Williams described the Power’s 18-point win over Hawthorn on Sunday as its best four-quarter performance of the year, but couldn’t hide his frustration when asked why the team wasn’t able to produce such an effort every week.
"I wouldn’t think I’d be taking my foot off the players’ throats this week,” Williams said after the game.
"There’s a lot of frustration [associated with] being a team that can show their best by kicking 18 goals against Hawthorn and playing particularly exciting and desperate footy … then you think of the rubbish we served up last week.
"It takes a lot out of you. We, as a club, spend a hell of a lot of time each week trying to get the players up and that’s rubbish as well. Each time we’ll lose we’ll go back and through the process again, but you’d like to think you could get on a roll.
"It’s much more fun coming to work when you’re on a roll rather than up and down all the time.”
Mainstays Brett Ebert and Steve Salopek were dropped on Thursday for a lack of consistent effort.
Williams said ‘effort’ had been the key theme at training throughout the week.
"We don’t think we get beaten too often by skill. We get beaten because we don’t continually push," Williams said.
“We’re too inconsistent within individuals, within quarters and within the team as well. If you get beaten, but you’re having and that effort is there everyone walks away pretty satisfied."
Williams praised Shaun Burgoyne’s (26 possessions, three clearances and a goal) stunning return to form and regretted not bringing back first-year Hamish Hartlett last week.
Williams said the returns of Burgoyne (bruised knee) and Brogan from a corked thigh had made a significant impact on the team.
"It’s our best ruckman [Brogan], our best clearance player and, possibly, our best player [Burgoyne]," he said.
"We’ve struggled for a long time without Shaun being in the side. Shaun brings class, great disposal, decision making and when he hits people they know about it."
The Power reported just one injury from Sunday’s game. Skipper Dom Cassisi suffered a mild concussion, but was able to return to the field.
Chad Cornes’ heavy collision with the umpire in the third quarter is likely to be of more concern. Cornes is nursing a bad cork as a result of the incident.
Williams said it was important his side replicated Sunday's performance when it takes on Fremantle at Subiaco next week.
"You can talk as much as you like between now and the next game, but it [is meaningless] until the next game comes. Talk is cheap and it doesn’t equate to anything unless you deliver."
