Col Williamson

Recruited from VFA powerhouse Northcote, Col Williamson joined St Kilda in 1937 and immediately proved he was up to the standard of league football. He was named in the media's best first-year players team and quickly established himself as a versatile key position player. While often deployed as a ruckman who could contest the ball at stoppages, Williamson was equally capable of drifting back to play as a disciplined defender. His height (185cm) and ability to read the play allowed the Saints to plug structural gaps across the ground, a trait that saw him hold his spot in the side for a decade.

Williamson’s on-field peak occurred during the 1939 season, where he polled the most Brownlow Medal votes of any St Kilda player and helped drive the team to a Preliminary Final—the club's first finals campaign in over twenty years. He remained a consistent figure throughout the Second World War era before hanging up the boots in 1946. His leadership qualities were later recognised when, following a premiership as coach of Brighton in the VFA, he returned to St Kilda to lead the club as senior coach for the 1952 and 1953 seasons.