I feel like Jack has epitomised the club throughout his career. Young and underprepared, tentative, unsure and now more hardened and smarter. As Melbourne supporters we identified with Jones more as a warrior amongst duds, be he was the exception, not the norm. We as a club and he as a player still have development left but are getting towards where we want to be. Always was a favourite but like many others I had lost a lot of faith. Interestingly, friends of mine who play in the league have always rated him, even through his poor form. They were adamant that he would become not only good but a star. Makes me a little excited to see how much further he can actually go. He has always been the smartest and most skilled player on our list, but now is able to use these weapons effectively.

He is such an important player going forward.

14 hours ago, WattsGawnOn said:

Gave Jack hell? Yeah I guess I did but I couldn't be prouder watching him evolve.

Thats being a fan. Apologies for not having your grace as a supporter..

WGO you are the only one who has said "congrats, but I gave you hell, I was wrong".  Kudos.

But IMO being a fan is supporting when a kid is on a learning curve and recognize that the path isn't easy and in Jack's case was particularly hard.  Being a "fan" is not giving someone hell when they aren't producing and praising them when they are.

Just a view and I'm not "hot", just making a point. 

Have always been a huge fan of Jack, but as of mid last year my faith that he would become a good player was wavering. Really enjoying his current form!

 

Another aspect of Jack that hasn't garnered much attention is his durability.  His mental resilience is apparent by virtue of what he's been through.  But physically, he's barely missed a game.  This makes him an even more valuable player to have on the list.  Long may it remain the case!

4 hours ago, Vogon Poetry said:

WGO you are the only one who has said "congrats, but I gave you hell, I was wrong".  Kudos.

But IMO being a fan is supporting when a kid is on a learning curve and recognize that the path isn't easy and in Jack's case was particularly hard.  Being a "fan" is not giving someone hell when they aren't producing and praising them when they are.

Just a view and I'm not "hot", just making a point. 

What a patronising post. Being a 'fan' can be defined in a number of different ways. I consider myself a fan of the Melbourne Football Club. I go to every Victorian based game and some interstate matches too. Every player on our list is not without reproach. To question or dismiss does not necessarily mean you are not a fan.

I stuck up for Watts for many years, but by the end of 2014/early 2015 I thought he was gone. I think most would have said his career was at the crossroads at the end of 2015. So are all those that questioned Jack during this time not 'fans'? Supporting a footy team is not simply about cheering every bloody thing. It's about having an opinion on something, rather than simply blindly following everything a club does.

25 minutes ago, AdamFphlebeb said:

What a patronising post. Being a 'fan' can be defined in a number of different ways. I consider myself a fan of the Melbourne Football Club. I go to every Victorian based game and some interstate matches too. Every player on our list is not without reproach. To question or dismiss does not necessarily mean you are not a fan.

I stuck up for Watts for many years, but by the end of 2014/early 2015 I thought he was gone. I think most would have said his career was at the crossroads at the end of 2015. So are all those that questioned Jack during this time not 'fans'? Supporting a footy team is not simply about cheering every bloody thing. It's about having an opinion on something, rather than simply blindly following everything a club does.

The actual quote VP responded to was " I was a critic. I gave the kid hell. "

36 minutes ago, AdamFphlebeb said:

What a patronising post. Being a 'fan' can be defined in a number of different ways. I consider myself a fan of the Melbourne Football Club. I go to every Victorian based game and some interstate matches too. Every player on our list is not without reproach. To question or dismiss does not necessarily mean you are not a fan.

I stuck up for Watts for many years, but by the end of 2014/early 2015 I thought he was gone. I think most would have said his career was at the crossroads at the end of 2015. So are all those that questioned Jack during this time not 'fans'? Supporting a footy team is not simply about cheering every bloody thing. It's about having an opinion on something, rather than simply blindly following everything a club does.

Being a fan enables posters to come on here to call players spuds, have them delisted/traded/shot, denigrate their playing ability etc etc is that what you mean?

1 minute ago, Satyriconhome said:

Being a fan enables posters to come on here to call players spuds, have them delisted/traded/shot, denigrate their playing ability etc etc is that what you mean?

 

That happens on every single club forum. In every single sport. All over the world.  You seem to think it is somehow unique to this forum.

10 minutes ago, Petraccattack said:

 

That happens on every single club forum. In every single sport. All over the world.  You seem to think it is somehow unique to this forum.

