Chris Waterman Biography

West Coast nominates Jake Waterman as a father-son selection ahead of next month's NAB AFL Draft.

Waterman, 18, is the son of two-time Eagles premiership player Chris Waterman.

"We've seen Jake for a three-year period since his under-16 carnival with WA and identified him as a 'draftable' player," West Coast's national recruiting manager Rohan O'Brien said.

"We were really pleased to nominate Jake and while both parties understand there are no guarantees on draft night, we're hopeful he ends up at the West Coast Eagles."

Jake Waterman - the son of two-time West Coast premiership player Chris Waterman - is one of 81 players vying for the attention of recruiters at the NAB AFL Draft Combine ahead of next month's draft.

But weighing heavily on the 18-year-old's mind is the wretched fate of older brother Alec, who was delisted by West Coast last month after failing to crack into the senior side.

An inside midfielder who showed plenty of potential, Alec was taken by the Eagles as a father-son pick in 2014 but was struck down with glandular fever the following year and never managed to fully recover.

For Waterman, it was a reminder of the importance of not wasting his opportunity to become an AFL footballer.

"(Alec) has gone through a lot recently and it's been pretty sad and hard for the family to see him go down like that," he said.

"That's what was sort of going through my mind when it was all happening, just to not go through the motions and stuff like that and make sure I get the best out of myself, because it can end as quick as that."