Jack Watts interview

[Dee Zephyr 19,267]

55 minutes ago, Dannyz said:

The best field kick to play for the club in my lifetime.

Trapper would be right up there too

[Skuit 10,031]

1 hour ago, Deebymistake said:

 Mentioned he was not the Jack Viney or Maxy Gawn the coaches wanted him to be.

I've said a similar thing about girlfriends dumping me in the past. It doesn't mean they were wrong, other than being attracted to me in the first place and persisting for too long due to a misguided hope of 'potential'.

[Moonshadow 17,676]

We didn't develop Jack as a professional club should've, but he did like a party... or 10

[KingDingAling 3,758]

2 hours ago, Dannyz said:

The best field kick to play for the club in my lifetime.

Ditto. Shame he wasn’t coming through our system now. Elite user. 

[Gawndy the Great 9,011]

1 hour ago, Uncle Fester said:

Without being in the inner circle, from the outside looking in, he's both right and wrong. We were horribly dysfunctional from end 2006 until probably 2018... and then we've still got some serious issues in the background at the moment. However the Viney's and Gawn's are the men that drive standards. It's no bad thing to use them as a yardstick. But he didn't put his hand up and say the cliche' if it's to be, it's up to me'

No blame game here. We let him down, and he let himself down. Maybe if he was drafted into a better org he'd have been a better player... or maybe not.

Talent only gets you so far. The club was a joke when he first started - but that is on the players as well as the FD. When we turned the ship he wasn’t willing to do what was required to take the next step… so we let him go.

[Demon Disciple 12,179]

51 minutes ago, KingDingAling said:

Ditto. Shame he wasn’t coming through our system now. Elite user. 

Yep. Chalk and cheese 2009 vs 2024

[Skuit 10,031]

2 hours ago, KingDingAling said:

Ditto. Shame he wasn’t coming through our system now. Elite user. 

But our system now has even higher standards. The fact he referenced both Viney and Gawn means the club wasn't trying to make him become a particular type of player or personality, but likely they were pushing a greater level of leadership and professionalism.

[chookrat 4,257]

Like others here have said the environment Watts was drafted into was not professional and the expectations the club put on him were unfair on a young player. This said there are others who succeeded in the same environment and Jack was given every opportunity to do well under Roos and Goodwin. The impression I get from his media appearances is he really lacks confidence in himself as a person which makes it really difficult to thrive in adversity.

[Billy 2,534]

A lot of ifs with Jack

If he was at another club

if he had the right culture

if he was professional 

if he was dedicated 

if he was serious about being an AFL footballer 

A lot of footballers over the years have played for very average teams & have carved out terrific careers 

Well liked bloke, wish him the best 

[Demon Dynasty 17,109]

8 hours ago, Gawndy the Great said:

Talent only gets you so far. The club was a joke when he first started - but that is on the players as well as the FD. When we turned the ship he wasn’t willing to do what was required to take the next step… so we let him go.

Ship started to slowly turn upon the arrival of Roos.  Roos obviously driving much higher standards.  Long overdue and Wattsy certainly copped the rough end of the pineapple in his first 5 seasons.

I recall meeting Jack at Chaddy on the eve of the season that Roosey took over... early 2014.  He was sitting in a photo studio waiting to get his promo shots done for the club.

I said hello and asked him how he felt after we'd landed one of the best coaches in the land?  His response was the usual happy-go-lucky one with a big grin.  One of the great smiles (on anyone) which i remember to this day.

I thought he improved under Roosey somewhat but by that stage the old habbits (under a very poor system/culture & just a lack of support / talent in general) may have been too hard to break.

Jack gave me the impression he was just happy playing the game and having fun doing so.  He had oodles of talent but the madness & intensity of the high performance side and pre-season slog might not have been his cup of tea.

I'll never forget the QB 2016 match and his great run around the southern stand finishing with the sealer.  One of the most satisfying moments i'd had in 45 years of watching the mighty Demons to that point.  We let the Pies supporters behind us know about it who'd been ragging Jack all day!

I really thought he might have turned the corner at that point but sadly it wasn't to be.

The old saying "you can lead a horse to water...."

[JJJ 1,304]

It wasn’t his fault that we erred in picking him at #1. He was extremely talented but flawed. Didn’t have the right mix of hardness and mental fortitude to capitalise.

One of the best blokes you’d ever want to hang around though. Met him many times socially.

