An accidental hero

Rising star had other interests

GROWING up, Serene Watson played everything but Aussie rules.

Soccer, basketball, cheerleading, gymnastics, you name it, Watson played it.

A New South Welshwoman at heart, Watson’s introduction to footy came at Fankhauser Oval watching her brother pull on the boots for the Southport Sharks.

It wasn’t long before Watson went from spectator to star when the Sharks under-15 girls coach asked her to come and play after watching her have a kick around one afternoon.

“I was 12 years old and probably was thinking ‘that’s a bit full-on’ to be playing but once I started playing, I loved it,” she said.

“When we moved up here, footy became everything. I played it for a bit and I wasn’t very good, to be honest.

“I slowly started falling in love with it as I started progressing through the ranks.”

From a humble start, Watson quickly developed and was pushing for Queensland under-18 selection at the age of 15 but an unexpected snubbing forced her to re-evaluate her approach to footy.

“I was really trying to make it but I didn’t and that was the year I decided to switch on if I wanted to go somewhere in sport,” she said.

Watson finally cracked the elusive state side the following year and was named an AllAustralian not only once but again in 2019 as one of Australia’s most promising rebound defenders.

“I think I started not caring as much,” she said.

“I started playing carefree footy and also enjoying it because I put a lot of stress on myself.”

Late last year, Watson made history when she became the first AFLW player to be drafted to the Gold Coast Suns.

“There’s a lot of hype around it and I tried to push it aside a bit but it’s such an unreal honour to be thought of like that,” she said. “I’m glad in a way I had to wait.”

The 18-year-old is now hoping she is one of 22 who will be named to take her place in the Suns’ Round 1 line-up to play GWS Giants in Sydney on February 8.

Although she won’t get the chance to engage in a grudge match against her partner and Carlton rising star Madison Prespakis this year due to the quirks of AFLW conferencing.

“We don’t really speak about it but hopefully I can just take it all in,” she said.

“I’d be nervous, happy, excited but I would try to just

take it all in.”

Picture: GETTY IMAGES Serene, 12, before her first game for the Sharks in 2013. It was a case of Aussie rules finding Serene Watson, who was occupied with other sports during her younger years.