Tim Watson

Tim Watson
Personal information
Full name	Timothy Michael Watson
Date of birth	(1961-07-13) 13 July 1961 (age 55)
Place of birth	Dimboola, Victoria
Original team(s)	Dimboola
Height	185 cm (6 ft 1 in)
Weight	96 kg (212 lb)
Position(s)	Half forward flank, ruck-rover
Playing career¹
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
1977–1991, 1993–1994	Essendon	307 (335)
1992	West Coast	0 (0)
Representative team honours
Years	Team	Games (Goals)
1983–1991	Victoria	? (?)
Coaching career³
Years	Club	Games (W–L–D)
1999–2000	St Kilda	44 (12–31–1)
¹ Playing statistics correct to the end of 1994. ² State and international statistics correct as of 1985. ³ Coaching statistics correct as of 2000.
Career highlights
3× VFL/AFL Premiership: 1984, 1985, 1993 VFLPA MVP (Leigh Matthews Trophy): 1989 4× Essendon Best & Fairest: 1980, 1985, 1988, 1989 VFL Team of the Year: 1989 Essendon captain: 1989–1991 AFC Night Series Premiership 1981, 1984 Australian Football Hall of Fame Essendon Team of the Century (Ruck Rover) Champions of Essendon: #6
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Timothy Michael "Tim" Watson (born 13 July 1961) is a former Australian rules footballer and coach, sports journalist and media personality.

Watson is notable for his long career at the Essendon Football Club as a player where he participated in several premiership teams. He was the fourth-youngest player ever to play in the VFL/AFL competition and made a comeback after retirement which included another premiership.

Tim is a prominent and popular sports journalist and media personality. On television he regularly appears on the Seven Network, where he does sports reports for the Melbourne news and has a special comments role on the station's Australian Football League (AFL) football coverage.

Watson made his VFL debut in 1977 for Essendon at the age of fifteen years and 305 days, the fourth-youngest player in the history of the League.

Tim won the Essendon best-and-fairest award four times (1980, 1985, 1988 and 1989). In 1989, he won the AFL Players Association MVP award, now known as the Leigh Matthews Trophy.

Watson played the ruck-rover in Essendon's 1984 and 1985 grand final victories. He was made captain in 1989 and held that position until 1991, before retiring from the game due to the injury problems that had plagued the later part of his career. In the 1992 pre-season draft, Watson was recruited by the West Coast Eagles even though he had signalled his intention to retire. He never played a game for the club, instead continuing a commentary role with the Seven Network for 1992.

Early in the 1993 season Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy lured Watson out of retirement. Although Watson was not as fit as he had once been, and was never able to recapture his top form, he played a vital role in the forward line, kicking some important goals throughout the year. His experience in what was a very young team was instrumental in helping Essendon win an unexpected premiership that year.

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