentric but he is also a football genius!

Plus he knows what it takes to win! I believe he was instrumental in helping the Melbourne Demons win the Premiership this year.

I would personally give Mark "Choco" Williams a continuous contract and let him stay with the Melbourne Demons up until when he wants to retire.

At the very least I would love to see Mark "Choco" Williams at the Melbourne Demons for another 5 years.

He has been recruit of the year for us!

 

I think it was after Fritsch's 2nd goal in the third ... the one where he and Gawn  flew for it ... the coaches & staff on the boundary are pumped because we're right back in it ... but Chocco just gazes on impassively. It's all going to plan. No big deal. Ice in his veins.

1 hour ago, Mazer Rackham said:

I think it was after Fritsch's 2nd goal in the third ... the one where he and Gawn  flew for it ... the coaches & staff on the boundary are pumped because we're right back in it ... but Chocco just gazes on impassively. It's all going to plan. No big deal. Ice in his veins.

 

I remember that! He was just taking it all in his stride.

Everyone jumping around excited and Mark "Choco" Williams was just there with his hands in his jacket pockets chewing his gum. 😁

Mark "Choco" Williams has been absolutely incredible for the Melbourne Football Club.

Besides getting Adem "The Difference" Yze as midfield coach I cannot recall one individual having such a profound impact at the Melbourne Football Club as Mark "Choco" Williams has had.

I am still hopeful we can get Mark "Choco" Williams on the @Demonland podcast in a few weeks time when Pre-Season training starts? Fingers crossed. 🤞

Edited October 26, 20214 yr by Supreme_Demon

1 hour ago, Mazer Rackham said:

I think it was after Fritsch's 2nd goal in the third ... the one where he and Gawn  flew for it ... the coaches & staff on the boundary are pumped because we're right back in it ... but Chocco just gazes on impassively. It's all going to plan. No big deal. Ice in his veins.

Have been meaning to post this as well.
It was after Sparrow kicked his and the every-one went in the stadium went mad.
Every-one but Williams.
Been there done that, seen it all before.

He's been around football clubs at the top levels his whole life.
Knows what makes footballers tick and how to bring the best from them.
Experience like his doesn't grow on trees.

41 minutes ago, Supreme_Demon said:

 

I remember that! He was just taking it all in his stride.

Everyone jumping around excited and Mark "Choco" Williams was just there with his hands in his jacket pockets chewing his gum. 😁

Mark "Choco" Williams has been absolutely incredible for the Melbourne Football Club.

Besides getting Adem "The Difference" Yze as midfield coach I cannot recall one individual having such a profound impact at the Melbourne Football Club as Mark "Choco" Williams has had.

I am still hopeful we can get Mark "Choco" Williams on the @Demonland podcast in a few weeks time when Pre-Season training starts? Fingers crossed. 🤞

Hey S_D, are you playing some sort of drinking game? A shot every time you say Mark “Choco” Williams? 😆

3 hours ago, gregdemon said:

I suspect CHOCO  had a very big impact on winning the flag too.  Keep him around for heavens sake

Yes, a great skills and motivational character and contribution in footy; however, at the same time, Yze and his playing/coaching mantra - including tactical oversights - are additionally critical to our ongoing success. I still have not forgotten the experiential and communicative skills of Jordan Lewis, either. I really believe that these three lifted our team in so many ways from the 'also ran' category into the limelight of extraordinary, team football exponents. 

 

24 minutes ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

Hey S_D, are you playing some sort of drinking game? A shot every time you say Mark “Choco” Williams? 😆

Hahahahaha! Good idea! I probably should! Just not while working! 😂

I just think Mark "Choco" Williams is fantastic. I cannot sing his praises high enough. I was absolutely over the moon when we recruited him as head of our development at the end of last year in 2020. Some people thought he was mad, and maybe he is a little bit, but we have won our first Premiership since 1964 and I believe he had a massively positive influence on our players and it is worth crowing about!

