Jack Watts

[Hannibal 5,814]

He was lamentable yesterday. No intensity whatsoever.

I read in the "optomists" thread that he's one of the positives to have come out of the year. I couldn't disagree more. We're desperate for a quality key forward, which is why Jesse Hogan is a must, and we have a former no. 1 draft pick who's 196 cm's and about to end his 4th year. Watts trained all preseason as a forward, but after a poor start ended up at Casey on a wing. Finally the club decided to send him back to play a sweeper, or intercept role. He spends his time guarding smalls. It's actually pretty embarrassing. He's a tall Bryce Gibbs.

To be a quality key forward you need to have courage in the air and intensity. Watts has neither. Jeremy Howe has courage in the air. Mitch Clark has courage in the air. Watts doesn't. I don't expect Watts to split packs, as it's clear he's not that type of player, but I do expect intensity, courage in the air and a player that embraces physical contact. Watts hates physical contact.

Watts will probably play 200 games and many of them will be "nice", but he's a disastrous pick one. Did I want him at pick one ? Absolutely. I was wrong. I know they'll be the cries, "but he's only 21" and "talls take time", which is all very true, but I've seen more than enough of how he plays to know that he doesn't have the competitive streak required to succeed as a key forward. I watched him play for Casey Seconds years ago and the alarm bells started ringing. Even then he would pick and choose which contests he was prepared to enter. He plays the game on his own terms and won't remove himself from a very defined comfort zone.

If those in charge at Melbourne don't trade for Jesse Hogan in this year's mini draft they're nutjobs. He's 17, 193/4 cm's, and already 91 kilos. He'll be 19 for the 2014 season and will impact straight away. He has explosive pace off the mark, he splits packs, he loves physical contact, he has courage in the air, he's aggressive, he's a great mark, and his playing style is similar to Jonathan Brown. Put simply, he's everything Watts isn't. Hogan at CHF and Clark at FF will dominate backlines for years. You only had to see Walker and Tippett to see the value of two big key forwards.

[PaulRB 6,297]

Watching Watts Vs Walker in our back line was a tragic mismatch.

Jack needs body strength, from that will come confidence to use his body. I wouldn't write him off yet.

[stuie 7,374]

FFS... He's been good this year.

He's come back from an ankle injury and had an ordinary game and you bag him out and put him in the gun?

Get a friggin grip man.

[Striker475 696]

Yesterday worried me, bigtime. Back to his old habits.

[mdemonski2 403]

No doubt a disappointing game Sunday. No hiding from that fact.

However, hopefully he will regain his form from earlier this year. When he is 'on' he is really good. A confidence player that is for sure.

[deegirl 1,507]

A unit like Taylor Walker smashing him is one thing - GWS's Toby Greene out-bodied him, that's the bigger worry. He's got zero intensity & doesnt look like he's interested.

[rpfc 28,068]

This is 'get Hogan' thread, rather than a 'Watts is crap' thread.

Watts was terrible but he has improved this year and the day we got Mitch Clark was the day I got over the 'he might not be our FF/CHF we need' handwringing.

Agree with Hogan. Go and get it done.

It will require doing a deal with GWS - is everyone ok with that?

Anyone require any hand holding?

[Striker475 696]

Prefer Martin...

[DemonWA 3,888]

I'd prefer to have im in our side than not have him. He's got plenty of skill and class.

I've given up hope that he'll be one of the comp's best players, but he's still likley to be a very good player for us

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

FFS... He's been good this year.

He's come back from an ankle injury and had an ordinary game and you bag him out and put him in the gun?

Get a friggin grip man.

You have completely missed the point. The problem with Watts is and always has been his lack of intensity. It has nothing to do with skill, talent or experience. It's between the ears. Look at Greene and Cameron for GWS, in fact I started a thread about this topic a week ago on this exact point with Greene.

I can think of only two occasions where I've seen Watts really attack a situation, fight and look ruthless to get the ball. Even last week he would kick the ball then just stand flat-footed.

He can rack up all the loose possessions, but as we have seen with Morton that accounts for next to nothing.

Edited August 27, 2012 by Clint Bizkit

[stuie 7,374]

Even last week he would kick the ball then just stand flat-footed.

You mean last week when he was coming back from 2 ankle injuries?

He can rack up all the loose possessions, but as we have seen with Morton that accounts for next to nothing.

He actually plays on, and beats, a man. They're not "loose possessions", if you watched the game properly instead of just getting back on the Bag Watts Bandwagon you might notice that.

[Geddy Lee 582]

Boy is the #1 pick overrated. Luke Hodge, Nick Riewoldt and a bunch of B graders and 'potential stars'.

I am indifferent to Jack's selection in the side. I think he could be as good as Cameron Bruce. A good solid AFL player. Might even kick 8 goals one day against a rabble.

I hope Viney and Hogan are game changers, because then we'd have a grand total of 3 (with Mitch Clark).

