21 minutes ago, KingDingAling said:

Andrew Watts is spot on. Melbourne Football Club have handled this terribly. As a football fan we get a front row seat to this circus, but I would rather this circus not be MFC - but another club.

Why has the Club handled this terribly, posters have for ages been bemoaning a lack of culture, putting Golden Balls on the trade table sends a strong message   ......9 years on a list, supposedly in the prime of his career and not selected or dropped for poor training efforts or form    we shoujd be applauding their stance   he is one player, yes one who could be great but isn't, no individual is bigger than the team   let us compare to Hogan, could have just said fuckit and took half the year off   he didn't, worked his arse off and came back in great form

1 minute ago, Satyriconhome said:

Why has the Club handled this terribly, posters have for ages been bemoaning a lack of culture, putting Golden Balls on the trade table sends a strong message   ......9 years on a list, supposedly in the prime of his career and not selected or dropped for poor training efforts or form    we shoujd be applauding their stance   he is one player, yes one who could be great but isn't, no individual is bigger than the team   let us compare to Hogan, could have just said fuckit and took half the year off   he didn't, worked his arse off and came back in great form

I don't think those saying the club has handled this badly are referring to the decision, but the implementation of it (whatever one thinks of either issue).

So many sentimental bleeding hearts in this thread.

Jack doesn't output that which is expected of a 9 year player. The results have spoken for themselves for a long time.

I love the fact the club has finally drawn a line in the sand with this bloke. His attitude doesn't fit in with the culture we are trying to create and I applaud our FD for making an unpopular call.

Thanks for your service Jack, see you on the other end of the pitch next year.

Lever is going to destroy Watts next year and I can't wait.

58 minutes ago, picket fence said:

I DO I agree with Andrew Watts Jack Watts has been sledged, Brow beaten and comprimised throughout this whole sorry saga. Club have handled this Abysmally!

Whether he goes to Pt Adelaide or Geelong it clearly puts either team right in Premiership Mode! 

Meanwhile we are light years away!

 

JW has been sledged his whole career by everyone.

He will continue to be sledged wherever he goes in footy. JW is an easy target because he was a No 1 pick who has failed to live up to the hype after 9 years.

The factors as to why that is are not important - He chooses to stay in the system by signing new contracts

Until JW plays consistent good footy he will continue to cop it, is that unfiar - yes. But if JW feels he can't handle it then maybe he can focus on his quite successful swimsuit business and give up on footy. No one is forcing him to play AFL.

Because you're feelings are hurt doesn't mean the club has done anything wrong. Keep making up stories

7 minutes ago, sue said:

I don't think those saying the club has handled this badly are referring to the decision, but the implementation of it (whatever one thinks of either issue).

There is the door, please feel free to use it       I have been made redundant 3 times and each time it was handled 'beautifully'  by each firm involved  

Have a care factor of 0 as to what Journos?, Jack's Dad, or other posters think

4 minutes ago, Smokey said:

So many sentimental bleeding hearts in this thread.

Jack doesn't output that which is expected of a 9 year player. The results have spoken for themselves for a long time.

Yep.  After 9 years he's not even a top 200 player in the game.  

Should a player with his natural ability be a top 50 player ?  Absolutely.

He's an underachiever and the club has made a call.  

2 minutes ago, Satyriconhome said:

There is the door, please feel free to use it       I have been made redundant 3 times and each time it was handled 'beautifully'  by each firm involved  

Have a care factor of 0 as to what Journos?, Jack's Dad, or other posters think

Feel free to argue that the club has handled it well, but my point was that your previous post muddled your view of the desirability of removing Watts with the issue of how it was handled which was the subject of the post you were quoting.  I can't see how I can make that any clearer to you than I had, so I surrender.

7 minutes ago, Unleash Hell said:

JW has been sledged his whole career by everyone.

He will continue to be sledged wherever he goes in footy. JW is an easy target because he was a No 1 pick who has failed to live up to the hype after 9 years.

The factors as to why that is are not important - He chooses to stay in the system by signing new contracts

Until JW plays consistent good footy he will continue to cop it, is that unfiar - yes. But if JW feels he can't handle it then maybe he can focus on his quite successful swimsuit business and give up on footy. No one is forcing him to play AFL.

Because you're feelings are hurt doesn't mean the club has done anything wrong. Keep making up stories

You'd think Jack Viney was being traded out with all the meltdowns going on.  

 

14 minutes ago, Unleash Hell said:

JW has been sledged his whole career by everyone.

He will continue to be sledged wherever he goes in footy. JW is an easy target because he was a No 1 pick who has failed to live up to the hype after 9 years.

The factors as to why that is are not important - He chooses to stay in the system by signing new contracts

Until JW plays consistent good footy he will continue to cop it, is that unfiar - yes. But if JW feels he can't handle it then maybe he can focus on his quite successful swimsuit business and give up on footy. No one is forcing him to play AFL.

Because you're feelings are hurt doesn't mean the club has done anything wrong. Keep making up stories

Yes and no... yes, he has failed to apply himself to improving his game and is now responsible for his own demise... but I do find it interesting that McCartin, another under performing #1 pick, manages to fly under the radar. Watts became a target because early in his career the club over-hyped him and he was played when obviously not ready, in the interests of marketing. 

2 minutes ago, hardtack said:

Yes and no... yes, he has failed to apply himself to improving his game and is now responsible for his own demise... but I do find it interesting that McCartin, another under performing #1 pick, manages to fly under the radar. Watts became a target because early in his career the club over-hyped him and he was played when obviously not ready, in the interests of marketing. 

