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The Crushing Burden of Being Pick 1

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in Melbourne Demons

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Again the media being tone deaf. They are the ones that create the burden and excessive expectations by flogging the the Number 1 from both ends to generate clicks. 

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    1 hour ago, John Crow Batty said:

    Again the media being tone deaf. They are the ones that create the burden and excessive expectations by flogging the the Number 1 from both ends to generate clicks. 

    Pretty sure it wasn't the media who drummed up Watts' debut on queen's birthday. I remember cringing as they played it up on the scoreboard before the game, showing him in the rooms, running onto the ground etc He was still in high school for heaven's sake.

    Edited by Dr. Gonzo

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    No doubt in my mind that Watts was the correct call for the #1 pick in 2008.

    Had we have selected Naitanui, there is no way we would’ve drafted Gawn in 2009.

    Edited by Demon Disciple

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    18 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

    Pretty sure it wasn't the media who drummed up Watts' debut on queen's birthday. I remember cringing as they played it up on the scoreboard before the game, showing him in the rooms, running onto the ground etc He was still in high school for heaven's sake.

    That’s true but then the club was run like a media circus. The powers that be thought they could play the media for their own ends but as we know if you don’t get it right you get pilloried from pillar to post. The media were drumming up the Watts hype way before we drafted him. He was portrayed as some sort of super man who was supreme over all other draft hopefuls bar Niknat. He was handed the poison chalice then.

    Edited by John Crow Batty

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    19 minutes ago, Demon Disciple said:

    No doubt in my mind that Watts was the correct call for the #1 pick in 2008.

    Had we have selected Naitanui, there is no way we would’ve drafted Gawn in 2009.

    As I said previously,  if we had kept Stefan Martin, Gawn would have likely been delisted or traded before he had a chance for a breakout game. At that time he was another under performing hopeful no different to Spencer or Fitzpatrick. It is what it is. 

    Edited by John Crow Batty

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    The only crushing burden that $cully ever carried was his wallet.

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    Couldn't read, paywall.

    However, Hodgey, Walsh, Roo and Whitfield didn't suffer too badly from being no 1.

    Mixture of player mindset, club culture, development and luck with injuries.

    The no 1 picks were wasted on us, we were a shambles. 

    Had Watts and Scully come to us now, I reckon the result would be a 180 deg turnaround 

    Ironic that Watts' pick turned into Fritter. What Jack should've been

    Edited by Stiff Arm

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    30 minutes ago, John Crow Batty said:

    As I said previously,  if we had kept Stefan Martin, Gawn would have likely been delisted or traded before he had a chance for a breakout game. At that time he was another under performing hopeful no different to Spencer or Fitzpatrick. It is what it is. 

    I don’t think this is correct. Someone inside the club told me in 2013 that Max would be a star if he got a good run with injury.  No way were they thinking about delisting him, and although Jamar was clearly number 1 at the time Max, at least internally, was rated really highly. The club was a shambles in 2012 and we got nothing for Martin in the trade, but there was a pretty high expectation on Max. I never heard the same said about Spencer or Fitzpatrick.

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    39 minutes ago, Stiff Arm said:

     

    However, Hodgey, Walsh, Roo and Whitfield didn't suffer too badly from being no 1.

     

    Hodge copped it for along time for not being as good as Chris Judd who went #3.

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    8 minutes ago, Watson11 said:

    I don’t think this is correct. Someone inside the club told me in 2013 that Max would be a star if he got a good run with injury.  No way were they thinking about delisting him, and although Jamar was clearly number 1 at the time Max, at least internally, was rated really highly. The club was a shambles in 2012 and we got nothing for Martin in the trade, but there was a pretty high expectation on Max. I never heard the same said about Spencer or Fitzpatrick.

    Martin had to leave for awkward reasons not related to football. He had more upside as a ruckman then than Gawn.

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    1 hour ago, Fork 'em said:

    Hodge copped it for along time for not being as good as Chris Judd who went #3.

