No Oppo Supporters Jack Watts - Traded to PA for pick 31, Thanks Jack

[Major Colvin]

Unfortunately, Watts isn't "inconsistent" - he's consistently poor. Occasionally he will play a good game which buys him another 10. I, like many of us, want Jack to succeed, but he does not have the willpower to make it happen. His disposal under pressure is poor. So I'm just wondering where the upside could possibly come from? People have spoken about trading him, but can't imagine one club that would take him at present. The lack of endeavour alone wouldn't earn a senior game anywhere else. At some point both parties need to admit this is not working.

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

James McDonald anyone?

Clubmen don't win you flags. It's time as a club we stopped worrying about all the pansie bullshit and just focused on one thing; what will win us a flag. If we think Watts will be part of us winning a flag, let's keep him. I don't see it, and all it does is remind me of the Neale Daniher boys club. Close, but no cigar, because he couldn't make the tough calls on players.

Cutting McDonald was the worst thing we ever did.

 

[Spirit of 26]

Dunstall said he noticed him working hard and to the right places.

To single Watts out when our entire team waited for the ball to be kicked to a contest before moving is rich.

Not saying he was good by any stretch, just dont get the hysteria.

2nd quarter 0 possessions
3rd quarter 0 possessions

Reported in The Age.

All well and good working hard and to the right places, but O stats in 1/2 a game of footy? What the hell is he doing when he gets there?

 

[Captain Jack]

Cutting McDonald was the worst thing we ever did.

McDonald was a good clubman and a great leader.
Watts is a good clubman.

Huge difference.

 

[Topkent]

We were going at 30 something % by foot for large parts of the game, not that easy mate.

Not good enough but I actually saw some pleasing things defensively

Normally I would be critisizing his impact at the ground ball contest but admittedly he has improved this year
But he isnt having any sort of impact, for his own good he needs to go back to the VFL and touch the footy 20 odd times because he is just lost out there at the moment

The delivery was horrible dont get me wrong, but an athlete such as himself should be able to find space on his opponent even to get some cheap touches

Its no about him being soft or anything, he is just woefully out of form and we cant afford to carry anyone out of form

 

[mrmonkey]

On the other hand he's our responsibility and one of ours, and trading him for steak knives is to say to the rest of the playing group that we've given up on him. Few put in as much off the track as he does and few seem to be as well liked as he is. To trade him would be to trade one of the better clubmen. Tbf I guess that's what Adelaide did with Vince, but that was for quite a different reason.

He has been in the system for 7 years now, which is well over the average career. So I would hardly say that's giving up on him, I'm Just saying that maybe it's better for both club and Watts if he went somewhere else. It just seems to me when the team has a bad day Watts name seems to be the first to bop up both from fans and media.

 

[Tempy Tiger]

Watts is Melbourne's new Flash Davey. Half of the supporters defend him no matter what he dishes up. Davey was cooked well before he finished, he clearly did not want to go near a contest. Jack is equally as soft. Yes he tested quick at the draft camp but who the hell would know watching him play? Everything he does is half-arsed, he's not coming good and he has zero trade currency. He's not worth hanging on to either, playing him in the seniors completely undermines Roos supposedly only picking players in form and who deliver effort for 120 minutes.
He should be sent to Casey indefinitely, told that he'll be cut unless he puts on some muscle and learns how to tackle.
Make him train with the Storm for a month. Seriously.

 

[fushy]

Watts is Melbourne's new Flash Davey. Half of the supporters defend him no matter what he dishes up. Davey was cooked well before he finished, he clearly did not want to go near a contest. Jack is equally as soft. Yes he tested quick at the draft camp but who the hell would know watching him play? Everything he does is half-arsed, he's not coming good and he has zero trade currency. He's not worth hanging on to either, playing him in the seniors completely undermines Roos supposedly only picking players in form and who deliver effort for 120 minutes.
He should be sent to Casey indefinitely, told that he'll be cut unless he puts on some muscle and learns how to tackle.
Make him train with the Storm for a month. Seriously.

Flash offered much more before he hit his cooked stage.

 

[Cannon82]

Flash offered much more before he hit his cooked stage.

He did, but the output was significantly reduced by the application of the merest hint of a tagger's breath.

I don't think Watts was abominable on the weekend, but I guess we have to face the fact that the guy doesn't seem to want to get involved. He might be a little scared of contact, but if he's afraid of anything it's of making mistakes. Maybe the scrutiny and criticism is too much - better to have a quiet game than an error-strewn one. You look at the contrast between Watts and new guys like Brayshaw or Vandenberg who either hunt the ball or the ball carrier relentlessly - they don't have the benefit of 6 seasons in the AFL system and they're already much more vital to the way we play than Watts is.

Also don't think Watts is a forward. He sure as s**t isn't a defender. I think the only place he could potentially nail down a spot is playing that tall wing role like Westhoff, but he needs to put the work rate in to lead, provide an option and spread. Whether he'll be better in the spot than the likes of Stretch, Newton or anyone else we draft is another thing.

