All valid points, but i still believe talking about Dermie being Jack Watts' mentor is not the most productive excercise because IMO to take someone under your wing and mentor them requries some sort of vested interest or desire (on the mentor's behalf) for the mentoree to succeed, which we could only speculate about in dermotts case?

I would get the OX, Now, to mentor him from where he's at at this moment. Because the OX has a bit of extrovert, take it on attitude about him, which I believe would suit Watts At the Moment.... Drag him out of his shell !

When Watts is ready to put on even more Bulk,,, Then I think Neita would be good to give him some rounding off, and finishing school, to teach him to play the deep role, and to help him keep his head in check as I expect him by this stage, to becoming a strong AFL forward.

are all the pro-hurley people watching todays game? while i admit hurley has shown more to date than watts, he has done next to nothing today. kicked one goal early from the boundary line, but since then has barely had a touch. i am not bagging hurley, because i think he is a very good player, but it just shows that young players will have quiet games. you cannot expect them to dominate or be in the best every week. jack has really only shown glimpses so far, but we all know the talent is there. we all just need to be patient with him, because one day soon it will all click, and we will see the reason he went at number one.

Wrong...Hurley had a magnificent First Q. yes was quiet in the 2nd & 3rd, but in the last Q he was involved directly with 2 of Essendon's goals so i think that is a lot better than next to nothing as you said.

I just want to see Watts show at least half the desire and urgency for the ball that Hurley does.

Edited April 16, 201114 yr by Clint Bizkit

Hurley and Darling.

Watts and Cook.

While any club would have taken Watts with a # 1 pick, I believe we should have taken Darling over Cook. We don't need two developing key forwards do we? Darling was always going to be ready to play senior footy.

I'm not saying Cook won't be good and from what I have seen he looks a good type but certainly one that will take more time than Darling. That's my only criticism from a drafting perspective.

Would like to see Watts have some of that appetite that Hurley possesses. Hurley, although he did drift out of the game today was very good early.

Hurley and Darling.

Watts and Cook.

While any club would have taken Watts with a # 1 pick, I believe we should have taken Darling over Cook. We don't need two developing key forwards do we? Darling was always going to be ready to play senior footy.

I'm not saying Cook won't be good and from what I have seen he looks a good type but certainly one that will take more time than Darling. That's my only criticism from a drafting perspective.

Would like to see Watts have some of that appetite that Hurley possesses. Hurley, although he did drift out of the game today was very good early.

Darling was excellent today. Bashing, crashing, taking marks and applying forward pressure for the Eagles. Three games in he already looks a very good player. People will say "yeah but Cook has more upside". Maybe he has, but what a risk our recruiters have taken to pick TWO developing keys (Watts and Cook) when we could've picked the ready made Darling to work alongside our number one draft pick.

There's an article just been posted on the AFL website about him: West's Darling

We should have taken him.

are all the pro-hurley people watching todays game? while i admit hurley has shown more to date than watts, he has done next to nothing today. kicked one goal early from the boundary line, but since then has barely had a touch. i am not bagging hurley, because i think he is a very good player, but it just shows that young players will have quiet games. you cannot expect them to dominate or be in the best every week. jack has really only shown glimpses so far, but we all know the talent is there. we all just need to be patient with him, because one day soon it will all click, and we will see the reason he went at number one.

Problem is, Watts has only played one okay game of football. He hasn't been up and down like the other young guns.

Big game for him tomorrow against the Suns. Needs to really show something, and not just one good mark here or a good give off there.

Time to step it up Wattsy.

Darling was excellent today. Bashing, crashing, taking marks and applying forward pressure for the Eagles. Three games in he already looks a very good player. People will say "yeah but Cook has more upside". Maybe he has, but what a risk our recruiters have taken to pick TWO developing keys (Watts and Cook) when we could've picked the ready made Darling to work alongside our number one draft pick.

There's an article just been posted on the AFL website about him: West's Darling

We should have taken him.

