You also have to consider the next couple of years.

Not only are the drafts going to be shallow due to GC & WS being involved, but you also have to consider that there may be (for example) quite a few quality forwards coming through in the next few drafts, but a dearth of decent ruckmen. Obviously if our recruiting staff are doing their job properly they will have kept track of the coming draft classes as well & have this sort of info.

I'm of the opinion that its hard to tell with ruckmen early on & they can be developed through late draft picks, whereas a CHF type like Watts doesn't grow on trees.

If our recruiting dept. make a decision on the no.1 pick this year based on what's available in the next 2 years, they are NOT doing their job properly. The only decision they have any certainty about is pick 1 this year.

But I agree with your sentiment regarding taking ruckmen early in the draft.

If our recruiting dept. make a decision on the no.1 pick this year based on what's available in the next 2 years, they are NOT doing their job properly. The only decision they have any certainty about is pick 1 this year.

You're right, unless there's nothing between the 2, in which case this sort of reasoning will come in to play.

But yeah, at pick 1 it would be negligent to let this sort of thing make the final decision. Maybe in the 2nd round though it would have an influence.

mate i wish it wasnt a reliable source.......... i really do!!!

and it is this that gives me a sick feeling.........

i dont understand our club and im losing so much faith

:D

There is still 3 weeks to go, they would still be finalising the No 1 pick..

All in good time, Goose. I would be very surprised and disappointed in the club if the 'select few' in the recruiting department would let their knowledge or 'decision" slip out to find its way to you 3 weeks before the ND.

Time will tell if you are right or woefully wrong.

:D

There is still 3 weeks to go, they would still be finalising the No 1 pick..

All in good time, Goose. I would be very suprised and disappointed in the club if the 'select few' in the recruiting department would let their knowledge or 'decision" slip out to find its way to you 3 weeks before the ND.

Time will tell if you are right or woefully wrong.

goose/ym is pulling your chain HT.

goose/ym is pulling your chain HT.

You reckon! Wouldn't have thought that in a million years dandeeman. Not Goose, surely.

As far as Watts v Natanui as our No.1 pick goes, and for the record Watts is my preference, I find myself thinking that if Watts was from WA and Natanui from Vic, would I be changing that preference.

As it stands, if we don't take Watts, I will be watching his entire career with the "what ifs," particularly if he becomes a champ and NikNat a chump. If we do take Watts, regardless of how his career pans out, I can honestly say I won't be watching the career of Natanui or of Rich for that matter, with the same critical and "if only" eye. And that is because I am totally comfortable with the Watts selection from everything I know, which admittedly is really only from what I have read.

The fact that the other two are interstaters negates much of that factor for me. It's amazing how we favour those immediately under our gaze than those from afar. If they were going to play for an Essendon, Carlton or Collingwood for example, my radar would scrutinise their performances and impact on the competition far more. I somehow feel more competitive against the local teams than those around the country.

However, to again cast the hypothetical, if Watts was from WA and Natanui from Vic, would I be wanting the local budding Buddy in Natanui instead? Perhaps yes, as the "local prospect" versus the "go home" factor can be a compelling argument. But it is a conundrum.

Watts the Natural Footballer with outstanding athleticism versus Natanui the Natural Athlete with outstanding football potential. Who knows? Watts seems the safer bet, Natanui the wildcard who could be anything.

If Watts turns out a dud, the football world will say we went the safer bet and lost, and few recriminations will be brought to bear even if Natanui blossoms. However if we go Nata and he wilts while Watts flourishes, we will be ridiculed for the golden chance that went begging. And that we annot afford.

The fact that two of the three best picks hail from the same state as the clubs that have two of the first three picks, has somehow skewed the value and merits of each. The local factor seems more of an issue this year than ever.

What I can only really hope for and trust is that all due diligence will have been done to choose our man and that no stone will be left unturned to turn either one of them into exactly what our club needs - a champion to carry us forward.

However as things stand - they need to choose Watts!

i have said it before and i will say it again i too believe that Watts should be the one taken...

he is a forward - hello!!! are we not screaming out for a key forward?? 5 years this kid will be kicking 80-100 goals consistantly!!!

