Brad Williams

By Charles Christian
May 6, 1982

Parramatta's bearded winger Brad Williams used a course of the highly controversial drug group, anabolic steroids, to build himself up for first-grade football. The drug, backed by an intensive weights program and controlled diet, built Williams up by an astonishing 3 stone (20kg), from 10 stone (64k) to 13 stone 3lb (84kg).
Williams this week revealed he had used the steroids.
Williams took the drug under strict medical supervision in a six-week period in the 1980-81 summer. "I can't see any harm in letting people know you've taken steroids-it's not illegal," he told me.
The Parramatta winger is not the only Sydney first-grader to have taken steroids. But he is the first since Graham Olling, back in 1977, to go "public".
The use of steroids has become an explosive issue in world amateur sport. The drug is officially banned now-but believed to be still in intensive use by athletes in the strength events, such as weightlifting and the field sports.
A bigger, stronger Williams broke into first-grade football with the Eels this year.
Photographs of him as a lower-grade winger with the Eels in 1980 show him as a real string bean at 64kg. He now plays at 78kg and is a considerably more robust player.
Williams talked openly of the period in which he took the steroids, under the strict supervision of the Parramatta club doctor.
NSWRL Doctor Bill Monaghan said he believed other players in Sydney have used steroids to build weight and strength.
"The taking of steroids is a touchy area," he said. "It has to be approached with a great deal of care and responsibility. The taking of steroids over a prolonged period, without any medical supervision, can lead to such things as liver damage and testicular atrophy, leading at times to sterility.
"Obviously Williams was on a careful supervised program. But just because he had success in what he did doesn't mean that it would work well for others."
Dr Monaghan said he preferred footballers to build up by natural methods-a weights program, backed by a proper diet.
Team-mates tagged Williams the "Bionic Matchstick" in his build-up days. The nickname sticks, even though Williams is now substantially bigger and stronger than he was.
"I've got absolutely no regrets about taking steroids," Williams summed up.