[drdrake 3,126]

Watts look like a school boy last night, he spent a lot of time on the bench in the last, don't be supprised if he doesn't play next week not form related, I think his ankle was troubling him in the last.

Edited August 27, 2012 by drdrake

[Redleg 40,306]

You have completely missed the point. The problem with Watts is and always has been his lack of intensity. It has nothing to do with skill, talent or experience. It's between the ears. Look at Greene and Cameron for GWS, in fact I started a thread about this topic a week ago on this exact point with Greene.

I can think of only two occasions where I've seen Watts really attack a situation, fight and look ruthless to get the ball. Even last week he would kick the ball then just stand flat-footed.

He can rack up all the loose possessions, but as we have seen with Morton that accounts for next to nothing.

Next we will have a thread on our poor drafting. Oops!

Edited August 27, 2012 by Redleg

[Undeeterred 3,059]

He's a tall Bryce Gibbs.

That's a pretty good start, in my book.

Think we all just have to wait to see whether he ends up as a tall Luke Hodge or Brendon Goddard, both of which would be a win for MFC.

[stuie 7,374]

Boy is the #1 pick overrated. Luke Hodge, Nick Riewoldt and a bunch of B graders and 'potential stars'.

Spot on man. We don't have pick 1 this year, does that mean we won't get anyone good with 3 and 4?

I'm more upset about our #4 pick playing for Casey pretty much all year than our #1 pick playing pretty well in the MFC backline.

[The Chazz 4,077]

He was lamentable yesterday. No intensity whatsoever.

I read in the "optomists" thread that he's one of the positives to have come out of the year. I couldn't disagree more. We're desperate for a quality key forward, which is why Jesse Hogan is a must, and we have a former no. 1 draft pick who's 196 cm's and about to end his 4th year. Watts trained all preseason as a forward, but after a poor start ended up at Casey on a wing. Finally the club decided to send him back to play a sweeper, or intercept role. He spends his time guarding smalls. It's actually pretty embarrassing. He's a tall Bryce Gibbs.

To be a quality key forward you need to have courage in the air and intensity. Watts has neither. Jeremy Howe has courage in the air. Mitch Clark has courage in the air. Watts doesn't. I don't expect Watts to split packs, as it's clear he's not that type of player, but I do expect intensity, courage in the air and a player that embraces physical contact. Watts hates physical contact.

Watts will probably play 200 games and many of them will be "nice", but he's a disastrous pick one. Did I want him at pick one ? Absolutely. I was wrong. I know they'll be the cries, "but he's only 21" and "talls take time", which is all very true, but I've seen more than enough of how he plays to know that he doesn't have the competitive streak required to succeed as a key forward. I watched him play for Casey Seconds years ago and the alarm bells started ringing. Even then he would pick and choose which contests he was prepared to enter. He plays the game on his own terms and won't remove himself from a very defined comfort zone.

If those in charge at Melbourne don't trade for Jesse Hogan in this year's mini draft they're nutjobs. He's 17, 193/4 cm's, and already 91 kilos. He'll be 19 for the 2014 season and will impact straight away. He has explosive pace off the mark, he splits packs, he loves physical contact, he has courage in the air, he's aggressive, he's a great mark, and his playing style is similar to Jonathan Brown. Put simply, he's everything Watts isn't. Hogan at CHF and Clark at FF will dominate backlines for years. You only had to see Walker and Tippett to see the value of two big key forwards.

Good job Ben, let's focus on everything that Watts in not. Did he have a say in the type of player we hoped he would become? All he can do is play the roles he is told to play, lift the weights he is told to lift, and eat the sh!t that he is told to eat. He could do all that, and do it well, yet it STILL wouldn't satisfy you because he may not be the KPF that you wanted him to be.

Get over it. Neeld will drop him if he thinks is form deserves it.

[DeeZee 7,318]

I really like Jack and he has great skills and a good player....but

If anyone saw Nic Nat tear it up on the weekend, we made an error.

We are severely lacking in getting the ball out of the middle, and Nic is a machine at this aspect of the game.

You can't tell me that we would have got smashed that badly in the middle yesterday if we had Natanui playing for us.

It's all about needs.

jack was recruited as a key forward, which now three years later still looks miles off.

We now have Clark who is our main target, but we severely lack at centre bounces.

Like I said I love Jack but we would be a much better side with Nic.

[stevethemanjordan 6,952]

Sorry mate, do you have a point or just on your rags?

Please answer me the following:

Does critiquing a Jack Watts performance equate to 'bagging him out'?

Was his lack of intensity in yesterday's game, (and in most games for that matter) attributed to this ankle injury he had?

Language can unfortunately be very limiting when it comes to interpretation, measurement and definition. Please define what you mean by, 'He's been good this year'. What is 'good'?

Please wake up. Please open your eyes. Please.

