Watts almost traded?

[mjt 640]

I totally agree to this, as a Trade Rep I am on the road all day and listen to SEN all day while I drive.

As soon as I hear that [censored] Denham come onto hungry for sports with KB I change the station it to Triple J.

I am so over him ripping into us.

What makes more announced at this pathetic waste of a reporter Denham is he is always going on and on about how we should have picked up Nick Nat instead of Watts because he seem's to think Watts is useless but as soon has he starts saying that he could be on the outer at Melbourne He thinks Watts is the best player in town.

Greg Denham you are a [censored].

So is Kevin Bartlett.

[Pates 9,537]

His comments have got 6 pages of comments from us so he's done his job (even if he is a complete [censored] while doing it).

[Hannibal 5,814]

Unlike BH I'm not sure he lacks courage ...

You don't think Watts is timid in aerial contests when body contact is unpredictable and likely ?

That genuinely surprises me. Because he most definitely is.

[Bitter but optimistic 21,280]

You don't think Watts is timid in aerial contests when body contact is unpredictable and likely ?

That genuinely surprises me. Because he most definitely is.

I have been a great Jack Watts supporter. Read my posts if you disagree. However, I have also stated that he lacks aggression. However, I also agree with BH on his lack of committment to aerial contests. In a game last year (can't remember against whom) he did not go full on in such a situation. I'm not saying he is innately soft but rather because of his inexperience he is not fully aware of what he can do. This is the year he needs to address this issue.

[jumbo returns 6,488]

JW doesn't like the contest, doesn't like to compete.

We got rid of one basketballer, time to seriously think about this one, too.

[Flying Cloud 152]

Melbourne supporters should write to all the companies that advertise on SEN when Denham is on and tell them that we're going to boycott their products until he is removed from the station.

I bypassed the boycott approach and just stopped listening. Used to be a real advocate of the station, and actually miss Tim in the morning and Schwarter in the evening, but life is to short to listen or read stuff that pisses you off.

Same as have stopped reading the age.

Wrote and told SEN and the age as well. But I don't expect a response.

You know I actually found that there are plenty of other good sources of news and even footy news without SEN and the age. The ABC web site is a good start. They tend to do reporting rather than opinioning.

[Flying Cloud 152]

Any list manager would be mad to take ANY player off the "to be traded list", even if it is just to stuff other clubs around. You would always listed to a proposal from another club. You may laugh at it, but you would listen.

[Lost Highway 31]

You know I actually found that there are plenty of other good sources of news and even footy news without SEN and the age. The ABC web site is a good start. They tend to do reporting rather than opinioning.

Agree about The Age, but not the ABC - it follows sheep-like wherever The (tory) Australian goes, adopting slavishly the 'Abbott says' framing of most political news; it also has a very 'tabloid' ordering of its stories. Its web site is only marginally better than the Age's, which is a national disgrace. The only decent mainstream news site in this country is SBS, but don't expect wads of AFL 'news', which is mainly gossip and speculation after all.

As for Watts, if he doesn't 'make it' this year, he'll go to another club where he'll inevitably find another arm and leg, and become the next Goddard.

[whatwhat say what 19,052]

Denham is off his rocker - North offered their second round pick for Ben Jacobs from Port Adelaide in the first week and when the deal didn't materialise in the first fortnight of trade month, they were never going to use it on Watts - it was effectively 'set aside' for Jacobs.

Typical from that journo really, he's notorious for just making stuff up.

Watts needs to work a lot harder with and without the ball, on the field and off. He had the skills but his desire to be a great rather than very good AFL player is my biggest query with him.

[binman 38,415]

Watts needs to work a lot harder with and without the ball, on the field and off. He had the skills but his desire to be a great rather than very good AFL player is my biggest query with him.

Good call. As i've noted before i get the feeling the penny has dropped and we will see Watts step up a level this season. If he doesn't my confidence in him becoming a star will be severely dented.

[Demonsterative 1,941]

Watts and Nic Nat were the two outstanding picks of their year. Both were seen as athletes who had a lot of football to learn. The club needed a CHF before it needed a ruckman and went with Watts. Watts kicked winning goals after the siren in the under 18 champs, therefore was seen as a player who stood up in a game when needed. I beleive that playing well in finals or in Under 18 champs is seen as a bonus by most clubs these days, including the new drafting policy at the MFC.

Nic Nat is by far the superior player thus far, but Watts has had litlle support as a CHF, while Nic Nat has a great in Cox to coax him thru and support his development. Currently the rumour is that Nic Nat has an injury that he will not overcome. The player he was in the first half of 2012 will never be again.

