Now in his third week of pre-season training, the Claremont colt is beginning to make an impression on his teammates, and his footy smarts have been commended by the coaching staff.
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The 18-year-old midfielder has been quick to give credit to his teammates, who he says are largely responsible for his fast development.
“A couple of older guys have pulled me across after each drill and said where I’ve gone wrong or where I’ve done something really well,” Waterman says.
“They’ve all been good like that, not just the senior boys, even some of the younger boys have pulled me up.
“Obviously the boys were all in the same boat last year, learning the new game plan. They were all new to it and now it’s my turn.”
In addition to Waterman’s strong grasp of the game plan, the club has so far been impressed by his ferocious attack on the contested footy, which was also on notice during the under-18s championships.
Before embarking on a career in the AFL, the club’s second father-son selection had been given some idea of what to expect from his dad Chris, who played in two premierships for the West Coast Eagles, and young Waterman is coping well with the new challenges.
“The main challenge is the physical commitment,” Waterman says.
“It’s pretty exhausting, you just get home and sleep for the rest of the day.
“I’m really enjoying it, you’ve got to be elite in everything you do and still adapting to that, but the boys have welcomed me and it’s been really good.”
