Macarthur Rugby League: Campbelltown City legend Chris Williamson on epic 15-year journey

When the final whistle sounds at Fullwood Reserve on Sunday it will mark the end of Chris Williamson’s record-breaking career at Campbelltown City.

A mainstay of the Kangaroos’ left edge for a club record 15 seasons, Williamson will pack down for the final time against The Oaks in a contest set to double as the 31-year-old’s Testimonial match.

Williamson’s record is all the more remarkable given City’s proud 115-year history.

An economic analyst at Campbelltown City Council, the prized forward’s methodical nature and loyalty now places him alongside the club’s greats.

“It's just always a good atmosphere and I’ve always felt accepted,” Williamson said.

“There is always a good bunch of blokes running around. We all hang together outside of footy and it has just made me want to go back every year.”

If not for a coastal exit, the one-club man could well have been riding surfboards instead of league’s bumps and bruises.

“I started playing when I was five for the Culburra Dolphins down the south coast,” said Williamson.

“I actually played with Owen Wright, who went on to become a world class surfer. Then we moved up to Campbelltown when I was 10 where I played with Mac Saints and Mount Annan before joining Campbelltown City.”

Long admired for his workrate and fearless lines in attack, Williamson recalled his 2009 rookie season with fondness.

“It was a bit daunting for me as a 17-year-old coming into grade alongside former NRL stars like Ken and Kevin McGuinness and Damian Kennedy,” he said.

“My role was very different back then, I used to come off the bench and got told to make my tackles. Now as a senior player I can call for the ball rather than just toiling in the middle.”

But it is 2017, the year of City’s last premiership that triggers the fondest memories.

“It’s certainly my proudest moment at the club. The whole season was a bit out of the blue because we just had a relatively young team and it was a shock at how well we gelled from the beginning,’’ he said.

“After 2016 we lost experienced players like Jack Cahill and Nathan Wilson, then our coach Drew Dalton moved on too. But former Wests Tigers premiership player Liam Fulton took us to the title, he was great at bringing the boys together with his unique personality.

“We just had these young blokes show up and all of a sudden we started rolling the top teams and I think we finished third. Thirlmere then beat us by around 30 in the first week of the finals, then we scraped past Camden and Picton.”

“We faced Thirlmere again in the grand final, they definitely started as odds on favourite,” Williamson recalled of the 30-8 thrashing.

“We just came out of the box firing, it was 18-4 at halftime and then we just carried on with it. I can still remember the crowd counting down the final 10 seconds, then just this ecstatic moment when that final siren sounded and the realisation it was in the bag.”

Awarded Life Membership at City in 2021, Williamson feels that after more than 200 first grade appearances it is now time to move on.

“We’ve got a baby on the way and at the moment it feels like I’m always dedicated to footy so I just want a break,” he said.

“I'm definitely looking forward to not waking up sore on Monday mornings.”

With fellow Life Member and current coach Alex Melville the driving force behind Sunday’s festivities, Williamson couldn’t be prouder.

“I definitely wasn’t expecting it and I’m appreciative of what the club has done, particularly Alex,” Williamson said. .

“I’m not sure the club would exist without Alex’s contribution over many years, and now he's putting the testimonial on for me, so it will be good to share it with him.”