I haven't heard much about if Casey are having some practice games at the moment.  I mean, what, if any, opportunity are Jack and all the other players missing out on JLT games getting to prepare and prove themselves for the season?

On 23 February 2017 at 2:58 PM, AzzKikA said:

This sums this thread up for me perfectly.

Sums up my life.

6 minutes ago, S_T said:

I haven't heard much about if Casey are having some practice games at the moment.  I mean, what, if any, opportunity are Jack and all the other players missing out on JLT games getting to prepare and prove themselves for the season?

Last week every player on the list who was capable and not in squad for Bulldogs game was put through a gruelling training session on the Saturday morning, Goody wants to see training track atitude as well

 

4 hours ago, Macca said:

To me Watts is just another footballer on the list ... I never had the same expectations of Jack because I don't believe in the draft like many choose to do.  He's just not that good a player nor is he a failure either.

Judging a player according to his draft pick number is a no win situation for a top end pick ... he's supposed to be 'great' and if he isn't, there's hell to pay.

Jack was a 16/17 year old 'prospect' playing schoolboy footy when the no.1 pick was bestowed on him ... and we did that, not Jack himself.  He just joins a long long list of top end end draft picks who didn't turn out to be champion footballers. 

The issue is the system itself.

 

 

The way we used to treat our early draft picks was a disgrace.  Put them in jumpers made famous by Norm Smith, Robbie Flower, or Ron Barassi.  Drag them straight down to the MCG Long Room for a full media photo shoot.  Before they had even been to a training session, let alone played a game.  I hated seeing it, year after year.

And here I was thinking the days of the 20 page Jack Watts threads were all over......

Good luck and get back Wattsy! Better than ever hopefully!

1 hour ago, Nasher said:

Do you really not understand that? Whether he realises it or intends it (or thinking everyone else is a simple nuffie for thinking it), he gives off the impression that he can't wait for an opportunity to bag Watts. 

Pretty sure he loves the banter anyway.

An understandable impression.

I actually really really want Watts to succeed, but it's fair to say he's frustrated me his whole career.  I knew he could play far better than what he dished out in his first 7 years and could never understand why so many supporters set the bar so low for him.  This site is riddled with Watts apologists.  As improved as it was, 2016 was a minimum requirement from my perspective, as he can still be so much better.

I have zero respect for Watts' talent.  He did nothing to earn it.  He was lucky enough to be born with it.  It's what you do with your talent that's important.  Nick Riewoldt was born with talent too, but he's made the most of it with an incredible work ethic.

Some get it though.  Binman gets it.  He and I have differed for years on Watts, but he acknowledges that the story is Watts, it's not Goodwin, or what the club is divulging or not divulging.  The story is a player entering his 9th year who seemingly is too satisfied on the back of one good year.  But we have supporters here potting Goodwin and the club, instead of the player who's letting himself, his teammates and coaches down.

45 minutes ago, S_T said:

 

The way we used to treat our early draft picks was a disgrace.  Put them in jumpers made famous by Norm Smith, Robbie Flower, or Ron Barassi.  Drag them straight down to the MCG Long Room for a full media photo shoot.  Before they had even been to a training session, let alone played a game.  I hated seeing it, year after year.

Those days are long gone ... the media are making this a story and the club is playing a straight bat. 

Watts is being treated like any other player on the list. 

Apparently he spoke to channel 9 today so we can hear it from the horse's mouth later today in the news (albeit in restricted mfc media approved language)

3 minutes ago, demon9 said:

Apparently he spoke to channel 9 today so we can hear it from the horse's mouth later today in the news (albeit in restricted mfc media approved language)

the old war horse or the young colt?

2 hours ago, Fifty-5 said:

I've located him:

https://www.facebook.com/NFL/videos/10154870830011263/

I can see how you could confuse them. Very similar builds

My circle of mates use a term of 'Block-heads' when it comes to footy players.  

The term is self explanatory but players like Libba,  Tony Shaw,  Joel Selwood and the like fit the bill.  

Jack Viney is another.  Even Nick Rewoldt is. 

And there are a stack of players who aren't block heads  but are still AFL level players to varying degrees.

Watts is not a block-head ... if he was, he'd be a better player. 

 

 

The bar has been set high and JW is having to break new ground to meet it

The rest is all media BS

I can't understand how anyone could see this as anything but a worthwhile story.

A player finished 5th in the B&F one year and is overlooked for selection for the first 2 practice games for not meeting certain criteria 6 months later.  Jack Watts nothing.  It's disappointing for the player and club involved, whoever they are.  

23 minutes ago, Macca said:

My circle of mates use a term of 'Block-heads' when it comes to footy players.  

The term is self explanatory but players like Libba,  Tony Shaw,  Joel Selwood and the like fit the bill.  

