Dr. Gonzo

Except the TV ratings figures show that people are more inclined to watch good games or teams performing well rather than the "big clubs".

If we stop getting home games against 7 of the 8 non-Vic clubs and start getting regular home games against Essendon, Carlton & Richmond we might have a better chance at becoming self-sufficient.

Read him some Nietzsche - nothing worthwhile in this world comes without struggle.

As I've said earlier I genuinely believe Watts thinks he is giving as much effort as he can and probably knows he has to improve but doesn't know how because he is trying as hard as he can. The same was apparently true of Ablett after his first few years. Thought he was working as hard as he could and was doing enough to be a regular senior player. The other players confronted him about it and told him he was actually doing the bare minimum rather than pushing himself to his limits and he took it on board and became the most dominant player in the comp. Now Watts probably doesn't have that potential but the comparison seems appropriate - he probably thinks he is doing as much as he physically can when in fact he is doing the bare minimum. It starts on the track and runs through to game day. I'm not potting him or think we should immediately delist him but I seriously can't see why people don't think he would benefit from a run in the two's. If he was told he was going back for 4-6 weeks to work on some deficiencies in his game and would be brought back in once he had ironed those out isn't that better for all concerned rather than continuing on in the seniors putting in his half efforts and continuing to be placed under the microscope of media and supporters? I don't want him dropped as punishment, I genuinely think it would be the best thing for his career to have to work on his game and the "efforts" at Casey before coming back to senior footy.

2005 - after Goddard's 3rd year. Watts is into his sixth season.

Haha what drivel - you do realise this is a discussion forum where people discuss, analyse and critique all things AFL and MFC? I find it so hilarious when people get an overinflated sense of importance that what they write on an Internet forum actually has a bearing on the performance of their club and players. There's a couple of prime examples in this thread, people who seem to make it their mission to steer Demonland.com "on the right course". Give me a spell. Also if you can't appreciate the difference between what is said publicly and what may be thought privately and if you can't form thoughts and opinions on your own, what's the point of posting here? So let me get this straight, if Watts plays this week that means I'm wrong but if he is dropped that means I'm right and you'll agree only because Roos and the footy club have made the decision for you? For gods sake get of the fence and assess the facts on their own and form an opinion of your own, god knows how some people get by in life just believing everything that is served up to them. Baaaa!

Yeah but at least none of those guys do anything they can to avoid physical contact on the field and can lay a proper tackle. Look at Watts' dropped mark in the first quarter, he dropped it because he [censored] himself that he was going to cop contact from behind after being pushed over not long prior in the opposite forward pocket.

Even if that is the case I don't see why this should preclude him from going back to Casey to find his form/maturity/whatever.

Haha 2500 posts in under a year just telling us all how great he is not to mention all the other nom de plumes he's gone under over the years.

Keyboard warrior, what an overused cliche - tell me where in my post did I say anything to personally attack Watts? I analysed his performance for the team and the reasons I think he should be dropped to Casey but clearly some are still protected species around MFC. Your last paragraph basically indicates you can't/won't form an opinion for yourself so there's no point expressing it. Exactly iva - even if we do say he needs more time why can't he spend that time at Casey trying to figure out how to play? Why does he get a free pass in the 1's every week based on a reputation formed in high school? We've given players "time" before and before we know it they've been playing seniors for 10 years and never amounted to anything. I want Watts to make it but playing seniors isn't doing anything to help him get there he needs to work hard at Casey instilling the fundamentals in his game before coming back to apply it in the seniors. What condescending drivel. Yeah because he can't/won't meet the expectations placed on every other player in the AFL it is the supporters fault for failing to understand that he hasn't matured yet. Let's just put the whole club on hold waiting for Jack to mature so he can pull his finger out - give me a spell.

