I suspect that Jack doesn't realise that he is not going in hard. He definitely avoids hard body contact and until he learns to attack with the body rather than doing his "jazz hands" thing, he will be a frustration for us. It is not in his nature to attack with his body but I fear that he will never be a great player until he overcomes this. It is a mental thing and will require content vigilance on his part.

The other thing that concerns me is how how reacts to forceful contact. He seems be be very easily knocked off balance and a decent knock is enough to put him off.

I still have high hopes for him but I'm starring to doubt whether it will happen.

I wonder if losing still doesn't bother him that much.

If it bothered him surely he would be desperate at every contest. He would put the onus on himself to lift the team by leading the way doing the hard things when its required. My 6yo playing under 8s has more go in him than jack watts.

I'd like to put jack vineys head on jack watts shoulders for a week... Supreme athlete with the mental aspect to break a game open.

Reminds me of another Dees player from the seventies, David Cordner.

David had all the physical attributes to be a star, built like an ox and tall and muscley , should have dominated,but was as meek as a lamb.

You have to have a bit of mongrel in you to play footy.

I suspect that Jack doesn't realise that he is not going in hard. He definitely avoids hard body contact and until he learns to attack with the body rather than doing his "jazz hands" thing, he will be a frustration for us. It is not in his nature to attack with his body but I fear that he will never be a great player until he overcomes this. It is a mental thing and will require content vigilance on his part.

The other thing that concerns me is how how reacts to forceful contact. He seems be be very easily knocked off balance and a decent knock is enough to put him off.

I still have high hopes for him but I'm starring to doubt whether it will happen.

His mantra should be see ball get ball. If there's an opponent there just smash him regardless of the physical outcome. Give him contested ball based KPIs and if he doesn't come close tell him he's at Casey until the year is out.

Why do people say 'laconic' when they mean 'lackadaisical'?

'Laconic' actually describes a person 'of few words'.

'Lackadaisical' means 'lacking enthusiasm and determination, or carelessly lazy'.

OK, fellow wordsmiths and grammarians, I think we need to clear a few things up. I hate the misuse of words (spelling, grammar, apostrophes etc...) like many others, but words change their meaning through use; being applied to new circumstances so the meaning changes nuance by nuance. Words like huge, suffer, happy, specific, have had massive changes in meaning. Now, laconic is changing its meaning. Yes, the changes began with misuse, but the word is changing right now. It is being used to mean what lackadaisical also means. It is frustrating but happening. Deal with and move on.

As for Jack Watts, I have had enough. He is exquisite with ball - I can hardly remember a player with such class and timing. I can even understand he is more of an outside player, and isn't king of grunt. But his lack of desire, his lack of going when it is his turn, his dreadful marking ability, now makes we want him out of the team. The modern game, as ugly and cramped as it can be, is all about the contest, and Jack either won't enter a contest, loses physical contests too easily, or goes in with chocolate and flowers.

Has anybody else noticed when Watts attempts a pack mark he gets a run at the pack then goes up one handed? What is with that?

yep, he's wooden when going for it.

thats why he wooden tackle, or wooden chase. just plain wooden.

OK, fellow wordsmiths and grammarians, I think we need to clear a few things up. I hate the misuse of words (spelling, grammar, apostrophes etc...) like many others, but words change their meaning through use; being applied to new circumstances so the meaning changes nuance by nuance. Words like huge, suffer, happy, specific, have had massive changes in meaning. Now, laconic is changing its meaning. Yes, the changes began with misuse, but the word is changing right now. It is being used to mean what lackadaisical also means. It is frustrating but happening. Deal with and move on.

As for Jack Watts, I have had enough. He is exquisite with ball - I can hardly remember a player with such class and timing. I can even understand he is more of an outside player, and isn't king of grunt. But his lack of desire, his lack of going when it is his turn, his dreadful marking ability, now makes we want him out of the team. The modern game, as ugly and cramped as it can be, is all about the contest, and Jack either won't enter a contest, loses physical contests too easily, or goes in with chocolate and flowers.

here, I've dun it for you

I think because is far easier to spell !!

I think I get it, Lac-onic. I'll look it up.

Lack = lack (læk) - http://www.thefreedictionary.com/lack

n

1. an insufficiency, shortage, or absence of something required or desired

2. something that is required but is absent or in short supply

vb

3. (when: intr, often foll by in or for) to be deficient (in) or have need (of): to lack purpose.

---------------------------------------------------------

onic = http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/-onic

a suffix used in forming names of acids, especially carboxylic acids obtained by oxidation of aldoses: gluconic acid.

Origin: perhaps generalized from lactonic acid as translation of German Lactonsäure

-------------------------------------------------------

:)

maybe thats it, 'he's rusty'? - oxidation ?

or maybe its a lactic acid buildup, lactic acid - or possible lactating ?

watever it is, I'm sure Roosy will get to the bottom of him, soon I hope.

