Beau Waters Biography

Beau Waters confirms his retirement after a series of injuries, with the latest being a bump at training that further damaged the shoulder that has troubled him for the past 18 months.

"Monday last week, I just went to grab a ball and got hit in a certain direction that jeopardised the integrity of the shoulder," Waters said.

"From them on, it got progressively worse to the point where I was struggling to get through skills sessions.

"After being so bullish during the pre-season, I was probably a little bit deluded by the fact I hadn't received any contact over that period."

The veteran defender said he came to the conclusion without any emotion.

"I think the emotions were just clear cut that it's time to move on and move away from the industry," Waters said.

"I woke up knowing I wasn't going to be able to contribute to the team. I always prided myself on having pretty good self-awareness.

"And as soon as I knew that my impact on field was going to be limited, and my value to the team is also limited - it was quite a matter of fact to be honest."

Beau Waters' long-awaited return to AFL football has been delayed further after West Coast coach Adam Simpson revealed the veteran was continuing to be plagued by shoulder issues.

"He's still continuing to work through his issues with his shoulder," Simpson said.

"He's by no means clear sailing. At the moment we're still working through his body and what he can put out and as we increase training levels of intensity it's what he can manage."

The AFL and the Reach Foundation have announced West Coast defender Beau Waters as the winner of the 2014 Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award.

"Beau's long-standing and ongoing work with a number of community and charitable organisations stood out to the selection panel," AFL chief executive officer Gillon McLachlan said.

"Through his role as an ambassador for the Cancer Council WA over the past decade, Beau has been the catalyst for the West Coast Eagles raising almost $1 million dollars for cancer research."

Beau Waters is on track to return to senior football in 2015 after enduring a horror run with injury.

The 2012 All Australian hasn't played since round 15, 2013 after complications following a reconstruction to his right shoulder last year.

"He's finishing the back end of his recovery plan for the shoulder," Eagles football operations manager Craig Vozzo said.

"I suspect he'll be back into full competitive training by late this year or early next year. But fitness, aerobic wise and strength wise he's tracking really well."

Port Adelaide skipper Travis Boak is one of four players named as finalists for the 2014 Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award.

Carlton vice-captain Kade Simpson, Geelong midfielder Mathew Stokes and West Coast defender Beau Waters were also selected as finalists after being nominated for the award by their respective clubs.

Boak's work with the Childhood Cancer Association to raise awareness and funds earned him his nomination, while Simpson, an ambassador for Down Syndrome Victoria, has helped raise more than $30,000 for the organisation.

As the first Aboriginal player to be in Geelong's leadership group, Stokes was selected for his tireless work with the local and national indigenous community to promote a number of Aboriginal health initiatives.

Waters has been involved in a number of organisations over the past decade, including Cancer Council WA, where he is an ambassador, and has been the catalyst for the Eagles raising almost $1million for cancer research.

Beau Waters' future remains in doubt, as he has not played at all in 2014 after being placed on the long-term injury list following ongoing shoulder problems that began when he had reconstructive surgery in 2013.

The courageous defender and former vice-captain is contracted in 2015, but Eagles chief executive Trevor Nisbett is more concerned about his long-term health.

"We'll have to wait on what the surgeon says when he revisits the surgeon," Nisbett said.

"They'll have a very, very long discussion, I would think, to see whether it's going to inhibit him not just from a football point of view but later in life. That's the important thing for us, to look after his welfare."

West Coast coach Adam Simpson is hopeful Beau Waters will play on next season but says the defender will need to re-evaluate his troublesome right shoulder at the end of the year.

"Of course he's going to be banged up when he finishes his career (but) there's still no permanent damage risk," Simpson told Perth radio station 6PR.

"We'll sit down at the end of the year and see where it's at in terms of how it's healed.

"At this stage, hopefully he's up for it and will go around again."

Beau Waters' season is over due to another shoulder operation.

West Coast are yet to decide if Beau Waters will require more surgery on his troublesome shoulder.

"The procedure he had was successful but there was a little bit of an infection in the shoulder," Eagles coach Adam Simpson said.

"They had to take the screws out. Hopefully it's been in long enough.

"He's a 50-50 chance for whether he needs another bout of surgery or not. It could be a lengthy one if he needs it."

Beau Waters has had to undergo further surgery on his shoulder after surgeons were forced to prematurely remove the pins they had inserted due to infection.

"The procedure he had was successful. But there was a little bit of an infection in the shoulder," Eagles coach Adam Simpson said.

"They had to take the screws out. Hopefully it's been in long enough.

"He's a 50-50 chance for whether he needs another bout of surgery or not. It could be a lengthy one if he needs it."

Beau Waters is in doubt for round one after re-injuring his troublesome right shoulder.

Waters had pins and plates inserted into the shoulder in August, but an injury suffered before Christmas meant they had to be removed.

Beau Waters will undergo an arthroscopy on his left knee that will rule him out for up to three matches.

Beau Waters says he had no hesitation in signing with West Coast for another two years.

