Jack Watts

[SterlingArcher]

Suspect with guys like Hogan, Brayshow, Petracca et al coming through there's far less pressure on him before to be the figurehead of the club, which can only be good for him

Viney too (as a guy who puts less pressure on Watts). Scully played pretty well too yesterday, although he's never quite had the same scrutiny imo as Watts has, similar effect I'd guess with Shiel, Cameron etc.

 

[Scotland]

He's still only 25yo this year, not like his career is coming to an end. I see a lot of Brendan Goddard in him, not necessarily in the way he plays but in terms of the "arc" of their respective careers.

Oh, that's a shame. I thought Dees fans had finally let go of the Goddard thing.

Watts has played 116 games in 7 seasons and one round. I think he came 9th in the B&F once.

After 7 seasons Goddard had played 137 games and was already an All Australian and B&F runner-up. He backed that up in his 8th season with All Australian honours again, 3rd in the B&F and runner-up in the Norm Smith Medal.

I get that they were both #1 picks who started slowly but Goddard was ahead of where Watts is now after 4 years. You don't get 'he's a bottom ager, he didn't play much footy in his first year' leeway in your 8th year...

 

[Scotland]

Viney too (as a guy who puts less pressure on Watts). Scully played pretty well too yesterday, although he's never quite had the same scrutiny imo as Watts has, similar effect I'd guess with Shiel, Cameron etc.

In a parallel universe GWS enter a year earlier and poach Jack Watts on a 6 year, $6m deal.

What sort of scrutiny does he face? How is Scully rated as a career Dee?

 

[Gavin Excell]

Ask any Melbourne supporter though and for so long the issue hasn't been what he does with the footy or how many touches he gets it's about how he approaches the game. He attacked/demanded the footy yesterday, I've never really seen him play with a resolve like that before. That wont show up in the chart you posted but it does bode well for the rest of his career.

Good post

I didn't watch Saturdays game but that's the thing I've noticed about Watts prior. Doesnt demand/want the ball. As if scarred by criticism,

Is a talented player and can create. Hope Dees get value out of him.. Poor bastard copped heaps over the years

 

[Gavin Excell]

Oh, that's a shame. I thought Dees fans had finally let go of the Goddard thing.

Watts has played 116 games in 7 seasons and one round. I think he came 9th in the B&F once.

After 7 seasons Goddard had played 137 games and was already an All Australian and B&F runner-up. He backed that up in his 8th season with All Australian honours again, 3rd in the B&F and runner-up in the Norm Smith Medal.

I get that they were both #1 picks who started slowly but Goddard was ahead of where Watts is now after 4 years. You don't get 'he's a bottom ager, he didn't play much footy in his first year' leeway in your 8th year...

Watts better team player than captain Goddard is

 

[Brutalitops]

Maybe - they also should not have let him play in 2009. The way they paraded him around on Queens Bday and in the papers leading up to the game was cringeworthy, I can't imagine what it would be like to have the weight and expectation of a 150 year old club on your shoulders at 17yo.

I agree wholeheartedly, the less said of that game the better. Just poor man management to bring him out against a top rated Collingwood. I know at the time you guys had a good record of upsetting them on Queens birthday, but Watts went in with virtually no protection. Cant help but think that whole thing, the lead up, the game, and the aftermath left a lasting scar on the young bloke.

Ive always thought that if he was drafted just one year later he mightve been a bit more prepared mentally for AFL footy. Shoulda coulda woulda.

Anyways, looking at the future, he is starting to show promise and can hopefully become the A grader hes capable of. He just needs to back himself i think. Its all upstairs with him.

 

[LeverPuller]

according to player ratings.... had a forgettable day until the big last quarter.

thread looks abit premature

Came off with a corkie for a chunk of game time.

 

[Scotland]

Watts better team player than captain Goddard is

Who are you to point the finger?

 

[Gavin Excell]

Who are you to point the finger?

Well done

 

[Scotland]

Well done

I reckon I saw 30 seconds of the Gold Coast / Essendon match, maybe 60 tops - and I saw Goddard standing still with a scowl on his face pointing.

 

[Marc_Remillard]

It's amazing how much hatred there is for Watts

 

[Demonic Ascent]

Oh, that's a shame. I thought Dees fans had finally let go of the Goddard thing.

Watts has played 116 games in 7 seasons and one round. I think he came 9th in the B&F once.

After 7 seasons Goddard had played 137 games and was already an All Australian and B&F runner-up. He backed that up in his 8th season with All Australian honours again, 3rd in the B&F and runner-up in the Norm Smith Medal.

I get that they were both #1 picks who started slowly but Goddard was ahead of where Watts is now after 4 years. You don't get 'he's a bottom ager, he didn't play much footy in his first year' leeway in your 8th year...

He's still got time on his side and he has been playing in some of the worst teams fielded in living memory - compared to Goddard who was playing in premiership contending and H&A season dominating sides. Not saying they will wind up identical players but there is definitely something to work with with Watts. If he can add the drive to his game there's no reason he can't end his career a similar player to Goddard.

 

[Demonic Ascent]

Good post

I didn't watch Saturdays game but that's the thing I've noticed about Watts prior. Doesnt demand/want the ball. As if scarred by criticism,

Is a talented player and can create. Hope Dees get value out of him.. Poor bastard copped heaps over the years

Not sure if scarred by criticism or its just not innate to his personality. His natural talent is evident but that's different to being able to play at the elite level. You can be the most talented player on the ground but it counts for nothing if you can't get the footy, don't act with instinct and can't enforce your will on the contest. Nothing innovative being said there but I think (hope) with Watts the penny may be starting to finally drop. There's also a difference between knowing what you have to do and knowing how to do it. His game yesterday showed to me he's starting to "get" it a couple of contested marks (one in the first and one in the last) where he went to the footy demanding to mark it rather than hoping.

