Over the last 6 weeks you have proved to me that I was wrong.

I am happily eating my words.

Go get em Jack!

Firstly, the stats:

8 kicks

16 handballs

6 marks

3 tackles

1 free kick for

3 goals

1 behind

And was dominant. Kept pushing hard, using his strength and rising experience.

Was it?

just wait......it only gets better from here!!

Except, um, weakness... Be interesting to see what kind of player he ends up like. Loved his cool head in traffic, starting to look VERY confident.

Didn't have him as BOG though. I thought McKenzie, then maybe Scully were ahead.

I always laughed at people who said he wasn't hard enough. He does as much hard stuff as most 19 year old skinny talls. He has also started to use his size and push opponents out of the way, which is great to see. He has very very few weaknesses, and the ones he does have, are easily fixed.

And I think McKenzie might get the coaches' votes for shutting down Pav and dominating himself, but Watts' ball use today was sublime.

I'm going to come out and say it. Seriously deciding whether to get JW4 on my Melbourne jumper.

It's him, 44 or 35. Tough choice.

Don't keep waiting for a "breakout" game guys, I don't think that's how he's developing, he's just a little better every week and I'm wrapt with how he's going.

Spot on. A few more kgs and some practice using them he will be very hard to beat.

Very good game, you can feel his confidence growing weekly, as he attested a lack of it was what was holding him back.

B.O.G today. Lethal and velvet Lloyd please stand up.

Matthew Lloyd tipped the Shockers today...i do enjoy how much he hates the MFC...i despise him!!!

Don't keep waiting for a "breakout" game guys, I don't think that's how he's developing, he's just a little better every week and I'm wrapt with how he's going.

Agreed, I don't think there will be one "break-out" game. IMO he'll just slowly keep developing and improving. Jack Watts will be a star in time.

(Jack if you feel like proving me wrong and kicking 10 next week, don't hold back)

should have picked nik nat

should have picked nik nat

+1

+1

i was being sarcastic

should have picked nik nat

Yeah, then we could have traded Martin.

i was being sarcastic

as was I....

haha

Except, um, weakness... Be interesting to see what kind of player he ends up like. Loved his cool head in traffic, starting to look VERY confident.Didn't have him as BOG though. I thought McKenzie, then maybe Scully were ahead.

I rated Watts BOG, but can happily forgive you McKenzie. Scully however, was influential and got a lot of it, but geez he had quite a few bad disposals. Some of which would have really cost us if we had a better quality opponent.

I was a fence sitter on Jack 6 weeks ago, but he's got me off my fence. So glad to see that he reacted so well to his time (slightly) out of favour, playing as sub. He put in the work and did the right things, now he is reaping the rewards. Congrats Jack, glad to be off the fence, it was getting uncomfortable!

Enough with the "breakout game" stuff already!

The boy is improving incrementally. If he continues like this he will be very good. Players don't usually 'breakout' after one particular game.

I was pleased with his game today. Opposition teams seem to think that he is easily intimidated. It is a before-game ritual for the opposition defenders to go straight to him and harrass him. He is learning to absorb this but it must be very annoying. It will fade away as he becomes more dominant and consistent.

Enough with the "breakout game" stuff already!

The boy is improving incrementally. If he continues like this he will be very good. Players don't usually 'breakout' after one particular game.

I was pleased with his game today. Opposition teams seem to think that he is easily intimidated. It is a before-game ritual for the opposition defenders to go straight to him and harrass him. He is learning to absorb this but it must be very annoying. It will fade away as he becomes more dominant and consistent.

Exactly.

And something to think about, to all those fools who wants wants dropped last year when he wasn't dominating...

Would Jack Watts be playing like he is now if this was his 10th afl game, instead of his 30th? ABSOLUTELY NOT. Nothing beats senior AFL experience. It is the number one way to fast track development

Exactly.

And something to think about, to all those fools who wants wants dropped last year when he wasn't dominating...

Would Jack Watts be playing like he is now if this was his 10th afl game, instead of his 30th? ABSOLUTELY NOT. Nothing beats senior AFL experience. It is the number one way to fast track development

spot on agree. lots of confidence in his body. another pre season next year. he will tear the game apart the season after that (5th season) and be in the top 50 in the comp.

Loved his game today. Could have kicked 4 or 5 easily but was still a little unlucky around the goal and missed a fairly easy shot. His one handed mark was sensational and I was in the perfect position to watch it all. Made my day!

Waiting for the next Watts or Hurley headline from the [censored] Mark Robinson .

This is from Robbo's 'Tackle Column' this week.

Things I Liked

1. Jack Watts

Compared him to Michael Hurley earlier in the season, and was reminded of such yesterday. Hurley's performance against North Melbourne was first class, and then Watts perhaps played his most authoritative game for the Demons. One is silk, the other a slayer, and both of them have long careers ahead. Watts's progression from said article (Round 3) has swung this swinging voter.

His work in the forward pocket to draw two defenders and then give off the handball to Petterd was just a joy. Don't know anything about basketball (and sick of "basketball background" as the explanation for talent), but this looked like a fake to the basket, draw the defence and give off. Good to see the long hair, too

I would like to highlight the assist he gave to Petterd today. The important thing to note is that Watts didn't give the quick dishoff that would have put Petterd under pressure from the defence. Instead, he took the ball and ran a few steps towards the boundary, drawing both men with him, then shot the handpass to Petterd for an easy, no pressure shot on goal. It's these little details that tell us just how well he thinks the game. I loved that little passage.

That is the great benefit of having a basketball back ground. Penddles is the same, a great ability of reading what's going on around them.

Jack will be a great player for our club!

Can we have the Watts Vs Nat thread start up again, it was such fun

Can we have the Watts Vs Nat thread start up again, it was such fun

On SEN yesterday KB was adamant Nik Nat would win a Brownlow within three years. He's such a card, KB.

The other note, as Jack said in his on his on ground interview, his team mates are showing more confidence in him.

They now know that when they give the ball to JW he will more than likely do something good with it. Last year they would ignore him at times or maybe less likely to use him, it seems now they have absolute faith in him.

I loved his evasiveness the most yeasterday though, the way he evades tackles and sells candy, without really making a big show of it, it shows his great agility and body control.

Will be a gun, no doubt in my mind!

As long as I get one opportunity to see Jack Watts standing up on the last Saturday in September holding the cup in a MFC jumper, Nik Nat can win 100 brownlow medals for all I care.

Edited June 20, 201114 yr by Waltham33

As long as Jack Watts is standing up on the last Saturday in September holding the cup in a MFC jumper, Nik Nat can win 100 brownlow medals for all I care.

Well said.