Mazer Rackham

Doesn't matter, JW at his best can't be categorised. He's like a lesser Adam Goodes. Just put him anywhere on the ground and let him do good things.

I presume "Ralphy" read some Champion Data stats and learned that JW is elite for hard arsed-ness, top 2 in the comp for crawling over broken glass, and third for stopping bullets with his teeth. Maybe he's never actually watched MFC play?

"Who do they think they are? Player managers? We'll do the having it both ways, thank you very much", Connors continued. "We'll do the backflipping around here" said Connors sternly. "And we will backflip, have it both ways, and do whatever else it takes to extract more fees from .... I mean, get better deals for my clients. The clubs can go to hell. Unless they up their offers in which case I will praise their professionalism."

He may well be spot on. Later today I heard on SEN that Watts was 2nd for some kind of pressure act. I nearly fell off my chair. We don't need to blindly accept what the computer is telling us. This is a variation of "computer says no". The modern day equivalent of the electricity company sending you a bill for $0.00 and later sending the sheriff to confiscate $0.00 of your possessions because you never sent a cheque for $0.00. (Yes that used to happen.) I just looked up some Champion Data stats. Their pre-season predictions for the ladder had Bulldogs in 3rd, Magpies 7th, Tigers 10th and Dons 15th. Do Champion Data really know that much more about the game than any keen observer? Or do they invent their own metrics and then watch games while pressing buttons on a laptop every time a metric is met. Is that insight or reactive button pushing? I don't mean to sink the boot into Champion but you do not need to place absolute faith that these stats are a true reflection of what is going on. Do these stats take account of the contests that take place near Jack that he's not part of? If you'd never seen Peter Hudson play, you would have rated him a no hoper based on statistics. (Except for the one killer statistic: goals scored.) Or put it another way: are you going to believe Champion Data, or your own lying eyes? That North game near the end of the season. Ye gods. At times I wondered if he was even on the ground. In no way shape or form is JW a leader in contested pressure in the forward line. I like Jack and I prefer that he stays (and fulfills his potential). But Champion Data and contested pressure stats? Sorry, they are wrong.

The chef brought it out on a big tray and just as he got to the tables he tripped and the whole f***ing thing went on the floor.

To rouse up trouble to get a few more players on his books for a future 5% fee? What to make of this statement. All players with 24 hour minders become consistent stars? MFC are remiss for not giving Watts a 24 hour minder? The results of the Martin experiment are only evident with hindsight, which will be the same with the Watts experiment, however it goes.

If they are then they need a good hard look at themselves. It was "player power" that led to 186. The inmates do not run the asylum. If they don't like that then they can ask for a trade to the Gold Coast. Go Goody. Go Demons. Good on Jack if he does. The shame would be that it took such an almighty kick in the pants for him to do it.

O'Dangerfield? O'Martin? O'Franklin?

Thanks everyone

This whole drama is not really about Watts Yes, Watts is in the cross hairs right now. But look for the bigger picture. Most coaches only get one shot at it. For all the feelgood chat about Michael Voss being a better coach if he gets another senior gig, which club is going to put their collective nads on the line to try that experiment? None. Because they'll look bloody stupid, and waste years finding out that Voss may have improved, but not to where he lands a flag. They get one shot. The only coaches who get two shots are flag winning coaches, or ones that go very close (Ross Lyon). Everyone else is bundled out after a short number of years, having stamped their papers, and end up in footy oblivion, or, for the ones who win hell's tattslotto, assistant coach at Essendon. Clearly, Goodwin already sees this. Will he be another Justin Leppitsch? Another Brett Ratten? Another Brendon McCartney? Another Matthew Primus? Another Peter Schwab? (You get the idea.) Like f**k he will. If you can recall the cricket career of Ian Chappell, when he became test captain, he tried to be all things to all people. Got middling results. Pretty soon (wise words were whispered in his ear) he realised that it has to be his way, or die wondering. And damn the torpedoes. (You may also recall that Ian Chappell was no choirboy.) Goodwin has got this message. Probably already had it. Can anyone cast their minds back to the dim past, in a year when an aspiring finals team met some cellar dwellers in the second last round of the home/away games. The underdogs fancied themselves and put up a game fight, but against superior skill, talent, gameplan, everything, found themselves being blown off the park in the last quarter. The aspiring finals team, on paper, had made it to the finals. Then inexplicably, they took their foot off the pedal and let the cellar dwellers back into the game, and had it gone another 10 minutes, might have snatched defeat. In the twinkling of an eye, the team had gone from finals near-certainties to everything on the line. The coach must have been livid. You may recall in the last round of that same season, our heroes had to overcome another set of cellar dwellers, whom they had beaten earlier in the year. Surely with everything on the line, their superior lineup would do the job? Think again. They flubbed it, badly. Weren't in the game at any stage. And the oppo had 6 of their best out. What a debacle. The coach must have been livid. "I must do something about this, or I will be the next Justin Leppitsch, the next Matthew Primus ... and f**k that!" He cast about, looking for ways to improve his list. Trade Van den berg? Trade Stretch? JKH? For some third round picks? Then he woke up in a cold sweat. Was that it? Trade some fringe players for some more fringe players? He looked in the mirror and saw Justin Leppitsch staring back at him. He saw that his side has got great talent, huge promise, and, collectively, a heart the size of a pea. Leppitsch started laughing and before he knew it, Goodwin was looking at the face of Mark Neeld staring back at him. This is Goodwin's one shot at it. He sees what we all saw through the season. And the season before that. When the club's nuts are on the line, the team flubs it. He sees a future where he's a member of the sacked coaches club, lamenting that he coulda been a contender, but his team had a heart the size of a pea. It's really too bad. Hard luck, eh? What's a coach to do? Goodwin's response? LIKE F**K. We should celebrate a coach who upon seeing the great riches at his disposal, has the nads to make the calls he sees as necessary to harness the greatness. He sees a player who after 9 years in the system, is still on cruise control. I have no doubt other players have been sent a message too, but because they are not media magnets like Watts, their stories are unremarked. I am no Jack hater. The happiest end to this story is he stays with us, and, burning and stinging from the message given to him, turns it on and becomes the player we all hoped for over 9 seasons. I would love it. But 9! Long time. Colin Sylvia had 9 seasons I think. Just one good preseason .... maybe the penny will drop ... sorry. Doesn’t work like that. After 9 seasons, we're all being sent a message. What you see is what you get. The writing is on the wall but all some of us can do is criticise the choice of font. Do I think Goodwin is some wonder coach working to a cunning and devious master plan? No. He's a rookie coach learning as he goes, making mistakes along the way. But he's the guy in the hot seat and has to do it his way come hell or high water. He simply cannot do it any other way. I applaud our coach for seeing the writing on the wall, for himself, for the club, and for Jack, and taking action to correct it. Rather than hoping, hoping, hoping for it to click. Grab it by the balls, Goody. This is your one shot. Right or wrong, masterstroke or cockup, only the future will tell. But don't hold back for fear of the cockup. I am reminded of a quote by general George Patton. "I never take counsel of my fears." Go Goody. Go Demons.

