Key Deefender

Daniel Menzel has elite talent, no question. Jack Watts has elite talent also, as does Jeff Garlett. What none of them have is ability or desire to apply the forward pressure required in today's game. In Menzel's case, he may never have had it, I don't know, but four knee reconstructions mounts a case as to why he may not have enough confidence in his knees to do it. Ex- Geelong players at our club, Matthew Egan, Max Rooke, maybe even Shannon Byrnes and Brendan McCartney may know him well enough to know. Simon Goodwin has a game plan very much built around forward pressure. Jack Watts is gone, Garlett is teetering and yet both have more talent than say the likes of vandenBerg, coming off a longterm injury and Spargo, a kid who doesn't yet get enough off the ball, who while deficient in some areas, perform the non-negotiables of tackling and applying pressure. If a player in the 22 doesn't perform these non-negotiables, then the fabric of the team starts to fray at this one seam and then the rest can begin to rip and has to be patched as Watts and Garlett have found out the hard way. I have much respect for Daniel Menzel's elite talents and admire how he has been able to resurrect his career, however I don't think he fits what we are trying to build and would send a wrong message to the rest of the list. Having seen him interviewed, as a person he comes across as likeable, humble and grateful to those who have supported him on his journey and I really hope he finds an AFL lifeline somewhere.

I can't fathom those of you who still want to trade out Jack Watts. I agree his form since day one has fluctuated wildly and his lack of hardness has been rightly criticized along the way, however I believe over the past few weeks he has been finally making inroads to eliminate this glaring chink in his armour. There has still been the odd hiccup, but he now appears to be consciously making every effort to impact a contest. However almost even more importantly than this, is that he is still the best finisher in the team. Some of his decision-making and executions are sublime and he rarely either picks a wrong option or fails to deliver on that option. We have had a team of ball butchers for way too long and most, if not all, these serial offenders should be rightly moved on, perhaps leaving a couple for depth and great clubmanship - eg: Grimes - if he wants to stay. From what I have read here on these boards, but not from what I know, it seems Brendan McCartney, one of the games best developers, has taken him on as a bit of a project. He has had him now for just 11 games and part of a pre-season. Maybe it is beginning to bear some fruit and Jack is finally getting the proper coaching development he has never had. For a team that is trying to eliminate turnovers, the ability to seek and find a teammate in a position to hurt the opposition is a priceless commodity that should not be traded out lightly if at all - especially in a guy 196cm tall and likely still growing into his body. I think Watts is finally removing some of the basketballer's lack of physicality but retaining the elements of that sport's ability to read the play and have the peripheral vision and skillset to deliver perfectly to a teammate. It is certainly early days, in terms of consistency with his new found physicality and urgency. There will still be times when we will think he should have gone harder, and we need to accept that he will never be one of the game's real hard men, however I sense Jack Watts may now be finally coming into his own. I will watch the rest of his season with interest and then expect and back a further full pre-season under the tutoring of Brendan McCartney to finally enable him to deliver on his undeniable talent. Why trade that away?

Another couple of musos: Bruce Woodley - The Seekers (have seen him in the Members at the G donned in a Dees scarf) Jim Keays - The Masters Apprentices (R.I.P. Also saw him at games in our colours)

As others have already named him - Van Demon works for me (obviously a la Van Dieman's Land). Looks a ready made player and already a favourite of a few here.

Warren Dean - exploded onto the scene in the late 80s and then imploded out with at least one wrecked knee. Could have been an all-time Demon great.