Australian Football

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Key Facts

Full name
John Albert Watts

Known as
John Watts

Born
21 January 1937

Died
3 June 2017 (aged 80)

Age at first & last AFL game
First game: 26y 89d
Last game: 28y 226d

Height and weight
Height: 191 cm
Weight: 94 kg

Senior clubs
East Perth; Geelong; Hobart

Jumper numbers
Geelong: 28

Hall of fame
Western Australian Football Hall Of Fame, Inducted 2008

John Watts

ClubLeagueCareer spanGamesGoalsAvgWin %AKIAHBAMKBV
East PerthWANFL1954-1962166
GeelongV/AFL1963-19655240.0869%11.362.325.095
HobartTANFL1966-196853
Total1954-196827140.01

Pre 1965 stats are for selected matches only

AFL: 7,449th player to appear, 4,208th most games played, 6,728th most goals kickedGeelong: 668th player to appear, 325th most games played, 567th most goals kicked

John Watts was a solidly built and robust defender and occasional ruckman who added a certain energetic toughness to East Perth's ultra-talented 1950s and early 1960s combinations. He was at full back when the Royals won flags in 1956 and 1958-9, and while less conspicuous than the likes of Farmer, Kilmurray and Sheedy was arguably an equally important contributor to the wins.

Between 1954 and 1962 Watts played 166 league games. He also represented Western Australia on a dozen occasions. In 1963 he joined former East Perth team mate 'Polly' Farmer at Geelong, and his resolute style represented a critical addition to the mix in terms of the club's premiership credentials. Watts was a key contributor from a back pocket as the Cats won that season's Grand Final against Hawthorn, the team widely regarded as the toughest in the VFL.

John Watts spent three seasons with Geelong, playing a total of 52 VFL games, before captain-coaching TANFL side Hobart between 1966 and 1968. In his first season with the Tigers he steered them to a nerve-jangling one-point Grand Final win over Glenorchy. He was a key player throughout that year's finals series, with his performances epitomised by some noteworthy fingertip marks in defence, and prodigious clearing kicks. Watts played a total of 55 senior games while with Hobart, comprising 53 for his club, and two intra-state representative games for the TANFL. In 1966, he was selected in Tasmania's squad for the Hobart carnival, but was forced to withdraw owing to injury.

Author - John Devaney

Sources

Full Points Footy's WA Football Companion

Footnotes

* Behinds calculated from the 1965 season on.
+ Score at the end of extra time.