This year we have seen real visible IMPROVEMENT week by week in Jack's game, application and intensity

Yet, people still want to complain

He aint there yet but the improvement is growing week by week, what do people want - an overnight complete makeover? Be REALISTIC and ENJOY the journey. I was critical of Jack's efforts last year but this year is a POSITIVE

If you want to complain there was much more elsewhere yesterday

The Watts bagging on this website was disgraceful the last 2 years. Watts will continue to improve and I'm confident will become a great AFL player, just as the more patient among are predicting

It should go as a reminder for anyone writing off KPPs too early in the future... but we all know that demonlanders will not learn and will continue to write off KPPs too early.

While I've been reading this website...

- Garland- written off by many as a dud in first 1-2 years

- Frawley- written off by many as a dud in first 1-2 years

- Watts- written off by many as a dud in first 1-2 years

Cf

- Miller- hailed a superstar 10 year CHF after very promising first 2 years

- Rivers- hailed as a superstar 10 year CHB after a very promising 2nd season

- Bate- hailed as a superstar 10 year CHF after a promising first 2 years

Good things come to those who wait. a long 12-year career > bursting onto the AFL scene in our development years

Just a quiet reminder for those already hailing Darling as a superstar CHF and Cook as a dud

My apologies Jnr, I often take it for granted that I am posting to an educated audience and don't realise that many don't understand the workings of the club.

We have an alignment with a VFL team, the Casey Scorpions. Developing players and those who need to work on aspects of thier game will be often asked to do it in that setting.

I am old fashioned and believe that only those players with a strong desire to win the football should be promoted. In playing those that aren't fully committed to the contest you are accepting mediocrity in this area. It doesn' help the club, the culture or the player in the long term. I have been saying this for a long time.

OK. So you're saying Watts with 100 games experience at Casey will be better than Watts with 100 games experience at AFL level?

Hmm. It's a point of view I guess but not one I would give two cents for.

Look, i am liking what I am starting to see from Watts as well. But I sometimes find it amusing when we get excited by some of the things he does, when i am see that consistently from other young players already(eg. he takes one contested grab, and we all get really excited like he may be the next Carey). If anyone watched Fyfe play for Freo tonight, he took about 3 in the last qtr alone. That kid is an absolute jet, and I predict he will be a top 5 player in the league in future years. He reminds me of Hird in the way he can impact a game around the ground by making all sorts of plays at different moments.

Went to the footy with a non-Melbourne supporter yesterday who stated that Watts was clearly the best player on the ground. If anything I find some Melbourne supporters expectations of Watts as ludicrous yet they are usually the same people who drool over Hurley (has played about 3 good games) and any other first rounder who plays a half decent game.

This year we have seen real visible IMPROVEMENT week by week in Jack's game, application and intensity

Yet, people still want to complain

He aint there yet but the improvement is growing week by week, what do people want - an overnight complete makeover? Be REALISTIC and ENJOY the journey. I was critical of Jack's efforts last year but this year is a POSITIVE

If you want to complain there was much more elsewhere yesterday

I reserved my criticism of Jack until this year, but if I am willing to criticise a player, then I will also be willing to give them credit where it is due. And for Jack Watts he is now deserved of some praise. He was terrible at the start of the season, not just in skill, but also with his effort. He didn't seem to have any desire for the contest. As a result he got given the bright green vest. At first he looked a bit [censored] off about it, and I thought that maybe Baileys attempt to inspire may backfire. But to Deans credit it didn't backfire, and to Jacks credit he dug his heels in and got down to work. As a result, his last 3 games have been his best 3 games, and each one improving on the last. While he still has a way to go (I'm sure we all can't wait till he boots 6), he has shown now that he does have what it takes. His desire, attitude and vision yesterday was fantastic, and earns him more respect than players with many more years under their belts than he has. I feel that finally the penny may have dropped, and he deserves all the success that comes with a that attitude.

OK. So you're saying Watts with 100 games experience at Casey will be better than Watts with 100 games experience at AFL level?

Hmm. It's a point of view I guess but not one I would give two cents for.

Said nothing of the sort but your comprehension problems are not mine to own.

I love what Jack Watts has to offer, and he earns a game next week on yesterday's efforts, he was very good. I expect he will become a very good to excellent player and hopefully a champ. I am saying that I would skin the cat differently for the sake of building an era in the way that the great sides do.

Agree. Was great to see him use his speed a bit more when moving through the midfield rather than appearing to lumber. While I would much prefer to see him make a bigger impact in the forward line I'm content for him to gain some experience around the ground and in defence to build his overall game.

