I think I'm gunna 'hurley' with some of the comparisons....

Kid is in the spotlight, and I bet he knows it. He can dream of being a great, but he can only prove that on the park. Lets see how he gets on in 2011. My suspicion is he will be a roaming forward linking and delivering, getting a few goals along the way, rather than a Barry Hall sort of forward. This may suit him until he really does grow into himself.

Good luck Jack - seems a few people are interested in how you go this year!

Look at the raw attributes that Watts possesses.

This is what I look at when assessing a young prospect.

Compare them to what Miller had.

No contest.

Excellent pace & agility, taller, much better skills and kicking for goal, higher football IQ, excellent below his knees.

All Miller really had was a bit of size he was willing to throw around and an excellent work ethic.

If Watts can develop the same, we'll have an out & out champion.

It is already clear that if he doesn't he'll still be a very good player.

I think I'm gunna 'hurley' with some of the comparisons....

Kid is in the spotlight, and I bet he knows it. He can dream of being a great, but he can only prove that on the park. Lets see how he gets on in 2011. My suspicion is he will be a roaming forward linking and delivering, getting a few goals along the way, rather than a Barry Hall sort of forward. This may suit him until he really does grow into himself.

Good luck Jack - seems a few people are interested in how you go this year!

I think you might be right.

I'm thinking "taller Jarrad Grant".

some people might actually watch Jack Watts play football in round 1 and then come here to discuss that player based on what they have ACTUALLY SEEN

OD - I guess C&B would be exhibit A to what I was referring to.

First few games of 08 - thought Garland was the most delisted bloke in Delistonia.

Now he is a KPB - whatever the definition - and I was wrong.

Kids develop. Some fans don't.

OD - I guess C&B would be exhibit A to what I was referring to.

First few games of 08 - thought Garland was the most delisted bloke in Delistonia.

Now he is a KPB - whatever the definition - and I was wrong.

Kids develop. Some fans don't.

sorry did you just miss my post on Brad Miller? It was the counterpoint to somebody else who already mnetioned COlin Garland. Now I could type the same thing again, but instead i'll request you just read the first one

'Kids develop' not all of them obviously.

I'm looking forward to seeing Watts improve, im sure he will BUT im going to back what curry and beer said in principle. Everyone talks about how Watts is a great mark, great set shot, has great agility, great footy IQ, great passing skills etc BUT really from what we've seen over the last few years, has he really shown us that? Or is that just what the club say and what his draft profile said?

For every good mark he takes he also drops a sitter. His goal kicking is nothing amazing really (or is it just me?) Every time he passes the ball to another player people say "wow what vision, great pass" but if Jones did the same pass we'd say "about time he hit up a target and just didnt bomb it long". Every time he makes a second effort we're all pleased and prasie him for doing the 1%ers, but we expect that type of aplication from every other player without exeption.

I thin kwhat C&B is really saying is that we cut him more slack than most other players becasue he is likley to become a great player. We dont cut other players slack whilst they are finding their feet so why do we do it for Wattsy? Guess its the upside of being a #1 pick?

Look at the raw attributes that Watts possesses.

Excellent pace & agility, taller, much better skills and kicking for goal, higher football IQ, excellent below his knees.

I'm looking forward to seeing Watts improve, im sure he will BUT im going to back what curry and beer said in principle. Everyone talks about how Watts is a great mark, great set shot, has great agility, great footy IQ, great passing skills etc BUT really from what we've seen over the last few years, has he really shown us that? Or is that just what the club say and what his draft profile said?

For every good mark he takes he also drops a sitter. His goal kicking is nothing amazing really (or is it just me?) Every time he passes the ball to another player people say "wow what vision, great pass" but if Jones did the same pass we'd say "about time he hit up a target and just didnt bomb it long". Every time he makes a second effort we're all pleased and prasie him for doing the 1%ers, but we expect that type of aplication from every other player without exeption.

I thin kwhat C&B is really saying is that we cut him more slack than most other players becasue he is likley to become a great player. We dont cut other players slack whilst they are finding their feet so why do we do it for Wattsy? Guess its the upside of being a #1 pick?

thank you

I have never once made any type of prediction about Watts, I have only ever commented on what I have actually seen. I don't have a plutonium powered De Lorean so I'm not going to sit here and tell others what is going to happen in the future. But I don't know where some people get their confidence from... I could sit here all night listing past MFC players who were supposed to become superstars and DIDN'T. A much shorter list would be the genuine stars we HAVE managed to produce. Most people (understandably) can't stand the thought that we may have NOT got a champion with pick 1, and that we may have a total of ZERO genuine KPFs on our list right now. No matter how he plays, these people will violently defend Watts for 8 years until he gets delisted like Brad Miller. The same thing happens if you even dare suggest Tom Scully's kicking may not yet be 100% elite. What I am honestly mooting is that perhaps this attitude, this carefree, patient permisiveness and acceptance that most call 'support' is actually detrimental to the club and inherent in our abject failure to produce elite footballers over many decades.