Cook was one of the top 5 for Casey today, had 5 possessions in 5 minutes at the start of the 3rd qaurter, set up 2 goals and had 3 inside 50's during this time, had a further inside 50 that qaurter, also scored 2 goals for the game, and applied forward pressure...

but yeah lets take the guy who will play games first.... who cares if we have TWO All Australian CHF's on our list

Do like Darling dont get me wrong and Hurley is great, but i see watts and cook playing alot like buddy roughy and fev and brown last year, changing leads up and back both playing up the ground if needed, people are just impatient at the moment

Darling wont be a CHF he will be a versitile HFF which isnt as valuable to a team IMO

but yeah lets take the guy who will play games first.... who cares if we have TWO All Australian CHF's on our list

Do like Darling dont get me wrong and Hurley is great, but i see watts and cook playing alot like buddy roughy and fev and brown last year, changing leads up and back both playing up the ground if needed, people are just impatient at the moment

Darling wont be a CHF he will be a versitile HFF which isnt as valuable to a team IMO

Spot on Jordie. Unfortunately Rangey and Jackaub and a few others can't see what is really going on and want everything to happen now now NOW!!!

hurley is way better atm

watts has time to prove he has some toughness in him tho

Wrong...Hurley had a magnificent First Q. yes was quiet in the 2nd & 3rd, but in the last Q he was involved directly with 2 of Essendon's goals so i think that is a lot better than next to nothing as you said.

if you look at the time i posted, it was before the start of the 4th on tv, so to that stage, other than the goal he kicked, he had done nothing, was labelled as the next superstar of the game by malcolm blight, then barely had a touch for 2 and a half quarters. one of the score assists he had in the last quarter, he sat off the contest, got a handball and kicked to a guy running into an open goal, ended up working but coach wouldnt have been happy if the 2 on 1 went carltons way. later he tried to kick a torp into the forward line which ended up going out of bounds. so overall, i would say it was a pretty quiet day for him. if you read my whole post, i wasnt bagging him, i was saying that a quiet day doesnt mean hurley not going to be a star.

tomorrow is the time that jack watts needs to stand up and show his doubters that he has what it takes to belong at this level. we have seen patches from him, but against the younger and smaller bodies of the gold coast, he needs to produce a 4 quarter effort. would love to see him at full forward for the day and end up kicking 4-5. we all see the game differently, but from what ive seen, its only a matter of time before he starts to dominate. the skills are there, the intensity to tackle and work hard is improving, the pack mark against hawthorn showed he is getting stronger. from day one they've said it would take time, and its frustrates me that some of the posters here dont have faith in the football department and their decisions.

Darling wont be a CHF he will be a versitile HFF which isnt as valuable to a team IMO

I disagree. He plays exactly like you'd want your CHF to play. He's no flanker.

You're too consumed by 1 or 2 cms in height.

Darling was excellent today. Bashing, crashing, taking marks and applying forward pressure for the Eagles. Three games in he already looks a very good player. People will say "yeah but Cook has more upside". Maybe he has, but what a risk our recruiters have taken to pick TWO developing keys (Watts and Cook) when we could've picked the ready made Darling to work alongside our number one draft pick.

There's an article just been posted on the AFL website about him: West's Darling

We should have taken him.

Well said.

Cook was one of the top 5 for Casey today, had 5 possessions in 5 minutes at the start of the 3rd qaurter, set up 2 goals and had 3 inside 50's during this time, had a further inside 50 that qaurter, also scored 2 goals for the game, and applied forward pressure...

but yeah lets take the guy who will play games first.... who cares if we have TWO All Australian CHF's on our list

Do like Darling dont get me wrong and Hurley is great, but i see watts and cook playing alot like buddy roughy and fev and brown last year, changing leads up and back both playing up the ground if needed, people are just impatient at the moment

Darling wont be a CHF he will be a versitile HFF which isnt as valuable to a team IMO

Jordie I'm not knocking Cook in anyway and the few bits that I have seen I am impressed with his talent. Darling led straight at the ball all day yesterday. A true CHF's game he played. This allowed Kennedy to stay closer to goal and Lynch to be that 'flanker' role.

His second and third efforts, one with a few minutes left on the clock were outstanding.

Range Rovers comment about 'two' developing forwards is the opinion I share on this as we could have used someone to make a similar impact now.

Edited April 17, 201114 yr by Red Sox

I couldn't care less about how Hurley and Darling are doing until our boys our 23 and affecting, or not, our flag chances.

Judging them right now is pointless as you don't pick a (first round, second round) kid for what he can do in the first three years, you pick him for what he can do for a decade.

Who would you pick? Hurley or Watts ...

Would you pick Michael Hurley ahead of Jack Watts?

Dermie is surprisingly supportive of Jack but saying he is "less comfortable (with body contact) than Hurley" is a concern.

I'm not surprised that the biggest knock on Hurley got no mention in this heavily weighted article.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/sport/bombers-ban-michael-hurley-for-alleged-assault-on-taxi-driver/story-e6frg7mf-1225837510305

Got this feeling like that wont be the only off-field incident we will hear about Hurley. It would be too big of a call to say he might even become the next Fevola, but there's always a fair chance with someone who would beat up a taxi driver in their first year of AFL footy. Weigh that up against Watts' chances of going astray off-field and it's laughable.