5 years i could see natanui being homesick, averaging 10 disposals and desperate to go home....

whether or not we believe it or agree with it.. the facts are that it does make a difference where the player comes from...... recent years have shown...

yes natanui looks great with his hair and he has a big leap and hes exciting... but Watts is also an athlete, he is smart, fast, can mark can kick and someone you can really build a team around!!!

I will say that i hope my source is wrong...... i highly doubt it... and it makes me very very unsettled!!!

I will say that i hope my source is wrong...... i highly doubt it... and it makes me very very unsettled!!!

Did you mean that you got your info from your source or you came up with the idea while you were on the sauce.

hahaha i like that

i wish it was whilst i wad on the sauce

As long as the Melbourne Football Club has chosen the No 1 Young Footballer in the country i will accept their decision. Watts being victorian seems to make sense, but i am not privvy to information. I am sure the Club will choose wisely. All of us have just gotta jump on board & make this club Rock again...

again, i am fairly certain we will take watts from what i have heard

but i can think of plenty of negatives in doing this

-i know about 26/27 people that have played against him at some stage and they laugh when i comment about jack watts being a superstar and a lot of them dont think he is all that special

-he has had a couple of games that have really turned people off him, apparantly in an APS/AGS game...

-i think some people here think he is the next buddy, i dont think this will happen

i hope we take him, but i dont expect him to be doing much at all at the age of 21 and i wont be tooo upset if we dont take him

however, most of my draft predictions are wrong so take of it what u want

We better take Watts. We need key forwards. Watts is a key forward, and a very athletic and talented one.

The ruck is less of a concern. We have Jamar and PJ there, and while neither are stars, we can get by with them there.

Without a key forward, what do we do? We have Robbo, who is smaller, is on his last legs, and wont have his spring anymore. Good player, but near the end. Then what is there. Newton? If he couldnt establish himself in our team this year, then he is useless. Shocked he got another 2 year contract so easily. Bate? He is more of a lead up player, and not someone who can take on the best defender each week and kick alot of goals too. We have nothing. The fact that Miller won our goal kicking this year with under 30 goals, and second was a small forward off the rookie list....that really shows how poor our forward line is now. What was once our strength is now our weakness.

So why wouldnt we take Watts? It'd be bloody stupid not to.

again, i am fairly certain we will take watts from what i have heard

but i can think of plenty of negatives in doing this

-i know about 26/27 people that have played against him at some stage and they laugh when i comment about jack watts being a superstar and a lot of them dont think he is all that special

-he has had a couple of games that have really turned people off him, apparantly in an APS/AGS game...

-i think some people here think he is the next buddy, i dont think this will happen

i hope we take him, but i dont expect him to be doing much at all at the age of 21 and i wont be tooo upset if we dont take him

however, most of my draft predictions are wrong so take of it what u want

of course he wont be the next buddy. buddy will most likely(barring injury) end up as one of the games all time greats. but there is no reason why watts couldnt be a 60 goal plus forward.

again, i am fairly certain we will take watts from what i have heard

but i can think of plenty of negatives in doing this

-i know about 26/27 people that have played against him at some stage and they laugh when i comment about jack watts being a superstar and a lot of them dont think he is all that special

-he has had a couple of games that have really turned people off him, apparantly in an APS/AGS game...

-i think some people here think he is the next buddy, i dont think this will happen

i hope we take him, but i dont expect him to be doing much at all at the age of 21 and i wont be tooo upset if we dont take him

Mate, I grew up near Gary Ablett Jr. & just knew him as my friends little brother's mate 'Gaz' (had no idea he was who he was) but I went to school with heaps of guys that had played school footy & TAC cup with & against him. 95% of guys i knew were saying Gary Ablett Jr was nothing & that he was only given a chance cos of his dad's name, but he'd never even make the AFL.

Same thing with Jimmy Bartel who I played on... & got a bath I might add.

I was hearing the same thing about Travis Cloke for years too. Happens all the time.

