Moved on from worrying/caring about Jack's development. The foci has been placed on other, newer players who have shown a lot more potential and development than Jack ever has, which says a lot.

if he comes on, great. If he doesn't, I would no longer be disappointed as I feel the newer crop of kids far outweigh the talent Jack may provide.

Very likeable guy whose faults are not character flaws but traits of temperament. He genuinely loves the club and wants to succeed and I still feel he can be an important part of our future especially with more grunt players around him. 

How good would it be if the coming of Jack Watts coincides with the Melbourne Football Club impacting Finals.

I've stuck up for him every until last year. Last year was an epic fail for him in terms of his inconsistency- 7 year of inconsistency and he was still getting dropped to Casey.

Without knowing the facts, I reckon he was shipped around in Sep/Oct but no club would offer anything decent for him.

I've given up hope on a break out season, and believe that 2016 will be his last at MFC.

16 minutes ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

 

I've given up hope on a break out season, and believe that 2016 will be his last at MFC.

I hope that 2016 will be his best season. He is our best kick for goal and best goal assist. With better players around him, he could become a very handy player for us, especially as the 3rd or 4th tall in the forward line. His mobility could be a big asset.

I try to stop caring so much about Watts but the reality is there are so many factors that mean he'll never be treated like any other player.

• Number 1 pick
• Incredibly likeable team mate and club man
• Does things that other players can't and doesn't do things that most players can and are expected to do
• Cops it in the media

The strangest thing now is that he's one of the more senior players and still one of the most recognisable players at the club. I'll always try to judge him by current form and on that he had a slow start and end to the year surrounding a pretty decent patch of form in the middle where he looked like a genuine AFL footballer for probably the longest stretch of his career. 

My hope is the club treats him as just another player and if that means dropping him he's dropped instead of being afraid of the public fall out. For too long I think we tried to stop bad press about him by not dropping him and instead shuffling his position. By now we surely know he's a half forward flanker who can rotate on to a wing for stints and that's about it. He's not going to play down back, he's not playing on the ball, in the ruck, key forward or as a crumber. If he's best 22 to pick him, if he's not then give him the chance to go back to Casey and work on his game like any normal player.

In some ways he's a bit like Shaun Marsh. Maybe the solution is playing against the Windies! But otherwise we've got to try and treat him like any other player and drop him and pick him and position him without fear of failure.

12 hours ago, DSP said:

Shopped around but no takers this year.

Where does this come from? Yes, it was made clear that we were willing to listen to all offers during trade week. No, Watts didn't get traded. That doesn't necessarily mean that no one was interested in him. It means that the offers weren't good enough.

2 hours ago, Good Times Grimes said:

Where does this come from? Yes, it was made clear that we were willing to listen to all offers during trade week. No, Watts didn't get traded. That doesn't necessarily mean that no one was interested in him. It means that the offers weren't good enough.

In the absence of facts, conjecture is a pretty handy back up.

2 hours ago, Good Times Grimes said:

Where does this come from? Yes, it was made clear that we were willing to listen to all offers during trade week. No, Watts didn't get traded. That doesn't necessarily mean that no one was interested in him. It means that the offers weren't good enough.

Mahoney was interviewed every day during the trade period and was nearly always asked about Watts and he stated on numerous occasions that "Jack's name hasn't been brought up by clubs".

It was clear there was no interest.  Which is hardly surprising.

7 minutes ago, ProDee said:

Mahoney was interviewed every day during the trade period and was nearly always asked about Watts and he stated on numerous occasions that "Jack's name hasn't been brought up by clubs".

It was clear there was no interest.  Which is hardly surprising.

Quote

Connors said Watts, contracted until the end of the 2016 season, wanted to remain loyal to the club that drafted him with the first pick in the 2008 draft, but indicated the Demons were exploring their options.

“He’s so loyal. I think he desperately wants to be at Melbourne. I think he’ll be there, (but trade) month is a funny time,” Connors said.

“I expect Jack Watts to be playing for the Melbourne footy club, but funny things happen.

“They might (explore the market for him), but I’m comfortable with that, because if they can get a first-round pick for Jack Watts the Melbourne footy club, again, has to do what’s best for the Melbourne footy club.

“But again, the player has a right to say no and yes.”

Based on the quote from his manager, it seems the club's asking price for him was a first rounder. Other clubs may not see him as being worthy of a first rounder, but if they knew we weren't going to give him up for anything less, then they probably felt their time and efforts were better focussed elsewhere. 

I'm willing to bet that if Watts does leave the Dees at the end of the season (which I think is likely), he will sign with another AFL club. I highly doubt that this season will be his last in the AFL, like many on here are suggesting. 

16 minutes ago, ProDee said:

Mahoney was interviewed every day during the trade period and was nearly always asked about Watts and he stated on numerous occasions that "Jack's name hasn't been brought up by clubs".