"The club's shown great faith over a long period of time," Waters said.

"There was never any real question about being a one-club player. It was more about the club thinking I had two more years in me. It's terrific."

The Eagles suffer a double injury blow with veteran Andrew Embley will miss up to three weeks with a foot injury, while vice-captain Beau Waters has been sidelined for a fortnight with a calf strain.

Darren Glass remains skipper of West Coast for 2013 with Beau Waters serving as vice-captain.

"Darren has said in the last couple of years that he would like to hand over the captaincy at some point, but all feel he has a tremendous amount to contribute in the role," Eagles coach John Worsfold said.

"Importantly, his teammates want him to remain as captain.

"Beau Waters continued to shine as a leader last year, winning All-Australian honours and recently being added as the players' representative on the AFL rules committee, showing his impact both on and off field."

Eagles vice-captain Beau Waters is appointed to the AFL Laws of the Game Committee as the players' representative, replacing Fremantle skipper Matthew Pavlich as the sole player on the committee.

"The AFL greatly values the contributions of current players, and the wider AFLPA, to the important discussions around the Laws of the Game and is pleased that Beau will join the laws panel," the League's acting football operations manager, Gillon McLachlan, said.

West Coast delays making a decision on their captain for 2013 until at least February as Darren Glass considers handing over the reins to a younger player.

Vice-captain Beau Waters has been groomed to take over the captaincy but questions remain over his durability.

"We know he won't necessarily always play every home-and-away game, but we're confident he'll play the majority of them and play them very well," West Coast football operations manager Neale Daniher said.

"Beau is very professional in his preparation. He plays the game as hard as anyone in the league, and his injuries are well documented, but we were rapt with the way he played last year."

West Coast confirms Beau Waters' season is over after suffering ligament damage that will require surgery on his right foot.

The undaunted courage of Beau Waters draws admiration from coaches, fans and rivals.

"I don't think it's necessarily a big part of football. I think that's a big part of life and a big part of team and a big part of family," Waters said when asked whether the mentality of 'when it is your time to go you go' is still a big part of footy.

"When you need to step up to a challenge, you rise to that challenge."

After making it through a rough patch with injuries, West Coast's Beau Waters will play his 100th game in a rich vein of form.

"He's been in our top four or five players every week," teammate Sam Butler said.

"He changes games with some of his acts and his attacking side is something that's really come on this year.

"It's a great effort for him to get to 100 games. There were a couple of times with his elbows that we thought he might not be playing footy for too much longer, but that's the type of guy he is - he worked through that."

West Coast's top leadership structure will remain unchanged in 2012 with Darren Glass to continue as captain while Beau Waters serves as his deputy.

West Coast's Beau Waters has been ruled out of Sunday's clash with Melbourne with an elbow injury.

"We're just making sure we rest it, we're not really testing it out at the moment," Eagles coach John Worsfold said.

"He's training at the moment, but he's not doing any tackling or anything like that. Next week we'll put him into some more drills that'll test it a bit more."

West Coast defender Beau Waters has re-signed with the club in a deal that will tie him to the club until the end of 2013.

"The camaraderie around the playing group is exceptional, it's a great place to be and we are building towards something pretty special," Waters said.

"Regardless of what happens in the second half of the season, we are only at the beginning of our journey and I want to be a part of the future."

Beau Waters is adamant he will play again this season as he recovers from a serious injury to his right elbow.

"I know the mind frame I need to be in to get back. I know that I need to be positive and I know the things I can do around the club to keep helping the other boys," Waters said.

"It (the elbow) feels really good and the surgeon's very confident. It's not too dissimilar to the earliest one I did last time [but] the recovery time is going to be sometime during the year."

West Coast vice-captain Beau Waters faces three months on the sidelines after a serious elbow injury.

"We anticipate the surgery will go well and that Beau will be back for the last third of the season," Eagles football manager Neale Daniher said.

"He is highly respected and although he will not be playing for a while he will retain a strong voice and presence around the playing group."

Beau Waters has been named as stand-alone vice-captain under Darren Glass and seems destined to become West Coast's next skipper.

"It certainly puts him in a position to grow into the possibility of being captain," Eagles coach John Worsfold said.

"It obviously says he's got great leadership qualities. He's very switched on, very mature, very focused [and] very team orientated. It's a credit to him to get himself where he is."

Arthroscopic knee surgery will delay the comeback of West Coast defender Beau Waters for up to six weeks.

West Coast's Beau Waters is finally over his complicated elbow injury and made an early start to pre-season training.

"He's had nearly two years off in a sense, so he's just looking forward to getting out there," assistant coach Sumich said.

"The rehab's gone fine. It's like anything, you've just got to wait and see with the contact and how far he takes that."

West Coast defender Beau Waters has ruled himself out of the 2009 AFL season due to a serious elbow injury.

Eagle Beau Waters will undergo another round of surgery on his elbow and is unsure when he'll be able to resume his career.