Its not about how he is as a player now, its what raw tools he has that will allow him to succeed at the next level with the right training. The recruiters know what these things are and how to gauge them. Guys playing U/16 against them on a saturday only care about the players' abilities at that moment.

& anyone complaining he is soft - Buckley & Crawford both admit in their books that around that age they were soft players, learning in a year or 2 the hard-at-it approach that allowed them to succeed.

I myself in the space of a year went from being scared of a bit of contact to relishing it. If a low-level suburban player like me can learn it, why can't an AFL player with top level coaches?

Definitely not cause for worry. You can relax.

Mate, I grew up near Gary Ablett Jr. & just knew him as my friends little brother's mate 'Gaz' (had no idea he was who he was) but I went to school with heaps of guys that had played school footy & TAC cup with & against him. 95% of guys i knew were saying Gary Ablett Jr was nothing & that he was only given a chance cos of his dad's name, but he'd never even make the AFL.

Same thing with Jimmy Bartel who I played on... & got a bath I might add.

I was hearing the same thing about Travis Cloke for years too. Happens all the time.

Its not about how he is as a player now, its what raw tools he has that will allow him to succeed at the next level with the right training. The recruiters know what these things are and how to guage them. Guys playing U/16 against them on saturday only care about the players' abilities at that moment.

& anyone complaining he is soft - Buckley & Crawford both admit in their books that around that age they were soft players, learning in a year or 2 the hard-at-it approach that allowed them to succeed.

I myself in the space of a year went from being scared of a bit of contact to relishing it. If a low-level suburban player like me can learn it, why can't an AFL player with top level coaches?

Definitely not cause for worry. You can relax.

good post

Mate, I grew up near Gary Ablett Jr. & just knew him as my friends little brother's mate 'Gaz' (had no idea he was who he was) but I went to school with heaps of guys that had played school footy & TAC cup with & against him. 95% of guys i knew were saying Gary Ablett Jr was nothing & that he was only given a chance cos of his dad's name, but he'd never even make the AFL.

Same thing with Jimmy Bartel who I played on... & got a bath I might add.

I was hearing the same thing about Travis Cloke for years too. Happens all the time.

Its not about how he is as a player now, its what raw tools he has that will allow him to succeed at the next level with the right training. The recruiters know what these things are and how to guage them. Guys playing U/16 against them on saturday only care about the players' abilities at that moment.

& anyone complaining he is soft - Buckley & Crawford both admit in their books that around that age they were soft players, learning in a year or 2 the hard-at-it approach that allowed them to succeed.

I myself in the space of a year went from being scared of a bit of contact to relishing it. If a low-level suburban player like me can learn it, why can't an AFL player with top level coaches?

Definitely not cause for worry. You can relax.

Good to read Commen Sense on here. It can be rare...We will pick the BEST footballer going around-I have no Doubt. Who that is i shall wait for the club to tell me.

out of interest freak, do u beieve watts is best available at the moment cos i remember u saying this and me agreeing with you, it seems u have changed ur mind

finally someone talking sense. Watts is not the best player in the draft, end of story. Rule number one with early pick picks: TAKE BEST AVAILABLE. dunno why people think this has changed

too much not to like about watts

i have also changed my mind and hope we take watts but i still dont think he is a superstar at his level at the moment

would u take kruizer over watts people?

i have also changed my mind and hope we take watts but i still dont think he is a superstar at his level at the moment

would u take kruizer over watts people?

No, I'd take Watts first. But i'd take Cotchin before either of them.

I'm really high on that kid.

But... I say that now & I would've said the same last draft... but actually being in the position to make the decision I know i'd end up taking the tall.

If you're gonna make a mistake with a draft pick, make it a tall mistake. Midfielders are a dime a dozen in all honesty.

out of interest freak, do u beieve watts is best available at the moment cos i remember u saying this and me agreeing with you, it seems u have changed ur mind

i have also changed my mind and hope we take watts but i still dont think he is a superstar at his level at the moment

would u take kruizer over watts people?

no i dont think Watts is best available. rich is. but after trade period and where so many players were rumoured to be going to this club and that club etc., I have decided that I would much prefer to not take a risk on a player like Nick Nat or Rich and instead go for the home grown talent. basically if asked, 'which would you go for if all 3 were victorian'..i would go for Rich.