Jack Viney is another.  Even Nick Rewoldt is. 

And there are a stack of players who aren't block heads  but are still AFL level players to varying degrees.

Watts is not a block-head ... if he was, he'd be a better player. 

 

 

I'm not sure you can say the term "block-head" is self explanatory when in the whole history of the English language it's never been used in any way other than as a derogatory term. Yet surely you aren't saying it is being used by your circle of mates to criticise the players you've named?

8 minutes ago, S_T said:

I can't understand how anyone could see this as anything but a worthwhile story.

A player finished 5th in the B&F one year and is overlooked for selection for the first 2 practice games for not meeting certain criteria 6 months later.  Jack Watts nothing.  It's disappointing for the player and club involved, whoever they are.  

There's always player/s every preseason that is the topic of such "issues".  From memory it was Motlop (Geelong) and Yarran (Richmond) last year that weren't where their clubs expected them to be.  I can't  be bothered going back to other years, but there's always someone.

Problem for Jack is that the media love heaping crap on him, and he has given them another reason to (directly or indirectly).

Good to see Watts getting air play once again perhaps not for the right reasons.He turned the corner last year which is good enough for me and he will not disappoint this year.

1 minute ago, billy2803 said:

There's always player/s every preseason that is the topic of such "issues".  From memory it was Motlop (Geelong) and Yarran (Richmond) last year that weren't where their clubs expected them to be.  I can't  be bothered going back to other years, but there's always someone.

Problem for Jack is that the media love heaping crap on him, and he has given them another reason to (directly or indirectly).

Those stories got heaps of coverage also, especially the Yarran one.

13 minutes ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

I'm not sure you can say the term "block-head" is self explanatory when in the whole history of the English language it's never been used in any way other than as a derogatory term. Yet surely you aren't saying it is being used by your circle of mates to criticise the players you've named?

It's easy to jump to that conclusion but no, it's not meant to be a derogatory term in this instance. 

Maximum effort,  energy,  application,  enthusiasm,  focus,  tunnel-vision etc etc

These types live, eat & breath footy and it's just about the only thing that matters in their lives. 

 

33 minutes ago, Macca said:

My circle of mates use a term of 'Block-heads' when it comes to footy players.  

The term is self explanatory but players like Libba,  Tony Shaw,  Joel Selwood and the like fit the bill.  

Jack Viney is another.  Even Nick Rewoldt is. 

And there are a stack of players who aren't block heads  but are still AFL level players to varying degrees.

Watts is not a block-head ... if he was, he'd be a better player. 

 

 

Actually nailed it. Though I'd prefer "hard-nut" to "blockhead".

And if you're a coach, you need to know how to motivate different types of players. Every coach knows how to motivate a "hard-nut" - in fact, you can do just about anything. But how you motivate a player like Watts is not how you motivate a "hard nut". Roos knew that, and got the best out of Watts.

2 hours ago, nutbean said:

I think the answer is obvious - Watts ( like all players) has to  targets to hit.  I would assume that Watts would have known weeks ago that he was behind where he should be, as would have the fitness staff - they do extensive monitoring. He obviously did not hit his necessary marks prior to the first or second practice game.

The one certainty is there is no way that they just figured out before the first practice match that he was not up to scratch.

 

I cut a bit of your quote out, because it was irrelevant to my response. But this is exactly what I'm saying, if his performance was under by that much that in the past 3 weeks or so his levels have not caught up to playing in two practice matches, then they clearly should have jumped on this issue with him earlier. 

 

If as TMac stated the last couple weeks he's trained really strongly, why was it not mentioned to him before Christmas or even in bloody January in order to give him the chance to get his levels up by the relevant time. 

Regardless of this, I just think the player management could possibly have been a little better in my opinion 

5 minutes ago, billy2803 said:

Problem for Jack is that the media love heaping crap on him, and he has given them another reason to (directly or indirectly).

I think the problem with Jack, he and the club give the media reason to heap crap on him.  Funny to read through some posts, so just flick this off as a nothing story others like me are bitterly disappointed that a player from our club needs this course of action and the club felt the need to let it out to the media

The unfortunate thing is that the narrative around Watts was finally turning to how good a player he is.

An event like this and media frenzy that inevitably follows reverts the narrative back to "Watts the disappointment".

Hopefully he takes it in his stride and picks up where he left off last season. I'm confident that he will.

Great to see the club take a hard line with players who aren't giving 100%. even if he is giving 85% and its not obvious. soft clubs let this slide but Goody wants Watts to be a star of the comp not just a good player

In Watts' defence it does not seem to be in nature to be 100% focused on footy for 11 months of the year. For Viney he eats it up. I haven't seen Viney out partying at 3am 

Watts will be need to pushed by his coaches and teammates every now and then and it is no big deal.

I hope this hits 500 posts...this thread deserves it...