3 hours ago, Colin B. Flaubert said:

Definitely, but also remember that he is now 63 as well. I'd say 4 more years at maximum for Choco and then we should be looking at getting a younger bloke in. 

PJ retired at 67, and I'd say Choco's role is nearly as demanding as his.

You think that a Development Coach's job is nearly as demanding as the CEO of an AFL club?

1 hour ago, Supreme_Demon said:

Besides getting Adem "The Difference" Yze as midfield coach I cannot recall one individual having such a profound impact at the Melbourne Football Club as Mark "Choco" Williams has had.

 

PJ...probably the most profound in recent times.

Norm Smith had a reasonable impact.

...back to recent times Todd Viney, Roos, Goodwin, Burgess.

It's not just one thing or one person but PJ got the ball rolling.

 

Edited October 26, 20214 yr by rjay

4 hours ago, Supreme_Demon said:

Absolutely! We MUST re-sign Mark "Choco" Williams!

The man is a bit eccentric but he is also a football genius!

Plus he knows what it takes to win! I believe he was instrumental in helping the Melbourne Demons win the Premiership this year.

I would personally give Mark "Choco" Williams a continuous contract and let him stay with the Melbourne Demons up until when he wants to retire.

At the very least I would love to see Mark "Choco" Williams at the Melbourne Demons for another 5 years.

He has been recruit of the year for us!

 

QUADRUPLE AGREE just sensational

7 hours ago, Colin B. Flaubert said:

Definitely, but also remember that he is now 63 as well. I'd say 4 more years at maximum for Choco and then we should be looking at getting a younger bloke in. 

PJ retired at 67, and I'd say Choco's role is nearly as demanding as his.

The new NRL expansion team Redcliffe Dolphins just signed up the old corpse Wayne Bennet who turns 72 on January 1st to a 4 year deal.

I reckon we don't have much to worry about regards Chocos age.

Choco would make a good godfather.

4 hours ago, Redleg said:

You think that a Development Coach's job is nearly as demanding as the CEO of an AFL club?

I misspoke. You are right. That’s a silly thing to say.

Workload wise, definitely not. 

But you do need to be on your feet and getting on 67, I’d say it’d be tough to do.

25 minutes ago, Jibroni said:

Choco would make a good godfather.

 

17 hours ago, Fork 'em said:

Have been meaning to post this as well.
It was after Sparrow kicked his and the every-one went in the stadium went mad.
Every-one but Williams.
Been there done that, seen it all before.

He's been around football clubs at the top levels his whole life.
Knows what makes footballers tick and how to bring the best from them.
Experience like his doesn't grow on trees.

5 minutes earlier when Trac was on the bench Choco grabbed him and told him to get ut there and take over the game. (Trac's words, not mine, in an interview post game when asked what did Choco say at the time)

He did, unsurprisingly to Choco, so of course he was relaxed in his own way. 

7 hours ago, Demon17 said:

5 minutes earlier when Trac was on the bench Choco grabbed him and told him to get ut there and take over the game. (Trac's words, not mine, in an interview post game when asked what did Choco say at the time)

He did, unsurprisingly to Choco, so of course he was relaxed in his own way. 

Thought in the 2weeks lead up the the GF Choco would have been doing his version of Micky getting in the ears of all the young blokes on the list.

Also heard at half time when we were under the pump that Goodwin was his usual composed self when addressing the players.
It was Choco who got in there and ripped a charge up 'em in no uncertain terms, told 'em what they weren't doing.
Pressure, sticking tackles, smothers etc.
All the 1% stuff that wins you GF's.

2 hours ago, Fork 'em said:

 

 

Kinda off topic....sorta... but anyone else watching suddenly realize that the actors are all very, very short? 

I love the fact he is nuts - he is so different and makes his way through life absolutely at peace with his individuality. No cookie-cutter approach to people management or skill development. Everywhere he goes, things change, everyone around him grows or develops in some way. A rare human being and I hope he stays long enough to apprentice someone under him and mentor him/her as a development coach.