From humble beginnings in Dimboola to an Essendon champion and one of the most prominent figures in the football media landscape, Tim Watson has enjoyed a career unlike many others. Born and raised in Dimboola, Watson has gone on to become one of the most prominent sport exports the Wimmera has produced. Watson grew up a mad fan of all things sport, developing a love for it from a young age. “For us kids that just loved our sport we played tennis, cricket, basketball and anything else on in the summer time then we all switched to footy in the winter, it was a massive part of our early upbringing,” he said. Watson began his football career with Dimboola, with his father the president of the junior section and his older brothers playing senior football with the Roos. Related: Watson returns to home town – March 2011 He said an early passion burned in him to play against the best around from watching the local senior team. “Just like every kid in the country we grew up wanting to play in the local team and playing in the Wimmera league,” he said. Watson enjoyed his first taste of senior football as a 13-year-old, playing for Dimboola against Stawell at Central Park. He made just one appearance for the Roos’ senior side however. “I had just the one senior game and I was very young,” he said. “I was in the reserves side and was taken off at half-time and then I went on to play in the last quarter of the seniors. “I don’t remember much but I do recall a ball getting lodged in one of the big redgum trees that used to hang over the ground and all the kids throwing stuff at it trying to knock it down.” Watson had little opportunity to play more senior football for Dimboola, with his talents recognised at a young age at a schoolboy football carnival. “In 1976 I played in the Wimmera junior team in the schoolboys carnival. We won our division and then players got chosen from that to try out for the Victorian schoolboys team,” he said. “I was lucky enough to be chosen for that for Victorian side and I was in Essendon’s zone at the time so once that happened I was on their radar.” Once being scouted by the Bombers, they were quick to approach young Watson and his family about a potential move to Melbourne to join the club. “Before Christmas 1976 I got an invitation to play a practice game with Essendon the next year. They invited me back the next weekend and the one after that while during that time they were talking to my parents about me leaving Dimboola and coming to Melbourne,” he said. “I left the country in 1977 at just 15 years old. I got to Melbourne on a Wednesday, enrolled in Essendon High School that day, trained with Essendon on Thursday and by Saturday I was playing my first reserves game for the Bombers against South Melbourne.” ”It was exciting. One minute you are watching the footy on the weekend barracking for your VFL team and the next you are immersed in the whole thing.” Watson said he had no issues settling in when he made the move to Melbourne. “I really enjoyed it. Everything I was doing was new and different,” he said. ”I didn’t get homesick or find it too contorting or overwhelming, I just enjoyed it. Read more: Dellar show unwavering passion to country sport | Legends of Yesterday “There was that excitement that every week was building towards another game of football. I was completely immersed and in love with playing the game.” Debuting at just 15 years old, Watson will forever go down as one of the youngest VFL/AFL debutants. Having settled in well with Essendon, Watson made a name for himself and became crucial to the team. His career reached an all-time high in 1984, when Essendon ended a 19-year premiership drought. ”The ultimate conclusion to that dream is playing in that premiership team,” he said. “To play that out on the MCG and experience that moment is the ultimate. It was always what it was about for me.” The premiership victory was made even sweeter for Watson, playing alongside fellow Dimboola export Merv Neagle. Read more: Liam Pickering lived out childhood dream | Legends of Yesterday “We had both done paper rounds together at the same time in Dimboola,” he said. “We used to sit outside the paper shop waiting for the papers to arrive, talking about footy. “To fast forward and both of you are playing on the MCG on grand final day was surreal. “I remember saying to him when we were in front against Hawthorn ‘have we got it’ and him saying ‘yes we have’, it was a special moment.” Watson said it was “pandemonium” following the 1984 premiership. “All my family were there after the game in the rooms which were packed,” he said. “Because it had been so long since we had won a flag they pretty much let anyone and everyone into the rooms, it was crazy.” Watson reached those heights twice more in his career, going back-to-back in 1985 and then coming out for the 1993 season to win with the ‘Baby Bombers’. “Luck plays a huge part in it,” he said. “I converse daily with people who were great players but for whatever reason couldn't find themselves in the right spot at the right time. “To go back and play in ‘93 was unexpected in the first place but to play with such a young, talented group of players and share that feeling one last time was amazing.” His football career came to an end in 1994, finishing with 307 games, 335 goals, three premierships and four club best and fairest awards. He has also since been inducted into the AFL hall of fame and was listed as a member of Essendon’s team of the century. Watson said the upbringing he had in Dimboola and with the football club held him in good stead to get to the loft heights he reached. “It was very interesting that when I was playing at Dimboola the committee decided for the junior football club there would be no best and fairest awards,” he said. “They wanted everyone to understand the most important thing was the team and that was ingrained in me as a junior and that really carried my attitude towards the game all the way through my career.” He said there weren’t necessarily specific individuals in his home town that were memorable in his development but rather the environment at the club. “Not so much individuals, it was just a system. There was a lot of nurturing and encouragement and just good people who were really dedicated to make playing in your local league a worthwhile pursuit,” he said. “You always felt like you were a part of something. We understood the value of playing as well. We had to participate in raising money for the club. “We didn’t take anything for granted because we knew there was a lot of work associated with getting a team out on the park every week.” Watson has since become one of the most recognisable figures in the sport and football media landscape in Melbourne. He had a short stint as head coach of St Kilda in 1999 and 2000 but has gone on to bigger and better things in the media. He is the sport presenter for Channel Seven’s 6pm news, hosts a breakfast radio show with Garry Lyon on SEN 1116 and has various other media commitments. “I never had any ambitions to do what I do now,” he said. “I have been lucky to continue being involved in something I have loved which is sport. “I am in a very lucky position to do something I love every day as a career.” Despite having lived in Dimboola for just 15 years of his life, Watson said it is always home. “If someone says where is home for you I always say Dimboola,” he said. “I only lived there for 15 years of my life and I have lived a lot longer in Melbourne now but I still see Dimboola and the Wimmera as home. “I would never have swapped my childhood for a childhood in the city, I loved my childhood in the country. “We came from humble beginnings as kids with a great respect for people in our family and town.” Watson is planning on returning to Dimboola next year, chatting with Roos president Col Campbell on his radio show last weekend about a return visit to his home town.
