Jack Watts Retires

[At the break of Gawn 4,460]

11 minutes ago, Dr.D said:

And to me, it's no surprise that the year we got rid of him, we made a prelim. 

And the year after that we finished 17th and then the year after that we finished 9th... Not sure how that logic works... 

[Bobby McKenzie 2,401]

1 hour ago, Dr.D said:

it's an opinion. I worked for Casey scorpions and watched him played weekly for Casey. and he didn't even play well at vfl level so that's why i say he was gifted 100 games. 

How many games did Jack play for Casey? Count them on one hand.

[Bobby McKenzie 2,401]

25 minutes ago, Dr.D said:

im happy to but please everyone stop the 'watts was a good player' sort of talk and if you like Jack Watts it's because you like him as a person. He probably should've been cut 4 years earlier. And to me, it's no surprise that the year we got rid of him, we made a prelim. 

You are a real leopard Dr. D. You never change your spots regarding JW. Always a biased hater Jack So sad. 

[Cranky Franky 2,201]

49 minutes ago, Dr.D said:

im happy to but please everyone stop the 'watts was a good player' sort of talk and if you like Jack Watts it's because you like him as a person. He probably should've been cut 4 years earlier. And to me, it's no surprise that the year we got rid of him, we made a prelim. 

I don't mind opinion but these comments are blatantly stupid.  

He had some poor patches of form but overall he was a very handy player who played some very good games for us.

He was one of the elite kicks in the competition & was a very handy player at Port & helped them sink us when we played them last year.

 

[At Least I Saw a Flag 5,315]

At least that will free up time for him to enjoy his favourite activities .... swimming &  ???

[YesitwasaWin4theAges 6,766]

6 hours ago, picket fence said:

Get him in to teach Fritsch how to kick goals!

Would definitely be a great asset in a specialist kicking capacity.

[Bobby McKenzie 2,401]

Thanks for the memories Jack. I was one of a vast majority that didn't want you to go. What a class footballer and bloke you were. Your kicking skills, oh so sublime. How can I forget a bullet like pass over 55 metres to Dom Tyson for a match winning goal? Your gut run to score that QB goal against Collingwood of course will remain a highlight from all of your thousands of fans. Perfect revenge for their rough stuff in his first game. 'Pick on a skinny kid Collingwood.' 

You were the ultimate team man. Who was the first to run in and congratulate a goal or great tackle etc? Your enthusiasm after a Demon goal was so uplifting.

Enjoy your retirement Jack and please let us see you in Melbourne colours at the G next year.

 

[Bobby McKenzie 2,401]

6 hours ago, Dr.D said:

I remember when half of demonland was up in arms when we shafted Watts to Port Adelaide for nothing. 

I was one of a few that maintained that we would not miss Watt and he wouldn't do anything at Port because he is still soft. 

it was yet another confirmation of Melb supporters overrating their players 

Dr D. Your maths are sub standard. So 75% of Demonland is HALF. Oh well, we can't all be Maths teachers.

[Demon Dynasty 17,129]

1 minute ago, Bobby McKenzie said:

Thanks for the memories Jack. I was one of a vast majority that didn't want you to go. What a class footballer and bloke you were. Your kicking skills, oh so sublime. How can I forget a bullet like pass over 55 metres to Dom Tyson for a match winning goal? Your gut run to score that QB goal against Collingwood of course will remain a highlight from all of your thousands of fans. Perfect revenge for their rough stuff in his first game. 'Pick on a skinny kid Collingwood.' 

You were the ultimate team man. Who was the first to run in and congratulate a goal or great tackle etc? Your enthusiasm after a Demon goal was so uplifting.

Enjoy your retirement Jack and please let us see you in Melbourne colours at the G next year.

 

Couldn't have said it better BM.  I was sitting in the southern punt rd end pocket with bro the day he ran off the square and received for the gut running winning goal.  Bro went right off after that, especially giving it to a trio of Pie DHs behind us.  Great theatre but i must admit, not having eyes in the back of my head i didn't think it was the greatest strategic move and was expecting one of us to be king hit from behind at some point!

I really thought Jacky boy and we as a club might have found something special and turned a corner after that win, but alas that wasn't to be on both counts.

Met him at Chaddy very briefly at the end of 2014 just as Roos was about to take over.  He was heading in for a club related photo shoot.  Seemed like a lovely young fella and i also recall the same at a couple of training sessions.  He would always go out of his way to sign whatever was plonked in front of him and appeared to love the contact with the fans.

While i was never convinced he would make the grade at AFL level he certainly had his moments.  I still find the idea that we struggled to hit up targets coming inside 50 (the olde disconnect issue!) and the fact that he was rated the best at that last kick in the year that we let him go, to be very perplexing as his skill in this area was never replaced.

Was he mis-managed by the club early on?  Yep.  He was certainly an enigma of the game and a weekly talking point among the fans and scribes.

Good luck to him in his post AFL career. 

[Jaded No More 68,975]

One can't help but wonder if Jack was drafted to Melbourne in 2019, how his career would have panned out.

It's been a bumpy ride for him, and I wish him all the best in his future endeavours. 

[640MD 3,490]

20 minutes ago, Bobby McKenzie said:

Thanks for the memories Jack. I was one of a vast majority that didn't want you to go. What a class footballer and bloke you were. Your kicking skills, oh so sublime. How can I forget a bullet like pass over 55 metres to Dom Tyson for a match winning goal? Your gut run to score that QB goal against Collingwood of course will remain a highlight from all of your thousands of fans. Perfect revenge for their rough stuff in his first game. 'Pick on a skinny kid Collingwood.' 

You were the ultimate team man. Who was the first to run in and congratulate a goal or great tackle etc? Your enthusiasm after a Demon goal was so uplifting.

