Changes for Round 4

[PaulRB 5,897]

I have faith in Roos (and co) to turn Jack into a valuable and valued member of our team.

[CityDee 738]

Great to see Vince and Kent clear from mrp hoping they play with aggression again look out Cotchin and Martin

[The Song Formerly Known As 6,479]

Dazzle, If you read my post I quoted and bolded another post which I was directly responding to. I left out Hogan because he wasn't in the post I was responding to.

Hogan is/will be a far better contested mark that Watts.

Watts would be dropped if we had a better squad and a better player could be brought in, but we don't. Kudos for Roos for not cutting off his nose to spite his face, he's a wise coach.

If Jack hadn't dropped those two simple uncontested marks we'd not be having this rant and rave.

Considering Jesse is leading the LEAGUE in contested marks, i'd say that is really, really, [censored] obvious

1 Jesse Hogan Melbourne 10

2 Cale Hooker Essendon 9

3 Brian Lake Hawthorn 9

4 Josh Bruce St Kilda 8

5 Zachary Clarke 5

Edited April 20, 2015 by The Song Formerly Known As

[Biffen 12,298]

That's it !! Good old fashioned footy - then we all have a root and go home!

It's a pity you didn't get as many touches during the game.

[manny100 1,001]

As the team improves so will Jack Watts. He is creative and uses the ball well and will be a dangerous high forward as we get better delivery to the forwards and more inside 50's.

Geez, Hogan will be a gun!!!!! Extend his contract even further - now!!!!!

[rpfc 27,391]

Oddly enough, Watts immediately 'redeemed' his non-marking attempt by gathering the footy and having eyes in the back of his head to see Hogan streaming toward goal.

This is the conundrum of the situation - he is never going to take that grab, he is only going to be value in that situation if he brings it to ground and turns it into a battle of wits.

But we damn him for the 'way' he did his job, why do we continually do this when we know he wouldn't be able to do it any other way? I will remind people that contest led to a Watts goal assist.

[jumbo returns 6,484]

Cmon Jumbo, there was a cheap laugh in that

I'm taking the pi55 Al...all good.

[FarNorthernD 5,839]

Oddly enough, Watts immediately 'redeemed' his non-marking attempt by gathering the footy and having eyes in the back of his head to see Hogan streaming toward goal.

This is the conundrum of the situation - he is never going to take that grab, he is only going to be value in that situation if he brings it to ground and turns it into a battle of wits.

But we damn him for the 'way' he did his job, why do we continually do this when we know he wouldn't be able to do it any other way? I will remind people that contest led to a Watts goal assist.

Yes that is it.

One moment I find myself screaming obscenities at a 6'4" man with the physicality of a cotton wool ball. I vow in my head that he shall never regain my trust and that he should play for all eternity in the Fish Creek reserves

And the next he does something so clever you know only 1% of AFL players could have pulled it off

I'm still a fan and he will win games for us along the way but gosh you would have some severe reservations on him in a big final

[Undeeterred 2,816]

Yes that is it.

One moment I find myself screaming obscenities at a 6'4" man with the physicality of a cotton wool ball. I vow in my head that he shall never regain my trust and that he should play for all eternity in the Fish Creek reserves

And the next he does something so clever you know only 1% of AFL players could have pulled it off

I'm still a fan and he will win games for us along the way but gosh you would have some severe reservations on him in a big final

Maybe. But he's also one of the players in the league I'd back to kick a winning goal from the boundary line (like, eg, the sealer against GC in Round 1)

[DeeSpencer 23,058]

Oddly enough, Watts immediately 'redeemed' his non-marking attempt by gathering the footy and having eyes in the back of his head to see Hogan streaming toward goal.

This is the conundrum of the situation - he is never going to take that grab, he is only going to be value in that situation if he brings it to ground and turns it into a battle of wits.

But we damn him for the 'way' he did his job, why do we continually do this when we know he wouldn't be able to do it any other way? I will remind people that contest led to a Watts goal assist.

Come on. He didn't plan that. And if he did it's incredibly lucky to have worked. You can't go half assed up at the ball and hope it clears the pack and drops in you lap.

Why can't he take that mark? He's 6'4 and 90 odd kgs. It might not be a strong part of his game but he has to attack the ball in the air like any other player and even more so after he's dropped a couple of sitters.

He attacked a few balls in the air v GWS and dropped a few. I think it ruined his confidence. But he has to be mentally strong and keep doing it. He's not so quick or skilled as to not be able to take a grab.

Publicly Roos has reached for the carrot, but I really hope privately he's gone for the stick. We can't keep waiting for AFL intensity. It should be a starting point for any player getting a game.

