Peter Williamson was in a tough spot at the end of 1981.  A few years earlier, he and his wife Jan had moved to Canberra when Peter was contracted to play football with the West Canberra Football Club. Originally from Melbourne, they were enjoying living in Canberra, but things had just gone a bit pear-shaped.

 

During the 1981 season, an additional 4 or 5 ‘star players’ were flying up from Melbourne each weekend to play for the Magpies, which was obviously not a cheap exercise for West Canberra. At this point in time, Willo’s entire income was linked to football, his day job with the Magpies’ licensed club complementing his playing income.

 

But, at season’s end, the Magpies couldn’t/wouldn’t pay him. This actually meant he lost both jobs/incomes. In addition, Jan was expecting the couple’s first child and was no longer earning an income as a school teacher. “Things were pretty tough. We were in the process of buying a house, but then and there, I wasn’t sure we would be able to make the repayments,” Peter remembers. “We were thinking about returning to Melbourne, but didn’t really want to.”

 

He had some early conversations with Ainslie about the possibility of joining them through their high profile coach, Kevin ‘Cowboy’ Neale (previously a St Kilda premiership player – now that’s not a phrase you hear every day!?).  Around the same time, Peter was also approached by the Tigers committee, primarily through then President, Dave Imrie, and Director Ron Fowlie, about the possibility of him coaching the Queanbeyan club.

 

The Tigers clearly did not have as much money to offer as the Tricolours (surely someone at Ainslie in the early 20th century could have been more imaginative and come up with a better nickname than the Tricolours?). However, Willo was swayed by the Queanbeyan people and the long-term plan they presented. They were working towards establishing a licensed club in town and wanted to build the professionalism and culture of the playing list.

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“Dave Imrie was a very impressive person to deal with. He knew the plan they had set out would take time and did not expect to win the flag overnight. He and Chook wanted to build the club over the years and establish a foundation for sustainable success, not just buy a flag like some clubs”.

 

“They wanted success based on the back of a football club, not a football budget.”

So, Willo signed on to coach the Tigers in 1982 and 1983 and remained as captain and assistant coach in 1984 when Brian Quade joined the club as coach.  “In agreeing to coach the club, I bought into that philosophy that Dave and the committee had described, and so did all the leaders around the club at the time.”

 

Peter had already noted that Queanbeyan “felt more like a traditional country football club” than the other clubs in the ACTAFL. He felt that there was a good bunch of people and a better atmosphere than the Canberra clubs. He also noticed how Ainslie, Eastlake and Manuka, in particular, seemed to disrespect the other teams, especially the Tigers.  So, in the next couple of years, Willo took extra pleasure as the Tigers started to knock those teams off.

 

Peter had played in an Under 19 Grade Premiership with Melbourne and then 27 VFL games for the Melbourne Demons in the early 1970s. He was also part of the ACT’s greatest victory in 1980, as one of the ACTAFL stars who defeated the VFL representative team (along with Queanbeyan’s own Robert Anderson and Jim Black, and also fellow Magpie at that time, Geoff Harold, who would join his mate Willo at the Tigers in 1983).

 

With that experience, Peter introduced a definite step up in the mindset around the club. New standards were established, like training three nights a week and enforcing a ‘don’t train - don’t play’ policy (regardless of how talented you are) which, for a variety of reasons, had not previously been the case.  Consistent with the agreed philosophy, Willo was quoted in the Canberra Times as wanting the club to be respected and competitive rather than just making up the numbers.

 

Meanwhile, off the field, the establishment of the licensed club in 1983 promised a more stable future and allowed the social environment to develop as part of the overall growth of the club.

 

Under Willo, the senior team finished 3rd in 1982 and then 4th in 1983, which was also Willo’s biggest football disappointment. The Tigers had a very competitive team but had to play in the elimination semi-final against Eastlake, coached by the ‘notorious’ ex VFL player, Phil Carmen (if you haven’t heard of him, try Google or YouTube for some of his greatest hits). 

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‘Fabulous’ Phil had lived up to his reputation and been reported the week before the finals for striking an opponent and then a boundary umpire and was looking at a season-ending suspension. However, Eastlake controversially obtained a court injunction to delay the tribunal hearing, meaning Carmen was free to play against the Tigers in the semi-final. The Tigers went down by 5 goals in a high scoring match with Carmen kicking 7 majors, all before ¾ time. Willo believed his side had as good a chance as any team that year, and the missed opportunity is still a sore point. 

 

Two days later, the tribunal suspended Carmen for a mere 10 weeks. Carmen was also to miss the Grand Final the following year after blatantly striking Queanbeyan winger, Peter Harrington, as he marked the ball. (There was nothing to prompt the undisciplined action, as ‘Harro’ was a very talented player but wouldn’t hurt a fly.) 

 

Now living at Tuross Head on the South Coast, whether he wants to or not, Willo still gets to regularly re-live and defend one particular selection decision from that era.

 

Jamie Belltowers was a key position player for the Tigers and previously some other teams. (Some people said he had played at ‘more clubs than the Delltones’ - get someone over 50 to explain that if needed.) Jamie was also a less-than-enthusiastic trainer and would regularly find a bruised calf, thigh or eyelash which meant he had to leave the training track for urgent medical attention. But, at the end of the training session, he was regularly back on deck and ready for the weekend. (Greetings and apologies Jamie – we know you weren’t the only one.)

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On the occasion in question, Jamie did have a serious injury in that he collected a hit to the jaw that resulted in a seriously damaged tongue – he was a chance to lose most of the tongue – which then took 4 weeks to recover. Needless to say, that, contrary to the previous understanding of human physiology, Jamie’s tongue was closely connected to his leg muscles, and he could not run for those 4 weeks.

 

Once recovered, he was back on the training track, stating he was right to go the next weekend.  Willo indicated that, consistent with the don’t train - don’t play standards, Jamie would have to come back through the seconds, as he had lost valuable match fitness.  Jamie’s view was that his natural talent would see him through, and a player of his ability was wasted in the seconds. Indeed, he spent several hours over several days pleading his case to his coach.  Willo’s view remained firm, and he told Jamie that if he played well and built up his fitness, he would be considered the following week. Jamie duly kicked a bag of 10 or more goals at full-forward in the seconds. 

 

The next week, a very disappointed Jamie was told he would need another week in the twos as Willo pointed out that “yes, you kicked 10, but you didn’t leave the goal square, so you gained no fitness”.  Jamie also lives on the South Coast these days and Willo and he catch up semi-regularly.  On each occasion Jamie still wants to plead his case for selection.

After retiring at the end of 1984, Willo has a little tinge of regret that he didn’t accept an offer half way through the 85 season to come back and play in the forward pocket in what turned out to be a premiership year. But he also believes that once you are retired, you are retired, and you move on.

 

Overall, Willo is pleased and proud to have been a part of the rebirth of the club and sees the subsequent series of long serving and successful coaches, the likes of Quade, Dore, Armstrong, Klemke, as the fulfilment of the vision from the early 1980s of a club with a strong and sustainable culture. Whenever someone asks where he played his football in Canberra, he automatically responds with ‘the Queanbeyan Tigers’.