{pre-season didn't help the Watts' chances of quickly adding to the three AFL games he played last year and football manager Chris Connolly said the club would remain patient."We're determined to let him get some real confidence and play a lot of game time at Casey to continue to develop his game," Connolly told afl.com.au.

"He's got outstanding senior AFL attributes, but he's just got to continue to build his body as he gets taller and we know that he'll make his way into the senior team at some stage."}

http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/7415/newsid/93316/default.aspx

Edited April 29, 201015 yr by dee-luded

I think our current 22 are good enough to climb the ladder in the next 3 years

Watts along with Blease , Strauss Tapscott, Gawn, Bail, Rivers , Maric , Jetta, Fitzpatrick and Macnamara are what can take us to a flag by 2014

i don't expect Watts to be a superstar if he can be a reliable solid contributer with the odd BOG (think Earl Spalding late 80's early 90's but a better kick) over the next few years i will be happy, if he turns out to be the Reiwalt some fans a longing for bonus but i am not expecting or demanding it off him

Old news really. And whilst the seniors are in good shape in winning and making no changes, why the rush ? Status quo for now, business as usual.

The kids got talent, he wouldnt have been in the top 2 if he didnt have something. hes tall standing at 196 and stil growing.

Talent with height is a deadly combination. just need to wait for him to put on his "man suit" so he can hit it out with the big boys...

Does anyone think Jack Watts looks like a young, in-shape Ray Mears? We're doing pretty well with Bear Grylls (Ricky Petterd) and Ray Mears (Jack Watts) on our list.

Does anyone think Jack Watts looks like a young, in-shape Ray Mears? We're doing pretty well with Bear Grylls (Ricky Petterd) and Ray Mears (Jack Watts) on our list.

The players would be fine if the plane went down on the way to Perth with those two to look after the hunting and gathering. Hopefully they'd be able to find Beamer some hair gel out there....

{pre-season didn't help the Watts' chances of quickly adding to the three AFL games he played last year and football manager Chris Connolly said the club would remain patient."We're determined to let him get some real confidence and play a lot of game time at Casey to continue to develop his game," Connolly told afl.com.au.

"He's got outstanding senior AFL attributes, but he's just got to continue to build his body as he gets taller and we know that he'll make his way into the senior team at some stage."}

http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/7415/newsid/93316/default.aspx

Here, here Chris Connolly - the voice of common-sense. We MUST be patient. I have no doubt jack, together with the other two Jacks and Tom and Chip, will form the basis of premiership sides of the future. We should not bring it down before it begins.....

Edited April 29, 201015 yr by Go the mighty Dees

I have a sneaky suspicion that despite all the rhetoric from the club that there are creeping frustrations that quite frankly Watts isnt a little further along his path of greatness than currently positioned. I do think the patience exhibited by the club is genuine but I dont think it will prove infinite. Granted a few niggles have set him back from previously announced timeframes but without the overshadow of studies ( now finished) cramping his focus and given our need for a key forward I would rather Watts got senior time sooner rather than later.

If its all about getting games into legs and the bonding on the field of combat then keeping him down any longer thanreally required seems counter productive.

i don't expect Watts to be a superstar if he can be a reliable solid contributer with the odd BOG (think Earl Spalding late 80's early 90's but a better kick) over the next few years i will be happy

I suppose it's somewhat admirable that you have your expectations in check when it comes to Watts and his career.

My view varies from yours. I've seen his talent, I know what our club has invested in him and I do expect him to be a superstar. The club needs him to be a superstar and I believe he has the ability to be. I'll be exceedingly disappointed if he doesn't become the player many of us had hoped. Having said that, I've got no doubt he will be, as he's a very rare talent.

And unlike some others, I want him to really earn his AFL call up. I appreciate the benefits of getting games into players, but this time around I want Watts to earn it. He and the club will be far better off if he's not gifted a game.

I have a sneaky suspicion that despite all the rhetoric from the club that there are creeping frustrations that quite frankly Watts isnt a little further along his path of greatness than currently positioned. I do think the patience exhibited by the club is genuine but I dont think it will prove infinite. Granted a few niggles have set him back from previously announced timeframes but without the overshadow of studies ( now finished) cramping his focus and given our need for a key forward I would rather Watts got senior time sooner rather than later.

If its all about getting games into legs and the bonding on the field of combat then keeping him down any longer thanreally required seems counter productive.

This idea of being frustrated about the progress of a 6ft 5inch 18 year old who is still growing (!), upwards, is nonsensical. The draft camp objectively detailed his elite athleticism, and his football ability around draft time was talked about AFL wide. Given his current growth and age, the expectations should be kept in line with those simple facts. His body will take 2 to 3 years to mature once he has stopped growing, and that's when we'll get to see the best of him. Also given the, what we can now call, very smart recruiting of Barry Prendergast it is just ridiculously impatient and frankly ignorant to suggest there is some mistake in the whole Jack Watts situation. Patience and logic.....take some big doses and see me in the morning.