[olisik 4,060]

Watts is halfway through his career this year. It's his 7th year. Trade him if he doesn't get intensity by seasons end before he becomes a free agent

[Je Roos Salem 661]

I have faith in Roos (and co) to turn Jack into a valuable and valued member of our team.

I have faith that Watts won't play poorly two weeks in a row, which will help if we clear out the 50 and let him play in his best position

[Ethan Tremblay 28,289]

Why is Pedersen sometimes being posted inside [ ]?

[P-man 13,154]

Both Dunsatll and Brown singled Watts out on On The Couch tonight.

Dunstall's word was "soft", noting that it wasn't a word that he likes to drag out often.

Brown said that he could learn a thing or two off Jesse Hogan. A three game player.

Do these two men also not know what they're talking about? Are they also just big meanies out to get Jack Watts?

This goes far beyond two dropped marks. They showed footage of his efforts to compete throughout and they were even more damning on a second viewing.

It's great that Roos is showing faith in him. He deserves another chance to make good. It doesn't warrant a "neener neener Watts is playing all you h8ers" response. Grow up. We all want to see Watts reach his potential. But even Roos himself stated that it is about how the player responds. Jack has his opportunity to respond.

Edited April 20, 2015 by P-man

[CBDees 3,162]

Oddly enough, Watts immediately 'redeemed' his non-marking attempt by gathering the footy and having eyes in the back of his head to see Hogan streaming toward goal.

This is the conundrum of the situation - he is never going to take that grab, he is only going to be value in that situation if he brings it to ground and turns it into a battle of wits.

But we damn him for the 'way' he did his job, why do we continually do this when we know he wouldn't be able to do it any other way? I will remind people that contest led to a Watts goal assist.

In the snippets of the game I saw, Watts was responsible for at least three goal assists, including Newton's first goal and (correct me if I am wrong) both of Hogan's goals.

[Nasher 33,047]

Why is Pedersen sometimes being posted inside [ ]?

Now that you mention it, when was the last time you saw it spelt with an 'o' in it?

[Dr John Dee 1,057]

Now that you mention it, when was the last time you saw it spelt with an 'o' in it?

Can you do the same with [Lumumba]?

[Lucifers Hero 36,983]

Roos on Watts:

Roos revealed that Watts had fronted up to his teammates following his display, but said he believes the former No.1 draft pick will learn from his errors.

“Anyone who has played footy has done this,” Roos said of Watts’ mistakes.

“Now you’re looking for a response. I’m looking forward to how he responds to it this week.

“Jack put his hand up today and said ‘look it wasn’t great and I’m not happy with it’, but absolutely, he will play this week.”

It takes courage, maybe not the 'macho' type, to front your teammates and fess up. Its the type of courage that earns respect and may well be the making of the man.

Roos' leadership is exceptional. He stood by his team after the GWS collapse. Says he is proud of his team after the crows game. Doesn't excuse Jack but is unequivocal in his belief of him. This is the stuff that builds belief in the players heads. Roos must have realised last year that the mental demons were very deep. No knee-jerk reactions from Roos and he seems ready to risk a few losses if the reward is players having confidence and belief in themselves and each other,

What we are seeing is Roos' rebuilding their mental psyche. Its awesome to witness. When their belief finally clicks in each of their minds we will have an awesome team. Expect Jack Watts to be part of it fully equipped with the addition of a bit more 'macho' courage.

Edited April 20, 2015 by Lucifer's Hero

[Good Times Grimes 2,396]

The Tigers are one of the teams that Watts seems to consistently perform well against (at least from memory). Hopefully he can redeem himself this week and help us continue our recent (relative) domination over the Toiges.

[Mad_Melbourne 872]

Both Dunsatll and Brown singled Watts out on On The Couch tonight.

Dunstall's word was "soft", noting that it wasn't a word that he likes to drag out often.

Brown said that he could learn a thing or two off Jesse Hogan. A three game player.

Do these two men also not know what they're talking about? Are they also just big meanies out to get Jack Watts?

Wayne Carey defended Watts as well, so i guess that doesn't count for anything?

Jack Watts could learn a few things from Jesse Hogan, but Jesse Hogan could surely learn a few things of Jack too.

At the end of the day, most of this forum don't like Watts because he is not what they expected to get out of a number 1 draft pick who was destined to be the key forward we desperately needed. Now that we have another key position forward let him paly the high half forward role and let his work rate, decision making and use of football be what defines him rather than his ability to clunk contested marks and crash packs.

