Matthew Watson (footballer, born 1992)

This article is about the Carlton player. For the Essendon player, see Matthew Watson (footballer born 1976).

Matthew Watson
Personal information
Full name	Matthew Watson
Date of birth	(1992-07-16) 16 July 1992 (age 30)
Original team(s)	Pascoe Vale (EDFL) Calder Cannons (TAC Cup)
Draft	No. 18, 2010 National Draft, Carlton
Height	195 cm (6 ft 5 in)
Weight	101 kg (223 lb)
Position(s)	Defender / Forward
Playing career1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
2011–2015	Carlton	23 (10)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2015.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Matthew Watson (born 16 July 1992 ^[1] ) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

A key position player, Watson began his career primarily as a tall defender, then later transitioned into a forward. Originally from Victoria, Watson attended and played school football for Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School and Pascoe Vale. He played TAC Cup football for the Calder Cannons. He represented Vic Metro at the 2008 AFL Under 16 Championships ^[2] and 2010 AFL Under 18 Championships, where he was selected as a defender in the Under 18 All-Australian team. ^[1]

Watson was recruited by the Carlton Football Club with its first round selection in the 2010 AFL National Draft (number 18 overall). He was given the number 10 guernsey. ^[1] He made his AFL debut in Round 2, 2011 against Gold Coast, in what was the first game played by the new Gold Coast franchise. ^[3] Watson played a total of three matches for Carlton in his debut season, ^[4] and played mostly for its VFL - affiliate, the Northern Bullants (later the Northern Blues). ^[5]

He played sporadically for Carlton over his five years on the senior list, playing a total of 23 games. His highest return was eight senior matches in 2012. He never won a regular position in the senior team, and was delisted at the conclusion of the 2015 season. ^[6] He played 69 games and kicked 44 goals for the Northern Blues/Bullants during that time. ^[7]

He became known at Carlton for his long, accurate left-footed kicks out of defence, and as a result, Carlton fans would shout "woof!" whenever Watson kicked the ball: Watson was the fourth long-kicking left-footed Carlton player to receive this traditional treatment, after Val Perovic in the 1980s, Ang Christou in the 1990s and Chris Bryan in the 2000s. ^[8]

Watson is the nephew of Steven Alessio, who played for Essendon. His sister, Liz Watson, an Australia netball international. ^{[9] [10] [11]}

References

1. Carlton Football Club, Selection 18 - Matthew Watson Archived 8 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine , 18 November 2010, Retrieved 23 March 2011.
2. Jolly, L., Hume Leader Archived 14 April 2011 at the Wayback Machine , "Calder Cannons stars shine", 6 October 2008, Retrieved 25 March 2011.
3. Windley, M., Herald Sun, "Saints play it safe with Koschitzke", 31 March 2011, Retrieved 31 March 2011.
4. AFL Tables, 2011 Stats - Player Lists - Carlton, Retrieved 19 Sep 2011.
5. "Statistics for Northern Bullants playing VFL seniors". Sportingpulse. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
6. Johns, Loretta (18 September 2015). "Carlton delists four". CarltonFC.com.au. Bigpond . Retrieved 18 September 2015.
7. "Player profile – Matthew Watson". Fox Sports Pulse. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
8. "Bringing back the "WOOF!"". Carlton Football Club. 18 July 2011. Archived from the original on 23 March 2012. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
9. "Liz Watson". sahof.org.au. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
10. "Liz Watson". gc2018.com. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
11. "The Diamonds' special pact". www.athletesvoice.com.au. 18 October 2017. Retrieved 24 July 2021.

External links

• Matthew Watson's profile on the official website of the Carlton Football Club
• Matthew Watson's playing statistics from AFL Tables