Hawthorn’s highly rated first-year player, Nick Watson, is in a pretty tight spot after what he did during Sunday’s clash against Richmond. The 20-year-old forward has already begun to carve a name for himself in the Australian Football League (AFL). As the three-quarter time siren went, he was captured on camera making some kind of rude hand signal to Richmond supporters. Even under that intense pressure, Watson guided his team to an absolute obliteration in the finals by 65 points. He did all this by scoring three damn good goals.
Watson’s gesture was provocative, featuring the raising of his middle finger not once, but twice. He waved a dismissive hand towards the scoreboard, where his Hawthorn Hawks were winning 49-nil. His actions were understandably a direct reaction to what were incredibly disrespectful comments made over the course of the game by Richmond fans on the sidelines. This incident’s footage went viral within moments on social media and sparked an outcry and condemnation from across the country.
During the course of the match, Watson found himself in multiple shoving matches, showcasing the fiery aggression of this hard-hitting battle. His performance on the field was impressive, contributing significantly to Hawthorn’s dominant win, yet his off-field behavior has overshadowed his athletic achievements.
In response, the AFL is preparing to come down hard against Watson, probably with a significant fine for his middle finger. If charged, he would be the third player this season so charged for hit-from-behind type actions. Just a few weeks ago, Bailey Smith was slapped with two separate fines for throwing an obscene hand signal last month. Earlier this season, Harley Reid was suspended for flipping the bird to fans at a game.
In an equally unexpected development, Watson made the same obscene hand gesture again in the follow up game versus Hawthorn. This action raised even more concerns about his off field conduct on the field of play. We can expect a quick response from the AFL as they act to maintain the honour of their league’s sportsmanship ideals.
Watson, who is in her first year with the AFL, is a star on the rise. His actions underscore the troubling trend of players confronting fans. We know he is football’s golden boy with talent to boot. These controversies will start to play a role in how people view him going forward.