[dazzledavey36 53,070]

He was lamentable yesterday. No intensity whatsoever.

I read in the "optomists" thread that he's one of the positives to have come out of the year. I couldn't disagree more. We're desperate for a quality key forward, which is why Jesse Hogan is a must, and we have a former no. 1 draft pick who's 196 cm's and about to end his 4th year. Watts trained all preseason as a forward, but after a poor start ended up at Casey on a wing. Finally the club decided to send him back to play a sweeper, or intercept role. He spends his time guarding smalls. It's actually pretty embarrassing. He's a tall Bryce Gibbs.

To be a quality key forward you need to have courage in the air and intensity. Watts has neither. Jeremy Howe has courage in the air. Mitch Clark has courage in the air. Watts doesn't. I don't expect Watts to split packs, as it's clear he's not that type of player, but I do expect intensity, courage in the air and a player that embraces physical contact. Watts hates physical contact.

Watts will probably play 200 games and many of them will be "nice", but he's a disastrous pick one. Did I want him at pick one ? Absolutely. I was wrong. I know they'll be the cries, "but he's only 21" and "talls take time", which is all very true, but I've seen more than enough of how he plays to know that he doesn't have the competitive streak required to succeed as a key forward. I watched him play for Casey Seconds years ago and the alarm bells started ringing. Even then he would pick and choose which contests he was prepared to enter. He plays the game on his own terms and won't remove himself from a very defined comfort zone.

If those in charge at Melbourne don't trade for Jesse Hogan in this year's mini draft they're nutjobs. He's 17, 193/4 cm's, and already 91 kilos. He'll be 19 for the 2014 season and will impact straight away. He has explosive pace off the mark, he splits packs, he loves physical contact, he has courage in the air, he's aggressive, he's a great mark, and his playing style is similar to Jonathan Brown. Put simply, he's everything Watts isn't. Hogan at CHF and Clark at FF will dominate backlines for years. You only had to see Walker and Tippett to see the value of two big key forwards.

i agree he is soft as better and no intensity at all. needs to seriously grow a pair of balls and harden up! i reckon if neeld was in charge he would have wanted naitanu or daniel rich.

[dazzledavey36 53,070]

FFS... He's been good this year.

He's come back from an ankle injury and had an ordinary game and you bag him out and put him in the gun?

Get a friggin grip man.

stuie you need to wake up a bit.. he hasn't been good all year he was ordinary at the start of the year got dropped and came back and had a really solid month until he got in injured. still some of those games he lacked intesnity and didn't go hard enough at the man or the ball. Even Jono Patten has shown already shown he will be a big packing forward who can hit the contest hard and will be a quality player. watts has shown he can bulk a couple of blokes and hit a target.. thats it!

[stuie 7,374]

Please answer me the following:

Does critiquing a Jack Watts performance equate to 'bagging him out'?

In this case, yes. Has widely been regarded as good to very good since at least mid-year, has a poor game and the old Watts haters come out of the woodwork. Poor form.

Please answer me the following:

Was his lack of intensity in yesterday's game, (and in most games for that matter) attributed to this ankle injury he had?

That's up to you if you think that, but the coach has been happy with him, do you know better than him?

Please answer me the following:

Language can unfortunately be very limiting when it comes to interpretation, measurement and definition. Please define what you mean by, 'He's been good this year'. What is 'good'?

Really? You don't know what the word 'good' means? Well to explain further, he has generally beaten his man, gathered possessions and used them well, that's pretty good hey?

Please wake up. Please open your eyes. Please.

Please take off your "Watts goggles" and stop bagging out a guy cos it was all the rage in 2010, you're living in the past.

[stuie 7,374]

stuie you need to wake up a bit.. he hasn't been good all year he was ordinary at the start of the year got dropped and came back and had a really solid month until he got in injured. still some of those games he lacked intesnity and didn't go hard enough at the man or the ball. Even Jono Patten has shown already shown he will be a big packing forward who can hit the contest hard and will be a quality player. watts has shown he can bulk a couple of blokes and hit a target.. thats it!

In my other posts I do mention about him being good for "most" of the year and I was referring to the fact he was dropped, came back etc.

It's strange to me that so many say we need outside run and spread but a player providing that is labelled as "lacking intensity", obviously Neeld and co are happy with his intensity otherwise he would not be playing.

I just think people need to forget where and why he was drafted and just accept he's played well in a different position to what most of us wanted.

[Jonesbag 487]

Watts is coming back from injury, he isnt match fit its simple as that. Before he got injured he would have been top 5 bnf behind Jones, Howe, Clark (if stayed fit) Grimes

[Disco Demons 92]

Watching Watts Vs Walker in our back line was a tragic mismatch.

Jack needs body strength, from that will come confidence to use his body. I wouldn't write him off yet.

IT was a great lesson for jack...walker is only 23. shows jack how much harder he needs to work. Simple