Chip was 12 when that photo was taken

If Morton can go for a pick 88 trade after being drafted as a pick 4 in 2007, there's nothing to suggest that if Watts doesn't lift his game significantly this year he won't find himself on the table for a 2nd round trade.

Personally, I think his skills are too good and the hard work will eventually pay off. He'll be a top line player for the club.

When you finally come around and see that Watts is a star come find me in the bar, ill be waiting with a jug of draught and the phrase 'I told you so'

JB I think you need to chill out a bit. While I think that JW has the potential to take that next step, he is certainly not in the "star" category. If you believe he was "tearing it up" last year, I would like you to just revisit the 2012 B&F results. He finished 16th. Even Joel MacDonald finished higher with only one extra game played. The coaches vote according to how well players perform their roles which explains a top 10 finish for Trengove and Dunn. If JW doesn't finish in the top 10 this year, barring injury, then I feel he hasn't progressed sufficiently and believe his name will come up in trade discussions. As i said this is a big year for him.

Why because my opinion of Watts is different to yours so I have to think more clearly? Hows Sylvia going? Hows Trengove going? Watts is better than those two. He is our most important player in the defence and no one in our team has the skills that Watts has. Im hearing Toumpas has got great skills but I havent seen him play so im leaving that out.

You talk about unrealistic expectations, but go on to call Watts a "star", yet you can't see the irony. Funny.

And no, he's not a star. He's very far from a star. He's presently not in the best 150 players in the league. He lacks courage and physicality in aerial contests, which is a massive issue given his height and the robust nature of Australian Rules football at AFL level. You can obviously form an opinion about what he MAY become, but right now you're embarrassing yourself when one considers his 2012 output - not withstanding a few good games as a defender since he failed as a forward.

And no, in the remote event that Watts becomes a star you won't be able to say "I told you so". Everyone knows he has undoubted talent, which is why he went pick one. This isn't some amazing prognostication from your good self, it's merely a biased supporter watching a talented player through red goggles and making typical supporter predictions.

This player will always polarise opinions.

I don't believe (like so many other posters) that JW is a Neeld type of footballer. He was drafted from a dark period where skinny, 65 kilogram weaklings were the norm.

In relation to body shape, some posters are being too simplistic and narrow in the understanding of my point. Body reshaping, getting stronger and developing a physique that copes with the rigours of top line footy is very, very, important. I was citing Chip as an example because he has worked on this requirement - there are others I could have used.

You talk about unrealistic expectations, but go on to call Watts a "star", yet you can't see the irony. Funny.

And no, he's not a star. He's very far from a star. He's presently not in the best 150 players in the league. He lacks courage and physicality in aerial contests, which is a massive issue given his height and the robust nature of Australian Rules football at AFL level. You can obviously form an opinion about what he MAY become, but right now you're embarrassing yourself when one considers his 2012 output - not withstanding a few good games as a defender since he failed as a forward.

And no, in the remote event that Watts becomes a star you won't be able to say "I told you so". Everyone knows he has undoubted talent, which is why he went pick one. This isn't some amazing prognostication from your good self, it's merely a biased supporter watching a talented player through red goggles and making typical supporter predictions.

Sucked in, thanks for the read mwah xxx

This player will always polarise opinions.

I don't believe (like so many other posters) that JW is a Neeld type of footballer. He was drafted from a dark period where skinny, 65 kilogram weaklings were the norm.

In relation to body shape, some posters are being too simplistic and narrow in the understanding of my point. Body reshaping, getting stronger and developing a physique that copes with the rigours of top line footy is very, very, important. I was citing Chip as an example because he has worked on this requirement - there are others I could have used.

No. You said Chip and Watts had the SAME body at the beginning of their careers, and that's way off the mark.

Sucked in, thanks for the read mwah xxx

Wow, you got me.

Wow, you got me.

Dont be upset, happens to the best of us

This thread is worse than the AFL investigation one....

This thread is worse than the AFL investigation one....

The thread was started by Deegirl. Must be some sort of record number of posts by a very infrequent poster! Her post to thread start ration will never be equaled.

Dont be upset, happens to the best of us

Especially in school holidays.

