Being discussed at length on the Match Preview forum and figured it deserved its own thread.

Why has Jack been dropped? Is a unforeseen trade coming with a year to go on his contract? What would we get in return? Keep or trade?

I have no idea why to be honest but I definitely felt he had done enough to keep it.

Post your theories.

Just said on fox that Watts is a restricted free agent at the end of next season when his contract is up and the Roos has said previously that he would look at trading RFA a year before their contract expired if he thought they were off at the end of their contract.

Interesting that they brought that up.

Personally I couldn't c Watts wanting to leave.

Really not sure what to make of this.

One thing is for sure and that is there are no more leaks from within the MFC.

Definitely weird on face value. Hopefully Jack has a niggle that the coach staff see as not worth testing this week.

Hardly think they'd put in the hard work to finally see him producing some good results, to trade him straight away.

Hmm big turnover awaits

Will Jack play another game for MFC...

Said it earlier, will say it again, lynch (crows), vickery, day, dixon all have more currency than watts. Open your eyes people and be unbiased...

Said it earlier, will say it again, lynch (crows), vickery, day, dixon all have more currency than watts. Open your eyes people and be unbiased...

Seriously? The bloke is useless. Jack is no world beater but jeez he's done more than Day.

He has improved this year to being the equivalent of a 10-20 pick.
I view this holistically however.
I did tend to focus overly on Jack as someone who needed to be traded.
I now include a lot of other blokes in that category as well. There are at least 3 others from that 'next football superpower' team of 2010-2011 that need to find new homes as sadly, they will never be the players we need them to be. Sad to say that Jack is amongst their number.

Clearly Jack is an A grade superstar in the waiting guys!!!

He is a number 1 draft pick who has been in the AFL system for 7 years now and returned 7 brownlow votes. He has only been dropped twice this year, thats common for #1 picks isnt it???

Lets hope brayshaw and petracca are as good and deliver the same output.. We are in safe hands if so.

Face facts everyone. He is a slightly more skilful morton with less tank and same lack of agression.

He has improved this year to being the equivalent of a 10-20 pick.

I view this holistically however.

I did tend to focus overly on Jack as someone who needed to be traded.

I now include a lot of other blokes in that category as well. There are at least 3 others from that 'next football superpower' team of 2010-2011 that need to find new homes as sadly, they will never be the players we need them to be. Sad to say that Jack is amongst their number.

10-20. Haha. Deliusional. Even in this years weak draft

10-20. Haha. Deliusional. Even in this years weak draft

I was more talking about the cohort he was in e.g. if you were back in 2008 and knew how well he was going to turn out, you might use a pick from 10 (if you were very generous) to 20 (if you were being more realistic). If one was talking about trading him for a draft pick in this draft, you would say 20-30 as the facts are that the ceiling on those kids is higher.

Seriously? The bloke is useless. Jack is no world beater but jeez he's done more than Day.

Agreed he has done more, however i know there is more interest and currency in day than watts atm in recruiting circles. Sad but true

I was more talking about the cohort he was in e.g. if you were back in 2008 and knew how well he was going to turn out, you might use a pick from 10 (if you were very generous) to 20 (if you were being more realistic). If one was talking about trading him for a draft pick in this draft, you would say 20-30 as the facts are that the ceiling on those kids is higher.

Yeah i concur. Aaron Black and Watts are almost on par in freo's sights. Black has his nose in front... thats all

I think the big fish lurking in nearby waters this week could very well have factored into the club's decision to trade Jack. Package him with our pick 6 and it might be enough to get the job done for Bennell or O'Meara or Prestia or *insert A grade mid here*.

We could see Garland, Howe, Watts and Cross go this off season.

I feel like this mattjm character who has signed on to demonland is either a jilted lover of Watts' or is actually one of other demons having a lend.

Or possibly Jack himself experiencing episodic dissociative fuges.

It is possible that Watts will be traded, possible he will leave under free agency next year, and possible that he will be a one-club player with 100 games left in the red and blue.

It is possible that he will be put in a box with an unpredictably decaying radioactive isotope.

We wont know until after the lid is opened.

There are a hell of a lot of players in Sundays side that don't play as well as Watts. It's a bit strange.

He's just getting an early end to his season. Nothing more to see here.

Maybe he dropped himself again?

A lot of players had reviews this week so I imagine many were informed of where they're at.

If Jack is being put up for trade I can imagine it hitting him hard, thus being emotionally unable to play. Just look at how Geelong played last week after many of their players were told to move on.

If gone, smart move by the club.

Conspiracy theories will abound over the coming weeks that Jack Watts may well be put up for trade. However to me it seems a little strange to drop him for the last game if trying to maintain his trade value. Jeremy Howe could similarly have been dropped several times for indifferent form during the season but wasn't. Again theories on keeping up Howe's trade worth were touted as reasons for not doing so if he chose to leave - or the club wished to move him on. My theory on Howe was that they were keen to get him to 100 games in case a spring-heeled baby with a great work ethic came along and we could take him as a father-son!

My theory on the dropping of Watts is that while his form has been better in the second half of the season, he still has some work to do over the summer and the clear message is for him to not get too comfortable in his own skin. McCartney and Goodwin have put alot of work into him in terms of improving his competitiveness and the results were starting to show. He is such a great decision maker and user of the ball, I would be disappointed to let go what the team has been crying out for in that regard.

This may also send the same message to the rest of the playing group that there is still much to be done and everyone needs to improve. If Jack was sick or sore for this week's game, I think he would have been listed as such.

His eligibility for free agency next year and Roos' views on potentially trading away a year before only adds intrigue to the situation. I hope he stays.

Watts is like any other player, he will be traded if the price is right.

People.. Clearly He wants to win a flag at Casey!!

If Roos wanted him out he's still be playing this week.

If Jack told Roos he's out he wouldn't be playing this week.

Maybe it's a just clever Roos (sic)? Maybe it's no coincidence that each of the extended interchange are midfielders? Expect N. Jones to be a late withdrawal and Watts to line up in his regular position!

Same as dawes, allows his opponent to mark too easily, turns what should be a 50/50 ball in the forward 50 into a rebound and potentially two goal turnaround.

Hogan is the only one who consistently either marks or brings it to ground