jabberwocky

6 Bruce 5 Jurrah 4 Moloney 3 Petterd 2 Mclean 1 Jones

I seriously have no idea what you are on about. The OP asked a number of questions and at no stage have I bagged Jack Watts. I think he will be a champion player. I think you are reading things that aren't there. FWIW I agree with your second paragraph 100%. In which case you have kind of contradicted yourself in the third. On one hand you have stated that Watts doesn't take pack marks or play in and under. Yet you seem to take issue with me noting that he avoids such contests. Which is it? My question in regard to this (and I still see it as a valid one) is. Is the club avoiding playing Watts in a postion or style of play that could see him physically damaged? And so it is clear Jack Watts seems like a great kid with a good head on his shoulders and immense ability.

This is where you have it wrong. It's not an accusation. I can go and find the stats from his three games and while I think they will support what I am saying I don't think they are needed. He is not playing as a KPP and is not getting in situations where he can win a contest. That is not an accusation and to me it is a pretty clear fact. My question is, why? Is the club protecting him from these situations or is he not putting himself there? I don't think Jack is scared. My own opinion is that the club is protecting him. But this is just my opinion. I don't claim to have any inside knowledge. BTW I am not making a judgement on this. So I will ask you, do you think he is getting a contests? Surely you can't be still claiming that he is playing as a KPP. If he isn't, what do you think the reason is? Cheers

Well Geelong is getting done. The cricket is ok... a little slow. I just wanted to Discuss Jack Watts and what his and the club's mindset may be re his development. I made an observation which you disagree with, that Watts is not getting into contests. To me he clearly isn't, but apparently you see this differently and take it as an insult to our Messiah which was not the intention. You've called me an idiot twice, stupid, and on drugs and haven't really offered anything else except that Watts has been playing as a KPP which I clearly disagree with and I would suggest the rest of the world are with me there.

Mate re-read the op properly. That question was in the context of whether he was going to be Nick Riewoldt or James Hird. If you think likening a player to Hird is a sledge well i am going to have to agree to disagree. It was not out of concern rather out of interest and genuinely inviting other people's opinions. I actually asked 3 questions in the OP.

Actually if you read the OP it was thrown up as a question and I was expecting some educated discussion. Unfortunately there are some people who read things like this and interpret it as an insult to their deity and get defensive. Again I am not sledging Jack and I don't expect him to be crashing packs and taking pack grabs on a regular basis at this point. Jack moves like a player who is going to be a champion. I was more interested in what style of champion people thought he would become.

Steady on mate what's the deal, are you one of those blokes who goes ape droppings on the Bundy? Sheez, relax. You clearly haven't been watching him as he hasn't been playing as a KPP at all. Which may in part answer what was a serious question. Is he strategically being kept away from contests to avoid packs crashing into him and getting crunched by gorilla backmen?

Do you watch the footy? A 2 line post calling someone an idiot with no real argument to back it up, now that's what I call shirking a contest. Still I guess we're not all capable of having a mature discussion and presenting an argument to back it up. Take your rose coloured glasses and try assessing what you have seen so far. Watts is quite clearly staying away from congested situations, whether it be marking stuations or on the deck. It's not a sledge, it is either the way he plays or the way he has been told to play. I started the thread partly to discuss which it is. I can recall only a couple of times when I have seen him win a contested posession purely because he hasn't been getting into many contests.

What are you basing this on? do not tell me from today's game?

I admit I know very little of Jack Watts' junior career and it would be great to hear from those who have seen a bit of Jack Watts before MFC. I have seen some clips and read his reviews. After watching him a couple of times in the flesh and a few times on the box. I now have myself attempting to evaluate exactly what type of player he is. What style of player will he become? I have changed my view. I expected him to end up a hard running athetic forward capable of a high flying pack mark in the mould of Riewoldt. I now see him in the James Hird mould. He has a great knack of snaffling the footy with one grab either in the air or on the ground. He also seems to be able to attract the footy to his hands even when out of position with great agility and co-ordination. He can then get himself clear with poise and class. So far he has shown a tendency to stay on the ground and avoid the packs. This leads me into my second question. It appears that Jack Watts is not placing himself in contested situations. Is this by his design or on the advice of our coaching staff? I have a feeling that it may be the latter. The third question is: Should a player who actively avoids contests be consistently playing AFL football regardless of the reasons? If a player or the club hasn't got confidence in the players body to withstand a contest, should that disclude them from playing senior footy until the player's body is ready. I can understand that a player may be given a taste of what is required in the big league for a couple of games. Should they be playing on a weekly basis. I am not necessarily looking at Jack when I ask this question.

Beating Williams, Treadrea and Cornes and making it a little harder for them to finish in the eight......delicious. Then we can be "competitive" for the rest of the season.

Back at school I reckon. We might see him with a couple of games to go. I also think it's time for Cale to have a rest and earn his spot again.

I have to disgaree with this post. Cale has some deficiencies in his game which are potentially terminal. Now I know that he has only played thirty something games but should he get to 80 games and he hasn't resolved them it will severely limit his value to the team. He must not be allowed to play his cheap possession game at this stage of his career. It will do far more harm than good, both for his devlopment and the team's psyche. Cale Morton must not get an easy ride.

I have to disgaree with this post. Cale has some deficiencies in his game which are potentially terminal. Now I know that he has only played thirty something games but should he get to 80 games and he hasn't resolved them it will severely limit his value to the team. He must not be allowed to play his cheap possession game at this stage of his career. It will do far more harm than good, both for his devlopment and the team's psyche. Cale Morton must not get an easy ride.

How perceptions change!

No way. Look at Geelong and St Kilda, they have midfielders that are great players but thier midfield talent runs deep. A great side needs 8-10 quality players that can rotate into the midfield. Three on the centreline, two on the ball, one or two in the forward line and a couple resting on the bench. Geelong has Ablett Selwood Bartel Corey Enright Ling Chapman Johnson Byrnes Varcoe Rooke Varcoe Not all are pure mids but can are rotated through there depending on the need at the time.

I have a very strong feeling that he will be headed north.

Nah, if anyone should be trading for picks it would be us.

Players like Nathan Jones are the heart of the team. I still believe that he will be a very very good player because he wants to be involved and he wills himself to make an impact. The only way a collision would have been avoided are if he failed to attack the footy. A couple of our players would have played it differently and Wirrpanda would have taken the mark.

Jaded I enjoy your opinions but I think have rose coloured glasses on re this boy. I don't think he has the confidence of his team-mates yet.

Its as simple as this; Jimmy has endorsed him and has asked us to get behind him. He believes that McLardy can do the job well. Jimmy is trying to embrace positivity. For the sake of the club and in line with Jimmy's wishes perhaps we all should. Good luck Don.

Success has nothing to do with luck, more to do with a single minded passion for success and unity. Get it?

Endorsed by Jimmy and one of his mentors, enough for me. Move on.

Yep, considering the seriousness of the illness I reckon they would. I think it will be more a situation of Jimmy wanting to return when he is feels fit enough rather than giving a fixed time frame.

Have been slowly digesting this thread. The club needs to throw everything at getting Laidley. Laidley is reputed to be a great game day coach, a strategist. Laidley has somehow got that North team to several finals apperances and IMO they have perfromed at thier optimum for years. Bailey is a great communicator and developer of players. I still don't believe that we have had sufficient evicence either way to assess his game day abilities, but if there is a percieved deficiency there then Laidley is a great fit.