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.

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

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 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.

Christ.

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

Shhhhhhh don't bring any reason into this, people are still upset he was pick 1 and want everyone to know it anytime Jack puts a foot wrong...

Christ.

Even that guy was crucified less than Watts...

JACK WATTS

I also was on the Jack Watts # 1 pick bandwagon (ahead of Rich and Natanui). Though I had Watts 1, Natanui 2 and Hurley 3.

I saw a bright young man, with elite skills, aerobic ability and a young Nick Riewoldt type. I missed his lack of intensity or willingness to desire the AFL work ethic. In under age footy, his skills and talent got him ahead. Not in AFL firsts.

He needs:

- a bit more raw mongrel

- 3 months in the gym, on protein powder. Forget the 5 kms run. Gym sessions twice a day.

- desire and skills to be executed without laziness.

At the moment he is Cale Morton like. A floating half back, with no accountability and unable to compete man on man. Sure he outmarked Jared Petrenko who is 8 inches shorter.

No trade yet, but 2013 MUST BE A HUGE YEAR.

JACK WATTS

I also was on the Jack Watts # 1 pick bandwagon (ahead of Rich and Natanui). Though I had Watts 1, Natanui 2 and Hurley 3.

I saw a bright young man, with elite skills, aerobic ability and a young Nick Riewoldt type. I missed his lack of intensity or willingness to desire the AFL work ethic. In under age footy, his skills and talent got him ahead. Not in AFL firsts.

He needs:

- a bit more raw mongrel

- 3 months in the gym, on protein powder. Forget the 5 kms run. Gym sessions twice a day.

- desire and skills to be executed without laziness.

At the moment he is Cale Morton like. A floating half back, with no accountability and unable to compete man on man. Sure he outmarked Jared Petrenko who is 8 inches shorter.

No trade yet, but 2013 MUST BE A HUGE YEAR.

Agree with most of this, except for the part in bold.

He's played on a man, have you guys been at the games?!

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 post. I haven't wanted to acknowledge Watts' softness but there is no getting around it anymore. It's just embarrassing to watch this 196cm no.1 draft pick prance around the half back line without an opponent, sans any sign of aggression or or intensity.

I've taken him off my 'favourite players' list until he grows a pair, replacing him quite rightfully with Jones.

Naitanui is already twice the player Jack Watts is. We made a monumental fu!?k up there.

Edited August 27, 201213 yr by Range Rover

It's just embarrassing to watch this 196cm no.1 draft pick prance around the half back line without an opponent

Lol, quickest way to lose any credibility, not notice something that has been happening for half a season...

Good post. I haven't wanted to acknowledge Watts' softeness but there is no getting around it anymore. It's just embarrassing to watch this 196cm no.1 draft pick prance around the half back line without an opponent, sans any sign of aggression or or intensity.

I've taken him off my 'favourite players' list until he grows a pair, replacing him quite rightfully with Jones.

Naitaniu is already twice the player Jack Watts is. We made a monumental fu!?k up there.

Seem to have made quite a few of them RR

Still there is a kid running around in Casey seconds that looks good!

Lol, quickest way to lose any credibility, not notice something that has been happening for half a season...

"sans any sign of aggression or or intensity."

You conveniently left out that bit. Which is okay, I know that's how you like your players ... loose and soft.

Watts has been a disappointment that's for sure.

The intensity has never been there, not even at training.

But he has one good thing on his side.

When he does get the ball, he usually finds a target, by foot or hand.

His decision making is very good.

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.

That Greene episode was a very ugly moment. Thanks (not) for reminding me. It did reek of lack of will.

But I still hold out hope for Watts. Look what happened to the Bombres when they tried to fast track their fitness rebuild - ran off a cliff. Hopefully our fitness crew are playing a smarter game but it will still take a couple of years to build the bodies we and JW need.

Naitanui is already twice the player Jack Watts is.

You don't watch much footy do you? They're about the same but opposite... One has all the physical attributes and attacking nature, while the other has the natural footy smarts and skills, neither is a complete package, but geez if you could combine the two... wow

Don't get sucked in by NikNats hilight reel, you'll notice that he'll do the amazing flashy things then kick it out of bounds.

Seen plenty now to agree that the closest comparison is Bryce Gibbs. He looks every bit as skilled and every bit as soft.

Unfortunately its such a shame to waste a pick 1 on a bloke I am now convinced we cannot base a team around, that won't provide the structure a Clark does.

He will be more that useful off half back and could have a few years like a Brendan Goddard, but like Goddard when the chips are down he isn't the go to man.

Unfortunately we have to reload, we need perhaps one more big tall and about 3 top midfielders.