It was clear there was no interest.  Which is hardly surprising.

Wrong the only thing that was clear was offers that had there was no point Mahoney saying anything in relation to Watts unless they knew the deal was going to get done due to the media sh!tstorm it would create.

People can interpret whichever way they want but the clubs asking price and value of Watts was a contributing factor to this but also the fact that realistically he played 20 gamesand the club want him to stay and he wants to stay. Players who wanted to leave have left, and players the club didnt want have not signed on, understandable that he was contracted but surely if all parties were happy the deal would have been done and without having a 90% of him going there was no reason to put more media attention on the most heavily scrutinised player in the AFL.

2 hours ago, Mad_Melbourne said:

Wrong the only thing that was clear was offers that had there was no point Mahoney saying anything in relation to Watts unless they knew the deal was going to get done due to the media sh!tstorm it would create.

People can interpret whichever way they want but the clubs asking price and value of Watts was a contributing factor to this but also the fact that realistically he played 20 gamesand the club want him to stay and he wants to stay. Players who wanted to leave have left, and players the club didnt want have not signed on, understandable that he was contracted but surely if all parties were happy the deal would have been done and without having a 90% of him going there was no reason to put more media attention on the most heavily scrutinised player in the AFL.

Clubs are pretty transparent these days and if there was any significant interest in Watts he would have said, "we're talking to a couple of clubs about Jack, but at this stage we expect him to remain a Demon unless something unforeseen transpires".

There was no interest in Watts.  And it is quite possible there was no interest due to Melbourne's price tag.

 

6 minutes ago, ProDee said:

Clubs are pretty transparent these days and if there was any significant interest in Watts he would have said, "were' talking to a couple of clubs about Jack, but at this stage we expect him to remain a Demon unless something unforeseen transpires".

There was no interest in Watts.  And it is quite possible there was no interest due to Melbourne's price tag.

 

What? Is this a serious post? Do you honestly think clubs would say something like that? "Oh we're offering him up so we'll see what happens"... What rubbish. Football management 101 would say you never disenfranchise a player like that, and Mahoney has shown himself to be pretty capable so far.

It's amazing how those with a Watts bias either way can just state whatever they want and then use "facts" to "back it up".

Demonland Stats Guys

6 minutes ago, ProDee said:

Clubs are pretty transparent these days and if there was any significant interest in Watts he would have said, "were' talking to a couple of clubs about Jack, but at this stage we expect him to remain a Demon unless something unforeseen transpires".

There was no interest in Watts.  And it is quite possible there was no interest due to Melbourne's price tag.

 

whilst I am not in the know so I can not with any confidence say they were or were not, i still maintain unless they were completely certain of a trade going down, there is no reason they would say something like this especially in regards to a player who is so heavily scrutinised in the media as Jack is.

 

Imagine next year, "Melbourne tried to trade Jack Watts" "Club lacks confidence in number 1 pick"
headlines a plenty if that was the case

11 hours ago, 1 red eye 1 blue eye said:

How good would it be if the coming of Jack Watts coincides with the Melbourne Football Club impacting Finals.

Will never happen. 

39 minutes ago, Mad_Melbourne said:

Wrong the only thing that was clear was offers that had there was no point Mahoney saying anything in relation to Watts unless they knew the deal was going to get done due to the media sh!tstorm it would create.

People can interpret whichever way they want but the clubs asking price and value of Watts was a contributing factor to this but also the fact that realistically he played 20 gamesand the club want him to stay and he wants to stay. Players who wanted to leave have left, and players the club didnt want have not signed on, understandable that he was contracted but surely if all parties were happy the deal would have been done and without having a 90% of him going there was no reason to put more media attention on the most heavily scrutinised player in the AFL.

Watts was off to Carlton before Roos signed. Let's cut the crap, for the last time Watts is in the top two users of the footy and has a great footy brain, so an extension of that is people can stop blaming Bailey/Neeld. Roos backed himself to turn around the one thing missing from Watts game, his attack on the footy/ball carrier. Roos along with the rest of the football world now know it's an aspect of his game that will never change. As for the asking price, like in any negotiations you always ask for more than you realistically expect, so no one even offered a second round pick. Watts is never going to impact a final. Let him go at years end and we all move on. We got this one wrong.

27 minutes ago, Mad_Melbourne said:

whilst I am not in the know so I can not with any confidence say they were or were not, i still maintain unless they were completely certain of a trade going down, there is no reason they would say something like this especially in regards to a player who is so heavily scrutinised in the media as Jack is.

 

Imagine next year, "Melbourne tried to trade Jack Watts" "Club lacks confidence in number 1 pick"
headlines a plenty if that was the case

Spot on.

And don't let not being in the know stop you from stating facts about Watts being traded, it certainly hasn't stopped anyone else!

