Get off Jobe's back

[Burzum]

• AS PREDICTABLE as it was disappointing, some Bomber fans couldn't get on radio quick enough to verbally whack Jobe Watson after Essendon's Anzac Day disaster.

Why? "Too slow" and "too many turnovers" have taken over from "too fat" as the focus of their anger against the man some describe as the Butcher of Bomberland.

This reputation is completely unwarranted.

While Watson remains a whipping boy at Essendon, it is a perception based on an assessment that must have been made some years ago. Not on the output we have seen in the past two years.

Watson has improved dramatically and is pivotal in balancing the rapid-fire movement of those around him. He is the only player at the Bombers who can successfully play slow.

To survive, slow players have to be good distributors, to use those around them to complement what they do well: win the footy.

The best slow players in the game are Sam Mitchell, Simon Black, Cameron Ling, Daniel Cross, Lenny Hayes and - although he's been under the radar for most of the year - Scott West, the daddy of them all.

Watson isn't yet at their level, but he's tracking them hard, and before you committed Watson sledgers reach for the phone, please consider some facts:

1.) Watson is the best contested ball winner of your midfield, with 47 for the year. Next best is Brent Stanton with 38.

2.) He's the best clearance player at the club by a country kilometre with 28. The next best is Mark McVeigh with 13.

3.) He's the best at the club at scoring from stoppages.

4.) Last week he had 12 of Essendon's 30 clearances. That's 40 per cent from one player.

The bottom line is that the Essendon engine likes to operate in overdrive, but if Watson wasn't there to kick-start it, it would be coughing and spluttering but never really turning over. Things would be a lot uglier than they were last week, particularly with McVeigh out.

All turnovers hurt and, yes, Watson has had the most handball clangers (nine) in the competition.

But put it in perspective. When you are getting the ball where, and as often, as he does, the raw number of clangers will be high.

But as a percentage it is still acceptable and will no doubt improve.

Speaking of possessions, consider some further Watson facts:

1) He's clearly the best score-assist player at Windy Hill with 12. He should take more shots himself and that will make him an even more potent player.

2.) He finds the footy better than anyone else at the club, be it uncontested, contested, hardball or looseball.

3.) He's making David Hille a much more efficient ruckman. Hille and Watson have combined effectively at takeaways 12 times, which is the best ruckman-player combination in the league. The next best is eight, and the next best at Essendon is three.

Without trying to overstate the case, Watson is fast becoming a quality midfielder who can successfully play slow and should be given some wider acknowledgment - as Mick Malthouse did in the coaches'
player-of-the-year award this week - not derided when a handball misfires.

When Watson entered the league, his kicking let him down too often because he was uncommitted to it. Now it's at a more-than-acceptable level and improving, both in decision making and execution.

Yes, Watson, like every player, will still make errors. But when he does the shrill cries of anguish and claims of "ball butchery" are relics of the memory of a developing junior, not the current player. It tells you more about the critic than the bloke wearing No. 4.

The handball mistakes come from, at times, going for too much in extreme pressure situations. Having greater confidence in finding another way through congestion by foot will develop if he has similar faith in his feet as he does in his hands.

Having dominated juniors as a handballing genius, I suspect his awareness receptors are trained on the immediate 20m surrounds. Like many players, he needs to work hard to better compute long options before instinctively dishing off the handball.

Some handball errors, particularly a couple of intercepted shockers, were as much the receiver's fault as Watson's.

He can still improve in everything he does. But at age 23 and effectively in just his fifth year, that is simply stating the obvious that is eluding too many Bomber fans.

He is developing rapidly into a quality player who will be limited only by his own view of his capabilities, his work-rate and how much he's prepared to broaden his radar when he has the ball, even if some mistakes still occur.

Maybe you disagree - and can't see past the odd clanger as he works out how good he can be -- so you already have picked up the phone.

Well, while you are waiting on the line, digest one final point - the Dons average 10 fewer contested possessions than their opponents.

