We play well when Watts does

[baysidedave 246]

Thinking of our wins this year and other close losses including today, when Watts plays well so does the team.

[old dee 23,503]

Thinking of our wins this year and other close losses including today, when Watts plays well so does the team.

So once a month we have a chance ?

[chook fowler 19,264]

So frustrating. His 3rd quarter was elite and the best I've seen him play. Very little in the first, second or last.

[Bitter but optimistic 22,066]

Or .... when the team is playing well ... it drags Jack along.

[Demonsone 1,957]

Bottom line we lost.... We have dumb footballers who can't play 100%

[jazza 1,323]

So once every second month we have a chance ?

fixed.

[Pates 9,625]

Or .... when the team is playing well ... it drags Jack along.

This question used to be posed with Sylvia, and before that Yze. It's something that can never be answered, all we can say is that it correlates.

[Chook 14,998]

When the team is playing well, Jack can get the ball from them. When Jack has the ball, good things happen.

[Jaded No More 67,771]

This question used to be posed with Sylvia, and before that Yze. It's something that can never be answered, all we can say is that it correlates.

Yze had his faults, but I would kill for Watts to be half the player Yze was at his prime.

[Pates 9,625]

Yze had his faults, but I would kill for Watts to be half the player Yze was at his prime.

Totally agree, Ooze was one of my favourite players. I'm just saying there are certain players that lift when the team plays better, Yze was one of those.

[Demon Disciple 11,680]

Bottom line we lost.... We have dumb footballers who can't play 100%

They can. I think it's more of a case that they don't want to put in the effort to play four quarters.

[Axis of Bob 11,217]

Thinking of our wins this year and other close losses including today, when Watts plays well so does the team.

It shows how much we lack outside class. Watts is, easily, our best player in open space. Unfortunately, when he is down then we really struggle to find players that can cut open the opposition and really damage them once we get the ball into space. We need to find more players like this so that we can put it on the scoreboard when we the advantage in general play.

[dee-eee 231]

When Jack is given freedom in the backline he relishes the space and his elite kicking skills can set us up .

[Lil_red_fire_engine 10,851]

It shows how much we lack outside class. Watts is, easily, our best player in open space. Unfortunately, when he is down then we really struggle to find players that can cut open the opposition and really damage them once we get the ball into space. We need to find more players like this so that we can put it on the scoreboard when we the advantage in general play.

Watts first game of the year when he played as a mid was the most complete and consistent I have seen him play. Does anyone actually understand why he has not played the same role at any other point of the year? In my eyes he is clearly not a forward, he is a playmaker off halfback or midfield. The whole way he plays changes and as do we forward and through the midfield because he makes things happen and not only makes effective and correct decisions but makes them quickly.

[Bobby McKenzie 2,331]

Thinking of our wins this year and other close losses including today, when Watts plays well so does the team.

Jack had a brilliant third quarter BUT why can't he spread his abilities over a whole game? Does he need to work on his endurance or what? Does his engine let him down at times? Imagine how we would have gone with just two quarters of that quality football. Not to mention even three.

[Mono 455]

Watts first game of the year when he played as a mid was the most complete and consistent I have seen him play. Does anyone actually understand why he has not played the same role at any other point of the year? In my eyes he is clearly not a forward, he is a playmaker off halfback or midfield. The whole way he plays changes and as do we forward and through the midfield because he makes things happen and not only makes effective and correct decisions but makes them quickly.

My feeling is that he played as a mid for the first 4 or 6 games. Not a success except for the 1st? game. Then tried elsewhere.

[T-34 409]

The loss of Clarke and Hogan forced Watts to play as a forward, otherwise I think Roos may have continued with him on a wing/mid.

This has also forced Dawes to play a role he probably isn't up to, the key target instead of the second or third forward.

The fact neither played a game has altered the make up of the side greatly.

We need to keep this in mind when assessing exactly where we are come seasons end.

[Scoop Junior 3,395]

We need to find more players like this so that we can put it on the scoreboard when we the advantage in general play.

That is a crucial point. At times in games this year (and today was another example) we have played quite well and had the upper hand and the momentum. But we just don't have the class to make it count on the scoreboard - whether it is a poor kick inside 50 or a player fumbling a ground level ball or missing a set shot at goal, we just let opportunities go begging due to a lack of overall class.

Class and run/pace are the key priorities for us.

For what it's worth I thought Watts was terrible today - yeah he had a big influence in the third quarter but he was playing on his own. For the other three quarters when he was manned up he hardly got near it and had no influence at all on the game in those quarters. For a guy as talented as him he is currently an enormous underachiever.

[Scoop Junior 3,395]

Watts first game of the year when he played as a mid was the most complete and consistent I have seen him play. Does anyone actually understand why he has not played the same role at any other point of the year? In my eyes he is clearly not a forward, he is a playmaker off halfback or midfield. The whole way he plays changes and as do we forward and through the midfield because he makes things happen and not only makes effective and correct decisions but makes them quickly.

Agree that he is the player you want with the ball in his hands. Completely opens the game up for us offensively.

But I just cannot see him being a full time midfielder in his current guise as the most outside of outside footballers. You still need to win your own footy in the midfield and you need to be competitive one on one. I don't recall too many worse one-on-one footballers - he just doesn't win contests.

The position that suits him most is a playmaker across half back. But teams are not going to let him play loose and drop off and dictate play across half back. They will man him up and then I would really worry about balls being kicked to his opponent in a one-on-one contest inside our defensive 50m.

A deep forward role would also suit him as he could really expose defenders with his height and pace off the mark. But he doesn't attack the ball in the air hard enough for a leading forward.

He has the attributes to play one of those positions but he just doesn't get anywhere near enough output from his natural talent due to a number of factors which we all know too well.

[Deestar3 167]

Well jaded maybe when watts is in his prime Yze will be half the player jack is ??

[What 18,810]

Thinking of our wins this year and other close losses including today, when Watts plays well so does the team.

thats because he only plays well when the team is

When we are struggling and the chips are down he is invisible

[DeeSpencer 24,784]

Watts first game of the year when he played as a mid was the most complete and consistent I have seen him play. Does anyone actually understand why he has not played the same role at any other point of the year? In my eyes he is clearly not a forward, he is a playmaker off halfback or midfield. The whole way he plays changes and as do we forward and through the midfield because he makes things happen and not only makes effective and correct decisions but makes them quickly.

Because he put in an awful stint after that. For 4 or so weeks he was getting beaten by harder running mids, doing nothing from stoppages and struggling to get in to games.

Moving him forward let him play a simpler role of just leading at the ball and not being such a liability defensively.

I still think Watts is at his best off half back. But no coach will trust him at half back until he can win one on ones.

And we can't afford a loose man just for Watts. Because we often struggle to score at all playing against a loose man.

[Cheap Seats 3,310]

How long has Watts been in the system?? 6 yrs?

The sooner ppl realise he ain't Carey the better you will all feel. watts is not Ablett or Judd or J Brown - he is a tall quick skillfull player but no world beater (see Clinton Young)

Watts is weak as pi$$ but he uses the ball really well and set up a lot of our opportunities today... u need to take the good with the bad with Watts. He won't be a world beater but when he has the ball he generally uses it very well

[praha 11,124]

I think what the OP meant was, "Watts plays well when we do".

[daisycutter 29,341]

I think what the OP meant was, "Watts plays well when we do".

or maybe "Watts only plays well sometimes (but not often enough)"