You don't watch much footy do you? They're about the same but opposite... One has all the physical attributes and attacking nature, while the other has the natural footy smarts and skills, neither is a complete package, but geez if you could combine the two... wow

Don't get sucked in by NikNats hilight reel, you'll notice that he'll do the amazing flashy things then kick it out of bounds.

Stuie, I've shown you up on almost every football matter you've tried to lock horns with me on to date.

Rating Watts over Naitanui takes the cake.

One is already a gamebreaking matchwinner at 21yo. The other has trouble merely breaking into a game.

You don't watch much footy do you? They're about the same but opposite... One has all the physical attributes and attacking nature, while the other has the natural footy smarts and skills, neither is a complete package, but geez if you could combine the two... wow

Don't get sucked in by NikNats hilight reel, you'll notice that he'll do the amazing flashy things then kick it out of bounds.

Did you watch his ruckwork on Friday? That alone would be enough to justify his place

Stuie, I've shown you up on almost every football matter you've tried to lock horns with me on to date.

Rating Watts over Naitanui takes the cake.

One is already a gamebreaking matchwinner at 21yo. The other has trouble merely breaking into a game.

Can you even read? I put them on a par.

And as your for your first comment, it's a great encapsulation of ALL your posts, stating something as a fact does not make it so.

Geez if you were an ice cream you'd lick yourself to death mate.

Did you watch his ruckwork on Friday? That alone would be enough to justify his place

Yeah I did, pretty awesome. But a lot of people see him do that stuff but take no notice of his kicking and general ball skills, which are not great.

He will be one of the best players in the comp in years to come, but a few people are suffering from premature adulation...

I put them on a par.

Case closed.

You don't watch much footy do you? They're about the same but opposite... One has all the physical attributes and attacking nature, while the other has the natural footy smarts and skills, neither is a complete package, but geez if you could combine the two... wow

Don't get sucked in by NikNats hilight reel, you'll notice that he'll do the amazing flashy things then kick it out of bounds.

.. nicknat will be a beast in years to come! he hits the contest hard and in the air and has intesnity! give me that over a stick prancing around the half back line getting cheapies and with [censored] weak intensity and no contact to the contest at all. sick of these weak excuses about watts. travis johnstone all over again!

When has watts played a game where you sat back and gone wow this bloke is going to be a star in the competition!? Nicknat is already showing that.. we [censored] up our pick and now we have to live with that..

Edited August 27, 201213 yr by dazzledavey36

i think your knowledge of footy is below par... nicknat will be a beast in years to come! he hits the contest hard and in the air and has intesnity! give me that over a stick prancing around the half back line getting cheapies and with [censored] weak intensity and no contact to the contest at all. sick of these weak excuses about watts. travis johnstone all over again!

When has watts played a game where you sat back and gone wow this bloke is going to be a star in the competition!? Nicknat is already showing that.. we [censored] up our pick and now we have to live with that..

Harsh but true Stuie.

Tom Hawkins gives me hope for Watts.

i think your knowledge of footy is below par... nicknat will be a beast in years to come! he hits the contest hard and in the air and has intesnity! give me that over a stick prancing around the half back line getting cheapies and with [censored] weak intensity and no contact to the contest at all. sick of these weak excuses about watts. travis johnstone all over again!

When has watts played a game where you sat back and gone wow this bloke is going to be a star in the competition!? Nicknat is already showing that.. we [censored] up our pick and now we have to live with that..

No argument about NikNat, I've said IN THIS THREAD that he will be one of the best in the comp in the future, but you guys are seriously overrating where he's at right now, his ball skills are pretty ordinary, but he'll sort that out eventually, as will Watts with this perceived lack of intensity.

Seriously though, Watts beats his opponent for his possessions, there's no "cheapies", watch the game instead of sharpening your pitch forks for the lynch mob.

No argument about NikNat, I've said IN THIS THREAD that he will be one of the best in the comp in the future, but you guys are seriously overrating where he's at right now, his ball skills are pretty ordinary, but he'll sort that out eventually, as will Watts with this perceived lack of intensity.

Seriously though, Watts beats his opponent for his possessions, there's no "cheapies", watch the game instead of sharpening your pitch forks for the lynch mob.

i like your positive nature. you only have to look at the sydney game and essendon and even both gws games where he roamed the half back line without an opponent and yes i did watch the games closely.

i like your positive nature. you only have to look at the sydney game and essendon and even both gws games where he roamed the half back line without an opponent and yes i did watch the games closely.

May look that way, but if you ask the coach he'll tell you Watts has had an opponent in EVERY game, and seeing he decides that stuff I'll believe him.

i like your positive nature. you only have to look at the sydney game and essendon and even both gws games where he roamed the half back line without an opponent and yes i did watch the games closely.

Is it possible that he just read the game better than his man, so it looked like he had no opponent?