Written by Gerard Guthrie, Greyhound Recorder.

AFL superstar Nick Watson thrives on a massive sporting stage, as he demonstrated with a stunning six goal haul in Hawthorn’s agonising preliminary final loss to Brisbane.

On Saturday night, Watson’s focus will switch to greyhound racing’s Group 1 triple header at The Meadows, where he’s throwing his support behind Electrify in the Group 1 Sportsbet Topgun Stayers (730m).

In the countdown to the bumper meeting headlined by the Topgun, regarded as the Cox Plate of greyhound racing, the superstar Hawthorn small forward caught up with Electrify, who’s trained by former Melbourne player Greg Doyle.

Electrify could also be used to describe “The Wizard” and his extensive highlight reel – featuring the 2026 Mark of the Year.

“I grew up with a pet greyhound, named Trixie, so I’ve basically been around them my whole life,” Watson explained.

“My Dad was good mates with a trainer, Glenn Dainton, and we used to go up to his farm at Shepparton.

“I’ve always loved going out to Sandown and having a look on a Thursday night.”

Watson admitted to being “surprised” by the laid-back manner of Electrify, winner of 12 races and a $14 chance in the $100,000-to-the-winner Topgun Stayers.

“I’ve met a few racing greyhounds and Electrify was one of the more chill ones I’ve come across,” he said.

“He’s very strong as well – he’s got a lot of muscle to him.

“Saturday’s going to be an exciting night and hopefully he goes well.”

Watson also has a classy greyhound named in his honour by Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Anthony Azzopardi, who has runners in two of Saturday night’s G1 events – the Topgun (Canya Talk Now) and Hume Cup (House Of Sins).

“Anthony (Azzopardi) is a Hawks’ man, so he named Wizard Watson after myself,” he said.

“I really enjoy Anthony’s company and I went out to his farm and met Wizard Watson, which was cool, as well as a few of his other good dogs.”

Watson enjoyed a spectacular 2026 season, earning his first All Australian blazer.

Buoyed by the addition of several prized recruits, Watson is upbeat about the Hawks taking the next step.

“We’ve added a few good players into the system, especially Zach (Merrett), Ben King and Josh Goater, which is always nice,” Watson said.

“We’ve been so close the last two years, so hopefully we can get to that next stage. They say you’ve got to lose one to win one.

“When everything is said and done with football, I’d like to get more involved with greyhounds. It’s a great industry, with a lot of really good people in it.”

Electrify wins in BON at Bendigo over the 660 from box 7. 

Ahead of the launch of the Dream Chasers Festival, Greyhound Racing Victoria (GRV) boss Stuart Laing said this year’s carnival is shaping up as the best on record.

“From the rich history and prestige of the Group 1 Sportsbet Melbourne Cup to the fast-paced energy of The Phoenix, the Dream Chasers Festival showcases greyhound racing at its absolute best,” Laing said.

“Across four feature race nights, fans will witness six Group 1 races and see the country’s fastest greyhounds compete for more than $3.5 million in prizemoney, making it the richest and most significant carnival in Australian greyhound racing.”

“We’re proud to welcome fans to The Meadows and Sandown Park for four nights of world-class racing and entertainment, and those who can’t make it on course can catch all the action live and free on Racing.com, as well as on Sky Racing.”