Tredrea, 30, had not kicked a goal in the opening two rounds of 2009, but turned back the clock against the Dees at AAMI Stadium to finish with his best return in nearly four years.
The four-time All-Australian and premiership skipper, who finished with a return of 6.1, kicked a goal at least in each of the quarters to help guide his side to a comfortable 57-point win.
Williams said Tredrea had delivered on Sunday when his team needed it most.
“I saw the double page article on Tredders in the paper today and he probably put himself on notice,” Williams said after the game.
“He’s fully aware that, if you don’t kick goals in the forward line, you can’t keep getting a gold pass, especially when you’re not the captain anymore. It makes it even more critical for him to be involved in kicking goals.
“You saw it the other night with (Essendon skipper) Matty Lloyd going to full-forward and saying ‘well this is it, I’m going to have to show something’.
“It’s great for those quality forwards and I think everyone loves to see them. I’m sure our fans could reflect back to some glory days today.
“In fact, we even talked about ‘when was the last time [he kicked that many]? And how many has he kicked in one game? I think it was at Optus Oval against Carlton about a million years ago.”
Tredrea has been plagued by knee injuries since emerging as the dominant centre half-forward in the competition early in the decade.
Williams praised the former captain’s ability to overcome adversity.
“Our medical staff have been outstanding in working with Tredders,” he said.
“There have been some occasions where we’ve thought he was probably on his last legs, but he’s a person that bats against the odds and keeps coming up. You’re never quite sure how much he’s got left, but he’s a very determined bloke.”
Williams lamented his side’s last quarter against Melbourne, but was rapt with the performances of emerging stars Nathan Krakouer and Robbie Gray.
The only downside to the emphatic victory was the report of skipper Dom Cassisi for striking Lynden Dunn in an off-the-ball incident.
Star onballer Peter Burgoyne also faces a nervous wait after appearing to slide is knee into the back of 100-gamer Aaron Davey.
Shaun Burgoyne, who left the ground after copping a knock to his left knee, is also in doubt for the clash with Hawthorn next week.
The Power have now had three reports in three games this season, but Williams said he would still encourage his side to play hard footy.
“The coaches don’t have a role to play when it comes to reports. We just look at the sheet and see what it was for. We’ll wait and see,” he said.
“Every club and anyone that’s playing AFL footy would rather have a strong side than a weak side. The balance is always interesting.”
