But in Josh Kennedy, the premiers believe they have a pretty good foil for the reigning Brownlow medallist.
Swans coach John Longmire feels Watson may have taken his game to a higher level this year.
The Essendon skipper was the best player on the ground yet again last Saturday night as Essendon took Richmond apart to sit third on the ladder with a 7-2 record.
Curbing Watson's contribution is a major headache, yet Longmire believes James Hird will be having just as much trouble planning for Kennedy.
He also said it was possible that the two stars could go head-to-head.
"There's a chance," Longmire said. "Whether it happens or not, we'll have to wait and see.
"That's the challenge when you've got a couple of blokes that size in the midfield, they are difficult match-ups.
"I'm sure Essendon are going through the same thing with their match-ups."
Longmire was searching for superlatives when describing Watson's effort against the Tigers, which included 28 disposals, six clearances and three goals.
"His form last year winning the Brownlow was pretty good … and this year if possible he's gone to another level," Longmire said.
"His performance on Saturday night was extraordinary. He played midfield, he played forward and he had a huge impact on the game.
"His leadership skills are incredible, he's a strong leader, a strong player, and he's one of the better players if not the best player going around at the moment."
Rhyce Shaw is pushing for a recall to either the reserves or seniors this week, having missed seven games with his abdominal strain.
Father-son selection Tom Mitchell, who was an emergency for Friday night's game against Collingwood, is also getting closer to his AFL debut.
"He's played seven weeks now (in the reserves) and he's doing a lot right," Longmire said.
"That's the challenge now for the match committee is that he's getting a lot of the footy, he's tackling really well and doing the things we want him to do.
"We have to sit down at the match committee table and see how far away he is."
Another father-son prospect, Bombers forward Joe Daniher, is also in contention to make his debut at the SCG.
The son of Anthony Daniher, who played 118 games for the Bombers and 115 games for the Swans, Joe could have ended up in red and white.
"Yes we did look into it, just a little bit," Longmire said.
"He's a fantastic young prospect, there's no doubt about that.
"He's tall, he's a fantastic kick, he's a great kid, (but) when you're sitting in the lounge room of the Daniher residence knowing you look out the window and see Windy Hill, it makes it a little bit difficult to get him to Sydney.
"I'm sure he'll have a great career. Let's hope it doesn't start this week."
James Dampney is a reporter for AFL.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_JD
