PORT Adelaide premiership coach Mark Williams has walked away from the AFL scene for the first time in nearly a quarter of a century, choosing to accept a coaching position in the Victorian Amateur Football Association.

Williams will coach Premier B club AJAX in 2017 as part of a new position as director of coaching and development for Maccabi Victoria, the roof body for Jewish sport in the state.

In a major career change for an AFL lifer, he will work across 20 clubs, managing coaching and playing programs and fast-tracking the development of elite athletes across a number of sports.

Maccabi Victoria is one of the largest grassroots sporting organisations in Victoria, with more than 4000 members.

In a surprise move, Williams was let go by Richmond last month after four years as an assistant coach to Damien Hardwick and also with a key role in development.

Before that, he was Kevin Sheedy's key assistant during the formative years at Greater Western Sydney.

Williams coached Port Adelaide for 274 matches between 1999 and 2010, highlighted by the 2004 premiership win.

Williams played 135 games for Collingwood between 1981 and 1986 and was captain his last four years there. He then joined the Brisbane Bears and played 66 games in four years.

He also played and coached in the SANFL and was an assistant to Sheedy at Essendon in 1995 and 1996 before returning to Port as an assistant when the Power joined the AFL.

It is believed that Williams will become the first AFL premiership coach to coach in the VAFA.