So imagine what it would be like if Watson wasn't there. John from Ascot Vale, you're on the air . . .

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,23637644-19764,00.html

 

[H2F]

RIG you know I luv your work, but this is so spot on.

You guys have the heart as a club to go through the pain of a rebuild like Hawthorn did.

Enjoy it Bomber fans, it is the only path to the top.

Knights is a gun coach. Be the ones who understand it, not the ones who don't because the premierships coming will not have the same substance for you.

 

[Willow76]

Best article written in a long while Im sick and tired of the treatment Jobe gets. As a supporter base we are not far off Richmond as far as the way we treat some of our players in fact the only reason we arent quite their yet as far as feral goes is the fact that we have had success in the not to recent past.

Supporters not Sledgers

 

[Smyth94]

A lot of people love to highlight his flaws yet never appreciate his value to the team.

Jobe plays with heart and has determination.

Give me that over Lazy Lovett, Laycock et al any day.

 

[ant555]

A lot of people love to highlight his flaws yet never appreciate his value to the team.

Jobe plays with heart and has determination.

Give me that over Lazy Lovett, Laycock et al any day.

The only thing the article doesn't mention is his biggest flaw.
Like i have already said , currently he has to stay in the side because there is no one who is close to his ability in reading the play in close.He is streets ahead of anyone on our list and he would look even better if he had another midfielder who was good at working through trafic to recieve the footy.
To be honest the few mistakes he makes with his disposal only mildly anoy me at certain times becasue a lot of his disposals are very creative.The clangers he needs to eliminate are the ones where he tries to do more than what his skills allow. He needs to keep working within his skill range and he will be fine.
The problem they still have to deal with is what to do with his lack of ability to get close to an opponent when working the other way. He tries hard to do it but simply hasn't got the pace to hold an opponent. They always find 5 meters on him and are able to play on a fair bit when they recieve becasue you can always run around a player who is slightly late geting to the mark.
They have to find a way to fix the problem and making Jobe faster is not an option. He is what he is. An A grade in close midfielder with B grade skills and D grade pace which leads to his defensive side being poor.

 

[dave_27]

Ofcourse we all appreciate his effort and his clearances.

BUT

that doesnt mean he cant be critisized for some shocking turnovers that cost us.

Same goes for Stanton, theirs no excuses for hospital handballs.

 

[Big Blow Hard]

A lot of people love to highlight his flaws yet never appreciate his value to the team.

Jobe plays with heart and has determination.

Give me that over Lazy Lovett, Laycock et al any day.

Fantastically written article. I bet the Jobe knockers will still try and argue it though. He has taken over Scott Lucas' title as our most unfairly maligned player. Hopefully, like Lucas done, Jobe will just keep on punchin and prove the knockers wrong.

P.s. Love the Hille/Jobe combo stat, I was unaware of that.

 

[The Dustbin]

Ofcourse we all appreciate his effort and his clearances.

BUT

that doesnt mean he cant be critisized for some shocking turnovers that cost us.

Same goes for Stanton, theirs no excuses for hospital handballs.

Exactly.

 

[The Donners]

Fantastically written article. I bet the Jobe knockers will still try and argue it though. He has taken over Scott Lucas' title as our most unfairly maligned player. Hopefully, like Lucas done, Jobe will just keep on punchin and prove the knockers wrong.

P.s. Love the Hille/Jobe combo stat, I was unaware of that.

I believe Lucas over the entirety of his career has been more valuable than Lloyd as he has played both ends of the ground superbly when needed.

 

[Merv]

Ofcourse we all appreciate his effort and his clearances.

BUT

that doesnt mean he cant be critisized for some shocking turnovers that cost us.

Firstly not ALL appreciate his efforts and are no where to be seen when he plays well but of course bob up when he plays poorly or plays well yet makes a few mistakes.

Criticism is one thing, but he has been labelled as "nothing short of garbage", "utter crap", "a hack", "useless", "a liability" etc etc.