See him regularly at Sandy Basketball courts and he is still the same happy go lucky fella he was when we drafted him. Always up for a chat. Big smile on his face.

I wish him well.

[tiers 2,840]

One of my most abiding memories of Jack was how he was seemingly ignored and wasted when leading from the forward line. Jack was able to read the play and position himself to best advantage but time and again he was ignored. Whether this was deliberate team plan or just plain lack of awareness by his team mates is unclear but it definitely wasted his enormous talent.

As for field kicking, Trapper was better. Trapper had that rare and unique ability to draw players to the ball in an advantageous position like no other.

[Dannyz 2,761]

11 hours ago, Dee Zephyr said:

Trapper would be right up there too

Had him a close second followed by Yze/Salem. 

[Fork 'em 6,984]

Took a small tribe of kids out to Casey to see the boys train back then.
Jack Watts and Colin Sylvia were absolute rippers with them.
Will always be champs after that in my eyes.

And Watts goal against the Pies was one of the true spine tinglers.
Was great to see it again.

And I always felt for Watts.
Very few players had to start their football careers under the microscope like he did.
 

[JJJ 1,304]

25 minutes ago, tiers said:

One of my most abiding memories of Jack was how he was seemingly ignored and wasted when leading from the forward line. Jack was able to read the play and position himself to best advantage but time and again he was ignored. Whether this was deliberate team plan or just plain lack of awareness by his team mates is unclear but it definitely wasted his enormous talent.

I spoke to a former player about this and he said there were a group of players who didn’t trust Jack as he would often drop easy marks or get out competed if the ball hit the deck. 
 

I agree it was noticeable that he would find space only to be ignored. I also saw him drop easy marks and turn the ball over so I get the other side too.

[whatwhat say what 22,783]

jack seemed like a lovely fella, and i am sure he was great fun to party with

but it's easier to forget in the wake of his career that he was dropped by every senior coach he had

i personally doubt if, given the rigour that goes into draft pick selections these days, he would go close to being drafted in the first round

[Red But Mostly Blue 4,547]

Immensely talented, and yes he came to the Dees in our darkest days with an unfair weight on his shoulders. But by all accounts, lacked discipline - was always 'potential' and the 'could/might have been' mystery . I am not sure he would necessarily have thrived in our current improved culture. You could argue others would spur him on, or you could argue the success of the others could have given him extra room to maybe party? (like every other club, we may well have some more inclined to party - no judgement, and no rumours, just a reality based on life/young kids with lots of money and free time). So I am not sure he would necessarily have succeeded in another, more successful era. Success takes two parties, and there are other examples of players succeeding in poor cultures/teams. 

Anyway, seems a nice enough guy, who I hope has accepted some accountability and now looks to be doing well selling swim stuff, given his fondness for swimming. Wish him all the best. 

[Ugottobekidding 1,188]

Has a fallout with Nathan Jones. Did not quite realise the hard work required. At least Petracca worked it out early... Talent alone will only take you so far.

[Neil Crompton 5,576]

I love Jack, but after listening to over half of that podcast, he still hasn’t grown up and he still hasn’t acknowledged that he could have changed his whole image at the Dees by simply meeting whatever standards we had back then. One day, hopefully, he might wake up. 

[Watson11 2,241]

2 hours ago, Ugottobekidding said:

Has a fallout with Nathan Jones. Did not quite realise the hard work required. At least Petracca worked it out early... Talent alone will only take you so far.

Well said. Max was drafted a year after Jack and came into the same environment. Both Jack and Max had talent and like a party.  Max had a rocky start but Max made wise decisions, knuckled down and worked hard, is a champion of the game, and still playing at the highest level.  Maybe Jack should consider referencing Max when he does interviews rather than Howes.

[Cheap Seats 3,310]

17 hours ago, Longsufferingnomore said:

Me thinks there has been a little historical manipulation by our/Ports Jack. He is never going to admit his part in his leaving both MFC and PAFC.

Agree.

I've never had anything against Jack but when he does speak it's always someone else's fault.

I think jack would benefit from taking some responsibility 

[leave it to deever 17,511]

I remember going to that Qb round with a mate.

We both commented on young he looked when he ran onto the ground.

I don't think at the time the media had nailed someone as much as him.

It was relentless.

I don't know why they were so out to get him.

It must have had a significant negative influence upon the bloke.