Warrnambool Rangers Irish recruit Carl Williams is accustomed to saving goals but on Sunday, May 12 he wreaked all kinds of havoc at the opposite end of the pitch.
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The goal keeper by trade, fulfilling working holiday visa requirements on a dairy farm in Terang, found the back of the net seven times for the Rangers in a 21-0 South West Victoria soccer rout of Horsham Falcons.
Williams, 24, was "happy enough" with his efforts in round two but conceded his performance could have been even more fruitful.
"If I was being critical of myself I probably should have scored a few more," he told The Standard.
"They were new back into the league, they were short on players and things as well. But we tried to be as professional as we could...
"I suppose I put a few of them away."
As a goal keeper, Williams played high-level football in his homeland, playing for League of Ireland club University College Dublin.
A tear in his patella tendon left him sidelined for the past year and a half but now, cleared to play, he jumped at the opportunity to join the Rangers after arriving in the south-west in March, some six months into his Australian adventure.
He requested to spend time in the outfield and after filling in for the usual goal keeper in round one, made the most of his chance in round two.
Despite his success in front of goals, the Irishman hasn't ruled out pulling on the gloves again.
"If I do get back playing and my injury stays away and I wanted to go back up the ranks I'd probably go back playing goals," he said.
"I probably would like to get to National Premier League level over here but I'll just have to see how I go I suppose."
Unfortunately for the Rangers, they won't be benefiting from Williams' services for too much longer.
The landscape architect, who was in Sydney from October to March, might play just two more games before travelling along the east coast from June.
Still, the region has made such an impression on him in just a few months that he may return.
"I really like it down here, I'm enjoying my time on the farm and obviously I'm enjoying my time playing with the lads as well," he said.
"Because I'm doing my regional work for the visa I can come back for a second year, or stay for a second year even. I'd love to come back to here again if I was here for a second year."
Williams even experienced a taste of Ireland at the Koroit Irish Festival a few weeks ago despite being more than 17,000 kilometres from his home of Cloughjordan in County Tipperary.
"I popped over there, one of the other guys in the team Eric (Banville), he's Irish as well, I actually met him over there for an hour or two on the Saturday evening," he said.
"A lot of (Irish) people come out of the woodwork there. I've been told there's a lot of Irish down here but I hadn't seen an overly big amount."
Matt Hughes
Matt is a sports journalist at The Standard.
Matt is a sports journalist at The Standard.