These are the ones that it doesn't matter what he does, they will be waiting for when he stuffs up as they have pre conceived opinions of previous years and they lie in wait until he stuffs up and we get beaten once again.

Criticism is warranted merciless slaughtering isn't.

 

[silk]

Waston often gets the ball surrounded by 3 or 4 opponents, tries to get a handball out so he doens't get pinged for holding the ball, and it goes to an opposition because most of the time, his team mates aren't making good posistioning... seriously watch the the center next time, and see how often jobe gets the ball, and the only handball optoin will be through 4 opponents. The problem is teams basically know watson is the only one likely to get the ball, so they keep him well covered.

 

[retroparty]

Watson cops it because our midfield is so crap. If he played in a decent midfield he would look really good. He does all the hard work but then he doesn't get rewarded because he gets no support from the players around him. The midfield needs to lift. It needs McVeigh.

 

[SirJimi05]

Jobe Watson is Essendons best midfielder. Period!

 

[Smyth94]

The only thing the article doesn't mention is his biggest flaw.
Like i have already said , currently he has to stay in the side because there is no one who is close to his ability in reading the play in close.He is streets ahead of anyone on our list and he would look even better if he had another midfielder who was good at working through trafic to recieve the footy.
To be honest the few mistakes he makes with his disposal only mildly anoy me at certain times becasue a lot of his disposals are very creative.The clangers he needs to eliminate are the ones where he tries to do more than what his skills allow. He needs to keep working within his skill range and he will be fine.
The problem they still have to deal with is what to do with his lack of ability to get close to an opponent when working the other way. He tries hard to do it but simply hasn't got the pace to hold an opponent. They always find 5 meters on him and are able to play on a fair bit when they recieve becasue you can always run around a player who is slightly late geting to the mark.
They have to find a way to fix the problem and making Jobe faster is not an option. He is what he is. An A grade in close midfielder with B grade skills and D grade pace which leads to his defensive side being poor.

I believe the only way Essendon can manage that issue is that if the midfield, collectively begins to tighten up. Football isn't and should'nt be about individual weaknesses - the more the Essendon midfield as a group aim to be accountable the lesser of an issue this will become.

 

[Smyth94]

I believe Lucas over the entirety of his career has been more valuable than Lloyd as he has played both ends of the ground superbly when needed.

Not a chance - some people forget how good Lloyd was.

Lloyd's best was out of this world and far better than Lucas' best.

In saying that Lucas was perhaps as valuable to Essendon as Lloyd because it gave us structure and meant that Lloyd wasn't double teamed at every opportunity.

 

[Bomber Bill]

Jobe Watson is Essendons best midfielder. Period!

I second that. You know that every week he will be a the bottom of a pack trying to feed the pill out to one of those less inclined to get their hands dirty so that they can run off looking like they are winning possessions all on their own (that was a long sentence sorry!).

I love him as a player and would even go as far as saying he could one day captain the club. I love the stat of Hille-Watson combinations being the highest in the AFL!

 

[lamaros]

Good to see Watson getting some positive press.

Just to remins the Brent "softest player in the league" Stanton haters:

" 1.) Watson is the best contested ball winner of your midfield, with 47 for the year. Next best is Brent Stanton with 38."

 

[mxett]

I also agree that Watson is our best midfielder. BUT, that says more about our midfield than Watson!

He is great at getting the ball, especially when in close. But he turns it over regularly, often when not under great pressure. His delivery is nothing short of disgraceful at times, and he is very slow. His defensive skills are almost non-existent, and the opposition target him as someone to fun off.

His negatives far out way his positives. Same goes for Stanton.

Other than that, I like him.

 

[Schmick]

Good to see Watson getting some positive press.

Just to remins the Brent "softest player in the league" Stanton haters:

" 1.) Watson is the best contested ball winner of your midfield, with 47 for the year. Next best is Brent Stanton with 38."

He's been good in that department ever since Knights gave him a kick up the ass early on in the season, but before that in the first few rounds, he was soft.