Do some of you actually watch the game or understand the game? how about you listen to what the club has been saying about Watts, what part don't you understand about it? it's not that hard really!!

Round 1 is two and a half weeks away.... I swear it's like some people have absolutely no idea haha.

What if he kicks 6 against the Hawks? Whatever not bothering with this moronic thread any further than this statement.

This is one of the dumbest threads I have read on here. Lets leave out the here-say. I would be willing to bet $100 that Jack Watts lines up Round 1 for the demons.

I'll up you to $200 that he dosen't. How's that?

That's how much I respect Steamin's inside word. Yet to get it wrong.

Can someone tell me the rest of the Round 1 team? Seems even though its still 3 weeks away,I missed the announcement of it...

I was looking at pictures of the Dees playing Brissie and noticed that in the 5 of JW contesting a ball, in most of them he had his eyes closed.

So it would seem to be an easy fix...

Do some of you actually watch the game or understand the game? how about you listen to what the club has been saying about Watts, what part don't you understand about it? it's not that hard really!!

as a forward u have least lead up the ground run into space which he didnt do i dont care if he doesnt kick heaps of goals he needs to at least present himslf and get his hands off his hips, i do understand this game played 4 11 years which included vic metro and northern knights so i have a idea

So the reason JW has had poor games is the fault of the Mids!

I am sure Bate will be happy to hear that and is no doubt telling Bailey " boss i would have kicked 6 if the mids did not ignore me.

They kept kicking it over my head!

I will admit They have not been great

however if it is all the fault of the mids then JW,MB and I have another ordinary year ahead in 2011.

Games are won and lost in the midfield.

35 Inside 50s??!!

That is appalling. They miss targets, and at times they can be as lazy with presenting themsleves as options across half back as the 'halycon' days of 07-09. They retreat into their shell at the slightest nudge and I am growing sick and tired of it. Davey becomes the lone hand when it comes to run and carry and the rest grab it and blindly kick it, or attempt to take on the world - meaning about 4 players - themselves.

Let's get serious, OD. You have not been patient with Watts and you're expecting things that he can't deliver. And intensity for a 19 year old is big learning curve. One Brad Green skirted packs and avoided collisions - he willed himself to as brave as he is now.

Watts' issues at 19 don't concern me, him growing out of them when we need him, does.

About 5 of Martin's 9 possessions were hacks off the group, attempting to kick miraculous goals. Possessions aren't everything, either. Also, where did you get this information?

From the Melbourne football club website. http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/7415/newsid/108839/default.aspx

Intersting article today in the age with Bailey emphasising the importance of forwards creating pressure and having to have good defensive skills (ie tackiling, physical pressure etc)

as a forward u have least lead up the ground run into space which he didnt do i dont care if he doesnt kick heaps of goals he needs to at least present himslf and get his hands off his hips, i do understand this game played 4 11 years which included vic metro and northern knights so i have a idea

Then if you understand the game then tell me what has the club from the president to the bootstudder been saying about him, to much is expected from him at this stage, so one would have thought you did have some idea about it????

Some very good players are not physical I think JW is one of those types.

If he is to be a good player he will be a lead up player who kicks goals or takes good marks

and transfers the ball on well to a player in a position to score.

By 19 I think you have shown your desire to win the ball at all costs you either have it or you don't.

That does mean he will not be a good player it means don't expect him to win the hard ball

Or burst open a pack.

IMO it will not happen no matter how much bigger he gets.

If he doesn't win some hard contested footy and bust open some picks when he's in his prime (22-29) then he's a wasted pick. If we wanted someone to float around the flanks taking easy marks, spotting up others and kicking the odd goal then we could have waited till pick 30 something.

C & B- Last year he wasn't jumping anywhere near it. Already we see in this pre-season he is jumping into packs and last week i counted at least three times where he went up in the pack and got hands to it but didn't hold it. Don't put the blinkers on, he has developed from last year and will continue to do so.

Melbourne actually have one of the most efficient, even one of the most potent forward lines in the AFL when you look at how many inside 50's they have compared to goals scored. Melbourne has a great scoring efficiency but the forwards are all too often starved of opportunity.

35 inside 50's against Essendon was a perfect example. Given that of those 35, a good third of them were also delivered very poorly, that is a total of just 25 times or so our forwards have an opportunity inside 50 for the WHOLE game. That is the most damning stat. I would hate to be an MFC forward the last couple of years.

Buddy & Roughy see the ball at on average around 50-60 times a game. Dawes, Hall, Reiwoldt, Hawkins all see it in similar proportions.

Watts hasn't set the world on fire. But he doesn't see much of the ball delivered to him or his forward mates in anywhere near the proportions or quality of the opposition. Until Melbourne put it in there a hell of a lot more then many times our forward line will look second rate.

Spot on. I was at game and the movement of the ball into thr forward line was excruciatingly slow. On the few occasions it got there watts contested well. His hands (normally sure) just were not quite working and he juggled and dropped a number of marks. Problems marking but not contesting or marking it. Not sure whether c and b was watching closely enough.

No way and when you deeply think about it- his form overall has been poor.

Forward line of :

Green Dunn Bate

Davey Jurrah Petterd

maybe their thinking.

As stated, if he does get dropped- gee that would make headlines.

Bate? Come on Watts has played better than Bate!

