At the break of Gawn

Followed up with a tweet saying light session was planned due to playing on Sunday

After watching that it was obvious that the Watts thing was definitely a training attitude thing not some specific metric. Said he was disappointed in him and gave him a clip around the ears. Seemed unsure about Spencer playing.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/melbourne-forward-jack-watts-to-play-for-casey-on-sunday-20170313-gux22a.html Another chance for him to blow off the cobwebs

I think Goodwin's summation was pretty spot on. Had a good first half, did some nice things. Was good defensively. Got burnt a few times by his team mates running into open space. Looked a little rusty I thought though. Not enough evidence to suggest he's going to build upon 2016 or regress.

Calm down. He was trying to move it on quickly, but Hogan was out of position so he had to pull back. Regardless, he drew two defenders and almost set up a goal.

Dwayne Russell is commentating the game (heard him mention it today on 3AW with a Tom McDonald interview). So perhaps watching the replay on mute if we win?

Sounds good. Just don't mention the clarinet

That's because the media didn't ask about Jetta or Frost or Garland etc. The media loves a Jack Watts story so it was actually them who singled Watts out. The club just responded. Garland may also be down in his standards but no one cared to ask.

I agree. I think it's pretty accurate. I love Viney and Lewis, but there are a lot more midfielders ahead of them which puts them in the average category... e.g. Parker, Dangerfield, Cripps, Hannebery, Shiel, Kennedy the list goes on.

GWS Sydney Western Bulldogs Adelaide Geelong Melbourne St. Kilda West Coast Hawks to finish 9th.

I'm with Sam Edmund on some of those sackings. Hinkley will be close to gone if port finish bottom 6.

JKH is out for 8 weeks and VdB had an injury concern over his ankle. Watts might just get lucky...

2011 was pretty decent for a 20 yo. long term prospect and I actually think he was tracking OK under Bailey. Compared to the clubs current development program though it would have been on par with Auskick. I find your rating of Watts' years as almost in a vacuum with no consideration of what was going on at the club. Long term prospect players offer you nothing for the first few years and then eventually hit their straps. Watts was probably fair game to be judged in 2012 but a bloke named Mark Neeld walked into the club and almost destroyed it. The disunity between Watts and Neeld is well known on here which stumped his growth as a player. So if we exclude the Neeld years, you're only really left with 2 disappointing years (2014, 2015) under Roos. Some would even argue those two were more development years for all that he didn't receive when he started at the club.

I love the fact that he did 100 x 100m on Christmas day. Hope he has a really big year.

Hogan only averaged 1.4 in 2016. How many do you think a tall forward who's 196cm is expected to make? They're not all midfielders.

I still think VDB will end up causing more turn overs off his own boot than any pressure acts.

Thanks for that. Watched Goodwin's interview today in AFL tonight and he mentioned that his lack of intensity was also self admitted by Jack. In years gone by they probably would have let it slide, but with so many training the house down, and a hard line approach, it wasn't acceptable this time.

Perhaps all the media attention is also brought on by the fact as to how much the general public is interested in Jack Watts. 3 to 4 active Demonland threads about Jack Watts clearly shows people are somehow fascinated by the enigma that is Jack Watts. Surely if no one was clicking the links to all the herald sun/the age articles then the articles would dry up. I think the media keeps on writing articles and discussing Jack Watts in length, because somewhere out there, people are generally interested in what's happening in the life of Jack Watts. This article is a good case in point. It's been written purely because Jack left the track early today due to him feeling unwell (a cold perhaps?). Surely no other player would receive an article from such an insignificance event during a pre-season - seems to be more what you'd read leading up to GF week. http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/melbourne-demons-jack-watts-forced-to-leave-training-early-due-to-illness-20170228-gun52o.html

No Bugg? Also need another tall defender - they have 4 tall forwards and Carisle who can play at both ends

FB: Hibberd T. McDonald Hunt HB: Melksham O.McDonald J. Smith C: Salem Viney Vince HF: Petracca Hogan Lewis FF: Kent Watts Weiderman Foll: Gawn N.Jones Oliver Int: Tyson Stretch Brayshaw Bugg Emergency: Spencer, Jetta , S Frost Key match ups: Hibberd on Membrey, T.Mac on Roo, O.Mac on Bruce, J. Smith on McCartin A few notes: Weids edges out JKH and VDB for mine. Jetta may be underdone for now, Garlett assumed injured Harmes poor skill execution will be too costly at Etihad. ANB squeezed out. Assumes Watts has redeemed himself.

Could get his chance at Casey http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/jack-watts-might-need-to-wait-until-march-19-to-play-a-vfl-practice-game-20170226-gulm59.html

Watts only really has himself to blame if he's failed to do the work on the track. He probably also needs to do the back-up ruckman role again this year. Playing 2 rucks will hurt the midfield rotations too much and I can't see room for Pederson this year if we're going to develop Weids.

A round one win will be huge and probably the biggest indication of all that we are going to have a very big year. Beating the Cats at Etihad would also be nice revenge for the 100pt belting.

Yes. What I got out of it was that this key criteria is 100℅ intensity all the time, and if you don't show that, you're not getting picked. I did like the fact that he said "when Jack does return, we are going to have a very good player on our hands". If Goodwin's plan does work and he can produce a super charged Jack Watts, who's even more damaging then 2016, then he is a genius.

Although I want to feel optimistic about our performances, I can't ignore the fact we won all 3 preseason games last year and it meant sweet FA in the season proper (lost to saints twice, dogs and port in Darwin). These performances feel different, but Saints round 1 still worries me with (especially with how well they play against port in the first half)