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East Fremantle Football Club are without peer as a cradle of top footballers. Their homegrown stars have formed the nucleus of  the twenty nine WAFL premierships the club has won, and since the inception of the AFL their input of draftees and star players has stamped their development of juniors as the benchmark of the country. The club has had it's fair share of star recruits over the years as well, and one of the best of them is now one of those behind the development of today's talent pool in the East Fremantle area. Colin Waterson kicked 276 goals for East Fremantle in the eighties, was one of the best on ground in their 1985 premiership win over Subiaco as a defender, a year in which he was runner up for the Lynn Medal, and enjoyed a fine 121 game career with the Sharks. His involvement with the East Fremantle Junior Council in more recent years has further justified the work of club stalwart and long time committeeman Harry Morgan in recruiting him from Richmond in 1983.  Waterson played his junior football at Nullawil, on the Calder Highway, three hundred kms north west of Melbourne. He was playing senior football at the age of fifteen, and soon came under the notice of Richmond Football Club, joining them in 1977. He debuted with the Tigers in 1978 as a forward, and played thirteen times over the following three seasons, kicking nine goals. Selected for the qualifying final in the Tigers premiership year of 1980, he was unable to make the victorious grand final side, as Richmond downed Collingwood with an at the time record winning margin.    When approached by East Fremantle after the 1982 season, Waterson decided to give it a try in the West. “I thought a change might be worthwhile,” he recalled. After a slow start at Moss Street in 1983, Waterson showed his class the following year, with some scintilating displays. Mainly used as a key forward, he became a very flexible player, able to be highly effective in any key position or as a ruckman.   At six foot four and 95kg, Waterson was good in the air, and a penetrating and accurate kick. His bodywork in the packs coupled with his marking enabled him to become a focal point in the forward line and a dependable defender when in the back line.  “The squad was perhaps the strongest in the club's history.  It simply glistened with talent, and some of those who served most of their time with the reserves were unlucky.  In ordinary years they would have been regular League players” This was what East Fremantle historian Jack Lee said of the East Fremantle side of 1986. But the side of 86 didn't win a flag. The side of 85 was no less talented, and they were dominant in that year, with Waterson an integral part. Waterson was one of the best on ground in East Fremantle's premiership win over Subiaco, and was runner up for the Lynn Medal, the club's fairest and best award. Colin also represented Western Australia that year, playing at centre half forward against South Australia, kicking three goals in a bad loss, and was named as one of WA's best.  He underlined his versatility at the highest level by playing a total of four State games, with two at centre half forward (contributing a total of five goals)and two at full back.  A knee injury in the 1987 season affected Waterson's football, and he eventually called it quits in 1989, at the age of thirty, although making a comeback two years later at South Suburban club, Canning. Colin Waterson has put his time into juniors since his retirement, having been involved at the coaching level with the Bullcreek-Leeming Juniors for eight years. “We have had a lot of good players come through the ranks, and there are a lot more to come,” he said, enthusiastically.  He regards Subiaco and West Coast big man Laurie Keene as the toughest opponent he faced, and had no hesitation in naming Brian Peake as the best he played with.  These days Colin is busy in his occupation as a bank manager, and admits: “I don't get to see East Fremantle play as much as I should,” but enjoys water sports and spending time at home with wife Peta, their daughter, and two sons, who both played with Bullcreek-Leeming.  Colin Waterson made the move to Western Australia,was a star at both ends of the ground, and became a favourite with supporters of the blue and white. His developmental work with juniors is the finishing touch to a quarter of a decade of contribution to the East Fremantle club and Western Australian football.    

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