Former Port Adelaide coach Mark Williams has named Gavin Wanganeen as the greatest Indigenous player to play in the AFL.
Wanganeen, who played under Williams during Port Adelaide's premiership in 2004, won a Brownlow Medal and two premierships over his illustrious 300-game career.
โWithout any doubt, Gavin Wanganeen is the best player Iโve coached and certainly the best Aboriginal player that Iโve seen,โ Williams told SEN SA Breakfast.
โTo be able to play back, forward or through the midfield โฆ I still reflect, and I know it sounds crazy, but at times I felt at training that as he went past me with his feet hitting the grass surface, that it would actually catch on fire.
โThatโs how fast he was going, and I thought: โWowee, how lucky am I?โ"
Williams reminisced on Wanganeen's ability to win matches for both Port Adelaide and Essendon, particularly taking note of his performance in the 2004 Grand Final.
โI was lucky enough to actually play with Gavin, and then to coach him. Without doubt he was a bloke that could change the game,โ Williams added.
โThe Preliminary Final he kicked the last two goals to get us into the Grand Final and come Grand Final day, he starred as well.โ
