After three months of tireless work on the training track, Watson got his first taste of AFL football in yesterday's match. He started on the half-forward flank on Matthew Nicks and said the pace of the match was a lot faster than he has played before. ""The game is a lot quicker and the skill level high. You don't have as much time as in you do in the under-18's. You can't run five metres, without the opposition pulling you up,"" Watson said.
Watson was naturally fairly nervous before the game and said the nerves eased slightly after getting his hands on the football. The nervous emotions were also mixed with the excitement of playing his first game for the red and black. ""Before we ran out. all of the guys wished the first game players good luck and told us to enjoy it. I was really nervous but also happy to be playing. I wasn't really sure what I was doing in the first quarter. I kept asking Matthew (Lloyd) and James (Hird) where I should be. After about a quarter I started to settle down,"" the former Sandringham Dragons player said.
Watson's skill level and use of the ball reflected a player beyond his years. He used his 189cm height and 92kg build to advantage in one-on-one contests and Bomber coach Kevin Sheedy was impressed with his first up effort. ""He (Watson) put his body on the line and his second efforts were fantastic. We were also happy with his delivery of the ball and his workrate. His first up performance was a good sign of things to come for the youngster,"" Sheedy said.
Watson enjoyed playing with his teammates for the first time and commented that it will take a few matches to become familiar with how everyone plays and where they move. ""I really noticed Lloyd's strength when he was playing - it was unbelievable. He had three players on him and he was able to maneuver them out of the way and get the ball. Hird's vision also really stood out and so did his marking around the ground. I can definitely learn a lot from my teammates.""
Watson was exhausted from his first match and will use the rest day today to re-charge his batteries for the intensive training week ahead. The team is on a four-day training and promotional camp in Sydney this week before travelling to Canberra on Thursday in preparation for its first Wizard Cup match against the Kangaroos at Manuka Oval this Saturday, February 22nd. The 18-year-old did learn a lot from his first taste of senior football and said the thing that stood out the most was the number of quality players. “There was so many good players out there that are always putting pressure on you. You had to make sure you got in there and get the ball, otherwise you won't give you a look in,” Watson said.
