Farewell Jack Watts

[Dr.D 1,771]

he loves the club but never put his body on the line for it. i wish all the best to Watts but like others here have mentioned, other clubs won't put up with his lulls in performance like we did. As lloyd said on footy classified, gifted the first 100 games when his form didnt warrant it. 

[Dr.D 1,771]

55 minutes ago, Petraccattack said:

Simon Goodwin and the coaching staff, if you read this just know that a lot of us think you are making the right decision on Watts. Not everyone is slitting their wrists over an extremely average player leaving.

Keep up the great work!

finally, someone talking some sense. 

[Akum 2,660]

1 hour ago, bing181 said:

You don't know that. They could well be into Jack knowing full well his shortcomings and agreeing with Mahoney - but for whatever reason it's either a) not an issue for them (strong culture already in place?) or b) they think that in a new environment they can turn it around.

At least four clubs who seriously want him. We KNOW that. And they're not the "desperate" clubs too - they're good solid clubs. And it's my GUESS (yes, I don't know this) that Watts has probably had more positive feedback from four other clubs in the past week than he's had from his coaches at MFC for the past year. 

Come on man, you won! You should be happy, you can kinda stop your carping now, you don't have to chase down every positive post about Watts and run it into the ground any more. You fought the good(win) fight and your side won! 

[Ethan Tremblay 30,958]

I wish we drafted Naitanui. 

[Akum 2,660]

2 hours ago, Unleash Hell said:

Probably telling the wrong people isn't he?

I love this dramatic bs printed by the papers - if a player leaves they're not dead, then can still talk to them and see them outside of football.

And if he does decide to go back to WA how is he going to see Watts then?

Stupid article is stupid...

PS: I have no anger towards Watt's, and I will be sad to see another good bloke leave the club. But we have to be about winning flags as much as being a good place to work

If he is gone, Good luck Wattsy, you will always be a much loved MFC loved player

And this is what confuses me and makes me feel uneasy - you write as if these two (winning flags & being a good place to work) are either mutually exclusive, so that being a good place to work gets in the way of winning flags, or they have no relationship to each other.

I'd stand with Hardwick, Bevo, Roos, Bellamy and others and say that the secret to winning flags is creating a good place to work - one that's challenging and encouraging and inspiring and a place where everybody wants to go. If you create a workplace where the players feel fearful and intimidated and get baked for all their mistakes, that's not going to win any flags or get great performance. It's going to make your players go right into their shells, a bit like our team seemed to do from the Swans game on.

And my great concern is that Goody and Macca share your view, not mine, and not Watts's. And we'll be worse off for it - yet again. So I've never hoped so much that I'm totally wrong.

[Akum 2,660]

1 hour ago, Glenn Molloy said:

That's true, and you know what, they'll probably get the best out of him....but I just don't think we ever will given the history and more particularly, how comfortable he is at the club.  2016 he was very good but he had to go to another level this year and he only did it in patches - even before his injury.  Footy is littered with players who needed a kick up the bum and to go to a second club to fulfil their potential, and it wouldn't surprise me if Jack is one of those.  I'm going to miss him but when Goodwin, Jones and Mahoney say the sorts of things that they are, it's clear that they have good reason for letting him go.  

Really good post, I'm just wavering on that last phrase.

Let me ask you this: Does it not concern you in the slightest that two of the three strongest clubs over the past 10 years or so - Sydney & Geelong - see him totally differently? That the one player in our side who is statistically elite in both pressure acts in the f50 and disposals into the f50 has been pushed out by these coaches? That Paul Roos, who knows this club as well as anybody could, has expressed misgivings about the decision to get rid of him, and even cautioned against going back to the way we were before he came?

[Pates 9,660]

I have to say I think I’ve moved passed my sadness and am now resigned to him leaving. Club should do what it can to get the best deal we can for him (although can we PLEASE not trade him to the Pies). Maybe it’ll be mutually beneficial, he could find something that he could never get at Melbourne and fact is if he remains at Melbourne he will always be a talking point and potential distraction. The way this has been handled has ensured that. 

I really wanted him to be a part of our successful period but it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen. 

[Courtney_Fish 183]

2 hours ago, Petraccattack said:

Simon Goodwin and the coaching staff, if you read this just know that a lot of us think you are making the right decision on Watts. Not everyone is slitting their wrists over an extremely average player leaving.

Keep up the great work!

"extremely average" - love it.

[Engorged Onion 10,223]

3 hours ago, Akum said:

Really good post, I'm just wavering on that last phrase.

Let me ask you this: Does it not concern you in the slightest that two of the three strongest clubs over the past 10 years or so - Sydney & Geelong - see him totally differently? That the one player in our side who is statistically elite in both pressure acts in the f50 and disposals into the f50 has been pushed out by these coaches? That Paul Roos, who knows this club as well as anybody could, has expressed misgivings about the decision to get rid of him, and even cautioned against going back to the way we were before he came?

