Alf Watson

{{short description|Australian athlete (1907-1992)}} {{other people||Alfred Watson (disambiguation)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}} {{Use Australian English|date=March 2018}} {{infobox sportsperson | name = Alfred Joseph Watson | image = Alf Watson (1928).jpg | birth_date = 26 May 1907 | birth_place = | death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|1992|8|23|1907|5|26}} | death_place = | education = Ivanhoe Grammar School | relatives = Russ Watson (brother) | sport = Men's athletics | nationality = {{flag|Australia}} | medaltemplates = {{Medal|Competition|British Empire Games}} {{Medal|Bronze| 1938 Sydney | 4×110 yards}} }}

'''Alfred Joseph Watson''' (26 May 1907 – 23 August 1992) was an Australian track and field athlete who competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics and in the 1936 Summer Olympics.<ref>{{cite Sports-Reference}}</ref>

== Family life == The son of Thomas Watson (1866-1925),<ref>[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2128948 Deaths: Watson, ''The Argus'', (Monday, 22 June 1925), p.1]</ref> and Flora Henrietta Watson (1874-1950), née Dowell,<ref>[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/155662732 A Hide and Skin Trader's Estate: Family Contract to Carry On, ''The Age'', (Wednesday, 9 December 1925), p.17.]</ref><ref>[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/22832179 Deaths: Watson, ''The Argus'', (Tuesday, 30 May 1950), p.11.]</ref> Alfred Joseph Watson was born on 26 May 1907. His eldest brother, Russell Henry Watson (1892–1941), was an Australian amateur middle distance champion, who held titles in the mile, half-mile, and 440 hurdles.<ref>[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article25930393 Former Champion Runner Dead, ''The Mercury'', (Monday, 17 November 1941), p.7.]</ref> Both Alf and his older brother, Edward, attended Caulfield Grammar School from 1917 to 1919.<ref>Webber, (1981), p.319; Wilkinson, (1997), pp.56, 58.</ref>

== Early years == Alf then attended Ivanhoe Grammar School,<ref>[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11034645 Notes from Classroom and Playing Field: Olympic Representative, ''The Argus'', (Thursday, 14 May 1936), p.7.]</ref> for whom he sprinted and competed in the high jump;<ref>[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1852720 School Sports: Associated Grammar Schools, ''The Argus'', (Saturday, 4 November 1922), p.21.] and [http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1854880/420349 Associated Grammar Sports on M.C.C. Ground: A. Watson (Ivanhoe Grammar) in the high jump for boys under 16, ''The Argus'', (Tuesday, 14 November 1922), p.7.] and [http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1854744 Grammar Schools' Sports, ''The Argus'', (Tuesday, 14 November 1922), p.4.]</ref> In addition to being a fine Australian Rules footballer (a member of the school's First XVIII from 1922 to 1924), he also played cricket with the school's First XI from 1921 to 1924,<ref>[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/17434958 An Incident in the Cricket Match between Ballarat Grammar School and Ivanhoe Grammar School: Watson (Ivanhoe) batting and Bolte (Ballarat) wioket-keeping, ''Table Talk'', (Thursday, 26 April 1923), p.24]: note that the wicket-keeper was, most likely, Henry Bolte, a student at BGS at that time.</ref> captaining the team in 1923 and 1924, and winning the Associated Grammar Schools' batting average in 1924 (as a consequence of which he was awarded an "exhibitioner's ticket" to the Melbourne Cricket Club).<ref>[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/146559189 Schools & Colleges: Associated Grammar Schools, ''Table Talk'', (Thursday, 2 October 1924), p.28]; [https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183981451 "Referee", "Australia's Olympic Hope: Watson is Probable World Beater", ''The Sporting Globe'', (Saturday, 6 April 1929), p.4.]</ref>

== Competition == In 1928 he was eliminated in the first round of the 110 metre hurdles event as well as of the 400 metre hurdles competition.

Watson finished second behind John Sheffield in the 440 yards hurdles event at the 1936 AAA Championships.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000104/19360711/173/0006 |title=AAA Championships begin |work=Western Mail |date=11 July 1936 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=18 January 2025 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003214/19360713/473/0017 |title=Wooderson wins again |work=Daily Herald |date=13 July 1936 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=18 January 2025 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nuts.org.uk/Champs/AAA/index.htm |title=AAA, WAAA and National Championships Medallists |website=National Union of Track Statisticians |access-date=18 January 2025 }}</ref>

One month later he was selected to represent Australia at the 1936 Olympic Games held in Berlin, where he was eliminated in the first round of both the 110 metre hurdles contest and the 400 metre hurdles event.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/64823 |title=Biographical Information |website=Olympedia |access-date=18 January 2025}}</ref>

At the 1938 Empire Games he was a member of the Australian relay team which won the bronze medal in the 4×110 yards competition. In the 440 yards hurdles contest he finished fourth.

He announced his retirement from competitive athletics in November 1938.<ref>[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12059272 1,500 Will Compete, ''The Argus'', (Friday, 4 November 1938), p.19.]</ref>

== See also == * List of Caulfield Grammar School people

== References == {{Reflist}} * {{cite book | author=Wilkinson, Ian R. | title=The Fields At Play - 115 Years of Sport at Caulfield Grammar School 1881-1996 | publisher={{sic|Play|right|hide=y}} Publishing | year=1997 | isbn=0-949853-60-7}} * {{cite book | author=Webber, Horace | title=Years May Pass On... Caulfield Grammar School, 1881-1981 | publisher=Centenary Committee, Caulfield Grammar School, (East St Kilda) | year=1981 | isbn=0-9594242-0-2}}

==External links== * {{CGF profile|37698|Alfred Joseph Watson}} * {{Olympics.com profile|alfred-joseph-watson|Alfred Joseph Watson}} * {{AOC profile|alfred-j-watson|Alfred J. Watson}} * {{Olympedia|64823|Alf Watson}} * [http://athletics.possumbility.com/athletes/athlete253.htm Alfred 'Alf' Watson] at Australian Athletics Historical Results * [http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11019620 Taylor, P., "These Days of Sport: Master of Style", ''The Argus'', (Saturday, 7 March 1936), p.26.] * [http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11023642 Hillhouse, A., "Story of Alf Watson: Brilliant Athlete for Twenty Years", ''The Junior Argus'', (Thursday, 26 March 1936), p.7.] * [http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17336590 Australia's Champions: A.J. Watson, ''The Sydney Morning Herald'', (Friday, 27 March 1936), p.15.] * [http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11939646 Olympic Hurdler's Success, ''The Argus'', (Monday, 23 November 1936), p.7.] and [http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11939847 Yates's Good Time for 100 Yards Run, ''The Argus'', (Monday, 23 November 1936), p.7.] * [http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2441092 Sports Flashes from Many Fields: Hurdles Champion, ''The Canberra Times'', (Monday, 13 September 1937), p.3.]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Watson, Alf}} Category:1907 births Category:1992 deaths Category:20th-century Australian sportsmen Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1928 Summer Olympics Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1936 Summer Olympics Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1938 British Empire Games Category:Athletes from Melbourne Category:Australian Athletics Championships winners Category:Australian men hurdlers Category:Australian men sprinters Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for Australia Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists in athletics Category:Medallists at the 1938 British Empire Games Category:Olympic athletes for Australia Category:People educated at Caulfield Grammar School Category:People educated at Ivanhoe Grammar School