Vale Pat Watson

By Ken Casellas

Small of stature but large on commitment as a dedicated and tireless behind the scenes worker in football. That’s Pat Watson whose recent death has left his host of friends mourning his passing.

He holds a special place in the Claremont Football Club’s history as the head propertyman at the club’s two most recent WAFL league premiership seasons, in 2011 and 2012.

Selfless, cheery, quiet and a no-fuss worker, Watson enjoyed his final four years as a property steward at Claremont from 2010 to 2013 — after working in that role at East Perth for more than 30 years before becoming the head propertyman for the Fremantle Dockers in the club’s inaugural season in the AFL in 1995.

After 15 years with the Dockers, he was lured to take over from Eddie Coyle as Claremont’s head propertyman in 2010, a task he thoroughly enjoyed.

In quite a remarkable achievement Watson missed just one of Fremantle’s 333 matches during his time with the club — and that was when he was suffering from an ear infection which prevented him from flying to Queensland for a contest against the Brisbane Lions in 2005.