Hawthorn has welcomed Jason Williams to the club following his appointment as a new AFL Development Coach.

Williams, a proud Noongar man from Narrogin in Western Australia, most recently served for Port Adelaide as a Development Coach, as well as overseeing Port’s Next Generation Academy.

His experience extends to working as Assistant Coach in this year’s Indigenous All Stars game, spearheading the AFL’s Indigenous Talent Program as Head Coach, as well previous stints with the Northern Bullants in the VFL and the Calder Cannons in the Coates Talent League.

Prior to his coaching journey, Williams played several seasons in the VFL, whilst also representing Vic Metro as a junior at the National Championships.

Executive General Manager of Football Rob McCartney congratulated Williams on his appointment.

“On behalf of club, I’d like to welcome Jason to Hawthorn,” McCartney said.

“Whilst relatively fresh in his AFL coaching journey, what Jason brings goes well beyond football field, he is an emerging leader of young men with an incredibly strong passion for helping and providing mentorship to players.

“Gifted with an ability of building strong relationships, Jason is the sort of person who shows genuine care and compassion for his players and we’re very excited about him teaching and empowering our next generation of Hawks.”