Past #36: Shannon Watt - drafted at #14 in '97 ND - 155 games - 0 Brownlow votes - original whipping boy

Do you agree with the 'Watt' decision?

  • Yes

    Votes: 21 51.2%
  • No

    Votes: 20 48.8%

  • Total voters
    41

Zondor

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Angus1 said:
Does anyone really want to compare Watt to Roberts? I mean come on if Watt is our best choice at that role then we are in some serious trouble. Actually if Watt can hold down a position this year I will be happily surprised.
Some of you talk about him as if he is some young bloke about to break lose. Isn't this his 9th year at the club? Bloody hell if this guy gets games in front of Perry, Smith and Trotter then something is wrong.
Well said Angus1. I too would be happily surprised. And that is a valid point made there. Us who believe that Watt cannot play football do not hate him as a person or want him to fail. If Watt is to succeed and that means becoming a successful consistent player in a position that he makes his own then I'll be the first to raise my hand and admit that I didn't think Watt had it in him. To be proven wrong would be fantastic for what I'm most interested in is the "success" of the North Melbourne Football Club.
 

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Zondor

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Arden said:
No wonder Watt can't get a kick, with Spud marking him. Laidley is going too defensive...........
You make a valid point there Arden.:D Sorry I should have said that Firrito went onto O'Keefe rather then onto Watt. When I'm wrong I'll admit it.
 

Briedis

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I am hoping that Dean decides to release Watt up the ground to play on a wing more often this season. At least three of our goals came from Watt winning the ball on the wing andusing his pace and height to advantage.

I think he is far more suited to this position than as a key defender.
 

jonty12

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Briedis said:
I am hoping that Dean decides to release Watt up the ground to play on a wing more often this season. At least three of our goals came from Watt winning the ball on the wing andusing his pace and height to advantage.

I think he is far more suited to this position than as a key defender.
Agreed.

He is very fast and quite a penetrating kick.
 

KingyOrTheKing

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I didn't know what to make of Watt's game on the weekend. He seemed OK when he got the ball, and when we had the ball, but he appeared to get absolutely massacred on the lead. I saw him change opponents about 3 times. He just didn't look good. How's his fitness? He seemed to wear himself out running up the ground and therefore wasn't able to keep up with his man. Will need to see next week how he goes. He was the only 'disappointment' coming from Saturdays game... (he wasn't really a disappointment but I expected a bit better defending)
 
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I wish I could be so positive about Watt.

First I must preface by saying there were clearly many positives on the night, but I was very disappointed with Watt and Hay when they were caught in one-on-one situations (Watt's contest with White where the ball ended up going back to Mahoney because of 'no advantage' made me cringe).

And let's face it, Port didn't exactly have a host of marquee names playing forward - sure Lade is a good player, but what would have been the result if Port had Treadrea in??

Hay must improve - he was awful.

Watt must play further up the ground because he consistently gets exposed in one-on-one marking contests .
 

JerryWexler

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Too_many_talls said:
And let's face it, Port didn't exactly have a host of marquee names playing forward - sure Lade is a good player, but what would have been the result if Port had Treadrea in
I think you're being a bit harsh.The result wouldn't have been any different had of Tredrea played.It just means that White probably wouldn't have.Also what needs to be taken into consideration is that this was the first serious game where Laidley had to structure what was basically a brand new defence.Once the defence was settled,I thought they played quite well,and Gibson has added a pacey dimension to it.
Watt was good up the ground and his penetrating kicking,pace,and the fact that he had a height advantage over anyone he played on can only be a positive.Tredrea may have added a slightly more classier aspect to their forward line,but it wouldn't have changed the result.It was guys like Harris and Jones and Simpson and Wells that they didn't have an answer to,and none of those guys play in defence.
 

gokangas

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Watt and Brown both need to reinvent themselves now. They will have different roles and I hope it really lifts their footy.
Give them time. They are going to take a little time to get into the game in their new roles.
Watt did a few nice things on Saturday night and a few poor things - no player is perfect.
Watt and Brown are good sizes and they should be assetts for their strength alone.
Give them time - Brown showed he can be a game breaker and Watt will enjoy not having to take the best forward, provided Hay can improve (I am sure he will).
 

Melly017

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KingyOrTheKing said:
I didn't know what to make of Watt's game on the weekend. He seemed OK when he got the ball, and when we had the ball, but he appeared to get absolutely massacred on the lead. I saw him change opponents about 3 times. He just didn't look good. How's his fitness? He seemed to wear himself out running up the ground and therefore wasn't able to keep up with his man. Will need to see next week how he goes. He was the only 'disappointment' coming from Saturdays game... (he wasn't really a disappointment but I expected a bit better defending)
U r kidding!!! Hay gave away at least 2 goals from frees and another 2 from mistakes. Watt was moved onto Hay's bloke after the first 3 mins of the game. He got caught a few times trying to take blokes on, using his body as he has been told too, he linked up about 5 times and didn't waste a kick or a handball. He was about 15 times better than Hay. Hay's game was the worst game I've seen by a defender, ever. The only positive is that you can't play any worse, so next week he has to be better.
 

