Tom Williamson (Australian footballer)

Tom Williamson (born 12 December 1998) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Tom Williamson
Williamson playing for Carlton in June 2017
Personal information
Date of birth (1998-12-12) 12 December 1998 (age 25)
Original team(s) North Ballarat Rebels (TAC Cup)
Draft No. 61, 2016 national draft
Debut Round 3, 2017, Carlton vs. Essendon, at Melbourne Cricket Ground
Height 190 cm (6 ft 3 in)
Weight 85 kg (187 lb)
Position(s) Defender
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2017–2022 Carlton 44 (4)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2022.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Hailing from Ararat, Williamson played TAC Cup football with North Ballarat until 2016.[1] At the draft combine that year he scored particularly well in fitness indicators including placing first in the agility test and finishing second in the 3 km time trial,[1] and he was drafted to the AFL by Carlton with the club's fifth selection and the sixty-first overall in the 2016 national draft.[1]

Williamson quickly made his AFL debut, in round 3 of the 2017 season in the fifteen point victory against Essendon at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.[2] He recorded fifteen disposals and five tackles for the match.[3] He managed 15 games in his debut season, and finished the season with stat averages of 12 disposals, 3 marks, 2 tackles and 1 spoil.[4]

Williamson saw little football over the following two seasons, with back injuries limiting him to only two senior matches in 2018 and 2019.[5] Nevertheless, he earned a two-year contract extension, signifying him as one of Carlton's long-term prospects. He made a return to regular senior football in 2020, playing 15 of Carlton's 17 games in the COVID-19 pandemic-shortened season,[6] then played 11 of 22 games in 2021.

After playing only one game as an unused medical substitute in early 2022, Williamson took a leave of absence from the club in June due to undisclosed personal reasons, before retiring altogether one month later.[7] Through his career, Williamson played primarily as a dashing and rebounding half-back and occasional wingman, noted for a long and accurate field kick.[8]

It was reported in October 2023 that his leave of absence was amid a criminal investigation into his behaviour outside of his career. Williamson plead guilty in Melbourne Magistrates Court to a series of charges including “stalking a woman with the intention of causing her harm or fear.”

After his departure from Carlton, Williamson signed a deal to play with North Melbourne's reserves for the rest of the 2022 season.[9]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Pick 61: Tom Williamson". Carlton Medi. Bigpond. 25 November 2016. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
  2. ^ "Final team: Williamson to debut". Carlton Media. Bigpond. 7 April 2017. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
  3. ^ Twomey, Cal (9 April 2017). "Carlton Vs Essendon". AFL Media. Bigpond. Archived from the original on 2 April 2017. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
  4. ^ "Stats Pro". afl.com.au. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  5. ^ "Tom's will unwavering". carltonfc.com.au. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  6. ^ "Tom Williamson". Carlton Football Club. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  7. ^ "Blues defender to step away from football". Australian Football League. 2 July 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  8. ^ Cristian Filippo (15 February 2021). "One year on: Tom's time to shine". Carlton Football Club. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  9. ^ Keating, Mitch (15 July 2022). "Recently departed Carlton defender Tom Williamson links up with Roos' reserves". Zero Hanger. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
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