Nah, all forums, no matter what they discuss, are full of  heroes, who take potshots at everybody and everything from behind the safety of their keyboards, they irmpress me NOT, and I also know that if you have the temerity to actually not agree with the opinion, you become the target.....impressive

Edited July 13, 20169 yr by Satyriconhome

1 hour ago, AdamFphlebeb said:

What a patronising post. Being a 'fan' can be defined in a number of different ways. I consider myself a fan of the Melbourne Football Club. I go to every Victorian based game and some interstate matches too. Every player on our list is not without reproach. To question or dismiss does not necessarily mean you are not a fan.

I stuck up for Watts for many years, but by the end of 2014/early 2015 I thought he was gone. I think most would have said his career was at the crossroads at the end of 2015. So are all those that questioned Jack during this time not 'fans'? Supporting a footy team is not simply about cheering every bloody thing. It's about having an opinion on something, rather than simply blindly following everything a club does.

Does this mean that because you considered that Watts was gone, that everybody who didn't think this way was wrong, that is patronising

14 hours ago, monoccular said:

i recall mentioning several years ago that he always had the volts (potential) but needed the amps (momentum) to produce the Wattage (energy) that we wanted. W=V x A.  Now he has - a fantastic season and well done Jack.   

?

Surely ... it's more like ... his gravitas (gravity) has produced the potential for high energy performance, but inertia, in the form of friction, held him back, but having overcome that, we are now seeing a change in momentum producing high wattage output ...

Or to put it more simply,

 

1 hour ago, AdamFphlebeb said:

What a patronising post. Being a 'fan' can be defined in a number of different ways. I consider myself a fan of the Melbourne Football Club. I go to every Victorian based game and some interstate matches too. Every player on our list is not without reproach. To question or dismiss does not necessarily mean you are not a fan.

I stuck up for Watts for many years, but by the end of 2014/early 2015 I thought he was gone. I think most would have said his career was at the crossroads at the end of 2015. So are all those that questioned Jack during this time not 'fans'? Supporting a footy team is not simply about cheering every bloody thing. It's about having an opinion on something, rather than simply blindly following everything a club does.

There's nothing wrong with criticising players or thinking they're not good enough, but a vocal minority of Melbourne supporters at games used to actually take pleasure in Watts making mistakes. They actually like it when he stuffed up because it gave them an opportunity to vocalise their frustration at Melbourne's situation. It was incredibly ugly and toxic. To a lesser extent the baton has now handed on to the McDonalds and Dawes. It will fade away as we get better, but it was pretty bad. 

18 minutes ago, Satyriconhome said:

Does this mean that because you considered that Watts was gone, that everybody who didn't think this way was wrong, that is patronising

I believed that Watts needed to play with greater intensity.  I was not wrong and neither were his numerous coaches who would have given him this same feedback.

Just as I believe that he has become a very valuable footballer now that he has he has improved that part of his game and I am still not wrong.  In fact his coaches ability to identify those areas of Jacks game that needed work would have come from astute observation and response.

Observing and responding is part of being a football lover Stalinyrconhome. It is a good thing.

Edited July 13, 20169 yr by Guest

11 minutes ago, Ted Fidge said:

?

Surely ... it's more like ... his gravitas (gravity) has produced the potential for high energy performance, but inertia, in the form of friction, held him back, but having overcome that, we are now seeing a change in momentum producing high wattage output ...

Or to put it more simply,

 

Well, who would have thought? Go figure!

27 minutes ago, Ted Fidge said:

?

Surely ... it's more like ... his gravitas (gravity) has produced the potential for high energy performance, but inertia, in the form of friction, held him back, but having overcome that, we are now seeing a change in momentum producing high wattage output ...

Or to put it more simply,

 

I think there's a mistake in this formula. I don't think Peter Jes is his manager.

21 minutes ago, Ricky P said:

There's nothing wrong with criticising players or thinking they're not good enough, but a vocal minority of Melbourne supporters at games used to actually take pleasure in Watts making mistakes. They actually like it when he stuffed up because it gave them an opportunity to vocalise their frustration at Melbourne's situation. It was incredibly ugly and toxic. To a lesser extent the baton has now handed on to the McDonalds and Dawes. It will fade away as we get better, but it was pretty bad. 

Unfortunately there's been that at the club for as long as I can remember. I think just about every player has copped a defeatist serve like that at some stage. But some have been more "favoured" than others. Robbie is probably the only player who never has. Has always amazed me. If you're not going there to cheer on your own players, pus off and barrack for some other club.