 

41 minutes ago, Bombay Airconditioning said:

 Let him go at years end and we all move on. We got this one wrong.

This is the one thing im confused about, just going off last year as that is all of the available information we have, he still played 20 games, with a pretty decent patch of form.

Next year in terms of delisting, Jones and Terlich will almost be montys, Hunt, Spencer, Pederson,  JKH, Newton, (kills me to say it) Trengove, Grimes are all probably on the chopping block ahead of him and that is just saying he battles this year and plays 10-15 games putting him in the delisting category. if he plays 15+ keeping him as a depth option at very worst seems to be the right choice and keeping players who want to play for the club is list management 101. If, which i think he will, he can play 15+ games i think he will re-sign with the Dees, but the call could be made early-mid this year in my opinion.

The biggest problem Watts has had to face in his career is the constant position move every year. He has never been able to settle in one position.. As guys on here who have played a bit of footy would probably know it can seriously get frustrating if your always getting moved around.

I know Watts has the smarts and skills to play as a tall wingman but the club needs to put a stop to it because it hasn't worked.. Play him in the position we drafted him for and thats up forward.

With a bigger and fitter Jesse Hogan along with the bigger bodies Dawes/Pedersen and Petracca plus a resting Max Gawn aswell there is no reason why Watts can't play as that 4th half forward that could just float in and out and become a dangerous option.

 

Ball is in his court though for 2016.

1 hour ago, ProDee said:

Clubs are pretty transparent these days and if there was any significant interest in Watts he would have said, "were' talking to a couple of clubs about Jack, but at this stage we expect him to remain a Demon unless something unforeseen transpires".

There was no interest in Watts.  And it is quite possible there was no interest due to Melbourne's price tag.

 

Post of the year.

'Clubs are pretty transparent these days.....' Really?

Have a nice Chrissy, PD.

56 minutes ago, Bombay Airconditioning said:

 As for the asking price, like in any negotiations you always ask for more than you realistically expect, so no one even offered a second round pick. 

A couple of my most influential mentors always taught me, "If you haven't anything nice to say, say nothing at all." 

Does it really matter that much about Jack with all these thousands of posts of hand wringing? He is much talked about because he is a no.1 pick that arguably has or hasn't lived up to expectations. He's a bloke who was unfortunately tagged a great hope for our club very early on - rightly or wrongly. At a club that was deprived of strong leadership on and off the field in his introduction to AFL football. One which arguably was neglectful or lacking in development. 

The strengthening of the list is now evident, let's see how he goes among a stronger list. Instead of the go-to man we probably all envisaged back in '09, he may be a versatile go-to man for the coach that will be looking for "check-mate" in games to get a positional advantage and help win us games.

He creates interest because he has value we want to extract, and he has lasted this far. As frustrating as it has been for clearly many, Jack's journey in AFL football is not finished and one we all follow with great interest. 

Whether he was or wasn't put on the table in October is now irrelevant for 2016. He is well liked among the playing list and the coaching group indeed see his value. 

When he's within 45-50m of goal with the ball in his hands, there's not many on the list you'd want lining up for goal, confident of slotting the goal to seal a finals win. Watts would be one.

 

Who cares if he was offered up for trade, i'm sure a bunch of players were bought up during trade week, but Jack is still on our list so fingers crossed for a strong 2016

8 minutes ago, H_T said:

A couple of my most influential mentors always taught me, "If you haven't anything nice to say, say nothing at all." 

Does it really matter that much about Jack with all these thousands of posts of hand wringing? He is much talked about because he is a no.1 pick that arguably has or hasn't lived up to expectations. He's a bloke who was unfortunately tagged a great hope for our club very early on - rightly or wrongly. At a club that was deprived of strong leadership on and off the field in his introduction to AFL football. One which arguably was neglectful or lacking in development. 

The strengthening of the list is now evident, let's see how he goes among a stronger list. Instead of the go-to man we probably all envisaged back in '09, he may be a versatile go-to man for the coach that will be looking for "check-mate" in games to get a positional advantage and help win us games.

He creates interest because he has value we want to extract, and he has lasted this far. As frustrating as it has been for clearly many, Jack's journey in AFL football is not finished and one we all follow with great interest. 

Whether he was or wasn't put on the table in October is now irrelevant for 2016. He is well liked among the playing list and the coaching group indeed see his value. 

When he's within 45-50m of goal with the ball in his hands, there's not many on the list you'd want lining up for goal, confident of slotting the goal to seal a finals win. Watts would be one.

 

No offence but your mentors got it wrong. 

I was always told tell the truth, sometimes people won't like what they hear, but if they are true to themselves they will respect you for it. 

 

20 games this year for 10 goals. Yet so many want it in his hands and declare him a dead eye.

If he comes good, forget about Jarrah being the biggest comeback ever.