At the end of the day Jack Watts is by far our best decision maker, ball user and has something that not many people on our list have and that is time with the ball in hand. He will have played 100 games soon and will end up being a 200 game player for the club, whilst he will never be a key forward he will be pivotal in our future success, due to his assets that very few players actually have.

[jumbo returns 6,484]

Both Dunsatll and Brown singled Watts out on On The Couch tonight.

Dunstall's word was "soft", noting that it wasn't a word that he likes to drag out often.

Brown said that he could learn a thing or two off Jesse Hogan. A three game player.

Do these two men also not know what they're talking about? Are they also just big meanies out to get Jack Watts?

This goes far beyond two dropped marks. They showed footage of his efforts to compete throughout and they were even more damning on a second viewing.

It's great that Roos is showing faith in him. He deserves another chance to make good. It doesn't warrant a "neener neener Watts is playing all you h8ers" response. Grow up. We all want to see Watts reach his potential. But even Roos himself stated that it is about how the player responds. Jack has his opportunity to respond.

That's really unnecessary commentary, especially coming from a player who rode on Dermott's shirt tail all his career.

OTC is just another footy media outlet, hellbent on headline grabbing.

[old dee 22,810]

That's really unnecessary commentary, especially coming from a player who rode on Dermott's shirt tail all his career.

OTC is just another footy media outlet, hellbent on headline grabbing.

Is there another sort jr?

[rpfc 27,391]

Come on. He didn't plan that. And if he did it's incredibly lucky to have worked. You can't go half assed up at the ball and hope it clears the pack and drops in you lap.

Why can't he take that mark? He's 6'4 and 90 odd kgs. It might not be a strong part of his game but he has to attack the ball in the air like any other player and even more so after he's dropped a couple of sitters.

He attacked a few balls in the air v GWS and dropped a few. I think it ruined his confidence. But he has to be mentally strong and keep doing it. He's not so quick or skilled as to not be able to take a grab.

Publicly Roos has reached for the carrot, but I really hope privately he's gone for the stick. We can't keep waiting for AFL intensity. It should be a starting point for any player getting a game.

Yes, he did. You don't react that quickly unless you know what you are trying to do.

I have seen players in my own team know that they cannot 'win' a contest through a mark so they leave their body in, attempt to keep their feet and react quicker to effect the situation in their own way. I would have done the traditional attempt - smash in, and hope I don't get injured, give away a free and that my teammates are close by.

Watts is soft. Why haven't we gotten our heads around this?

We know this. Roos knows this and yet he still plays, and he still plays because footy allows all different types of players on that field and the way we continually expect more than we know Watts can deliver is a form of madness. Good footy teams have a balance of all different types of players and skill sets and Watts has AFL level ability with his skills, vision, forward IQ, and aerobic running ability.

And again, we are not talking about hypotheticals here - his 'soft display' led to a Hogan goal. He knew exactly what he was doing, which I think is what is so infuriating for some of us.

[Mad_Melbourne 872]

Yes, he did. You don't react that quickly unless you know what you are trying to do.

I have seen players in my own team know that they cannot 'win' a contest through a mark so they leave their body in, attempt to keep their feet and react quicker to effect the situation in their own way. I would have done the traditional attempt - smash in, and hope I don't get injured, give away a free and that my teammates are close by.

And again, we are not talking about hypotheticals here - his 'soft display' led to a Hogan goal. He knew exactly what he was doing, which I think is what is so infuriating for some of us.

I agree that he knew what he was doing, he protected the space where the ball was going to land incredibly well and the real reason his body moved was because of the Talia contact.

He did not actually get to have a proper run up at the football due to him moving away from the football initially and he only got 4 steps to launch into the contest. Is he going to crash the pack there, no, but what he did exceptionally was protect the area for the ball drop and this meant he was going to be first to react to whatver happened.

With your coaches hat on, was that not the right decision, not only did he protect the space but he broke even on a high kick into forward 50 with two defenders coming forward and was able to keep his feet, win the football and have a goal assist?

[rpfc 27,391]

I agree that he knew what he was doing, he protected the space where the ball was going to land incredibly well and the real reason his body moved was because of the Talia contact.

He did not actually get to have a proper run up at the football due to him moving away from the football initially and he only got 4 steps to launch into the contest. Is he going to crash the pack there, no, but what he did exceptionally was protect the area for the ball drop and this meant he was going to be first to react to whatver happened.

With your coaches hat on, was that not the right decision, not only did he protect the space but he broke even on a high kick into forward 50 with two defenders coming forward and was able to keep his feet, win the football and have a goal assist?

Yes, it was the right decision - because it worked.

Aussie Rules is an amazing sport that allows all kinds of different people with different skillsets and different characteristics and talents succeed in various ways.