Christ i'm sick of that tune too. Someone said it on a footy forum a few years ago and ever since it is a golden ticket for a player to have zero impact and produce absolutely nothing, why? because he is above a certain height. What sort of garbage is that? He isn't even PLAYING KPP he floats around like flanker or even a winger up the ground, where his height and athleticism should give him an EDGE over nearly everyone else! It shouldn't be his excuse to underproduce! If you must, compare him to James Frawley then, he got an AA cap in his 4th year of football, how far is Watts from that?

I don't want to be too harsh on him but I am sick of this soft attitude Melbourne supporters have that they just put up with substandard players and have them hang around the club for years waiting for them to get better. We need more mongrel at this club and the first blokes it should be directed at are the underperforming-but-supposedly-elite like Watts and Morton. If Bailey is putting pressure on them good on him I say

It's not about position specifically, it is more about the size and mobility which does play into it. You can say that this shouldn't be the case, but look at recent history in terms of taller/KPP players developing versus smaller midfielders. In any case, I do agree with you that he does need to show something this year, but I was merely saying that I would at least give him until mid-season before we get too carried away.

I was looking at pictures of the Dees playing Brissie and noticed that in the 5 of JW contesting a ball, in most of them he had his eyes closed.

So it would seem to be an easy fix...

So do his opponents.

This is one of the dumbest threads I have read on here. Lets leave out the here-say. I would be willing to bet $100 that Jack Watts lines up Round 1 for the demons.

Have your money ready at gate one at 1pm gameday.

Have your money ready at gate one at 1pm gameday.

I actually believe your original post, because I know you have good information regarding Jack Watts.

What I'm wondering is whether this was something the club is already set on, or whether they told Watts that to try and push him on the track and on the field tomorrow?

It would be disappointing if Watts doesn't get a lot of game time pumped into him this season, because ultimately every game he struggles in, brings him one game closer to getting better.

I fail to see why they would play him in every preseason game and then drop him for round 1. For this reason -

every game he struggles in, brings him one game closer to getting better.

I actually believe your original post, because I know you have good information regarding Jack Watts.

What I'm wondering is whether this was something the club is already set on, or whether they told Watts that to try and push him on the track and on the field tomorrow?

It would be disappointing if Watts doesn't get a lot of game time pumped into him this season, because ultimately every game he struggles in, brings him one game closer to getting better.

I'll be as disappointed as the next person if he doesn't play round one. It is a fact and not rumour, He was advised that on current form he is likely to miss round one. As previous posters have put it if he comes out on Friday night and dominates or even flashes his chances for round one would obviously go up.

The side has not been picked yet, and Jack Watts will be on the selection table for round 1.

I think people are too hard on Jack. He has worked hard and deserves a shot round 1 based on his pre season. What kind of message do you send to this kid by building him up for a big pre season then leaving him out of round 1??

There are 20 names on a list of players who have had a shocking nab cup/nab challenge game. But we move on, and see what players can deliver when it counts.

I'll be as disappointed as the next person if he doesn't play round one. It is a fact and not rumour, He was advised that on current form he is likely to miss round one. As previous posters have put it if he comes out on Friday night and dominates or even flashes his chances for round one would obviously go up.

On current form he should miss round one. They've told him that, one presumes to make it clear he needs to perform tommorow (his last chance to before the season) and as i have previously suggested my feeling is the coach wants to see more intensity at the ball and greater defensive pressure.

I will be really interested in how he goes tommorow. In a way his response will tell us alot about his chances of going up a level and alot about Jack. From my understanding, despite appearing somewhat laconic at times, he is very competitive and i expect he will come out all guns blazing. I also suspect that even if he does not have a great game but shows significantly increased intensity he will be selected for round 1. However without that increase in intensity even 2 or 3 goals may not be enough for him to be selected. Good work Steamin'

I will be really interested in how he goes tommorow.

so will I, but we won't see it!

After watching Watts last weekend against Brisbane I can't work out why he'd be dropped. Petterd was the stand out marking target that day (a day when we were missing Trengove, Grimes, Davey, Green, Jurrah etc. so the delivery into the fwd line was awful), but Watts did his part. Slotted two nice long range goals from set shots, one from around 50 near the boundary if you don't mind. His boot is a laser, he just lacks good hands in a pack marking situation. But at 19 this isn't surprising. He's steadily getting better and better all the time. Even if he doesn't 'break out' until 2013...he'll still be just 21!

The player I was agitated with that day was Bate. My brother has always defended him but even he agreed with me that day, he was awful. His decision making at times lets him down, and the goal he did manage to slot was an awful, mistimed helicopter from 30 odd out. Very concerned about his future ATM. Oh, and Maric for mine, cemented his spot in the 22 that day. He was fantastic when ever he got a chance with the ball.

I love Matty Bate. He was a standout in our worst years, and sometimes a lone glimmer of hope. But I'm concerned about where he'll fit in in the current-day style of footy we play. The free flowing, pacey game is going to be tough for him to fit into. I can't see him pushing out genuine high flying CHFs that go up the ground like Dunn and Watts... and he certainly doesn't take pack marks or lead like the Fev/Bradshaw type we're waiting for at FF.

I remember in his first couple of years he would burst out of defence, and actually use his considerable straight-line pace through the midfield. I don't rate his field kicking highly enough for him to do this job full time, but maybe he could drop a few kilos and they could look into a wing for him. He has an engine.... I just don't know how he's going to fit into our plan-A game style.

As if the club would be deciding the round 1 lineup now.. what a load of rubbish.

As if the club would be deciding the round 1 lineup now.. what a load of rubbish.

Rubbish?.....They would have a bloody good idea by now.