Has anyone in AFL history been given such a negative ride by the media and public as Jack Watts? He misses a JLT preseason game wth his hand in a brace and now there's news articles questioning his attitude and this site's ripping into him too. It's absolutely mental! Alex Rance didn't even get this much publicity for punching him in the back of the head like a f*cking coward!

Feel so sorry for the poor guy. If he is over the minor injury which had his hand in a brace on the weekend then he will play in the upcoming matches. Simple.

1 minute ago, Lord Travis said:

Has anyone in AFL history been given such a negative ride by the media and public as Jack Watts? He misses a JLT preseason game wth his hand in a brace and now there's news articles questioning his attitude and this site's ripping into him too. It's absolutely mental!

Feel so sorry for the poor guy. If he is over the minor injury which had his hand in a brace on the weekend then he will play in the upcoming matches. Simple.

Jack Watts has been given a terrible ride by the media over the years. No question.

On this occasion though Max Gawn made it pretty clear JW did not miss the prac match due to his hand being in a brace.

2 minutes ago, daisycutter said:

i've read it too and it didn't "make it clear" to me. one must remember journos selectively pick their quotes and can present them to mean other than intended. they revel in just wording it in a way that leaves room for conjecture as that is what sells. either way i agree it's more of a storm in a teacup

"but it's about understanding there's roles that have to be played.  For our team it's not about kicking goals and getting touches, it's about doing what's required for the team" 

Unclear?  Really??  And with a player that Goodwin and McCartney have a history of having made personal interventions with in terms of what was required and who also was dropped for the last game of the 2015 season over similar issues.   Don't get me wrong, I love Jack Watts.  But clearly a few Footy Show appearances, some deserved accolades for his 2016 season have him believing it will all just continue to flow for him.  The coaching staff know that's not the case and have taken the opportunity to make a point.

 

The media is getting out of control with tips from DalSanto on how Watts 'can get his career back on track'.

Very poorly handled by the club and Goodwin was the man who needed to address this front on rather than letting rumours and speculation take hold of the 'story'.

True, false or somewhere in between, it now dominates the day's football media.

 

'Lighting a fire' under Watts has never worked before- as McCartney and Goodwin said last year: it's not how to motivate Jack. The media loves a Jack Watts story and our bumbling has handed them one on a platter.

What about bloody Boyd . Has a blue, snots someone, got his act back together, half way through the year and plays in a Flag Team. This is Media hate Melbourne BS, typical...

What do we actually know.

Jack didn't play sat last.

Everything else , speculation.

Roll on real footy 

Go Dees

34 minutes ago, Copuchas said:

"but it's about understanding there's roles that have to be played.  For our team it's not about kicking goals and getting touches, it's about doing what's required for the team" 

Unclear?  Really??  And with a player that Goodwin and McCartney have a history of having made personal interventions with in terms of what was required and who also was dropped for the last game of the 2015 season over similar issues.   Don't get me wrong, I love Jack Watts.  But clearly a few Footy Show appearances, some deserved accolades for his 2016 season have him believing it will all just continue to flow for him.  The coaching staff know that's not the case and have taken the opportunity to make a point.

That is a selective quote, out of context.  McDonald's quoted comments, in full were: 

"It's about realigning what's important for the team," McDonald said. 

"I can't really tell you guys (the media) what we're working on, but it's about understanding there's roles that have to be played. 

"For our team it's not about kicking goals and getting touches, it's about doing what is required for the team." 

So when I read the the first two lines (you omitted) I saw what followed in the context of Max's comments ie trying 2 ruckman and giving Vand and Weideman a go so no room for another tall.  And, the realignment perhaps is Max's comment about playing 2 ruckman: Gawn/Spencer; Gawn/Watts.

Interesting how comments look when in context.

18 minutes ago, beelzebub said:

What do we actually know.

Jack didn't play sat last.

Everything else , speculation.

Roll on real footy 

Go Dees

But that's the problem- if it's not true the club is letting the media trash their players for 24+ hours.  Would hawthorn not stand up for one of theirs??

If it is true, then it is naive for our coach to think this wouldn't get out of control.

Either way, we've let the story get away from us and it looks like a Neeld-style public shaming.

Copuchas, Binman, and Wrecker and a couple of others have rare sense.