McCartin hasn't been in the system for nearly as long. His time will come I'm sure 

Any chance they simply run out of time and miss the deadline, and Watts stays?

If he hasn't been traded by Wednesday night, it's not beyond realms of possibility he stays.

2 hours ago, mo64 said:

No it's not. Jack's father's comments are purely emotional based on what his son tells him.

Again, this is my ongoing frustration - if Watts has defended himself as a hard-worker to his father (and potentially not taken measures/or not had the influence to prevent his father speaking to the media). Jack needs to grow up and take personal responsibility for his situation.

For those looking for some hidden agenda on the handling of the Watts' subject post-season, if it's anything other than exactly face-value, it's this: the club were trying to get through to Jack, once again, as they have done in an escalating fashion numerous times in the past.

The nature of Jack's response since has likely determined his fate. Sadly, the devoted fans casting blame on all and sundry except Jack for his departure are unlikely to help with Jack's future maturation.  

 

 

3 minutes ago, chook fowler said:

McCartin hasn't been in the system for nearly as long. His time will come I'm sure 

You're right, McCartin has had just 3 years in the system and remains pretty much unscathed,  but Watts was copping it from day 1 and it only got worse from that point on.

2 minutes ago, hardtack said:

Yes and no... yes, he has failed to apply himself to improving his game and is now responsible for his own demise... but I do find it interesting that McCartin, another under performing #1 pick, manages to fly under the radar. Watts became a target because early in his career the club over-hyped him and he was played when obviously not ready, in the interests of marketing. 

Agree mate

I'm not saying the club has zero blame to this, we were very poorly managed when JW was drafted, and it is a shame.

What I am saying that this JW debate at who's at fault is pointless. They are both equally at fault and it's time to move on.

2 minutes ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

Any chance they simply run out of time and miss the deadline, and Watts stays?

If he hasn't been traded by Wednesday night, it's not beyond realms of possibility he stays.

Yes, it could happen

Connors today said that JW has decided to move on, so it would be a surprise at this stage, but it is still technically possible

Just now, Unleash Hell said:

Agree mate

I'm not saying the club has zero blame to this, we were very poorly managed when JW was drafted, and it is a shame.

What I am saying that this JW debate at who's at fault is pointless. They are both equally at fault and it's time to move on.

On that we definitely agree... as I said about 30 pages back, this thread should be renamed jack Watts Groundhog Day Thread... and it's only deteriorated in the pages since!

1 minute ago, hardtack said:

On that we definitely agree... as I said about 30 pages back, this thread should be renamed jack Watts Groundhog Day Thread... and it's only deteriorated in the pages since!

100% Agree

23 minutes ago, sue said:

I don't think those saying the club has handled this badly are referring to the decision, but the implementation of it (whatever one thinks of either issue).

Come up with a scenario on how the club should have handled it. Bear in mind that Watts had already been disciplined twice during the year for lack of professionalism. Watts was delusional to think he was shocked.

There is no other way for the club to be "nice" when they are showing a player the door. If the player involved was Heretier Lumumba, there would be universal praise by the supporters. Watts being much loved by the supporters, has made it what it is.

1 hour ago, SFebey said:

We were on track for top 4, even with Watts injured....

With no rucks and Hogan out, I'd argue Watts had a big hand in getting us to that position in the first place.

Up to the Bulldogs game he was having a very good season and the coaches appeared to agree, having at 6th in the B&F at that point.

We all know what happened after that...   :/

Disciplined preseason (once) and played a very good first 12 games until injured and loss of form.  Don’t forget he signed a 3 year contract and after one year, the club says ‘now fuc&$off’.  

26 minutes ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

Any chance they simply run out of time and miss the deadline, and Watts stays?

If he hasn't been traded by Wednesday night, it's not beyond realms of possibility he stays.

You really think the club and his manager are so unprofessional they'll "run out of time" ?

No.

Say it again. 

There is far more to this than the club or the media are letting on...

1 hour ago, KingDingAling said:

Andrew Watts is spot on. Melbourne Football Club have handled this terribly. As a football fan we get a front row seat to this circus, but I would rather this circus not be MFC - but another club.

Rubbish.

I can’t believe that it’s got the point where the media, some supporters and now his Father have questioned the decades of combined leadership and footballing acumen in defence of a single player who’s been told to pull his socks up on numerous occasions throughout his nine underwhelming years of playing for the MFC.

I for one am very much looking forward to the time where we don’t have any Jack Watts hysteria to deal with at all.

It will be almost Utopian.

 

2 hours ago, chook fowler said:

I would never knock parents for standing up for their kids no matter what the age. It's part of the job description 

Except that Jack is a grown man, not a "kid", with considerable media training and experience, and has a manager to guide him in public statements. Andrew has none of these and IMO has been played by the media like a guitar. I have no problem with him supporting his son in private. Once Andrew opened his mouth to the media he stepped over the line.

If Jack was 16 and working in Hungry Jack's it would be acceptable. Not at 26 with 9 years in the AFL.

32 minutes ago, spirit of norm smith said:

Disciplined preseason (once) and played a very good first 12 games until injured and loss of form.  Don’t forget he signed a 3 year contract and after one year, the club says ‘now fuc&$off’.  

JW is the only player in the history of the AFL to drop himself. He is truly selfless and not to blame for any of this....