ONE thing Matthew Watson responds to better than anything else on the football field is a challenge.
Several were dished up over the past six weeks of the AFL Under 18 National Championships, but they only served to propel the Calder Cannons defender to All Australian status.
Watson emerged from the Championships as the All Australian full back, a fitting tribute to a carnival where he slayed some of the giant forwards around the country.
Metro coach Rohan Welsh handed Watson testing assignments against South Australia’s Sam Day, also an All Australian, and West Australia’s Jack Darling, two highly touted forwards.
If he wasn’t so humble, Watson could have handed back the dossier with ‘mission accomplished’ stamped on it.
“It was a good experience playing against some of the best players in Australia, I really enjoyed it,” Watson said.
“If I have a challenge, I usually stick to it and play pretty well. I knew coming into the last game that Darling had a good carnival so I thought if I could get on top of him, I could run off him and get him off his game.
“I just like the challenge of playing on a profile or well known player. I get a lot of confidence from playing against these good players and doing well.”
Watson relished every second of the Championship, soaking up the history of the great players who have represented Vic Metro, the honour of wearing the ‘big V’ and the opportunity afforded to play on several AFL grounds.
And, he learned so much from the steep spiral that goes hand in hand with the national championships.
“The intensity was way higher than anything in the TAC Cup. It was four full quarters, from the first bounce to the final siren,” Watson said.
“You had to be on the ball, on your toes all the time. If you went to sleep for one second it could result in a turn over or a goal to the opposition.
“It was a good challenge for me. Sometimes I don’t play consistently all game, I enjoyed the challenge of concentrating for all four quarters.”
While he was “happy” with how he played throughout the Championships, Watson didn’t envisage All Australian recognition.
Watson noted that all the talent within the Metro team he didn’t ever consider himself in the running.
“I was pretty surprised, but I’m very honoured. There are so many good players in there that will probably end up being drafted,” he said.
While he will play with the Cannons this weekend, Watson has commitments with Essendon Grammar which will take him away from the TAC Cup until just before finals.
Watson understands the situation, but he’s already steeling himself for his next challenge – help Calder make it back-to-back premierships.
And, as evidenced during the AFL Under 18 National Championships, Matthew Watson loves nothing more than a challenge.
Last Modified on 18/08/2010 11:54