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JerryWexler said:
I think you're being a bit harsh.The result wouldn't have been any different had of Tredrea played.It just means that White probably wouldn't have.Also what needs to be taken into consideration is that this was the first serious game where Laidley had to structure what was basically a brand new defence.Once the defence was settled,I thought they played quite well,and Gibson has added a pacey dimension to it.
Watt was good up the ground and his penetrating kicking,pace,and the fact that he had a height advantage over anyone he played on can only be a positive.Tredrea may have added a slightly more classier aspect to their forward line,but it wouldn't have changed the result.It was guys like Harris and Jones and Simpson and Wells that they didn't have an answer to,and none of those guys play in defence.
I take your point about settling in, and Gibson was a massive bonus - so composed for his first game. And I do think that Watt has something positive to offer the team. But I didn't mean to imply that the result would have changed if Treadrea played - I more meant that if Watt was being embarrassed by the likes of White, Treadrea would have made him look very foolish indeed (see last year's elim final).
 

Z_K

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Watt spent 120 minutes being thrown to whoever was making an idiot out of Hay. He didn't do any of very well or very badly, but he couldn't settle because Hay was rubbish.
 

KingyOrTheKing

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I've watched the game twice and I don't see Hay as being as bad as what you guys are saying. I've never really bagged Watt and I'm not about to start, but I certainly wasn't confident when I saw Watts direct opponent on the lead, because I knew Watt wasn't there to spoil. Hope to see him run like he did last week, but tighten up on his man a bit.
 

Z_K

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KingyOrTheKing said:
I've watched the game twice and I don't see Hay as being as bad as what you guys are saying.
I haven't watched the replay, so I could be a bit off, but from what I can remember he spent the game either getting done on the lead by White or Lade or giving away stupid free kicks. He had one posession I can think of, and that was a direct turn over right at the end.

Not at all writing him off, but if he was 21 years old, he wouldn't be playing next week.
 

mav

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I don't know how many of you were at the game but I was. Hay may have been thumped early but it was the midfield that was the problem. When they were winning the ball so quickly and get good low kicks into the forward line noone was going to stop them. When you watch on telli you don't appreciate what is happing up the ground. As di(khead Williams said after the game, (he does say the odd smart thing), it's the mid field that make the forwards look good. When you don't the the decent delievry into the forward line, then the defenders can show how good they are. With Hay in the side we can now mix up the back line to find the right combo. Throw in Brown, and even Drew went back there at one stage, we can cover most big men!

As for Watt his game was good but he did get a way with a couple of lucky bounces when the ball was indispute. I rate Watt and think he is good for our team but he doesn't have the silky skills with ball in hand to play on the wing. With Hay at fullback, Watt can now be used to run more of his man and use his pace from defense.
 

Angus1

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mav said:
I
As for Watt his game was good but he did get a way with a couple of lucky bounces when the ball was indispute. I rate Watt and think he is good for our team but he doesn't have the silky skills with ball in hand to play on the wing. With Hay at fullback, Watt can now be used to run more of his man and use his pace from defense.
I agree with some of this. There is no way that Watt would be of much real value playing on a wing. He just isn't good enough and doesn't no how to find the ball enough. Running out of defense is his only game. He did do some good things when he had the ball which was pleasing to see but he also looked pretty bad matching up on Lade a few times.
Basicaly if Watt doesn't play in defense then I don't think he will play at all. I reckon he will spend most of the year helping Hay out down back and hopefully we will see him running out of defense a bit and put it lace out like he did as few times on Saturday night.
 
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The real test is when we come up against players like, Brown, Lolyd and Hall etc , Watt and Brown have proven over and over they are not up to that level.

I hope Hay is and leaves Watt and Brown to run off thier men.

With 3 tall options for down back offers flexibilty and with Brown being able to go forward has the basis of the best back line we have had for a while.
 

Gonzo

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Leigh Brown goes forward and kicks the sealer in the last 8 or so minutes - couldn’t do that last year

Shannon Watt goes for a run and takes on players and will get better and better at it – couldn’t do that last year

That’s what John Hay brings to the team – enables these sort of players to get up the ground – and that’s a good thing!!!

Cheers

Gonzo
 

mav

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Terry Wallace made a good comment on WLF when a Melbourne supporter asked him why he thought The D's didn't draft a tall backman, which is something they really need. Wallace said that all clubs need a tall backman but all the good kids that are tall play in the forward line. So the AFL clubs spend a lot of time developing players that can play in the back line.

I can't say where any of our guys played as kids but I we have developed Watt and Brown in decent backman and now we have added Hay. With Gibbo having some time in the VFL to develop is shows heaps of promise and then Perry can also improve.

We can now throw Green and Spud down there so we aren't going to hurt to much after losing Colby and Arch. I reckon the next few years show a lot of promise to having a settled strong backline. All the makings for.....
 

year of the roo

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Devil Fish said:
I am hoping that Dean decides to release Watt from the club.
Haha it must cut you up inside that yet again you have been wrong about a player and that Watt is still in the side.

But don't worry, I'm sure HeLmeT and Zondor will tell you that you're right and you know better than the paid professionals.

:D
 

Zondor

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year of the roo said:
Haha it must cut you up inside that yet again you have been wrong about a player and that Watt is still in the side.

But don't worry, I'm sure HeLmeT and Zondor will tell you that you're right and you know better than the paid professionals.

:D
Devil Fish you are right and you know better then the paid professionals.:cool:
 
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