Scott Watson (1986)

You would think that to play over 420 games of open-age football, a solid junior career played out before that. Not so, for Scott Watson (1986), who didn’t play Australian Rules Football until the age of 21.

Scott’s early sporting prowess included competing in swimming, soccer, basketball, and water polo. He attended Parade Bundoora from 1981 to 1986.

Upon completing a degree in Physical Education, Scott accepted a position, at Euroa Secondary College, in 1991, taking PE and Maths classes. His teaching career at the College would see him work in a raft of positions of leadership before serving the College as Principal for five years.

Scott first pulled on the boots for Longwood Football Club, playing two seasons with the Kyabram and District League Club, before crossing to the Euroa Football Club in 1993. This move kick-started an amazing contribution as a player, coach, and administrator for over 30 years.

On June 6, 2021, Watson was inducted into the Goulburn Valley Football League, Hall of Fame.

The GVFL highlighted his achievements and contributions as follows:

• 365 Senior and 55 Reserves games.
• GVFL League representative on four occasions.
• Euroa FC Captain for 13 seasons.
• Coached Euroa FC Junior Teams.
• Member of the 2005 Euroa FC Grand Final Team.
• Member of the 2014 Euroa FC Reserves Premiership Team.
• Euroa FC Best and Fairest winner on three occasions.
• At age 44, won the Reserves Best and Fairest.
• Euroa FC President for the past 15 years.
• Served as Secretary at Euroa.
• Coached the GVFL Under 18 Representative Team.
• Coached the Victorian Under 15 Schoolboys Team.
• Is a Life Member of the Euroa FC and Goulburn Valley Football League.

Prominent Goulburn Valley identity, and current Echuca FC President, Ashley Byrne, who hails from Boort, and was drafted to the Brisbane Bears in 1988, shares his journey with, and alongside Scott:

“Scott Watson is the type of person that every club, or organisation, would be so blessed to have and be able to say that they have their own Scott Watson. Watto has given his heart and soul for the Euroa Football Netball Club since the early 1990’s as a great player and subsequently as a tireless administrator. Over that journey it would be a very rare occurrence to play against Euroa and not see Watto decked out in the Black & White. I first met Watto in 1989, at Phillip Institute of Technology. We both studied Physical Education. In the early 1990’s we crossed paths again when Watto was playing for Euroa, and I was playing for Echuca. We played against one another on numerous occasions and played interleague for the GVFL as well. I have been president of the Murray Bombers for the past five years, at which time, Watto has served Euroa FC, as its President. Watto was not only super passionate about Euroa Football and Netball but he was also heavily invested in Goulburn Valley Football and Netball and the operation of our strong league. He has worked tirelessly on improving our competition. Scott has been a huge contributor to the Euroa community and the Goulburn Valley region for over 35 years and I would like to congratulate and thank him for his involvement and his commitment to making Footy & Netball better in our region”.

GVFL Morrison Medallist, Shane Schottner, captained Seymour FC to its three-peat of Premierships in 2005, 2006, and 2007. Bernard Haberman (1993) coached the Lions to their 2007 flag. Shane, a teacher at St.Kevin’s College, Toorak, about Watson:

“Scott is an absolutely selfless and humble person both on and off the field. He was a highly respected opponent of mine over many years when we squared off in our fierce Seymour v Euroa matches, including the 2005 Grand Final. Everybody at the Seymour Lions respects that bloke without question”.

Old Paradians FC Team of the Century Full Forward, Marc Harrison (1990), who kicked 100 goals in 1996, was recruited to Euroa for the 2000 season. Marc remembers Scott:

“Scott was an unbelievable player to play alongside at the Euroa Magpies. He was a highly skilled defender who sometimes went onto the ball. He was so reliable, fair, and a real team player. Everyone loved him up there. A few years later, I found myself in a horse syndicate with him. The horse was trained by the Hayes Family, at Lindsay Park, in Euroa.”

EFNC patron Tony Brodie, an uncle of 1^st XVIII and 1^st XI Captain, Brendan Joyce (1988) summed up Watson: 

“Scott has been an outstanding contributor and leader of our proud club. With the support of our member base he has worked tirelessly to constantly improve our club. We have been so lucky to have Scott. He has been a shining light for us for over 30 years”.

Lifelong Euroa resident, Kevin McFarlane, also an uncle of Joyce, who has been instrumental in training and conditioning local boy, and Collingwood star, Jamie Elliott during his AFL career, only has complete admiration for what Scott has brought to the town.

Scott’s love of sport, and his contribution to the GVFL, is not limited to football but also extends to golf. Matt Mills, of the Euroa Golf Club, spoke glowingly of Scott:

“Scott Watson has been a member at Euroa Golf Club basically since he moved to Euroa to start his teaching job. In recent times, when our course greenkeeper Matt Eddy moved to a new job, Watto stepped in to change the pin positions each week, initially just to cover this job until the club employed a new greenkeeper. After Dave Mackrell was appointed as our greenkeeper, Scott has continued to do this job each week. This requires changing all 18 hole positions, as well as doing other jobs, such as tidying up around tees, when time permits, and cutting the greens on the odd occasion. This year he has taken a position on our Course Committee and is the captain of the handicap pennant team this season”.

Ambrose Swindon (1997) who played for the Old Paradians FC, Montmorency FC, and who represented the Northern Football League, in its memorable Interleague Match, against the Essendon Football League, at Cramer Street, in 2008, was recruited by Watson, to play at Euroa, for the 2014 season.

Memorably, Ambrose kicked the winning goal from the boundary, in Euroa’s Anzac Day victory over Seymour FC, at Euroa. Ambrose on Scott:

“From the first time I met Scott, he struck me as just an honest, reliable bloke, who despite being a city boy, had that friendly, country vibe about him. There was no bulldust with Watto and I could tell he was sound. He was not only playing, but also President at the same time. His acts just reeked of selflessness and wanting to help his club and community. It was a great experience for me personally to have that season at Euroa”.

After starting at Euroa Secondary College in 1991, Scott stayed on at ESC, until 1999, adding Outdoor Education to his teaching load, as well as Sports Co-ordinator, Faculty Leader, Leading Teacher, and Year Level Coordinator.

He crossed to Mooroopna Secondary College from 2000-2004 adding the challenging role of Daily Organiser to his teaching load before returning to Euroa Secondary College from 2005 until 2016.

Watson was promoted to the position of Assistant Principal between 2009 and 2011. His hard work, persistence, and excellence was rewarded when then promoted to lead the College, as Principal, from 2012 to 2016.

Scott completed the two-year, Masters in School Leadership, at Melbourne University, during this period.

In 2016, Scott was appointed to the position of Senior Education Improvement Leader (SEIL) encompassing the North-East Region of Victoria. This role sees Scott work directly with a network of twenty Colleges, in the region, striving for continuous improvement and best practice.

He was promoted to North-East Victoria Region Executive Director of Education for 2022-2023, and this year, is the SEIL for Greater Shepparton Secondary College.

Believe it or not, Scott married Euroa girl, Felicity. The couple reside in Euroa, with their three children Charlie, 20, Millie, 18 and Ruby, 15. 

by Tim Livy (1988)