The season has not even begun and Hawthorn’s Nick Watson is already delivering memorable moments for footy-starved fans.
On Thursday, “the Wizard”, who shot to prominence at the end of his first season with a combination of brilliant football and crowd-lifting goal celebrations, took a mark at training that had his teammates laughing at his audacity.
The Wizard casts his magicCredit: Hawthorn Football Club
All bar one of course – Seamus Mitchell, who provided the stepladder to lift the pint-sized forward into the stratosphere, helping him gain elevation by standing tall underneath Watson, who is just 170 centimetres tall.
Footage captured by Hawthorn’s media team shows Watson take a couple of steps back to set himself before launching to sit diagonally on Mitchell’s shoulder and take the ball in his outstretched right arm as he falls back to the ground.
The cry of “oh my God” from an unidentified teammate, and the amazed looks on the faces of captain James Sicily and premiership veteran Luke Breust, showed this was something to behold.
What made it even better is that it was almost in the same location – to the blade of grass – that ex-Sydney high-flier Warwick Capper took his mark of the year over Hawks champion Chris Langford in a final at Waverley in 1987.
Flamboyant former forward Warwick Capper in his Capper Cave last year.Credit: Justin McManus
In taking that mark, Capper nearly flattened Langford as he spread his body horizontally across his opponent’s shoulders and took the ball one-handed. Watson’s leap was more traditional, with his right knee going into the head of his match-simulation opponent.
Watson then did what all good forwards do and slotted the goal – minus the celebrations that have become his trademark since he exploded with 13 goals in four games late in the season, including seven in two finals.
The Wizard managed to get under the skin of opposition fans at times last year but given this mark was against fellow Hawks, most will simply sit back and lick their lips anticipating football’s return.
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