Delisted after two years with the Eaglesduring which he battled glandular fever and chronic fatigue,Waterman pressed for his second chance with strong form in the WAFL for Claremont last year,earning a trial at Tullamarine. He slotted four goals in last week’s practice match against Carlton,helping secure his berth on the Essendon rookie list.
Suddenly Waterman – the older brother of Eagle Jake and son of premiership player Chris – is in the frame for an AFL debut against the Hawks in round one,with the West Australian saying on Tuesday that he was ready to go if selected.
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“Yeah definitely. If not,definitely early on in the year. We’ll see what happens over the next few weeks,” Waterman said.
Waterman said that his goal sense had been a key part of why the Dons had chosen him.
“I guess they were just looking for a medium forward who can complement their talls and their crumbing forwards.”
He credited a change in mindset over the past couple of years as a key factor in his resurgence.