Player managers. Men of integrity, character. Men we can look up to. Founts of wisdom. Role models.

Well ..... alright .........

Oh yeah? Wait till we concuss them and break their jaws. Let's see how "lightning" they are then!

All well and good but does it get us any closer to the aim of the exercise? Which is to extract maximum value from Jack, one way or another. On field or in a trade. Yes, Jack has had a rough run. It's regrettable. But not much point in crying over spilt milk. It's down the drain, we know it, everyone knows it, and the only way now is forward.

I would not pay any attention to what Connors or any player manager says, about anything, at any time. They are stirrers and agitators trying to manipulate the situation to strike the best deal for their player. If that means throwing mud at other players, other clubs, their player's own club, well so what. All's fair in love and war. "Don't burn your bridges", said no player manager, anywhere, ever.

On Goodwin. He is no saint, for sure, but wasn't it only a few days ago that D-landers were moaning that we passed up Dusty Martin way back when, because he wasn't a choir boy, and that we should kick ourselves forever more over that?

Barracking for the Demons is generally associated with a bit of strangeness. In that case you are Demon Royalty!

The "expectations" are not that he play better than Dusty Martin (a lowly no 3 draft pick). The "expectations" are that he trains to the required standard, rehabs to the required standard, and generally puts in to the required standard.

Isn't that funny. We used to say that about my mystery player too.

This reminds me of another player, where after nine NQR seasons, we were still talking about his "potential". Eventually the penny dropped for club, supporters, everyone except the player, and he was shunted off to another club where he proved all over again that if you haven't shown it after nine years at one club, you probably aren't going to show it anywhere. Prize for who can guess the mystery player.

Spelling isn't the only thing Skin Diamond Deeamond learnt at school. (Do a google search to see!) Although I can't work what kind of school it must have been. Finishing school, maybe.

If we stuck to that list, we'd have a team full of Matt Joneses, Dean Terliches and Jordie McKenzies. Which we did try and it wasn't inspiring. If that list was all that counts, then I am an AFL standard player. Time to try something different. A bit of tough love for the lads. Goodwin won't die wondering. This will be his last gig as a senior coach and he has to do it his way.

If the clubs feels that way I won't argue against them.

After our dismal stumbling finish to the season, I fail to see how anyone can not be behind the club in sending a message. If there's some collateral damage, so be it. We simply cannot continue as we have for the last X years, teasing with some improvement, then f***ing up when it counts. Something has to change and I say good on Goody for forcing the issue. I reckon Jack won't be the only one who has been sent a message.

We will know by the outcome. We either get a player in a trade who puts in like the coaches want. Or we get a fired up Watts who finally fulfills his potential. That will be a good club doing what good clubs do. Or we get a greatest hits replay of a NQR Watts. That will be hopeless old Melbourne, poor old Melbourne, etc. We won't know until a few games into next season whether we are a good club doing what good clubs do.