The club made the right decision in regards to Watts over Hurley, of that I am certain.

I can see many of the arguments regarding Darling and Hurley, they are HARD at the ball which may compliment a Watts or Cook nicely, but until we know it is hard to say what combination is better....

I would prefer both Watts and Hurley setting up play, I50 ect than than H and D is why i like the combination, both are good kicks and good leads, but one is what 18 and the other 20, i know alot of people hate this but, i will give all 4 3 years and 4 years respectively until a make a clearer judgement

It doesn't matter. We picked him and now it is up to us to help him be the best servant of the club that he can possibly be.

It doesn't matter. We picked him and now it is up to us to help him be the best servant of the club that he can possibly be.

Spot on.

It doesn't matter. We picked him and now it is up to us to help him be the best servant of the club that he can possibly be.

You're right, but that doesn't mean our recruiters' decisions can't be discussed and scrutinized. They are just as accountable as everyone else.

You're right, but that doesn't mean our recruiters' decisions can't be discussed and scrutinized. They are just as accountable as everyone else.

Spot on.

BUMP.

Pretty happy with Watts' potential.

I've made excuse after excuse after excuse for Watts, just like many of you have in this thread, but I also recognise that there are worrying signs and that I'd be a fool to deny them.

If Watts ends up being a star, which is why he was drafted at pick 1, he's coming from a looooong way back. At his age, yes all of 20, I can't remember any key forward ever coming from as far back to go on and be a genuine AFL great. People often site Nick Riewoldt when talking about Watts, but Riewoldt won the NAB Rising Star and a B&F in his second year. The comparison is absurd.

Watts' lack of any physicality and the way he looks so unlikely in pack marking contests is of major concern. I think the most surprised person at the G when he took his terrific contested mark against Hawthorn was himself.

I see a good AFL player, but the odds are stacked against him being the star we craved.

Watts avoids certain situations on a footy field where others that have gone before him have craved it.

You talk of being 20 ? Kernahan was a star in SA at 20 - kicked 10 in a State match against the Vics and was runner up in the Magarey Medal, Locket was a star at 20, Carey was a star at 20, Brereton was a star at 20, Lloyd kicked 63 goals at 20, Riewoldt won a B&F at 20, Salmon was a star at 19 kicking 63 goals (pre knee), our own David Neitz started out as a skinny kid, but he had courage in spades and made All Australian at 20.

This is an important year for Watts. He needs to start showing an apptetite for the contest. You don't need to be built like a gorilla to demand the ball, to show fierce determination and intensity, or to put your body on the line.

But by all means, keep making excuses.

I won't make any excuses, except to say that the last several weeks he has steadily increased his impact on the game with consistency. Seems to play with much more intent to make an impact and more physically in tune at contests than earlier on in the season. He has even admitted to being more comfortable in fitting in at AFL level recently.

It is an important year for him and I think there are now more and more instances evident in his game through marking, footy nous, execution and willing himself to contests (appetite for a contest), involving himself more in games - all reasons why we first drafted him. Has consistently maintained >20 possessions in recent games. Watts' strength is improving one-on-one. He could be the difference in another contemplative teammate's decision at seasons end as well.

I, like you will be an interesting onlooker for this year's best & fairest. With the knowledge that J.Watts is 20 years of age.

Watts avoids certain situations on a footy field where others that have gone before him have craved it.

You talk of being 20 ? Kernahan was a star in SA at 20 - kicked 10 in a State match against the Vics and was runner up in the Magarey Medal, Locket was a star at 20, Carey was a star at 20, Brereton was a star at 20, Lloyd kicked 63 goals at 20, Riewoldt won a B&F at 20, Salmon was a star at 19 kicking 63 goals (pre knee), our own David Neitz started out as a skinny kid, but he had courage in spades and made All Australian at 20.

This is an important year for Watts. He needs to start showing an apptetite for the contest. You don't need to be built like a gorilla to demand the ball, to show fierce determination and intensity, or to put your body on the line.

But by all means, keep making excuses.

The folly of "going early".

Watts is still not there yet but his progress does show that you just have to give tall skinny key position players time to develop and mature. And Hurley, Cook, Watts, Darling and Butcher will all do it at different rates.

Lets have the discussion re Hurley vs Watts ( although comparing players after the fact is a pointless exercise) when they are both 23

Has been consistent improver since the gold coast match...that was round four...he's the same age as most second year players...his confidence is pretty high at the moment and this is showing...he's starting to use all the attributes that made him a number one draft pick. he is still developing. next year he'll be in the mix.

I agree with bailey when he's yet to have a break out match.