The thread was started by Deegirl. Must be some sort of record number of posts by a very infrequent poster! Her post to thread start ration will never be equaled.

deegirl? i don't think so. try deezee

Just imagine if young Watts had in fact been traded!!!

Watts failed as a fowrd, we now have Clark, Dawes and Hogan to come. Our backline has Frawley McDonlad and Garland...

Watts better hurry up and find a spot to make his own because Pederson and Sellar will want a game and by the sounds of thing Gillies might be handy

For all of you who love to SHOUT "close this thread" or "this thread is boring" or "mods!!!" this one's for you:

SigmaMoon: "Cricket - a game of the lazy people, for the lazy people and by the lazy people!"

RogerApex: "Whereas sitting at your computer, browsing the internet, itching to comment on a sport you don't like, under an article about the sport you don't like, is the height of energetic pragmatism."

Watts failed as a fowrd, we now have Clark, Dawes and Hogan to come. Our backline has Frawley McDonlad and Garland...

Watts better hurry up and find a spot to make his own because Pederson and Sellar will want a game and by the sounds of thing Gillies might be handy

I hope he plays on the wing for the rest of his career, like Richo did the year he nearly won the brownlow..

Especially in school holidays.

Lol

You talk about unrealistic expectations, but go on to call Watts a "star", yet you can't see the irony. Funny.

And no, he's not a star. He's very far from a star. He's presently not in the best 150 players in the league. He lacks courage and physicality in aerial contests, which is a massive issue given his height and the robust nature of Australian Rules football at AFL level. You can obviously form an opinion about what he MAY become, but right now you're embarrassing yourself when one considers his 2012 output - not withstanding a few good games as a defender since he failed as a forward.

And no, in the remote event that Watts becomes a star you won't be able to say "I told you so". Everyone knows he has undoubted talent, which is why he went pick one. This isn't some amazing prognostication from your good self, it's merely a biased supporter watching a talented player through red goggles and making typical supporter predictions.

I agree with this but I have a great deal of sympathy for Jack. He was cursed by the "MFC messiah syndrome" early, played when he was still at school in the Queen's Birthday game and because of the Club's blatant manipulation of expectations surrounding him we have seriously, IMO, impacted on his career. I doubt I can think of a player who has had more press in his early years. I think I'm right in saying that even last year one of the first comments Neeld made was effectively a public comment on Watts and that he'd achieved nothing. FMD.

I hope he proves to be a very good player, for a whole raft of reasons I love him to have the last laugh. Unlike BH I'm not sure he lacks courage I just think he's finding his way in AFL footy and he attracts far too much attention. And that is our fault. If he fails we'll have our fingerprints all over it.

The game has changed and is constantly evolving.

Watts is a defensive wide receiver at the moment.

He could easily play as an attacking outside receiver, a role i see the likes of Toumpas, Blease and Barry playing.

Youve got your inside mids like Viney , Jones and Mckenzie,Rodan etc...and then of course key position players like Clark ,Dawes,Tommy Mac, Frawley etc...and those that feed of them like Byrnes,Pederson,Nicholson,Garland etc etc etc..

Some players can play muliple roles like Sylvia, Grimes and Trengove, inside / outside players.

My point is that Watts can still become a damaging attacking player if we want him to.

A the moment he is growing in confidence down back.

hypothetically for mine, it would have to have been a top 5 pick to consider it.. considering that would have meant another midfielder (on top of Viney + Thumper) I probably would have even knocked that back in favour of keeping the more utilitarian Watts

conclusion: absolute horse s--t

I doubt I can think of a player who has had more press in his early years.

I agree. In fact, I reckon being the number one draft pick is a significant burden to carry in any case, let alone one as trumped up and overblown as MFC handled it.

I think the best draft position to have is pick two, because you get the second-best choice, and he gets to develop at his own pace without all the media attention and criticism, and the prefix "Number One Draft Pick" every time the commentator calls his name.

All that said, I think Watts lacks the mongrel required to really compete at this level, and I don't see him developing it at this stage of his life. As a result, he'll never be a star. Viney will have more impact than Watts this year (and beat him in the B&F), because the strongest muscle in his body is his heart.

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 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].

Just imagine if young Watts had in fact been traded.

All that hart ache as a supporter hopping and waiting for him to become a great player would have been for nothing.

Sucked in, thanks for the read mwah xxx