I suppose it's somewhat admirable that you have your expectations in check when it comes to Watts and his career.

My view varies from yours. I've seen his talent, I know what our club has invested in him and I do expect him to be a superstar. The club needs him to be a superstar and I believe he has the ability to be. I'll be exceedingly disappointed if he doesn't become the player many of us had hoped. Having said that, I've got no doubt he will be, as he's a very rare talent.

And unlike some others, I want him to really earn his AFL call up. I appreciate the benefits of getting games into players, but this time around I want Watts to earn it. He and the club will be far better off if he's not gifted a game.

I agree wholeheartedly Hanabal.

The benefit of selecting a Jack Watts confident in his, body, mind and form far outweighs throwing him to the wolves just to get games into him. His time will come and when it does the footy world will take notice.

So on the basis of some's thinking we dont play Watts til some magical day when his "growing" has pinnacled ?

He needs to learn and develop his craft at the level hes expected to play and thats AFL. If hes fit he can play there. He may not be at his potential from day one..but who ever is.

would we have kept Jurrah back in the maggos for so long ? Hes still develping, hes still maturing as an AFL player ( albeit sidelined).

Scully isnt near his potential yet either...but we're playing him.. Its called experience. McKenzie has grown immensely in the time hes been allowed to play. And boy he was rusty to start with ( npi)

Is Watts as big and strong as he will be..of course not. Do we cotton ball him til then..? Be an absolute waste if that was the case.

He'll learn more about his craft playing on the better AFL level backs than at VFL level. He has the talent..he needs to hone it.

I suppose it's somewhat admirable that you have your expectations in check when it comes to Watts and his career.

My view varies from yours. I've seen his talent, I know what our club has invested in him and I do expect him to be a superstar. The club needs him to be a superstar and I believe he has the ability to be. I'll be exceedingly disappointed if he doesn't become the player many of us had hoped. Having said that, I've got no doubt he will be, as he's a very rare talent.

And unlike some others, I want him to really earn his AFL call up. I appreciate the benefits of getting games into players, but this time around I want Watts to earn it. He and the club will be far better off if he's not gifted a game.

I agree H. I've only seen glimpses of Jack's talent (in much the same way as we saw early glimpses of Travis Johnstone's talent) but it's enough to satisfy me that he has the potential to be a very, very good AFL player (superstar?). I guess there's always some risk that he won't realise his potential (as per TJ), but I'm reassured by Chris Connolly's words:

"He's been outstanding. We can't fault him in any way. What you see is what you get with Jack.

He's not ahead of himself in any way shape or form. We profiled him as a person, that's why we took him at No.1, and he's ticking all the right boxes to show that our profiling was right. We've got a pretty special player in our midst and he's going to be around for a very long time."

I'm delighd with the way the Club is 'managing' Jack this year, and have every confidence that it will reap long term rewards for Jack, the team and us supporters.

I'm satisfied with the way Watts has been treated for the last few weeks.

However, I still am adament that he should be playing at least 15 games this season. That way he'll have played 37 games by 2012 and will be able to genuinely contribute when we are pushing for the finals.

He needs to be treated cautiously but also fast tracked!

We are ultimately still a developing side. Get Watts in ASAP i reckon.

I'd like to see him play next week. 4 weeks at VFL level should be enough to have match fitness

So on the basis of some's thinking we dont play Watts til some magical day when his "growing" has pinnacled ?

He needs to learn and develop his craft at the level hes expected to play and thats AFL. If hes fit he can play there. He may not be at his potential from day one..but who ever is.

would we have kept Jurrah back in the maggos for so long ? Hes still develping, hes still maturing as an AFL player ( albeit sidelined).

Scully isnt near his potential yet either...but we're playing him.. Its called experience. McKenzie has grown immensely in the time hes been allowed to play. And boy he was rusty to start with ( npi)

Is Watts as big and strong as he will be..of course not. Do we cotton ball him til then..? Be an absolute waste if that was the case.

He'll learn more about his craft playing on the better AFL level backs than at VFL level. He has the talent..he needs to hone it.

How many times....

Jack is 18yo. He is not a midfielder. The mids have the ability to adapt quicker at AFL level. KP players like Jack need development before they enter the bash & crash play up forward.

He must earn through developing and hard work, his spot in the team. It will come.

He can hone his talent and push himself at Casey until he is ready to apply what he does in his position. Patience primrose.

That High Tower is clouding your senses. What relevance is it that hes not a midfielder..oh yeah..this myth that you cant play at either end if your a kid.. try telling that to Fletcher and a myriad of kids who have. Its utter crap!!

We allowed Watts the luxury of fulfilling his academic requirements whilst getting paid. thats what it is, simple as that. If not for some injury setbaks he would have lined up at teh pointy end this year in the seniors especially as we hvent anyone there yet.

Everyone seems in agreement his has suficient talent to be just this side of precocious with it. But he isnt.. From my viewings hes very adept and clever with his abilities. He HAS it.

