CARLTON legend Greg Williams has taken aim at former No.3 draft pick Paddy Dow – a player he was invited back to the Blues to coach last season.

Dow, 20, was dumped from the Blues' line-up to tackle Sydney on Tuesday night, just two games after returning from a long-running knee injury.

Williams, who last year answered a call from Patrick Cripps to coach he and Dow, was this year made redundant from an increased skills coaching role at the Blues due to the financial crunch of COVID-19.

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And the Blues Team of the Century member, premiership hero and dual Brownlow medallist believes it's on his former pupil to win his spot back.  

Paddy Dow kicks a goal during the round 15 match between Greater Western Sydney and Carlton at Metricon Stadium. Picture: AFL Photos

"He got back last week. I thought just watching him, he's just not desperate enough, not going hard enough and I'm pretty blunt, but I think you get what you deserve." Williams told SEN. 

"You've got to toughen up.

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"Teaguey's (coach David Teague) obviously made it hard for him to get a game which is a good thing because he got a lot of games early, just straight in because he was a low pick.  

"He played some pretty good footy, but he has struggled this year to get in and I think Teaguey's doing the right thing, he's making it hard for him."

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Williams has previously transformed Hawthorn's Tom Mitchell into a Brownlow medallist and before that worked with Essendon captain Jobe Watson and the Bombers' midfield group.

"I remember telling Jobe Watson this when he was about 19, I said 'You've got to play like a man or don't play'," Williams said.

"Jobe was thinking he was going hard, he was going half-hard.

"Then he starts going hard and he turns into a man and same with (Sydney co-captain) Josh Kennedy.

"A lot of these young players, they've got to get to a level to be able to compete with the other men and Dowy can't at the moment.

"He's got to pull his finger out and toughen up. It's as simple as that."

Dow was dropped alongside Cam Polson for Tuesday night's clash with the Swans, while Eddie Betts and Marc Pittonet have been rested.

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