Serene Watson is a lively and optimistic soul. And you certainly know when she’s around.
The boisterous and undeniably vocal defender brings character - and a whole lot of self-proclaimed "yapping" - in everything she does on and off the field, already "vibing" her way into the club despite coming into just her second year at St Kilda. Even an off-season shoulder injury with an eight-month recovery time hasn’t dampened her "slay" and constant willingness to feature in, comment on and bring to life the club's social media posts.
But don't mistake the overt energy for a lack of seriousness when it comes to her footy. Watson was earlier this month inducted into St Kilda's leadership group, joining fellow first-time inclusions Georgia Patrikios and Tyanna Smith to support skipper Hannah Priest and vice-captain Bianca Jakobsson.
"I lead with my voice, and I’m never going to stop leading with my voice," Watson told saints.com.au.
"Leadership for me is being myself and making people feel comfortable and getting the best out of themselves… it’s always going to be a thing for me.
The Gold Coast local grew up in a sports-fanatic household, with her brother eventually swaying her from basketball to footy. It wasn’t long before her talent became noticed, making her mark as a junior star for Southport and joining the Gold Coast Suns Academy before being quickly snatched up by the Suns at pick No. 18 in the 2019 National Draft.
Following a complex five-way trade at the beginning of last year, the Sun-turned-Saint is thriving at her new home, finding her feet, and her voice.
Watson is primed to be a key component of St Kilda’s defence for several seasons to come, joining six other teammates in signing a four-year contract extension late last year.
“The transition (from the Suns to the Saints) was made really easy because of the community; the girls, the boys, the coaches and all the staff. They’re all amazing,” Watson said.
When the community-driven Watson isn’t directing traffic in the backline or mopping up turnovers, she’s pointing her attention to something bigger than footy, working at the Danny Frawley Centre as a Community Coordinator.
For Watson, finding her voice and confidence on field stems from the support she finds within the community off-field, and her football knowledge has flourished because of it.
“I’ve found a really great balance off-field, working alongside Chelsea Frawley and I’ve gained a better understanding of the mental side of footy,” she said.
“People normally forget how big the mental side of footy is … it’s not just physical fitness.”
As Watson patiently awaits her to return to footy after should surgery, she says her journey to-date would not be possible without her ring of support in the likes of her teammates and senior coach, Nick Dal Santo.
“Steph (Chiocci) and Jaimee (Lambert) really took me under their wing. And of course, Dal. I get along with him really well and I have learnt so much from him. It’s really exciting,” she said.
“I love playing Saints footy and I think it’s super exciting to see the direction we’re heading in.”
