Essendon legend Jobe Watson finally marries long-term girlfriend

Former AFL great and commentator Jobe Watson has hit a mega milestone after a “heartbreaking” setback earlier this year.

Essendon Football Club champion Jobe Watson married his long-term partner Virginia Slaghekke over the weekend on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.

According to the Herald Sun, friends and family of the couple congregated at Maleny Manor for the ceremony.

The couple also included their three children: Juniper, Wolf, and Lilou.

Sharing photos to her social media, fans of the couple were able to see Slaghekke’s stunning dress, which featured a full skirt and a detailed bodice, while Watson looked dapper in a black tuxedo.

Jobe Watson and Virginia Slaghekke finally tied the knot over the weekend after having to postpone their wedding. Picture: Instagram/@virginia_watson_/supplied

Slaghekke posted pictures of the special day to her Instagram. Picture: Instagram/@virginia_watson_/supplied

It was a huge moment for the couple, who were forced to postpone their wedding earlier this year due to Cyclone Alfred.

Originally, they planned to wed in March, but were forced to hold off due to the extreme weather.

“We had a very heartbreaking day in our family,” Jobe’s father, fellow AFL champion Tim Watson, shared on his radio show in Melbourne at the time.

“The wedding had to be postponed. We were all flying up to Queensland this weekend.

“It has been a heartbreak of a last 24 hours for everybody …” he explained.

This time, the couple enjoyed sunny skies for their postponed ceremony.

In addition to family, familiar faces were spotted at the wedding, including Watson’s former teammate Thomas Bellchambers and his wife, model Olympia Valance.

The couple’s three children were involved in the ceremony. Picture: Instagram/@virginia_watson_/supplied

Slaghekke with her daughter, Juniper. Picture: Instagram/@virginia_watson_/supplied

Watson, 40, famously played 220 games for Essendom and retired at the end of the 2017 season.

He was one of 34 Essendon players convicted of using the banned peptide Thymosin beta-4 during the 2012 season, resulting in a two-year ban.

Watson maintained during the controversy that he’d believed the supplement was allowed.

“The understanding we had through the advice we got and through the medical doctor at the football club, [was] that it was a legal substance,” he said at the time.

However, he spent time in New York during his ban, which is where he met Slaghekke.

A model who was studying neuroscience at the time, Slaghekke and Watson met in a cafe.

He ended up running after her to give her his phone number.

Now, the pair live in Melbourne, where Watson is an AFL commentator for the Seven Network.

Slaghekke currently works as a provisional psychologist.

Originally published as Essendon legend Jobe Watson finally marries long-term girlfriend