*sigh*

Sometimes, it doesn't matter how much sense you make, some people refuse to listen...

You guys are seriously lacking some perspective here.

*sigh*

Sometimes, it doesn't matter how much sense you make, some people refuse to listen...

You guys are seriously lacking some perspective here.

thats the fun of venting your thoughts online though isnt it?! If we all agreed 100 of the time then discussion boards would be boring places!

I'm sure Jack Watts will come good. He's starting to show a bit. But i also agree with C&B that Wattsy gets an easy ride from the supporters these days for no other reason that he was a #1 pick and that he has started to show small glimpes of what we he'll be able to achieve. No one gives Morton, Maric, Jetta,Bennell much slack and they are only a year older....and most of them have showed just as much as Watts, not in terms of promise/future worth, but in terms of actual good signs on the field some of them have showed more IMO

thank you

I have never once made any type of prediction about Watts, I have only ever commented on what I have actually seen. I don't have a plutonium powered De Lorean so I'm not going to sit here and tell others what is going to happen in the future. But I don't know where some people get their confidence from... I could sit here all night listing past MFC players who were supposed to become superstars and DIDN'T. A much shorter list would be the genuine stars we HAVE managed to produce. Most people (understandably) can't stand the thought that we may have NOT got a champion with pick 1, and that we may have a total of ZERO genuine KPFs on our list right now. No matter how he plays, these people will violently defend Watts for 8 years until he gets delisted like Brad Miller. The same thing happens if you even dare suggest Tom Scully's kicking may not yet be 100% elite. What I am honestly mooting is that perhaps this attitude, this carefree, patient permisiveness and acceptance that most call 'support' is actually detrimental to the club and inherent in our abject failure to produce elite footballers over many decades.

Seriously, you just don't get it do you...

Firstly, it's called vision, not "patient permisiveness", we can see enough in this 19 YEAR OLD that we believe the club can develop him into a great player. You say you can't see the future and haven't made any predictions, yet in the next sentence you say Watts will be delisted in 8 years? Fair dinkum mate, your Watts bashing is beyond ridiculous.

Secondly, you think picking out problems with ANOTHER 19 YEAR OLD (Scully) does anything other than highlight your lack of knowledge on player development? Just because these young blokes have had a lot of attention or have been high draft picks does NOT mean that they are yet at the peak of their careers, in fact, it means you probably have a tough 4 or 5 years ahead as you constantly whinge about our "abject failure to produce elite footballers".

Thirdly, if you're just looking for a club to bag and not support then I strongly suggest you find a different one because all at MFC are working hard to change the culture of the club and find the true support needed to improve. Although I get the impression you enjoy having a moan and saying how much better you could have done it.

THE. KID. IS. 19.

HE. WON'T. HIT. HIS. PEAK. AS. A. KPF. UNTIL. AROUND. 24.

Buy a calendar and mark it down if you like, and if you're right I'll be the first to say congratulations MFC have a dud, good on you for suggesting it 5 years ago, you are my hero. But until then, find something else to whine about, have you seen petrol prices? Heard about the carbon tax?

Edited March 15, 201114 yr by stuie

the next sentence you say Watts will be delisted in 8 years?

no I didn't. I said people like you will defend him for 8 years, you then went on to claim you are waiting another 5 and proved my point. Clap.

'picking out problems' pft you are the typical head-in-the-sander, sorry, youre right, Tom Scully is perfect I have never seen him shank one. He is obviously a gun but if you are unable to even see any weaknesses in his game at this stage then you prove yourself to be someone who can't watch football objectively, the exact type of person I described in that post

oh and I'm so glad to be reassured we will have a KPF in 5 years, you sure you don't want to give it a little longer? Just 7 years or so to settle in eh? I suppose you have some brilliant ideas about how our forward line is going to produce winning scores in this timeframe too given all the other genuine key forward options we have

no I didn't. I said people like you will defend him for 8 years, you then went on to claim you are waiting another 5 and proved my point. Clap.

'picking out problems' pft you are the typical head-in-the-sander, sorry, youre right, Tom Scully is perfect I have never seen him shank one. He is obviously a gun but if you are unable to even see any weaknesses in his game at this stage then you prove yourself to be someone who can't watch football objectively, the exact type of person I described in that post

oh and I'm so glad to be reassured we will have a KPF in 5 years, you sure you don't want to give it a little longer? Just 7 years or so to settle in eh? I suppose you have some brilliant ideas about how our forward line is going to produce winning scores in this timeframe too given all the other genuine key forward options we have

Actually, you said he will be delisted in 8 years... And I've said from the start that he will take time to develop, should we just cut him now then if you're so sure?

