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Jake Waterman enjoyed one of his best seasons in a gold and blue guernsey in 2024.
The 27-year-old was the West Coast’s leading goal kicker, booting 53 goals for the year, which is a career high for the key forward.
But rewind the tape back, and things were very different for Waterman, who had been unknowingly suffering from a horrible illness that over 180,000 people in Australia currently suffer from.
He admitted he’d wake up in the morning suffering from severe pain in his abdomen and struggled to play footy.
Prior to a game in 2023, the Eagles star had been feeling nauseous, had severe stomach cramps and was suffering from diarrhoea.
‘I had to fly home and get myself into a hospital because I couldn’t do anything, I was too ill,’ Waterman told The Daily Telegraph.
West Coast Eagles star Jake Waterman (left) has opened up on living with ulcerative colitis
Waterman (right) was diagnosed with the illness back in 2023 after spending several weeks in hospital
The footy star was subsequently diagnosed with ulcerative colitis (UC), after spending several weeks in hospital.
UC is a bowel disorder that can cause inflammation and ulceration in a person’s large intestine. Inflammatory bowel disease affects the inner lining of the large intestine and is a lifelong condition.
The inflammation can cause redness, swelling and pain, while ulcers can also develop on the surface of the intestines. Other symptoms can include fatigue, diarrhoea and a loss of appetite.
The cause of the illness is unknown, and while there is no known cure, it can be treated using medication, dietary changes and surgery.
Spending several weeks in hospital felt like a ‘blur’ for the footy star, who revealed that he felt like he was stuck in a vicious cycle and didn’t have ‘much hope.’
‘I woke up every day in pain, stuck on the couch trying to sleep again,’ he explained.
The illness sent him into a downward spiral, with Waterman explaining: ‘I was down in the dumps, feeling horrible.’
‘I just wanted to feel normal again.’
The footy star (right) said the illness left him in a vicious cycle, with Waterman completely overhauling his diet as a result
His resilience shone through, with the Eagles star (left) returning to enjoy a stand out season in 2024, winning his first All-Australian blazer
Waterman played only 11 games during the 2023 season, a far cry from the 20 he featured in the previous year.
But the resilient footballer was not going to let the illness get to him.
He made some big changes to his diet and lifestyle, removing processed foods from his diet.
He has begun to focus more on his nutrition in a bid to improve his gut health.
The 27-year-old admitted that, even though he is an elite athlete, he had not been much of an expert in nutrition prior to being diagnosed.
Now, Waterman is staying focused on refuelling with the right foods; a vital step in helping him perform at his best and manage the illness.
And it sure has worked. Amid the tribulations of 2023, Waterman bounced back from a horrible period to enjoy an excellent 2024, earning himself his first All-Australian blazer.
Waterman is also an ambassador for Chron’s and Colitis Australia, and is helping to raise awareness of the illness.
He was the Eagles' leading goalkicker for that season, going on to boot 53 majors in 20 games
Waterman has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2025 season after he dislocated his shoulder during the Eagles' Round 11 defeat by Adelaide
‘I feel like I’ve got an obligation to speak up and shine a light on these conditions,’ he said.
Agonisingly, Waterman has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2025 season after he dislocated his shoulder during the Eagles' Round 11 defeat by Adelaide.
During his time away from the pitch, the 27-year-old has been using his time to speak to others who have the condition.
‘I recently went to a Crohn’s and colitis day, and I was able to speak to some young kids and parents about their struggles and hardships,’ Waterman explained.
‘My situation doesn’t hold a candle to what they’re going through… my heart breaks for them.’
After his successful 2024 campaign, Waterman re-signed with the Eagles until 2029.
It was a just reward for the work he did to help lift the West Coast, who have been battling their way through a torrid few seasons.
And now, after Jack Darling’s departure from the Mineral Resources Park, Waterman has stepped up to fill the void, while turning down offers from Geelong and Melbourne to lure the Western Australia-born star to Victoria.
‘Now it's finally done, it's reality now, and I'm just happy that I'm locked away here for the next five years,’ he said.