So again...as you put it...how many times .... why do we not play him and build his game time etc ?

No logical reason not to

THIS TOPIC HAS BEEN DONE TO DEATH

MOOOOOVE ON PEOPLE.

There's no winning with you Belzebub.....bring him in now and if he doesn't meet expectations, he's not worthy. Bring him in later and if he steps up, then we should have brought him in sooner. What it ultimately comes down to is your wisdom against the club's....I wonder which one I'll back?

And unlike some others, I want him to really earn his AFL call up. I appreciate the benefits of getting games into players, but this time around I want Watts to earn it. He and the club will be far better off if he's not gifted a game.

Me too. I suspect he's intelligent enough to know that there is siginificant pressure for spots in the 22 at the moment, and that the club is heading in the right direction. I doubt he'd be put off by playing VFL this year. At his age, with his talent, the time will come, but it won't come until he begins to show he can really dominate at VFL level. There also needs to be an obvious spot for him in the AFL team, and that is not the case at the moment.

That High Tower is clouding your senses. What relevance is it that hes not a midfielder..oh yeah..this myth that you cant play at either end if your a kid.. try telling that to Fletcher and a myriad of kids who have. Its utter crap!!

We allowed Watts the luxury of fulfilling his academic requirements whilst getting paid. thats what it is, simple as that. If not for some injury setbaks he would have lined up at teh pointy end this year in the seniors especially as we hvent anyone there yet.

Everyone seems in agreement his has suficient talent to be just this side of precocious with it. But he isnt.. From my viewings hes very adept and clever with his abilities. He HAS it.

So again...as you put it...how many times .... why do we not play him and build his game time etc ?

No logical reason not to

Bad post.

Logical reason 1 = there's no spot for him in the team at the moment.

Logical reason 2 = he's not playing well enough at VFL level to suggest he's ready to play at AFL level. (don't misread this for me saying 'he's not good enough'. He will end up good enough, he will end up a great player for us, I strongly believe that. But right now he's not there yet).

Logical reason 3 = whether or not he plays this week, or even in the next 6 weeks, will have no impact on his AFL career.

Edited April 30, 201015 yr by titan_uranus

That High Tower is clouding your senses. What relevance is it that hes not a midfielder..oh yeah..this myth that you cant play at either end if your a kid.. try telling that to Fletcher and a myriad of kids who have. Its utter crap!!

We allowed Watts the luxury of fulfilling his academic requirements whilst getting paid. thats what it is, simple as that. If not for some injury setbaks he would have lined up at teh pointy end this year in the seniors especially as we hvent anyone there yet.

Everyone seems in agreement his has suficient talent to be just this side of precocious with it. But he isnt.. From my viewings hes very adept and clever with his abilities. He HAS it.

So again...as you put it...how many times .... why do we not play him and build his game time etc ?

No logical reason not to

Your eagerness to see him is not a logical reason for him to play either . I'll back the experts before your impatience.

There's no winning with you Belzebub.....bring him in now and if he doesn't meet expectations, he's not worthy. Bring him in later and if he steps up, then we should have brought him in sooner. What it ultimately comes down to is your wisdom against the club's....I wonder which one I'll back?

Agree.

I don't care when he comes in I expect him to be a 10 year player so what if I wait another few weeks. No one knows where he is at body wise, so this is all a bit of crap if you ask me. I'm starting to get over Jack Watts.. we have more players on the list!

Tell me about Blease.. where is he at?

There's no winning with you Belzebub.....bring him in now and if he doesn't meet expectations, he's not worthy. Bring him in later and if he steps up, then we should have brought him in sooner. What it ultimately comes down to is your wisdom against the club's....I wonder which one I'll back?

Thanks for enlightening us to the end thatyou cant read there webber.

You in with the assumption that I expect him to be a game winner from day one. I dont. No reasonable person does. You make a few wild statements purely on the back of either your standpoint..or ignorance. matters not..same end.

Watts is older than both of Scully and Trengove. It is a commonly held beleif that Midfielders take a whiles to gain teh tank required of that job and yet here we have two kids running around.. and with one esp in Scully the most likely to be the last man standing inany game. Point? You cant make too many general assumptions . There is no One-Size fits all argument that can be applied to all players.

If Watts has the talent and the germ of ability ( and its all but unaminously agreed he does ) then what is to be gained from him passing the day and amassing easy gets in the magoos ?

Some seem very easily confused that impatience is the same as there being no reason not to.. If he can, then he ought to. No ?

Do you fail to grasp the concept that bulk is a very important factor for KPPs, much moreso than for a midfielder..?

Also, if there is any truth to rumours of attitude issues (unlikely) then making him work extra hard for a cahnce to get back in the side will HELP his development, imo.

In fact, regardless of any rumours, the kid has been elite his whole life and walked into sides (deservedly so), but learning to appreciate the hard work required for most to play at this level can only help his career.

There is a very good reason why players who come via the rookie list often show more desire than their counterparts.