    Which one would look back on their career with a greater sense of achievement?

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    2 hours ago, John Crow Batty said:

    Martin had to leave for awkward reasons not related to football. He had more upside as a ruckman then than Gawn.

    You’re confusing who you thought had more upside and who did have more upside. 5 All-Australians, All-Australian captain, premiership captain, 2x B&F etc makes it obvious who did have more upside.

    I can’t really critique what you thought though as in 2013 I didn’t see it either, but the original point was those within the club did see the potential.

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    40 minutes ago, Watson11 said:

    You’re confusing who you thought had more upside and who did have more upside. 5 All-Australians, All-Australian captain, premiership captain, 2x B&F etc makes it obvious who did have more upside.

    I can’t really critique what you thought though as in 2013 I didn’t see it either, but the original point was those within the club did see the potential.

    If you read carefully I  said “then” for 2012. In 2012 Martin was doing very well as a ruckman before issues beyond his control derailed his season and career at Melbourne. He was then the logical replacement for an ageing Jamar. It took Gawn another two and half seasons before his breakout  game in 2015. Martin was already showing he was an accomplished Number 1 ruckman in 2014 at Brisbane and likely one of the top 3 in the comp at the time whilst Gawn was still struggling. He was averaging over 20 touches and 30 hit outs a game.  Reality is that Gawn would have had little opportunity to upstage Martin if Martin had remained. Credit to Gawn to become the superstar he is now. 

    Edited by John Crow Batty

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    15 hours ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

    Pretty sure it wasn't the media who drummed up Watts' debut on queen's birthday. I remember cringing as they played it up on the scoreboard before the game, showing him in the rooms, running onto the ground etc He was still in high school for heaven's sake.

    Before the QB game he'd just come off booting four in the VFL.

    I've heard many a Demonlander demand a player be selected after kicking four for Casey.

    He may or may not have been ready but the whole messiah thing Schwab was pushing at the time was way over the top.

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    The selection of Watts was correct, the carry on surrounding it was not.

    However, the idea that he got ‘smashed’ by Collingwood on the day is a ridiculous furphy. He wasn’t a game-changer and they tried, but the handful of attempts missed the mark and he came up largely unscathed.

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    This is one of the reasons that if I was North Melbourne, I'd be calling out Daicos not Horne-Francis. 

    Collingwood have already committed, so it's a no risk. And Daicos will be a gun even if they do get stuck with him.

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    2 hours ago, deanox said:

    This is one of the reasons that if I was North Melbourne, I'd be calling out Daicos not Horne-Francis. 

    Collingwood have already committed, so it's a no risk. And Daicos will be a gun even if they do get stuck with him.


    Besides, there is no win available for Collingwood if they choose not to match a bid, so the chances of them doing so are Buckley’s.

    And it lessens the pressure on JHF.

    Edited by Mach5

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    Jack Watts would have been pretty good in this current Melbourne side

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    1 hour ago, adonski said:

    Jack Watts would have been pretty good in this current Melbourne side

    jack watts would not make the current melbourne side

    never came close to working hard enough on or off the field

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    We got Fritsch for him so I say we wouldn't be in a premiership window if we didn't let him go.

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    3 hours ago, Mach5 said:


    Besides, there is no win available for Collingwood if they choose not to match a bid, so the chances of them doing so are Buckley’s.

    And it lessens the pressure on JHF.

    But he doesn't get the Sponsorship for Investment !

    Thats important to him. 

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    52 minutes ago, whatwhat say what said:

    jack watts would not make the current melbourne side

     

    Disagree.

    Also the culture, talent and class of the current side would have made him a better and more damaging player.

    He was a great shot for goal and this team would find him more and give him more chances of scoring.

     

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    On 11/20/2021 at 2:49 PM, John Crow Batty said:

    Martin had to leave for awkward reasons not related to football. He had more upside as a ruckman then than Gawn.

    How did it even get out that Mitch Clark pulled a ‘Wayne Carey’ on Martin? 

    Edited by Foopy on the telly

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