Australian Football

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Key Facts

Full name
Roy Watterston

Known as
Roy Watterston

Height and weight
Height: 185 cm

Roy Watterston


ClubLeagueCareer spanGamesGoalsAvgWin %AKIAHBAMKBV
NewtownNSWAFL1946-1948, 1950-1951
Queanbeyan-ActonCANFL1952-1956
ActonCANFL1957
Eastlake (Original)CANFL1958-1960
NSWAFL1946-1948, 1950-1951
CANFL1952-1960
Total1946-1948, 1950-1960

Originally from the Perth district of Subiaco, Roy Watterston did not commence his senior football career until he was discharged from the army in 1946, by which time he was aged 23. On leaving the army he decided to settle in Sydney, and for five of the ensuing half a dozen seasons he lined up for a Newtown side that had just won a premiership, and would go on to win the next five in succession as well. Watterston was a member of the club's 1946-7-8 and 1950 flag-winning combinations, but in 1949 he captain-coached Griffin in the Riverina. A regular New South Wales representative player, he captained the state at the 1950 Brisbane carnival.

The 1952 season saw Watterston join the recently formed Queanbeyan-Acton Combine in the CANFL, and after being appointed captain-coach the following season he was immediately successful in steering the side to a premiership. In 1954 he repeated the dose but the next year, Watterston's last as captain-coach, the Combine lost a hard fought Grand Final to Manuka. The 1956 season brought another flag with Watterston continuing as a player under new coach Lindsay White.

According to "The Canberra Times", Roy Watterston was "the best post-war player to have appeared in Canberra". Despite standing just 185 cm in height he played for most of his career as a knock ruckman, exhibiting a combination of great strength, fluidity of movement, tremendous kicking ability, and considerable aerial prowess. He played in every Canberra representative side between 1952 and 1957, won Mulrooney Medals in 1953 and 1954, making him the first dual winner of the award, and was voted the Combine's best and fairest player in 1953 and 1955. When the Combine was dismantled in 1957 Watterston continued his CANFL career with Acton before crossing to Eastlake in 1958 where he spent the final three seasons of his senior career. In 1961 he captain-coached Eastlake's reserves to a flag.

Author - John Devaney

Sources

Full Points Footy Publications

Footnotes

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