Fan hit the nail on the head and Watts has been grossly mismanaged by the club and he has suffered as a result. Another fact is that has been ignored is Watts played a lot in the midfield at the Dragons. He was NEVER a pure out and out CHF. I still see Watts as a FWD next to Dawes, Clark, Pedo and Hogan. Watts is a very talented midfielder come forward.

I hate the idea of most on here believing that a good set of guns results in strength in the air or on the ground. The fact is that size and strength can be mean two seperate things!! Another fact is that Watts is being groomed differently under Neeld. Neeld is playing him as defender/midfielder. A role he played at the Dragons. If I had the choice to have Watts on another list today, I would say NO. He has talent and its up to the club to develop it. But if a player was thrown into the mix that was tempting, as has already been said, Watts in not indispensable.

Another area that isnt discussed too much on here is, the club could not develop players at the same rate of stronger clubs due to the FD structure. The MFC were amatuer, and are yet to prove otherwise!!

I like that Denham sticks the boots in. Its now up to the club to rise above the media and show the world that we are ELITE on and off the ground.

Time the club walked the talk. I would love to see Watts be the one that shuts up Denham and many others on here

[Ron Burgundy 8,584]

I find it bizarre the amount of negative press Watts has attracted as a number one draft pick in circumstances where others seem not to attract the same spotlight/criticism.

This article has just been posted on the AFL website about Tom Scully: http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-01-19/scully-rising

To be honest, this kid has done pretty well nothing to date, except accumulating a stack of cheap possessions against the Bulldogs in one game towards the end of 2010.

A couple of mates of mine are in the GWS Captain's Club (essentially GWS's coterie group). They reckon GWS's B&F voting last year was heavily skewed in Scully's favour because GWS couldn't justify paying him so much dough and Scully featuring really poorly in their B&F. Bottom line is, according to them at least, Scully picked up a stack of votes in games where his performance didn't really justify it. Their opinion was wholly unprovoked/unsolicited by me - they just reckon he's massively over-payed and think GWS could've got a better player for that much dough.

Yet, Scully doesn't seem to attract that much criticism as a number one pick in his year, a draft which also contained Martin, Fyfe and Trengove. And, for a player who'd shown so little at the time, his management team somehow negotiated for him the most insanely rewarding contract in the history of the code.

I really don't get it.

But I do get this: *Clark + Toumpas + Dawes + Barry > Scully.

* We could only afford Clark because of the money we'd put aside to attempt to retain Scully.

Thank you GWS on all fronts.

I'd also take Watts over Scully for what it's worth.

[Ron Burgundy 8,584]

Another tidbit about Watts.

I was at a corporate function about 18 months ago, which featured Garry Lyon interviewing Kevin Sheedy. Gubby Allen was also there.

It was during the Bailey period, and the tension about Scully's departure was still red hot.

Someone in the audience asked a question about recruiting 18 year old sportsmen, and whether the AFL had to compete with other codes to attract those players.

Gubby Allen fielded the question. He said, words to the effect, "most definitely. A lot of these kids are really good at other sports, particularly cricket and basketball".

"In fact, in 2009, the number one draft pick was a kid called Jack Watts. He was an elite basketballer, and Basketball Australia were putting heaps of pressure on him to pursue a basketball career. They even suggested he'd play for Australia at the Olympics. They told him not to pursue AFL. Ultimately he did, and most AFL clubs had him as the number one draft pick. Melbourne then picked him."

It was all matter of fact. No sly comments about Melbourne or Watts. But I couldn't resist the temptation to set the record straight, so I noted that I was a Melbourne supporter and that Watts was the number one draft pick in 2008. Scully was the number one draft pick in 2009, "but I'm sure you're aware of that Gubby".

He gave me a wry grin, as did Sheedy, and Lyon for that matter.

[rjay 23,922]

To be honest, this kid has done pretty well nothing to date, except accumulating a stack of cheap possessions against the Bulldogs in one game towards the end of 2010.

...and most of those kicks went nowhere. A highly overrated performance.

This is the year the heat comes on for him. Being hidden at GWS last year I think is the only reason he didn't receive more scrutiny.

[Good Times Grimes 2,396]

I find it bizarre the amount of negative press Watts has attracted as a number one draft pick in circumstances where others seem not to attract the same spotlight/criticism.

This article has just been posted on the AFL website about Tom Scully: http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-01-19/scully-rising

To be honest, this kid has done pretty well nothing to date, except accumulating a stack of cheap possessions against the Bulldogs in one game towards the end of 2010.