6 minutes ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

I think there's a mistake in this formula. I don't think Peter Jes is his manager.

That's Jess Hogan. He's the common denominator at FF and has no limit.

34 minutes ago, Stretch Johnson said:

I believed that Watts needed to play with greater intensity.  I was not wrong and neither were his numerous coaches who would have given him this same feedback.

Just as I believe that he has become a very valuable footballer now that he has he has improved that part of his game and I am still not wrong.  In fact his coaches ability to identify those areas of Jacks game that needed work would have come from astute observation and response.

Observing and responding is part of being a football lover Stalinyrconhome. It is a good thing.

 

14 minutes ago, Ted Fidge said:

Unfortunately there's been that at the club for as long as I can remember. I think just about every player has copped a defeatist serve like that at some stage. But some have been more "favoured" than others. Robbie is probably the only player who never has. Has always amazed me. If you're not going there to cheer on your own players, pus off and barrack for some other club.

 

40 minutes ago, Ricky P said:

There's nothing wrong with criticising players or thinking they're not good enough, but a vocal minority of Melbourne supporters at games used to actually take pleasure in Watts making mistakes.

I agree with what Ted wrote, yes I get as frustrated as others at games, but I couldn't bring myself to boo, or name call etc etc to players

Unfortunately some supporters seem to be only able to enjoy footy with a gutful of beer, never understood why myself, this leads to some of the behaviours, the example of the West Coast supporter at the weekend, wonder what he would have done if Petrie had turned to face him

Also on here, there are some, who obviously need to criticise everybody and everything to actually make themselves feel better about themselves

I am surprised Jack Watts has actually stuck it out, to read some of the posts, and what he has had to endure in the press and over the fence in the last few years, I actually thought he was a mass murderer, or something similar,  it is just footy

Edited July 13, 20169 yr by Satyriconhome

On 7/13/2016 at 3:49 AM, monoccular said:

Abe - have you watched him recently?  Sure no manic headlong into every scrimmage type, but he has possibly won more contested ball and marks this year than in any two prior full seasons.  

Oh not disputing his improvement in this area has been nothing short of amazing, but he's still no Jack Viney, which is clearly pickets usual type

4 hours ago, AdamFphlebeb said:

To question or dismiss does not necessarily mean you are not a fan.

I took "giving him hell" to mean yelling abuse, jeering etc, not "question or dismiss".  Those who do are poor supporters at best.

4 hours ago, Ricky P said:

There's nothing wrong with criticising players or thinking they're not good enough, but a vocal minority of Melbourne supporters at games used to actually take pleasure in Watts making mistakes. They actually like it when he stuffed up because it gave them an opportunity to vocalise their frustration at Melbourne's situation. It was incredibly ugly and toxic. To a lesser extent the baton has now handed on to the McDonalds and Dawes. It will fade away as we get better, but it was pretty bad. 

I heard plenty of supporters questioning Watt's efforts over the years, many of which were half-hearted but can't say I heard supporters who took pleasure in him making mistakes. I thnk that's a generalisation.

1 hour ago, Nasher said:

I took "giving him hell" to mean yelling abuse, jeering etc, not "question or dismiss".  Those who do are poor supporters at best.

I agree. I take umbrage with the high and mighty spiel about this it means to be a 'fan'. To be a 'fan' means all sorts of things to different people. I don't agree with the yelling abuse or jeering though. If that's what 'giving him hell' meant, then I stand corrected.

Edited July 13, 20169 yr by AdamFphlebeb

many on this thread are...

no, don't be negative...

are...

just be positive, you don't have to comment at all, just...

absolute di#kheads.

couldn't help myself. 

I'm pretty proud of myself on this one. Like a few others here, I have been a huge Watts' fan for literally ages, through thick and thin. On balance, mainly thin. He was rated the first pick by the majority of clubs in 2008, despite the derision he has endured ever since.

I'm confident he will prove himself to be the number one pick from the talls in that draft. With Hurley second. And Nik Nat and Davis after that.

A whole stack of super handy mids such as Sloane, Hannebery, Hill, Hartlett, Rich, Sidebottom, Zaharakis, Motlop, Beams, Redden also came out of that draft. Can't help the observation that we absolutely stuffed up that draft. Except for Watts and Nev.

Sign up for 10 Jack.