Anyway I'm still on the fence with Watts. Happy to see his game yesterday but still hesitant to laud him and say he's turned the corner until he can put together a season of these performances. He's done it before for 6 or so weeks and then dropped off again. It looks different this time but looks can be deceptive.

 

[Demonic Ascent]

I agree wholeheartedly, the less said of that game the better. Just poor man management to bring him out against a top rated Collingwood. I know at the time you guys had a good record of upsetting them on Queens birthday, but Watts went in with virtually no protection. Cant help but think that whole thing, the lead up, the game, and the aftermath left a lasting scar on the young bloke.

Ive always thought that if he was drafted just one year later he mightve been a bit more prepared mentally for AFL footy. Shoulda coulda woulda.

Anyways, looking at the future, he is starting to show promise and can hopefully become the A grader hes capable of. He just needs to back himself i think. Its all upstairs with him.

Don't know how many other supporters know what we did on that Queens Bday game but basically before the team ran out on the ground the cameras on the big screen showed him in the rooms and coming up the race and the ground announcer introduced him to the crowd as #1 draft pick and hope of Melbourne's future or some rubbish like that. The kid was only 17 it was cringeworthy. Not sure if Watts could hear what was going on but as a supporter it just felt all kinds of wrong. He was used as a marketing tool and when he couldn't live up to the hype the club had generated things just snowballed. It was all part of Schwabs idea, giving him Norm Smith's #4 (same With Scully with Barassi's #31 and Trengove with Johnson and Neitz's #9) as well as trying to use his debut to drum up a crowd for our marquee game. Not sure whether Stynes was involved their too (with the marquee game marketing aspect), I wouldn't imagine so but you never know.

 

[}>-DEMON-<{]

https://twitter.com/JackWattsCBF

Savage parody account

wow. The world's saddest most pathetic loser award goes to...

 

[Mead]

Most people have moved on and accepted he's a just another good ordinary AFL player- might be better than that at some point, might not, but being pick 1 doesn't factor into it anymore, it's just history.

The hype over pick 1s, and particularly key position pick 1s has always been pretty daft- a surprising number of them end up just alright rather than brilliant.

 

[Stevi_Tigers]

he didnt pick him self as number1. a lot of his issues are above the shoulders but the dees did him no favors chucking him in to early and the saviour complex of his early years. think he will have a good year and become a solid player wont be a superstar but he doesnt have to be just play his role

 

[bzparkes]

Was at Watts' first game sitting in the Melbourne members area. The amount of pre-game hype for the guy was ridiculous, it's no wonder he's had issues over the years. Looking good for this season though and I hope he can keep the form of, some of his play this weekend was awesome. big grabs, a clutch goal and the handpass assist. Was great to see.

 

[Farm Boy]

Jack Watts was a skinny kid when he first came on the scene. He was always going to take a long time to develop. Fans don't have patience, and opposition fans don't want to have patience. I would've earmarked a minimum 5 years for Watts. He did take a bit longer, but KP's sometimes do. I am not surprised Watts has taken a while, and I expect he will justify his high value. Maybe not to the extent of number 1 that year - as it appears to be an exceptional year.

 

[Trav 20]

As many would know, I haven't been Watts greatest fan, but what the chart doesn't show you is that his contested work (air and ground) is light years ahead of where it's been.

 

[Trav 20]

In a parallel universe GWS enter a year earlier and poach Jack Watts on a 6 year, $6m deal.

What sort of scrutiny does he face? How is Scully rated as a career Dee?

Not that I disagree with you re Watts, but I've noticed you spend an inordinate amount of time posting in threads relating to Melbourne. Are you simply a prolific poster, or is there some fascination with a club that's been crap for 10 years ?

 

[MonkeyMagik]

He'll never be worthy of number 1 pick and is very lucky to still be on an AFL list.

But so far this season he has been very impressive. Would have been a solid pick in the mid 30's.

 

[GreyCrow]

Has shown glimpses previously (even got a couple of Brownlow votes) but then he proceeds to stink it up for the next month then ask to be dropped to the reserves.

Complete and utter failure as a number one pick and will go down as the worst player drafted at that position

Richard Lounder

 

[GreyCrow]

I agree regarding the comments that the pressure being the Number 1 Pick can bring. I also agree that clubs should be looking to see if this is an issue then manage it better.

Unfortunately clubs , all over the world, are sucked into this hype of who should be number 1 rather than any reality at times. Though Weitering looks ok

The NBA are currently having this problem with Ben Simmons. Everyone has said for so long he should be number 1 that those clubs who overlook him will be bashed by their own fans because they trade in hope. For the record as the season has worn on I rate Buddy Heild higher than Simmons. But apparently Simmons has it all , except aggression

 

[Plugger_87]

He's still only 25yo this year, not like his career is coming to an end. I see a lot of Brendan Goddard in him, not necessarily in the way he plays but in terms of the "arc" of their respective careers.

yes good call i have a soft spot for him and want him to succeed as much as anyone. My point was he needs to forget about all the outside noise and concentrate on himself and his game cos he has all the tools to succeed.