Simon Goodwin states "we want to get games into our best 24".  That was the first time I thought it strange Watts wasn't playing.  We knew why Tyson, Kent, Hibberd and Jetta weren't out there, but Watts was the anomaly.  And Goodwin didn't reference him.

A poster then says he had it on good authority that there was more to it and it involved attitude.  Naturally, said poster pilloried.

Now two journalists from different radio stations have said they've heard from sources within the club that Watts was fit, but not selected due to training standards.

Naturally, it's claimed it's all BS and that they're making it up.

The delusion on this thread is a sight to behold.  Thick as bricks.

Hmmm, an anonymous poster who claims to have it on "good authority" and a couple of very average journos who have heard it from "sources within the club". Watertight evidence so far.

Maybe it's the bowling green massacre or the terror in Sweden...

JACK Watts is "absolutely" in Melbourne's best 22, but needs to maintain consistent training standards to win his place back in the Demons' side, according to teammate Tom McDonald. 

"Jack's had a really good two or three weeks and understands what is required to be selected in the team," McDonald said. 

"Jack's been doing the right thing, especially the last two or three weeks and he's in line to play again soon. 

"He understands what he needs to do to get picked in the team and so does everybody else." 

 

How anyone can be in doubt that Goodwin sent a message to Watts is actually quite amusing.

1℅ Fact 99℅ supposition

A normal day on Demonland 

5 minutes ago, Moonshadow said:

Hmmm, an anonymous poster who claims to have it on "good authority" and a couple of very average journos who have heard it from "sources within the club". Watertight evidence so far.

Maybe it's the bowling green massacre or the terror in Sweden...

Have you listened to the Max Gawn interview? I'm paraphrasing but says something along the lines of Jack Watts would be in the starting 22 on talent but at this stage was unable to get into the 24 man side. Then goes onto to say Weid has been training well and was picked as a result. 

You don't need to be a genius to read between the lines.

Fark there is some [censored] wriiten in this topic   Deespencer how can you say pedestrian preseason, when you like me, has watched Watts look outstanding during sessions, and ProDee sheesh didn't realise Watts had killed somebody

Reckon Watts took the intra club a little too easy and paid for it, great message to whole playing list, you need to perform every time you pull on red and blue, even if it is training top

3 minutes ago, Wrecker45 said:

Have you listened to the Max Gawn interview? I'm paraphrasing but says something along the lines of Jack Watts would be in the starting 22 on talent but at this stage was unable to get into the 24 man side. Then goes onto to say Weid has been training well and was picked as a result. 

You don't need to be a genius to read between the lines.

But how else does Jake Spencer get to play a full game?

There are always 2 sides to a situation and the reason the club has said nothing may be because there is no big story.

1 minute ago, Sir Why You Little said:

But how else does Jake Spencer get to play a full game?

There are always 2 sides to a situation and the reason the club has said nothing may be because there is no big story.

IT was great big Jake Spencer got a game and he took the opportunity and performed well. 

Unfortunately, Jack Watts on the back of his first top 5 finish in the club b&f, was left out of the side because the coaches believed he hadn't shown enough on the training track. This is not rumour or speculation. Read the T Mac quotes above or listen to the Max Gawn radio interview. I realise not everyone can be given a game but the reasons Jack Watts wasn't are very clear.

Hopefully Jack can train the house down over the coming weeks and cement his spot before round 1.

 

1 minute ago, Wrecker45 said:

IT was great big Jake Spencer got a game and he took the opportunity and performed well. 

Unfortunately, Jack Watts on the back of his first top 5 finish in the club b&f, was left out of the side because the coaches believed he hadn't shown enough on the training track. This is not rumour or speculation. Read the T Mac quotes above or listen to the Max Gawn radio interview. I realise not everyone can be given a game but the reasons Jack Watts wasn't are very clear.

Hopefully Jack can train the house down over the coming weeks and cement his spot before round 1.

 

I heard Max's interview this morning, i am not disputing what may have happened. I just believe it is not the huge story the media want to make it

For team balance it is very important to give Jake Spencer some serious match time to play in tandem with Max, we already know what Watts can do both up forward and in the ruck

Personally i was stoked in Jake's game, a perfect example of what a practice match represents.