Also agree he showed far more leadership at times that some senior players which was great to see. I think he could be a smokie for captain one day if he becomes a a-grade CHF/FF but would prefer to see a midfielder get the nod (trenners, Scully or the like)

This year we have seen real visible IMPROVEMENT week by week in Jack's game, application and intensity

Yet, people still want to complain

He aint there yet but the improvement is growing week by week, what do people want - an overnight complete makeover? Be REALISTIC and ENJOY the journey. I was critical of Jack's efforts last year but this year is a POSITIVE

If you want to complain there was much more elsewhere yesterday

Spot on DC I have not been a fan but he is one of the very few bright spots for the Dees this year.

In the last 4 games he hasn't been perfect but vastly improved. I get the impression he really wants to make an impact on the game and it looks like there is leadership material there.

Edited May 22, 201114 yr by america de cali

Working SO much harder. Seems to have bought a tank this pre-season. Needs to DEMAND it more often. Right now he's leading and waving his hands but doesn't seem to be demanding it and almost forcing players to kick it to him (impossible I know, but when you see the best do it, you know that's what you're seeing...). He'll develop that I'm sure.

Jack Watts' biggest strength at the moment is that he is a dead-set freak in close. His pick-ups and handballs out of packs are A-grade His position kicking is very good, though he can sometimes do a Grimes/TJ and try and be a little over-ambitious. Impact and pack-crashing come with size and experience. You can't teach in close skills. Jack reminds me more of Pavlich than Riewoldt. You'd burst out laughing if Roo were to ruck-rove at a centre bounce but Pav and Jack wouldn't look too out of place.

Loved the suggestion someone made earlier this year of taking someone like Schwarz, Dermie, Van de Har etc... and having them take JW under their wing and turn him from talent to terrifying.

perhaps linked

Idle speculation parading as fact.

In the last 4 games he hasn't been perfect but vastly improved. I get the impression he really wants to make an impact on the game and it looks like there is leadership material there.

Has anyone considered that the type of improved form that's been dished out by the likes of Watts is perhaps linked to why Tom Scully is staying?

Another example of why we should be patient with Watts (even though he's performing quite well in his own right now):

Josh Kennedy.

He has shown in the past that he has the tools to grab a game by the scruff of the neck, but until tonight we haven't properly seen him do it, only cameo performances.

JK was drafted in 2005.

There were a number of similar incidents I noticed in yesterday's game that I was really pleased by.

Jack would receive a floating pass in a bit of space with a St Kilda player bearing down on him: as soon as Jack had made sure of possession, he sprinted for five metres, comprehensively burnt off the chasing player, and then disposed of the footy at his leisure (his first goal being the most obvious example).

Until the last three matches, I don't think he would have dug in for those first crucial steps. He'd have been leisurely from the get-go and disposed of the footy as he came under pressure. Something's clicked, I reckon, in his understanding of the pace of the game, and also in his physical ability relative to his opponents.

And he just turned 20 two months ago.

There were a number of similar incidents I noticed in yesterday's game that I was really pleased by.

Jack would receive a floating pass in a bit of space with a St Kilda player bearing down on him: as soon as Jack had made sure of possession, he sprinted for five metres, comprehensively burnt off the chasing player, and then disposed of the footy at his leisure (his first goal being the most obvious example).

Until the last three matches, I don't think he would have dug in for those first crucial steps. He'd have been leisurely from the get-go and disposed of the footy as he came under pressure. Something's clicked, I reckon, in his understanding of the pace of the game, and also in his physical ability relative to his opponents.

And he just turned 20 two months ago.

Hell yes. I loved to see that. One in particular, he had a bit of a hospital pass delivered to him with tacklers coming at him from both sides. Turned on the afterburners, brushed off a tackle from one and left them both for dead. It's not just the speed he showed but the improved awareness that let him know that he needed the speed. Awesome.

Yeah, he's showing good core strength for a bloke his size to do that.

Impressed me too.

It might have been the same bit of play, but he made space enough to get his hands free from the 2 defenders closing, so that he could effectively give the handball off to his teammate coming past, but I got the distinct impression that if he hadn't already mentally committed himself to giving the ball off to that option, he could gave burnt both of those defenders off himself and kicked it on his own.

He is gonna be great.

Some players take 20 minutes to adjust to league footy, some take 20 games. For mine over the last 2-3 weeks Watts has finally realised he belongs, and can comfortably play to some of his strengths and have a positive influence on games. Its all finally clicked, and I feel he'll go from strength to strength from here, just give him license to roam, find the footy and bring others into the contest. His awareness is elite, he now knows he can run to a space and the footy will come to him.

Very pleasing to see. Will staunch Essendon troglodyte Mark Robinson write a sequel to his embarrasing Watts v Hurley 'scoop' at the end of the year?

Not sure if im over- judging something here. But when watching the footy on the T.V the cameras often like to shift their attention towards the dangerous forward thats leading as they think he's gonna get it. Always happens with Buddy, Riewoldt (both of them), Dawes and the list goes on. Against St Kilda we got to see some of Jacks Leading. IM guessing the people at channel 10 are seeing the same potential star that were seeing.

