West Coast Eagles young gun Francis Watson talks life in the AFL hub in Queensland and goals for the rest of the season

Reconnecting with relatives, focusing on new art pieces and recharging for the rest of the year may sound like a great way to spend time off, but for Kimberley young gun Francis Watson it was life in the coronavirus era’s AFL hub. The 24-year-old defender and his West Coast Eagles teammates were among the players who returned from a month in the Gold Coast recently, after the league was finally able to push ahead with its home and away season. Watson, who hails from the remote community of Balgo in the East Kimberley, did not get the call-up for a senior game during his time over east, but impressed in scratch matches against rival sides and kept his body in great shape. And while being away from family and friends meant life was far from a breeze for others in the hub, Watson told the Broome Advertiser he had enjoyed the rare chance to meet up and play against some of his cousins. Brisbane Lions star Cedric Cox and rising talent Jy Farrer, from the Gold Coast Suns, were among those who Watson spent time with, which he said was the highlight of the hub. “I hadn’t seen my cousin Jy for years and Cedric I only see when we both go home to the Kimberley,” he said. “First week there I was able to go for a walk on the beach and have a coffee with Jy, we played on each other in a scratch match too. “We never see each other us guys, then in the Gold Coast I could see them and all the others all the time.” Indigenous art had always been a hobby for Watson, but when the COVID-19 pandemic began and he found himself away over east, it was an activity the creative young man was able to get in touch with more. “I had a lot of time to chill out, get recovery done, that sort of thing, so when I had any time to myself I was either playing Fortnite or doing my art,” he said. “I love doing art, I used to paint when I was really young with my grandma after school, I would sit next to her and we would do it together. “I’ve been able to paint more frequently the last couple of months, it helps me to relax, keeps me busy and reminds me of home.” Watson said he implemented the colours and landscape of the East Kimberley back home, especially his home community of Balgo and the nearby Mulan and Billiluna. “I try and do like how it looks from above and try to replicate that on to the canvas,” he said. “I use the different colours to do it and the three lines connecting the three different communities back home. “I want to hang these around my house, then tell people what they mean.” Watson, who was drafted to the Eagles in 2016 and played his first game last year, said he had also found time to think about his goals for the rest of 2020, with playing more senior games at the top of the list. “Of course that is my biggest goal but then I have small goals that I apply to whatever I am doing, even if it is just a training session,” he said. “I enjoy what I am doing and have fun, make the most of it for myself and make the most of that for others. “By that I mean helping my teammates out, like those who haven’t played an AFL game, I want to help them get to that goal however I can.” He said he was feeling fitter after the time away and would work hard for selection. He said his summary of life in the Gold Coast hub was simply “me just doing my job”.