DEMONS WONT TAKE WATTS.......

THEY WILL TAKE NATANUI

:angry:

Since we missed out on Warnock, you may be onto something.

Since we missed out on Warnock, you may be onto something.

Could be, but I doubt it.

I think people put too much of a premium on ruckmen.

Look at Hawthorn - none of Campbell, Taylor or Renouf are much (if at all) better than Jamar or PJ, in my opinion.

Spencer & Martin are developing too.

Not as critical as our need for a KPF

Could be, but I doubt it.

I think people put too much of a premium on ruckmen.

Look at Hawthorn - none of Campbell, Taylor or Renouf are much (if at all) better than Jamar or PJ, in my opinion.

Spencer & Martin are developing too.

Not as critical as our need for a KPF

Correct. An excellent KPF and natural leader we are crying out for.

Jeff White was a No.1 draft pick for the record.

We have other picks available for the ruck department IMO.

again, i am fairly certain we will take watts from what i have heard

but i can think of plenty of negatives in doing this

-i know about 26/27 people that have played against him at some stage and they laugh when i comment about jack watts being a superstar and a lot of them dont think he is all that special

-he has had a couple of games that have really turned people off him, apparantly in an APS/AGS game...

-i think some people here think he is the next buddy, i dont think this will happen

i hope we take him, but i dont expect him to be doing much at all at the age of 21 and i wont be tooo upset if we dont take him

however, most of my draft predictions are wrong so take of it what u want

What grade was that?

I mean the kid won the Larke Medal playing against the best kids at the same age as him.

good post

Indeed.

Few mates played against Simon Buckley at the High School grand final thing and they didn't rate him whatsoever (mind you their team included 2 of Eastern Ranges captains and Daniel Hayes).

I thought Zomer was a dud (still do) and he's on an AFL list.

btw Nugget you mentioned that about your friends and people on here laughed at you and made fun of your friends

btw Nugget you mentioned that about your friends and people on here laughed at you and made fun of your friends

lol good for them

dont care too much what those people think

im just saying that thats what my friends have said (people who have actually played against him at schoolboy level)

...basically, hes played a couple of bad games and they dont think he should go as the number one pick

(mind you that's their opinion and not actually mine)

for instance,

-it is fact, that in the APS/AGS game, he didnt play very well

-it is fact, that in another schoolboy match that i personally watched, his kicking was horrible and he kicked 1 goal 4.

im not saying that these people are the best sources but the fact that these people have actually played against him, gives them more merit on this topic than people that have watched 3 minutes of him on you tube

The fact is, people watch him and have really high expectations of him because they expect him to kick 8 goals in one mach, so that is why im not too fussed about what my friends have said

i want to take watts with the first pick, i am just saying that i dont think we should have as high expectations of him as everyone thinks...he has great potential and from all accounts he is a great bloke and a great leader; im just pointing out some of the things i have heard

--i agree with most here, that a lot of people arent rated that much at junior level (gablett, hird, crawf, buckley) and then turn out to be superstars

and while he has stood out at junior level, he has still had a couple of not so great games and that is what i am commenting on...i am not trying to scare people, because in all likelihood he will turn out to be a great footballer, im just commenting on the other side of the story

i see negatives because i have supported (and been a member) of this team since i was born: whilst i havent been around for as long as a lot of people here, i have never seen my team win a premiership, i have never seen a member of my team become a true superstar, i have never seen my team succesful on and off the field

i went to every single melbourne game bar one this year, and only go to see three wins

i am embaressed that we have this bloody "number 1 pick", so i want us to use it the very best we can and that is why it's important to look at players from the good and bad sad

there were probably negatives in buddy at a junior level and look at him now

--i have made my decision, and i want watts, and i think he is the best, but there are still some things that give me little doubts...i think it is important to recognise these things to make informed decisions so that i recognise them