Enjoy your retirement Jack and please let us see you in Melbourne colours at the G next year.

 

Good Luck Jack, we treated your poorly, perhaps you did not have an overly aggressive style, or a bit of both.

But I will never forget that goal,    made me feel great, and that makes you great, in my eyes.  Come and watch footy at the G, most true Melbourne supporters will welcome you.  I will.

 

[Dr.D 1,771]

1 hour ago, Bobby McKenzie said:

How many games did Jack play for Casey? Count them on one hand.

not sure how many fingers you have but he played 2 x vfl reserves games then 5 vfl  games before playing about 3 games then playing the rest of the year in the vfl

[ProperDee 1,698]

FFS mate, do you ever have anything good to say about anybody? The bloke has just retired and you are still potting him. You must be a real laugh at parties. Soulless [censored].

And if you are an actual medico, I ‘m guessing proctologist. 

Edited September 24, 2020 by ProperDee

[Wiseblood 24,637]

1 hour ago, Dr.D said:

im happy to but please everyone stop the 'watts was a good player' 

Watts was a good player

Watts was a good player

Watts was a good player

Watts was a good player

Watts was a good player

Watts was a good player

Watts was a good player

Watts was a good player

 

[old dee 23,998]

11 minutes ago, ProperDee said:

FFS mate, do you ever have anything good to say about anybody? The bloke has just retired and you are still potting him. You must be a real laugh at parties. Soulless [censored].

And if you are an actual medico, I ‘m guessing proctologist. 

Amen to that PD. 

[old dee 23,998]

3 minutes ago, Wiseblood said:

Watts was a good player

Watts was a good player

Watts was a good player

Watts was a good player

Watts was a good player

Watts was a good player

Watts was a good player

Watts was a good player

 

Very sharp tonight WB.

[dazzledavey36 55,854]

A brilliant person was Jack. Just ironic that the past 3 years we've been screaming for someone who can hit up our forwards and Jack did it best.

I think what's getting lost is that Jack played 174 career games and did not taste any finals. Charlie Spargo in his first year played 3.

All the best Jack, you're bloody legend.

[forever demons 2,316]

jack was/is a good football player ,you dont play 170 odd games at the elite level unless you are ,everyone expected a little boy to be chanpion day one so unfair played some really good footy for us .Good luck Jack

[kev martin 10,670]

Bring him back to the MFC.

Get Burgess to work with him physically and Gawn to motivate him.

Set him up as an assistant coach if he can't crack it.

He did get to observe Hinkley's methods.

 

[Flower Magic 776]

@Dr.D everyone here is aware of Jack's good and bad points as a footballer, but you are clearly unaware of your own mean-spirited behaviour. 

[Dr.D 1,771]

I love how everyone complains about Weideman and says that he wont make it etc but, when you compare the 2, Weideman has had a far better career than Watts already and has far more attributes. 

2 sets of standards  

[robbiefrom13 894]

When in their 'wisdom' the brains trust turfed Jack aside, Roos said, "You need players like that'" and "he won half a dozen games off his own boot in the past couple of seasons."  One against Hawthorn, in the last quarter he hit Pederson on the lead with a bullet-pass, he put it 55 metres onto Tyson's chest in the pocket, and he hoovered up the ball right out of Lewis' hands in the centre and drove it forward for another goal.  Three goals in 5 minutes thanks to Watts - sheer class.   The number of times he took saving marks on the last line, at the end of quarters...  

I always thought you could judge a coach by his ability and willingness to recognise and make full use of great talent.  The two outstanding mediocrities of man-management in the past twenty years were with Watts and Jurrah.  Some people can only paint by numbers.  These guys were fabulous talents, who coaches tried to squeeze down into their petty one-size-fits-all plans.  I will always remember the QB winning goal, watching it from that forward pocket - it was a moment of vast significance, heroic and symbolic of so much - drama of the highest order.  Exhilirating beyond compare.  I remember Jack outside the boundary on the members' side, taking his shot - a huge high looping ball that just curved and curved home - and you knew, of course Wattsy would get it.  I remember Jones refusing to hpnour his leads.  

I got a phone call out of the blue one night a few years ago, and it was Max Gawn doing the phone-around.  I'd already renewed as it happened, but we had a bit of a chat anyway.  He was a young feller at the time, and out injured.    I asked how he was coming along.  I said being from Tasmania I don't get to that many games, but I'd seen Robbie Flower's first game and I'd seen Jack Watts' first game, and I tell you Max, I said, I saw your first game too, and I reckon I'll remember it too.  In the end Jack didn't achieve as highly, but boy I loved seeing him play.  Fabulous human beings all of them.  Fabulous thing, to have followed these guys, regardless of the outcome..  Jack Watts is a memorable and real part of the story of the Melbourne Footy Club, and i got wonderful pleasure from supporting him, and believing in his skills and his generosity. 

 There's more than success in being a supporter.

.

[Return to Glory 8,453]

2 hours ago, Dr.D said:

im happy to but please everyone stop the 'watts was a good player' sort of talk and if you like Jack Watts it's because you like him as a person. He probably should've been cut 4 years earlier. And to me, it's no surprise that the year we got rid of him, we made a prelim. 

I’m sorry that Jack stole your girlfriend. But they’ll be other opportunities for an upbeat, guy with an impeccable sense of timing.

[kallangurdemon 551]

great to see such an avalanche  of support For Jack .He was never a love him or hate him type of player or person as there was nothing about him to hate .Never heard anyone who had anything to do with Jack say a bad word against him personally ,Would love him to return home in some capacity as a priority.

[jnrmac 20,272]

Harmsey should have never taken number 4 

 

Should have kept 43