At the end of the season, if he isn't playing much, much better footy than he is now I think the club is better off moving on. A fit Petracca is going to be a better option in the forward line if he's anywhere near as good as Brayshaw is.

 

[Jiska]

Dunstall said he noticed him working hard and to the right places.

To single Watts out when our entire team waited for the ball to be kicked to a contest before moving is rich.

Not saying he was good by any stretch, just dont get the hysteria.

If it was a once-off, you'd excuse it, but it's not. It's the same every single week.

 

[Cannon82]

If it was a once-off, you'd excuse it, but it's not. It's the same every single week.

Eh, probably more like 5 out of every 6 weeks.

 

[Dee Won]

As a hit up/lead forward he needs to demand the ball (vocally?), especially when he has created separation and to lead with more conviction.

Did Grimes not have the confidence to kick accurately to Watts in the forward pocket or just not see him? First time I've seen Watts yell at a teammate

 

[stretcharmstrong]

As a hit up/lead forward he needs to demand the ball (vocally?), especially when he has created separation and to lead with more conviction.

Did Grimes not have the confidence to kick accurately to Watts in the forward pocket or just not see him? First time I've seen Watts yell at a teammate

He needs to actually learn to create that separation first. Which he should be able to do given the burst of speed he was supposed to have had. But I never see it. He just doesn't have the hunger. Or, he's embarrased to lead hard with a big effort and then either get ignored or duff the mark.

 

[Dee Won]

He needs to actually learn to create that separation first. Which he should be able to do given the burst of speed he was supposed to have had. But I never see it. He just doesn't have the hunger. Or, he's embarrased to lead hard with a big effort and then either get ignored or duff the mark.

I find him to be quite a bit for the short pass, usually when he's the longer target that's when he just does his zig-zag going nowhere move

 

[pure demon]

Cant see him even going back to vfl and finding form. Even vfl standard players and coaches know hes fragile, and will attemp to expose it. Im not a watts bagger, ive always believed he would become a man, and be an excellent footballer. Its as far from that being the case as ever before.

 

[schmuttt]

Cant see him even going back to vfl and finding form. Even vfl standard players and coaches know hes fragile, and will attemp to expose it. Im not a watts bagger, ive always believed he would become a man, and be an excellent footballer. Its as far from that being the case as ever before.

I want him dropped but I disagree with that, he was a class above VFL footy in his first couple seasons, he should dominate it. It isn't a question of his stats though, its a question of workrate.

 

[stretcharmstrong]

I want him dropped but I disagree with that, he was a class above VFL footy in his first couple seasons, he should dominate it. It isn't a question of his stats though, its a question of workrate.

Should is definitely the operative word there though. He probably won't is what I think Howestheman is suggesting.

 

[saj_21]

He has a very laconic playing style, even when playing well it doesn't look like he is working that hard but when he plays a bad game it looks 10 x worse. I would rather Pederson in the side, Watts best and worst are too far apart at least from Pederson you get 100% effort. Plus it keeps Dawes out of the ruck!

 

[d33my]

It's sad because looking at someone like Brayshaw who has come into the team and tackles like a beast, seems genuinely hungry to be out there. I think Watts is skilled but I've rarely if ever seen that hunger.

 

[Jiska]

It's sad because looking at someone like Brayshaw who has come into the team and tackles like a beast, seems genuinely hungry to be out there. I think Watts is skilled but I've rarely if ever seen that hunger.

And that's the problem in a nutshell IMO.

 

[Klyntonius]

He looks like he believes his own press at the moment unfortunately, that is, he's no good. I thought his workrate was alright on the weekend but so often he will defer to a teammate. His skills haven't been as sharp lately, he's made more errors with the ball than he normally would and I don't think he trusts himself hence leaving it for others. A run in the ressies may well be good for him and not necessarily soul destroying - Roos won't exactly just text him "you're dropped"! Get him out of the spotlight for a bit, hopefully dominate the twos and come back with some confidence and form.

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

Do professional footballers generally see sports psychologists? You'd assume that Jack would have seen one regardless.

 

[Cannon82]

Do professional footballers generally see sports psychologists? You'd assume that Jack would have seen one regardless.

Highly likely he's seen them all.

 

[Tempy Tiger]

Highly likely he's seen them all.

You will all shout this down but I think he'd be as well off doing boxing training for six months. He just looks to have no confidence in his ability to look after himself. If he learnt how to box a bit all of a sudden the core problem might start dissolving away. He'd probably go okay too, quick, coordinated and a good reach. Unfortunately I don't think Jack would embrace the concept.

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

You will all shout this down but I think he'd be as well off doing boxing training for six months. He just looks to have no confidence in his ability to look after himself. If he learnt how to box a bit all of a sudden the core problem might start dissolving away. He'd probably go okay too, quick, coordinated and a good reach. Unfortunately I don't think Jack would embrace the concept.

You say that like you know anything at all about what he'd do.