There were a number of similar incidents I noticed in yesterday's game that I was really pleased by.

Jack would receive a floating pass in a bit of space with a St Kilda player bearing down on him: as soon as Jack had made sure of possession, he sprinted for five metres, comprehensively burnt off the chasing player, and then disposed of the footy at his leisure (his first goal being the most obvious example).

Until the last three matches, I don't think he would have dug in for those first crucial steps. He'd have been leisurely from the get-go and disposed of the footy as he came under pressure. Something's clicked, I reckon, in his understanding of the pace of the game, and also in his physical ability relative to his opponents.

And he just turned 20 two months ago.

Totally correct. There are a lot of blinkered posters here. His progress has been unarguably consistent, and his base level abilities (speed, coordination, decision making, marking and kicking) are becoming delightfully more apparent. He is going to be a superstar.

If we can hang on to Scully, the thought of having Watts, Scully, Jones, Trengove, Gysberts, Jetta, Tapscott, McKenzie, Grimes, Garland and Frawley fit and firing in 3 to 5 years gladdens my heart. As sub-25 year olds now, and from where they are at, or have shown they will become, I truly believe they will form not only the backbone of the best team in the AFL, but will be fighting for AA positions. Add some consistency from the talented waverers like Jurrah, Bennell, Petterd, a dose of the unknown such as Tom McDonald, Max Gawn, Lucas Cook, and Jeremy Howe, and dare I say Jack Viney? (again all under 25), and some reliable seniority from Sylvia, Moloney and Rivers, and we will take A LOT of beating.

There is an enormous amount of frustration about our season to date, but things will steady. Maybe not this year, and maybe not with this coach, but I see it coming. It doesn't make the North or West Coast game any the less soul destroying, but it JUST MAKES SENSE.

Jack Watts is just the poster-boy for those with unrealistic early expectation syndrome, but in 3 to 5 years, he's going to be a poster-boy for a whole other reason.

Totally correct. There are a lot of blinkered posters here. His progress has been unarguably consistent, and his base level abilities (speed, coordination, decision making, marking and kicking) are becoming delightfully more apparent. He is going to be a superstar.

If we can hang on to Scully, the thought of having Watts, Scully, Jones, Trengove, Gysberts, Jetta, Tapscott, McKenzie, Grimes, Garland and Frawley fit and firing in 3 to 5 years gladdens my heart. As sub-25 year olds now, and from where they are at, or have shown they will become, I truly believe they will form not only the backbone of the best team in the AFL, but will be fighting for AA positions. Add some consistency from the talented waverers like Jurrah, Bennell, Petterd, a dose of the unknown such as Tom McDonald, Max Gawn, Lucas Cook, and Jeremy Howe, and dare I say Jack Viney? (again all under 25), and some reliable seniority from Sylvia, Moloney and Rivers, and we will take A LOT of beating.

There is an enormous amount of frustration about our season to date, but things will steady. Maybe not this year, and maybe not with this coach, but I see it coming. It doesn't make the North or West Coast game any the less soul destroying, but it JUST MAKES SENSE.

Jack Watts is just the poster-boy for those with unrealistic early expectation syndrome, but in 3 to 5 years, he's going to be a poster-boy for a whole other reason.

Pretty good summary. We're looking good for a premiership this decade, and that's more than can be said for any time in the last 15 years.

Went to the footy with a non-Melbourne supporter yesterday who stated that Watts was clearly the best player on the ground. If anything I find some Melbourne supporters expectations of Watts as ludicrous yet they are usually the same people who drool over Hurley (has played about 3 good games) and any other first rounder who plays a half decent game.

Not unlike the media at large......

Since day 1, everyone (well, a lot of people) told him to watch footage of Reiwoldt, and learn how he goes about things. The thing that I want Watts to do now is watch footage of Reiwoldt again, but this time, make it Jack and not Nick.

The thing that stood out the most on Saturday night, was just how confident Reiwoldt is in his ability. He believes that every marking situation he is in that he will win it. Doesn't matter if he is 5 back, he'll launch with such high expectations on himself. The thing with him though, is that he doens't drop his head if he doesn't, because he knows he has made a good contest. Watts can do this too.

I said after watching the Adelaide game that every time we went forward, I just wanted them to kick it to Jack, regardless of how many defenders he had hanging off him. I had that belief that he could win some big marking contests. The belief Jack has in himself is starting to build, and he will become a great footballer if he can continue to build it, which I think he can.

This is all quite easy, be drafted, spend first year still tryihg to study and do well at school, second year get bits and pieces try to put on a bit of bulk, third year, you are still only twenty amd growing fast, you need to bulk up but not lose your agility, leap or speed......play a variety of roles to learn and look better and better each week...don't want to be stuck beiing a huge monster who does not leave the 50.....more Goddard or Reinwldt, end of this year beginning of next....start really impacting games....