Xavier Watson

From the time he made his mini league debut in 1997 to when he won the Great Flinders under 13 medal in 2001. Xavier Watson was touted as a star of the future not just in Great Flinders but at the highest level. In the last five seasons, Xavier has not only been the most consistent player on Eyre Peninsula and but possibly country South Australia.

Xavier progressed to senior colts in 2001 and won the best and fairest for United Yeelanna in both 2002 and 2003. He had his first taste of premiership success in 2003 the same year as his United Yeelanna A grade debut. Xavier moved to Adelaide in 2004 to attend Prince Alfred College but returned to play a part in back to back United Yeelanna senior colts premierships.

While at PAC, Xavier captained the first XVIII in 2006 and was named best and fairest in his first year. Xavier combined his college football with Under 19 football at Port Adelaide and was a member of the Magpies premiership team of 2006, he was also awarded player of the finals. Xavier made his reserves debut with Port Adelaide in 2007 winning the clubs best and fairest that year. Xavier’s long awaited league debut came in 2008 and he would go on to play 26 league games along with 68 reserves games. A highlight of his time at Port Adelaide was his selection in the South Australian Under 20s team in 2007 and again in 2008 as vice captain. Xavier’s time at Port Adelaide ended in 2011 with him winning his second reserves best and fairest award.

In search of more opportunity, Xavier transferred to South Adelaide in 2012 where he played 12 league games. Although Xavier had already played a handful of senior games for United Yeelanna, he returned home to play on a full time basis in 2013. As defending premier this was great news for United Yeelanna as from the time of his return, Xavier quickly became one of the most dominant mid fielders in the Great Flinders league.

Xavier has won the Great Flinders Mail Medal in 2014, 2015 and 2017, and was runner up in 2013 and 2016. He was United Yeelanna’s captain from 2013 to 2016 and has played in their 2014, 2015 and 2016 flags. Winning the three premierships have been made all the sweeter by sharing them with his brothers, Matthew and Aaron. Xavier has won the Brimanna Medal as United Yeelanna best and fairest in 2013, 2014, 2015 (joint) and 2016 and won the Anzac Day Medal in 2014 and 2016.

Xavier has represented the Great Flinders league with distinction. He has been selected in the Mortlock Team of the Carnival from 2013 to 2017, the last three times as captain. In 2017, Xavier won the Bampton Medal awarded to the best player at the Mortlock Shield. He has then gone on to represent Eyre Peninsula from 2013 to 2017. In 2015, Xavier was named best & fairest at the SA Country Zone Carnival sharing the award with his EP team mate Jack Kenny. He received the Peter Beard medal in 2016 and 2017 as Eyre Peninsula’s best player at the Zone Carnival.

His fine performances for Eyre Peninsula has seen Xavier selected to play for the South Australian Country team in 2015, 2016 and 2017. It is quite possible that if Xavier keeps playing the way he has in the past five years that this page will become obsolete very quickly as he continues rewrite his own history.