Harry Coventry (standing,6th from left) debuted with La Trobe (Tas) aged 13 and a half in 1897 and successfully combined his studies

for the Merit Certificate with footy training on Tuesday and Thursday nights. Travel to and from matches too consumed

a good deal of his study time.

When I was a boy..... we had to live in a cardboard box because we were too poor to afford a house.

A box? You were lucky to have a box, we had to live in a hole in the road...

(Read in Pythonesque voices)

hes to skinny riiicky, he needs more time, send him out now and he would just get smashed, hes our golden boy we cant do that to him.

That's rubbish. He's no skinnier than Morton when he lined up to play early last year - nobody had issues with that. Furthermore he's 15kgs heavier than Jamie Bennell whose running around in the seniors.

Frame is not the reason he's not yet playing for the Dees...

Sure he hasn't got the bulk required to play yet, but look at Buddy Franklin. The #1 KPF at the moment, and he isn't the biggest fella out there in terms of muscle. He definitely ain't no Fevola, Hall, Pavlich or Brown.

Lance Franklin is 196cms and and 101 kg. Brown is 195cm and 104kg. All much of a muchness really when compered to Jack Watts at 196cm and 83kg.

Watts has admitted that he had never really done a pre season before being drafted because he was playing basketball in summer and footy in winter. In that sense he was coming from further back than most Under 18 players who would've had one or two Under 18 pre seasons behind them. He is also doing Year 12 like Blease so his training would have been limited since February when school started. I think he will play towards the end of the year like Maric did last year when he was doing Year 12.

Its a sensible strategy. We need Watts and Blease to be 15 year players for us. The plague of over use injuries to young players coming out of the Under 18s and into the AFL surely tells us that bottom age players in particulat need to be eased into the intense physical demands of AFL.

When I was a boy..... we had to live in a cardboard box because we were too poor to afford a house.

A box? You were lucky to have a box, we had to live in a hole in the road...

(Read in Pythonesque voices)

Luxury! We got up 4 hours for went ta bed.....and you try telling that too the young people today. And they won't believe ya!

150 of us in a shoebox in the middle of the road

he is NOT the best teenager in the country. Just because you are the number 1 pick doesn't mean you are the best in the country. it solely means that you are deemed more likely of being the best in about 5 or 6 years.

I think Daniel Rich has that tag at the moment.

Would've loved to see him in a demon jumper!

I had a chat to Jack Watts after the Melbourne V North Melbourne game.

He said he is progressing well and will be playing for Casey in a few weeks time.

he is NOT the best teenager in the country. Just because you are the number 1 pick doesn't mean you are the best in the country. it solely means that you are deemed more likely of being the best in about 5 or 6 years.

Pick 1 = Best player in draft

to back up this statement, Jack Watts also won the B&F at the under 18 carnival and had excellent results at the draft camp

I agree about all this stuff regarding his schooling. And the more i read everyones post the more I'm resigned to thinking it's best to just hold him back until the end of the year. Get a few games in him at VFL/AFL level before the seasons end, have a full pre-season and come in strong for 2010.

I completely disagree with the body shape aspect though, as a few of you have mentioned Cale Morton, whom obviously has a tine frame as well.

Pick 1 = Best player in draft

to back up this statement, Jack Watts also won the B&F at the under 18 carnival and had excellent results at the draft camp

I'd say that the first pick is the best player in the opinion of the recruiting team tho had the first pick, or to be even more accurate, the kid with the greatest amount of potential.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

I'd say Pick One was the first player picked - you can take from that what you will, but it can be as simple/meaningless as that

Pick 1 = Best player in draft

to back up this statement, Jack Watts also won the B&F at the under 18 carnival and had excellent results at the draft camp

ummm no.

if jack watts was the best player in the draft then he would already be playing. Daniel Rich would currently be the best player. Just because your the number 1 pick doesnt mean your the best player at the time of being drafted. in fact, thats rarely the case.

Was Kruezer, in his first year, the best player of his draft? No, Palmer was.

Was Gibbs, in his first year, the best player in his draft? No, Selwood was

Converselly, Deledio had a better first year than Franklin (pick 5) but after a few years, Franklin is considered the better player.

Players arent picked up on how good they are going to be straight away necessarily, its how good they will be in about 5 years.

ummm no.

if jack watts was the best player in the draft then he would already be playing. Daniel Rich would currently be the best player. Just because your the number 1 pick doesnt mean your the best player at the time of being drafted. in fact, thats rarely the case.

Was Kruezer, in his first year, the best player of his draft? No, Palmer was.

Was Gibbs, in his first year, the best player in his draft? No, Selwood was

Converselly, Deledio had a better first year than Franklin (pick 5) but after a few years, Franklin is considered the better player.

Players arent picked up on how good they are going to be straight away necessarily, its how good they will be in about 5 years.

Disagree with most of that.

Very simplistic view there, Freak.

Pick 79 in the 1990 Draft was pretty good, probably better than Stephen Hooper.

Our very own #32 Mr Bruce and the gun in red and white Mr R. O'Keefe were both fourth-round picks in 1999. Gee there was some real quality lower down in that draft.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1999_AFL_Draft

Watt type of player will Whats be? Is he a Neitz, a Pavlich/Reiwoldt, a Carey, a Modra, an Ablett Snr.??

Our very own #32 Mr Bruce and the gun in red and white Mr R. O'Keefe were both fourth-round picks in 1999. Gee there was some real quality lower down in that draft.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1999_AFL_Draft

Watt type of player will Whats be? Is he a Neitz, a Pavlich/Reiwoldt, a Carey, a Modra, an Ablett Snr.??

Wattch the footage. He'll be none of those. He screams Hird to me.

Wattch the footage. He'll be none of those. He screams Hird to me.

In terms of vision and poise - yes.

But at 196cm I see him more as a Pavlich/Riewoldt style of CHF or Wing Forward if you are Malcolm Blight.

Just as a side note - Does anyone remember Blight's first commentary effort for Channel 10 a few years ago?

Sydney - Brisbane, and he hadn't seen a game in three years and had no idea about the rule changes with 'chopping arms' and 'holding the footy if you drag it in.'

It was bloody funny listening to him get confused and angry at all the decisions. Hilarious.