Edited April 21, 201411 yr by dee-luded

I played with some blokes like Jack. They often were out injured by July, with colds, a sore thigh or had other commitments. More talented than me but barely reliable.

Jack Watts is a basketballer playing footy.

I played with some blokes like Jack. They often were out injured by July, with colds, a sore thigh or had other commitments. More talented than me but barely reliable.

Jack Watts is a basketballer playing footy.

im coming to suspect youre right, unfortunately

Modify his training to include boxing, to be done away from the rest of the playing group. Lots of one on one and yes lots of sparing. I think this would build his confidence as well as harden him up. As has been discussed he has the skills/speed/athleticism he just needs that hard edge.

An irony I guess is even basketball at the highest level requires bravado.. Its certainly NOT a non-contact sport.. Very argy bargy

Mongrel is mongrel

Modify his training to include boxing, to be done away from the rest of the playing group. Lots of one on one and yes lots of sparing. I think this would build his confidence as well as harden him up. As has been discussed he has the skills/speed/athleticism he just needs that hard edge.

I heard this suggested by a few older blokes recently. The whole team needs this.

I played with some blokes like Jack. They often were out injured by July, with colds, a sore thigh or had other commitments. More talented than me but barely reliable.

Jack Watts is a basketballer playing footy.

You need a strong upper-body though, and you need to embrace that contact to get rebounds, shrug off the defender and move through screens. Jack wouldn't make it at NBL level. Look at the bodies even in that league. Most small forwards, power forwards (where I imagine he'd play) are twice his size. He'd be a sixth man at Bulleen.

But, here we are *head, desk*

I heard this suggested by a few older blokes recently. The whole team needs this.

Couldn't hurt. I say one on one for Jack. It's not about putting Jack in the corner and belting the crap through him, he might be 22 but to me looking from the out side he's still a kid not a young man. If Jack had a hard edge he'd be near unstoppable. Boxing would give him confidence is contact situations.

Its true the whole team needs a rocket up the proverbial,a good kick up the butt.

They need to get tough and find some real desperation, some mongrel and hardness for four quarters.

You have to really really want it, thats the missing ingredient.

However i do believe we have improved alot on last year, i have faith it will come, the right man is in charge.

I think he should be left alone.

Let JW work out out what the coach wants him to do and how to play.

He will never be a crash bash player.

It's not about being bash and crash. We know he's better on the outside but he needs some sort of physical presence in his game. There was a comment during today's game how both clubs had done their homework on every player. Clubs like Geelong and Hawthorn amongst others will identify(I'm sure they're already aware) and play on that. How would he have gone in the game today?

It's not about being bash and crash. We know he's better on the outside but he needs some sort of physical presence in his game. There was a comment during today's game how both clubs had done their homework on every player. Clubs like Geelong and Hawthorn amongst others will identify(I'm sure they're already aware) and play on that. How would he have gone in the game today?

I don't know what to say....he has no physical presence, but he can really cause some damage.

There are worse players on our list.

I think he should be left alone.

Let JW work out out what the coach wants him to do and how to play.

He will never be a crash bash player.

He should be made to work it out at Casey. Why should Watts get a free pass when guys like Toumpas and Trengove were sent back to sort their games out?

I don't know what to say....he has no physical presence, but he can really cause some damage.

There are worse players on our list.

Yep.

I loathe soft footballers but we need to keep him. In a good side his lack of intensity to the contest would go unnoticed because he'd be surrounded by players who would win the ball and feed it out to players like him.

His finishing skills are required.

He should be made to work it out at Casey. Why should Watts get a free pass when guys like Toumpas and Trengove were sent back to sort their games out?

You're probably right, but our lack of height atm means that he'll get a gig over 180cm players.

I think that Roos will not drop him because he wants to coach Jack....

Modify his training to include boxing, to be done away from the rest of the playing group. Lots of one on one and yes lots of sparing. I think this would build his confidence as well as harden him up. As has been discussed he has the skills/speed/athleticism he just needs that hard edge.

Agree 100%.

I think he should be left alone.

Let JW work out out what the coach wants him to do and how to play.

He will never be a crash bash player.

no, but he's got to want to tackle, & want to chase.

.... not be quick witted when he wants the ball, & then in an about-face, become so slow witted when he's lost the ball, that "oh, its too late to chase them now, they've gone & left me".

Edited April 21, 201411 yr by dee-luded

Boxing will not increase his physicality.....it would make his quick hands, quicker.

The pundits of the sweet science will tell you that if you lose your temper, you're dead in the water!

Besides, didn't Beamer try that with him? Up at the Koroit or somewhere like that?

That worked......

Crickets......

I think he should be left alone.

Let JW work out out what the coach wants him to do and how to play.

He will never be a crash bash player.

Isn't that what the reserves are for? So the promising players can have a sheltered place to learn how to play to the standards we need without hurting the team? Send him back to Casey until he learns to use his body, even if it means he's played his last game for the year.