A couple of mates of mine are in the GWS Captain's Club (essentially GWS's coterie group). They reckon GWS's B&F voting last year was heavily skewed in Scully's favour because GWS couldn't justify paying him so much dough and Scully featuring really poorly in their B&F. Bottom line is, according to them at least, Scully picked up a stack of votes in games where his performance didn't really justify it. Their opinion was wholly unprovoked/unsolicited by me - they just reckon he's massively over-payed and think GWS could've got a better player for that much dough.

Yet, Scully doesn't seem to attract that much criticism as a number one pick in his year, a draft which also contained Martin, Fyfe and Trengove. And, for a player who'd shown so little at the time, his management team somehow negotiated for him the most insanely rewarding contract in the history of the code.

I really don't get it.

But I do get this: *Clark + Toumpas + Dawes + Barry > Scully.

* We could only afford Clark because of the money we'd put aside to attempt to retain Scully.

Thank you GWS on all fronts.

I'd also take Watts over Scully for what it's worth.

I really don't think they could have gotten many better players. I'm not by any means saying that getting Scully was a good decision, I just don't think many players were interested in heading to live in Western Sydney. That was proven this year when they had 0 signing of uncontracted players, despite being able to poach them all season long.

FWIW, I think the Giants got a bargain with Callan Ward, and that he has the potential to be one of the better players in the league. Scully, on the other hand, I can't see amounting to anything other than a good footballer with average skills.

I'm with you, RB...I'd pick Watts over Scully any day of the week.

[whatwhat say what 19,052]

I still think Scully will end up a star. He was rated the clear standout of his draft year for a reason.

[Good Times Grimes 2,396]

I still think Scully will end up a star. He was rated the clear standout of his draft year for a reason.

So was Clive Waterhouse....

[Flying Cloud 152]

Agree about The Age, but not the ABC - it follows sheep-like wherever The (tory) Australian goes, adopting slavishly the 'Abbott says' framing of most political news; it also has a very 'tabloid' ordering of its stories. Its web site is only marginally better than the Age's, which is a national disgrace. The only decent mainstream news site in this country is SBS, but don't expect wads of AFL 'news', which is mainly gossip and speculation after all.

As for Watts, if he doesn't 'make it' this year, he'll go to another club where he'll inevitably find another arm and leg, and become the next Goddard.

Well yes, after 15 years enslaved in Canberra I am aware of the political side of the ABC news, but I don't follow political news any more because it is irrelevant. I just want headlines in case something important is happening in the world.

If I want opinion I talk to friends (and read forums for entertainment)!

[Whispering_Jack 28,001]

With Scully much will depend on whether he really has overcome the knee injury which Dr. Peter Larkins claimed a couple of years ago would limit his training and prevent him from achieving full fitness.

Could the medical profession have gotten it wrong?

[old dee 22,925]

With Scully much will depend on whether he really has overcome the knee injury which Dr. Peter Larkins claimed a couple of years ago would limit his training and prevent him from achieving full fitness. Could the medical profession have gotten it wrong?

Interesting question!

he was paid $1+million for crap in 2012

The next few years will want to be very good before he gets back to the right side of the ledger.

[Bay Riffin 1,419]

I'm with you, RB...I'd pick Watts over Scully any day of the week.

Lets not kid ourselves here. Scully has done more than Watts so far regardless of what money he is getting. he is infinitely harder at the ball and is good at the clearances. something which watts is a novice at.

Both are different players but Scully is the more natural footballer. watts has greater disposal though.

[old dee 22,925]

Lets not kid ourselves here. Scully has done more than Watts so far regardless of what money he is getting. he is infinitely harder at the ball and is good at the clearances. something which watts is a novice at.

Both are different players but Scully is the more natural footballer. watts has greater disposal though.

I don't agree BR

Scully played 3 -4 good games in 2010. At GWS in 2012 he was poor all season.

Watts has had more than 3 -4 good games over the same period.

Add in that Watts appears to be physically a lot more sound and I think Watts is in front and will stay there.

[daisycutter 28,569]

Interesting question!

he was paid $1+million for crap in 2012

The next few years will want to be very good before he gets back to the right side of the ledger.

$2M i think od. his contract was front-ended

What a joke eh?

[Bitter but optimistic 21,280]

$2M i think od. his contract was front-ended

What a joke eh?

It's enough to buy Fat Phil a decent sized hamburger shop.

[Demonsterative 1,941]

I will always remember Jack Watts kicking that precision pass to Jack Trengove over Scully's head against GWS at the G. It was a small crowd but very vocal!