Hall started slowly in the 46-point win, and was well held by young Fremantle backman Alex Silvagni until the final quarter of the Etihad Stadium clash.
After Silvagni went off with knee soreness sustained in a high grab he took over Hall, the premiership Swan took flight and kicked four fourth-quarter goals to play a big part in sealing the Dogs' last win of the season.
Williams, who played with Hall between 2002 and 2006 at the Swans and is a premiership teammate from 2005, said he hoped he was remembered in the "right way" despite his chequered past.
"He has given enormous stuff to this football club for two years and has been embraced by the whole club, by staff right down to the boot studder," Williams said.
"The players loved playing with him, they can tell their kids they played with Hally, which is great, and he had an enormous presence around the place and he's going to be sorely missed.
"It might not have been a fairy tale finish for Hall had it not been for some final term intervention from Williams.
Hall was frustrated at his one-goal performance, giving away a free kick for holding Silvagni in a headlock then a 50m penalty for abusing the umpire.
Williams dragged him, had a chat to him on the phone from the coaches' box and reminded him not to let his career end with smatterings of the aggression problem that ended his days as a Swan in 2009.
"I just needed to have a conversation with him. I've obviously got a really good relationship with him and I just wanted to make sure he finished his career on the right note," Williams said.
"I didn't think he'd go on and kick four after that but it was to make sure he played the game the way he wanted to play and the way he wanted to be remembered, and he managed to do that.
"It was nice in the end for him to get a couple of easy goals, which was good."Williams said the experience of coaching the club for the last three games of the season had reaffirmed his desire to apply for a full-time senior gig "100 per cent".
He will be interviewed, along with other candidates, for the job in the coming weeks, and hopes to pitch "something that [the selection panel] agrees with".
Having now had the opportunity to analyse the Dogs' situation close up, Williams said whoever inherited the team in its current state would receive a healthy list.
"We've played a lot of kids and probably some of them have had a really good taste of what they have to do to be an AFL player," he said.
"I think the youth that we've got right down the bottom end, first year, second year and even third year, is quite healthy.
"I think the new senior coach will be quite buoyed by our list, and they'll also know that the 2011 and 2012 draft especially is very important for us to bounce back as quick as possible.
"We can bounce [back], and we need to do some things internally … that's going to give us an opportunity without any additions to our list.
"If we have a really good summer with the way we want to change our style a little bit, it will be really beneficial for us."
Williams said he expected the club to be quiet during the October trade period.
"We haven't even spoken about it [but] I couldn't see us going too hectic there but you don't know," he said.
"I think the youth is the answer and we'll use as many draft picks as we possibly can to get some kids in."
Jennifer Witham covers Western Bulldogs news for the AFL Website. Follow her on Twitter @AFL_JenWitham