I see where you are going. Just remember, there are ego's as well in coaching staff - and they all like to think they have the skills and knowledge to get someone to change and adapt with their flaws. Geelong recruited Aaron Black from North - 1 game I believe... Sydney, Talia... 0 games (or thereabouts)... Sydney and Geelong saw them totally differently and those two may or may not be able to be skilled enough or at a minimum hit behavioural standards required of them, in a new environment where the coaches backed themselves to be able to develop them further...

[bluey 1,117]

Sydney paid a million smackers a year for Turk Kippet,  Geelong recruited  Mitch Clarke, Bulldogs spudda Cloke, no they don't see things differently, just recruit different duds.

[CityDee 738]

7 hours ago, Petraccattack said:

Simon Goodwin and the coaching staff, if you read this just know that a lot of us think you are making the right decision on Watts. Not everyone is slitting their wrists over an extremely average player leaving.

Keep up the great work!

38 goals in 2016 on track until injury this year and doesnt always play as deep foward and he has some of the most sublime footskills I have seen , so the replacement for this season is? 

[CityDee 738]

 

[CityDee 738]

 

[beelzebub 23,382]

Sydney and Geelong have won Premierships this century. Yes they think differently.

More fool them then 

[No10 461]

10 minutes ago, CityDee said:

 

Best football moment of 2017

I love that Trac knew Watts was going for goal first. Jones and Bugg are still calling for the pass.

[Gator 17,445]

8 hours ago, Akum said:

Trouble is, there are at least 4 or 5 clubs that don't share your blind faith and just aren't buying it. They'd be only too glad to take Watts off our hands. 

It's "blind faith" to not think Mahoney is a liar ?

Sometimes it's obvious when people are leveling wth you.  This is one of them. 

If anyone has blind faith it's you. 

[No10 461]

8 hours ago, Petraccattack said:

Simon Goodwin and the coaching staff, if you read this just know that a lot of us think you are making the right decision on Watts. Not everyone is slitting their wrists over an extremely average player leaving.

Keep up the great work!

To Simon Goodwin, this is a fail.

When Hogan is frustrated at poor delivery, I hope he mentions this amazing 'ruthless culture' that you love when he trades back to WA.

And when Petraccattack is crying about Trac leaving for better $$, sure great job.

Genius culture building.

But more so, Watts will be playing finals at Geel or Syd and we'll still be hearing about the 'heartless players' on our list. Good job sending a guy away that was so passionate about the club he was still pitching himself to stay, even when everyone else already knew the door had been closed.

Edited October 6, 2017 by No10

[Demonsone 2,043]

My thoughts have wavered....

Watts is much as a victim to the train wreck of a club when he first arrived to not preparing himself & not playing to his full potential since 2014!

The sad part is that he has shown what he can do & what his full potential could be! Im sure the coaching & fitness staff are correct in their assessments etc but I think another season is warranted .

[CityDee 738]

22 minutes ago, No10 said:

To Simon Goodwin, this is a fail.

When Hogan is frustrated at poor delivery, I hope he mentions this amazing 'ruthless culture' that you love when he trades back to WA.

And when Petraccattack is crying about Trac leaving for better $$, sure great job.

Genius culture building.

But more so, Watts will be playing finals at Geel or Syd and we'll still be hearing about the 'heartless players' on our list. Good job sending a guy away that was so passionate about the club he was still pitching himself to stay, even when everyone else already knew the door had been closed.

Well said , this will set us back unfortunately. 

[London Demon 259]

On 05/10/2017 at 9:35 PM, SFebey said:

I'm more surprised people still eat cornflakes 

As I said in a previous post,  for God's sake keep him. 

[KysaiahMessiah 725]

8 hours ago, Petraccattack said:

Simon Goodwin and the coaching staff, if you read this just know that a lot of us think you are making the right decision on Watts. Not everyone is slitting their wrists over an extremely average player leaving.

Keep up the great work!

"A lot of us" on this forum anyway, amounts to 31%. So highlighting 69% are against it helps things ?

Not the the FD would give a rats anyway

[CityDee 738]

Say it aint so Jack - the only win out of this will be that I dont have to watch a player get on his own and be ignored when playing midfield so often , he will be used in a better team , getting ahead of ourselves is an understatement. 

 

[No10 461]

1 minute ago, CityDee said:

Well said , this will set us back unfortunately. 

I'm watching that v Coll goal, again.

Amazing when you think what Danger said about Watts being one of the games best finishes, "when he has the ball inside 50 you back him in" (Trac knew it too)

Hope he goes to Geel.

[At the break of Gawn 4,460]

Might not be the right decision for the club but it's the right decision for Jack (which I say with a heavy heart). You can't continue at an organisation when your boss doesn't want you there

Edited October 6, 2017 by At the break of Gawn

[Bitter but optimistic 22,246]

This has been the most interesting (riveting almost) debate I have read on Demonland.

Strong and reasoned arguments from both camps.

During Jack's career with us, I have both defended him and abused him.

Currently, and having read a large proportion of the above posts, I'm just plain [censored] confused.