This part of a story is never discussed by the media..but is the far more important piece for the club going forward

14 minutes ago, Wrecker45 said:

Have you listened to the Max Gawn interview? I'm paraphrasing but says something along the lines of Jack Watts would be in the starting 22 on talent but at this stage was unable to get into the 24 man side. Then goes onto to say Weid has been training well and was picked as a result. 

You don't need to be a genius to read between the lines.

Just a note: Listening to what Gawn said you could also interpret his meaning to be that we already know that Watts is best 22 and Goody wanted to test the others to see who else could make the cut for the forwardline...Hell maybe there is an injury he was instructed to hide.. we know it wouldn't be the first time.

Not saying either of these are the case but Gawn's interview was deliberately vague and ambiguous meaning theres no real way to take anything useful out of it...

I told you all why he was not picked on another thread. The club is unhappy with his preseason form and attitude. Simple as that. There are no walk up starts at the MFC anymore. Gawn is a leader. He knows why. Not going to throw him under the bus, is he? But he made it perfectly clear that nothing other than blokes doing harder yards over preseason had caused the 'selection shock'. 

10 minutes ago, ArtificialWisdom said:

Just a note: Listening to what Gawn said you could also interpret his meaning to be that we already know that Watts is best 22 and Goody wanted to test the others to see who else could make the cut for the forwardline...Hell maybe there is an injury he was instructed to hide.. we know it wouldn't be the first time.

Not saying either of these are the case but Gawn's interview was deliberately vague and ambiguous meaning theres no real way to take anything useful out of it...

I've just listened to that interview with Tom Mac, Whilst he speaks well, he got blindsided by the Watts questions and struggled to get his way out of the line of fire.
I suspect even *IF* anything is there about Watts, then it's minor and is being blown up.. 

It would be good to have Goody or Macca talk to the media soon and explain it...

And there it is on CH 7 news. T Mac confirming that attitude and being a 'team player' wasn't up to scratch and he has things to work on. He has taken the advice on board and will bounce back. But, yeah nah it's his f:;()$&n broken thumb. Some fools on here

I continue to be blown away with so called supporters eagerness to jump on Jack's back...

What a ridiculous beat up.

Love this topic, love how so many are quick to jump on the media beat up line and love how some are trying to interpret things about one of our most marketable and best talents - like me for one.

It is a great story of interest to us as Dees followers because we all felt that he progressed as a player last year and showed signs he could be a world beater and as a result it will now be the story of our pre-season. Will he play, if selected how he goes, what does Goody think of his game etc, etc. This is a huge pre-season story.

Each year there are questions that only insiders can answer and coaches have to make selection statements to their players - especially when your list bats 35-deep.

To me, there were two big surprises on the weekend. The first was that Wags actually started in the side - that just shows  Goody really rates him mega-highly - although now that he's injured he will have to work his way back. But how would we all have felt had T-Mac or O-Mac got left out of Rd 1 for Wags - just like when our 2015 vc Lynden Dunn got left out for Oscar at the start of 2016. Coaches' views on players change with time. For instance did Frosty get overlooked for Wags last week or did he pick up a niggle after what I thought was a pretty handy intraclub game from both of them.

The second was Wattsy. Like many of you, I'd be very surprised if Wattsy was left out just because of a bit of cockiness/laziness in our intra-club game but it may have happened. He certainly looked a bit lethargic that arvo, but I did notice that he worked his butt off chasing Hunt on a couple of occasions. 

But clearly Goody wants to make an early point to him about work ethic. Hopefully it is just a one-week lesson and he's back in this week. It's not quite as big a lesson as the one David Schwarz got when he was offered up for trade to Richmond several years back. The end outcome - less than a year later - was an emotional speech as Schwarter accepted the B&F the following season. Hopefully the same results happens here.

I will add another thing, and I suspect others feel similarly.

Regardless of whether it's smoke or fire, most of us are not happy to see negative press so soon with Watts after what was an excellent season in '16. If there is substance to the rumour then people will direct this frustration at Jack, if it's nothing but a media beat up, we will likely be pi$$ed at the media and those spreading it about the impact that this potentially could have on Watt's season or the positive wave / momentum the club has coming into the 2017 season.

I am also a little concerned that if Goodwin is trying to use a rocket to put under a senior player that they could have found a better target... IDK