Ok, now pay attention young fella, this is obviously all going over your head, and trying to change what was said to fit your agenda is the first sign of not having a sure footed argument. Did I say Scully was a perfect player? Far from it, I said he will not hit is peak for a few years, can you put 2 and 2 together yet? And no it's not 5... You want to talk about objectivity, yet all you do is pick faults in players who have not long been in the system around them which is there to DEVELOP them.

If you want a KPF so urgently then let's sign Fev hey? Then we'll definitely win the flag this year, cos that's what you expect right? Seriously sweetheart find another club, cos this one is a few years of challenging for a flag, maybe you could change teams every year to suit your needs as a supporter?

thank you

I have never once made any type of prediction about Watts,.....

No matter how he plays, these people will violently defend Watts for 8 years until he gets delisted like Brad Miller.

Ummmmm........

no doubt bate has played well in past seasons, but dunn chases, tackles, has a bit of size and adds a bit of grunt to our forwardline, that without him we lack. he is one of our most intimidating presences on the field, and especially in our forward 50, and is able to get in the face of the opponents, and annoy them, which is an important role.

Bate has attributes that make him a good player in a poor team, but he will struggle to find a spot in the squad this season, if we are playing good football, i think, i personally do not like him as i think that he does not use his speed enough to chase or pressure opponents, and will only sprint if he thinks he will be able to get a goal out of it

This is perfectly said. BAte is a dinosaur at the moment and will struggle to get a game. If we make players earn a game Watts will not get one yet. It's no disgrace to make him play some hard footy before earning spot. I'll be worried in 2 years if he doesn't deserve a game.

When does a 196cm footy player reach his peak?

And Watts has a little more talent than Miller. It's a pretty lazy example, and a sign of the Syn in my eyes.

Could he turn out like a late blooming J Riewoldt or a 'god-like CHF' N Riewoldt or, frack, even a "I can't kick properly but that doesn't seem to matter" T Cloke? No he has to be likened to Brad Miller...

Because if the worst happens - at least we saw it coming...

Edited March 15, 201114 yr by rpfc

Who else was a little disappointed when Watts said he wasn't that bothered by losing.

Who else was a little disappointed when Watts said he wasn't that bothered by losing.

Yep, but on reflection I think it was reported out of context.

Who else was a little disappointed when Watts said he wasn't that bothered by losing.

Yeah, gotta say, hated that a bit... But made me realize more how mature someone like Grimes is (and noticed he is Mr Instaquote for us lately). I don't think Jack meant it totally how it was put across, but when he read it he probably started to learn how careful you have to be with what you say.

Who else was a little disappointed when Watts said he wasn't that bothered by losing.

When did he say that? What form of media? ..linky?

Edited March 15, 201114 yr by gOLLy

When did he say that? What form of media? ..linky?

About 3/4's of the way down...

"Yes, he desperately wants to be successful and repay the Dees, but footy is footy. In Watts' world, it is not a matter of life and death.

"I like to relax and have fun. You live once and have one shot at it. Why not enjoy it? I don't get too stressed," Watts said.

Does he take losses hard?

"Nah, not really," he said.

"I find getting stressed over things, in the context of life, what's the point really? You've got to move on.

"It's something that the parents drilled into me early. Have a go at things, have fun and take the right decisions."

I'd still like to know what was asked.

Because he doesn't actually say he doesn't mind losing. Pay close attention to where the "talking marks" are located.

Just incase anyone missed It Jack Watts Is 19 years old.

Realistically, I guess it's not that different to the old line "We'll just look forward to next week" that every single player and/or coach spouts after a loss, just wasn't put in the most clearly explained manner.

I think he is saying he doesn't lose sleep over losing. Doesn't mean he won't try and winning isn't important.

Just took him out of my SC team. I think next year he will be a better addition.

He is playing with the Demons until end of next year (or is it 2013) so let the boy grow and develop for a while. He may end up as a brilliant player, he might end up being average. We picked him at number 1, get over it.

Edited March 15, 201114 yr by Samsara

I think he is saying he doesn't lose sleep over losing. Doesn't mean he won't try and winning isn't important.

Just took him out of my SC team. I think next year he will be a better addition.

He is playing with the Demons until end of next year (or is it 2013) so let the boy grow and develop for a while. He may end up as a brilliant player, he might end up being average. We picked him at number 1, get over it.

Sure, I wasn't knocking Jack I just would have loved his answer to be a little more passionate and intense. Can't imagine Scully answering the question like that.