Here we go again, the weekly "Watts apologists" posts. He's been worse than shocking the last two weeks and any effort to say otherwise just shows people either have short memories or they didn't watch the games. He doesn't need to be banished for all time but he does need a decent run at Casey (at least 4-6 weeks) until the "non-negotiables" are ingrained into him. You can't get away with a complete & utter lack of intensity and attack on the contest in senior footy. Of course Roos is going to come out and bat for him/make excuses he's not a [censored] like Neeld who publicly pots his players. Just because he says one thing publicly do you really think he doesn't see what we all see and have different thoughts privately?

Haha this just reminded me, against Carlton there was a ball up on the wing on Southern Stand side. The ball was tapped down straight to Gibbs and he was tackled instantly. The crowd was dead quiet expecting a ball-up and as a joke I let out an almighty yell of "baaaaaalllllllll" - the umpire stopped the direction he was walking waited a second or so then blew his whistle "holding the ball". My brother & I and the other Melbourne supporters around us started pissing ourselves, I don't know if my yell had any effect but it was pretty funny nonetheless. It happened about half way through the third quarter.

He was offered the extension before the injury.

What a joke, this one should have been thrown out. He grazed him while trying to knock Franklin's arm away from holding his jumper and Franklin hit the deck looking for a free then bounced back up instantly when it wasn't paid. Glad he can play on the weekend but it sucks he has this hanging over his head now for nothing.

Kent could easily come in and replace either Watts or Howe - I wouldn't mind seeing what Riley has to offer either but my concern is he doesn't have the fitness up considering his long injury layoff.

McDonald was good on Buddy, kept him to 1 goal which was from a cheap free kick early. Also had a good 2nd half vs Carlton after Henderson beat him early.

Would love us to get Shiel, seems to be struggling for games at GWS or is he injured? Also thanks for bumping this thread the last couple of pages provided a few laughs. I stand by my comments that Howe isn't much chop, is one dimensional and we should have looked at trading him when we could get something decent back. Just like we should've shopped Jamar around 2-3 years ago and kept Stefan Martin (who isn't much either but we would have got more for Jamar than we did for Martin).

I wore my Melbourne jumper to the Richmond/Carlton final last year.

Unless someone is making an absolute dick of themselves and trying to provoke the other supporters I genuinely have never understood why people really care about this. It's only the footy we're being a bit precious aren't we? I like the fact we can sit amongst other teams supporters and cheer who we want and even have a chat/laugh about it without resorting to fights/riots.

Who is carrying on like a pork chop? You're the one that's reading that into it, all I'm doing is presenting the facts. From memory you were pretty adamant Scully was staying as well and ridiculed anyone who dared think otherwise - how did that turn out?

To be fair he was on Ablett and did well on him in the first half.

C'mon after all the crap we went through with Scully, the fact Hogan wouldn't entertain a contract extension, is from Perth, will have the WA sides knocking down his doors, is unable to get on the park to form a bond with the rest of the team, the performance of the team and perception of the club and was quite happy to have a photo of himself wearing a Freo scarf publicised on Instagram I think those of us who are a little sceptical as to where this will end up have a right to be.

It hurts because everyone can see what he could be if he only had the inclincation/will/desire/know-how to do it. I think he actually thinks he is doing everything possible but doesn't know how to actually attack the game - he looks lost like he knows everyone expects him to do more but he doesn't understand what that more is. None of us want him to fail, we all would love him to turn the corner and become a solid contributor but he just doesn't know what to do to get there. That's why I thought he should've gone back to Casey after last week and left there for at least a month or two, not as punishment but for him to learn what is expected of him at a lower level. Not racking up possessions or beating inferior opponents but doing the team things, hitting the contests and running through the ball and player not just to them. I think he could find some confidence doing this in the two's and oculd come back a better player but he has never been forced to do that and last night may have been the straw that broke the camel's back. It definitely didn't help keeping him in the side, that much is clear.

Yeah I'm as frustrated as the next person but that kind of thing doesn't help anyone. It makes a player down on confidence even worse and it shows the rest of the team our support for them is conditional.

He is mentally shot and if he can't turn it around after a stint at Casey the best thing for both player and club is probably to find a new environment for him. I wonder if Carlton would do a Watts/Kreuzer trade?