SHE may be the elder statesperson of the SFNL A Grade competition and those cold nights at training in the middle of winter are a real drag nowadays, but Sharon Watson remains the ultimate netball fan girl.
The evergreen 50-something Mildura defender and the round 13 Mildura Golf Resort Netballer of the Week can envisage the day she finally hangs up her bib, but it’s not going to be for a while yet.
Watson said she has times when she feels like giving herself a break, but she still soldiers on.
“I feel like I have those days every week, but I just work harder,” Watson, who also officiates netball games and, until recently, basketball as well, said.
“It’s not the playing, it’s like turning up to training and saying, ‘My God, it’s so cold’, but I think I’d miss the game too much to be honest.”
Watson anchors the second-placed Demons’ defence physically and vocally.
“If I’m quiet it means I’m not feeling it,” Watson, who coached the Dees in 2023, said.
“It keeps me up and about. In defence you don’t get the ball a lot and you’ve got to challenge the shooters and feeders, so it’s good to keep it light and have a bit of a giggle now and then,” she said of her rapport with teammates – particularly co-coaches Jess McNamara and Ava Zadow – who have recently alternated partnering her in the defensive arch.
“We are not laughing at the opposition, just ourselves and it’s like, ‘I thought you were going there, or you should have been there’. There’s no point getting cranky about it because that doesn’t make it any better.”
Wentworth have dominated the league this season and the Dees seem their most likely challengers.
“It can be anybody on their day, but we just have to keep working to get that double chance. Second or third and see what happens from there,” Watson said looking down the track to finals.
“You just have to keep working on your own game and hopefully on the day you can get across the line. We’ve got a lot of work to do and we still have to keep on winning.”
There’s little down time for Watson who, during week days, is payroll and accounts manager at Qualia Wines.
“I go to the gym. There’s training and then Friday night footy in front of the telly and I catch up with a few shows I like to watch. It’s a busy life, but if I didn’t do what I do, I think I’d be pretty bored.
“I’ve got adult kids now and grandkids and maybe they would like to see me do a bit more babysitting.”
Despite having a stellar season, Watson was reluctant to take part in the top division this year.
“I didn’t want to play A Grade this year but I’m a bit soft and got drawn into it again… I’d like to go on playing in B or C grade and helping the younger generation come through and also continue with my umpiring.
“I’m not a happy person if I am not active. That’s my outlet, my happy place and that’s just what I do.”
Watson is the Mildura Golf Resort SFNL Netballer of the Week for round 13. She receives a $150 voucher for the Mildura Golf Resort.
