Watts concern

[oooze]

As a melbourne supporter and knowing that we will have the number 1 draft pick I am very curious about Jack Watts. However, i've seen him play in the u18 champs and i just don't see a player worthy of a number 1 pick.

Dermy wrote an article in todays paper about Jack Watts and I tend to agree with it. Here is what he wrote:

JACK WATTS
¿ GENUINE key-position height at 194cm, but is understandably still very lean. He has the frame to put muscle on in the coming years. Reasonable agility and pace, but nothing exceptional.
¿ LIKES to lead at the ball carrier from full-forward, but can get a little lost at half-forward.
¿ SET-shot kicking action is not copybook, but very effective. Like Jason Dunstall’s action, it is hardly poetry in motion, but nothing is out of line. Has an excellent temperament for set shots under pressure.
¿ CAN side-step nicely, but doesn’t have a great turning circle.
¿ IS VERY competent by foot on his non-dominant side.
¿ CONTESTS aerial duels brilliantly when he has a run at the ball. His hands above his head are very, very good. But when he is in a genuine push-and-shove marking duel, one-on-one against an opponent of comparable size, he falls over a lot. Some more meat on his frame will help this.
¿ I HOPE he has some anger inside, because he will need to develop into a big key-position player who is looked up to by his smaller teammates. He doesn’t seem to have a great appetite for tackling, either. He laid a few in the footage I have seen, but they were not the display of someone who instinctively likes that sort of contact.
¿ HE APPEARS to be a young man who has dominated his junior career and rarely been challenged because of his height, talent and excellent overhead marking ability. That tells me that he has coasted through juniors without developing an insatiable appetite for a physical contest. He is about to get a wake-up call in open-age football.
¿ HE IS a genuine top-fi ve choice in this draft, but I would recommend that he doesn’t play in 2009 at AFL level. Physically, he will get punished. But if Melbourne wants an excellent longterm prospect that will assist its structure from 2010 and beyond, then this boy is a target.


From what i've seen, i tend to agree.

 

[On the bench]

Its one persons opinion & he well may be right who knows?Every player drafted would have a ? next to their name about something they may be deficient in be it skill pace strength whatever,we should leave it to the recruiters i'm sure they will pick who they think is best player going around!

 

[Salaryman]

I think that's a fairly reasonable assessment by Dermie. Jack could do worse than to get hold of some tapes of Hurley's games, although with Hurls I suspect it is both something more instinctual and ingrained over years of junior footy.

 

[bodazoka]

I hope you pick up watts, because we want rich.

 

[melbourne150]

I hope you pick up watts, because we want rich.

Thanks for pointing out the obvious, you d!ck!!!.....

 

[MP_]

how many number 1 draft picks have played the majority of games the following year ?

 

[bomberstomake8]

As a melbourne supporter and knowing that we will have the number 1 draft pick I am very curious about Jack Watts. However, i've seen him play in the u18 champs and i just don't see a player worthy of a number 1 pick.

Dermy wrote an article in todays paper about Jack Watts and I tend to agree with it. Here is what he wrote:

JACK WATTS
¿ GENUINE key-position height at 194cm, but is understandably still very lean. He has the frame to put muscle on in the coming years. Reasonable agility and pace, but nothing exceptional.
¿ LIKES to lead at the ball carrier from full-forward, but can get a little lost at half-forward.
¿ SET-shot kicking action is not copybook, but very effective. Like Jason Dunstall’s action, it is hardly poetry in motion, but nothing is out of line. Has an excellent temperament for set shots under pressure.
¿ CAN side-step nicely, but doesn’t have a great turning circle.
¿ IS VERY competent by foot on his non-dominant side.
¿ CONTESTS aerial duels brilliantly when he has a run at the ball. His hands above his head are very, very good. But when he is in a genuine push-and-shove marking duel, one-on-one against an opponent of comparable size, he falls over a lot. Some more meat on his frame will help this.
¿ I HOPE he has some anger inside, because he will need to develop into a big key-position player who is looked up to by his smaller teammates. He doesn’t seem to have a great appetite for tackling, either. He laid a few in the footage I have seen, but they were not the display of someone who instinctively likes that sort of contact.
¿ HE APPEARS to be a young man who has dominated his junior career and rarely been challenged because of his height, talent and excellent overhead marking ability. That tells me that he has coasted through juniors without developing an insatiable appetite for a physical contest. He is about to get a wake-up call in open-age football.
¿ HE IS a genuine top-fi ve choice in this draft, but I would recommend that he doesn’t play in 2009 at AFL level. Physically, he will get punished. But if Melbourne wants an excellent longterm prospect that will assist its structure from 2010 and beyond, then this boy is a target.


From what i've seen, i tend to agree.

everyone of the top draft choices has a few big question marks over them

nat-> football brain, will he adjust to the speed of afl
rich--> has struggled with heavy tags
hurley--> speed..

 

[Cruiser23]

I'm not sure what concern you'd have about what he wrote. To me he is the best player in the draft and I would have no hesitating in taking him at number 1.

Rich will be a very good player but midfielders come along all the time, its players like Watts that are rare. He can play numerous positions also, he played mainly in the middle on the weekend for Sandy and did quite well.

Naitanui shouldn't go number 1, he's just a freak athlete. Football skills alone he'd be lucky to be pick in the top 20. Way, way to much of a risk for a number 1 pick.

Watts > Rich > Naitanui

 

[Faz 2000]

No player has it all as a teenager, because they haven't physically developed yet. Every draftee, even #1s, are a work in progress.

That said, Melbourne, West Coast, Freo, Port, Essendon and maybe even Brissie should all be looking at other players. I guess we'll take him at #6 or 7, so you guys don't have to worry.

 

[TheBigUnit]

Naitanui shouldn't go number 1, he's just a freak athlete. Football skills alone he'd be lucky to be pick in the top 20. Way, way to much of a risk for a number 1 pick.

Not true.

While his athleticism is his biggest strength, if he was just a freak athlete he wouldn't be able to turn games like he did against Vic Country in the U18 Champs and has done for Swan Districts in the WAFL several times this year. It's his physicality, competitiveness, ground level ability, aggression and his ability to have such a massive influence at stoppages with his hands, tackling, defensive pressure, 1%ers, 2nd efforts etc. (which as any watcher would know is incredibly important to winning games of football) that puts him in a different league to other athletic project types.

 

[Australia]

I really didn't receive the same thoughts reading that article.
Dermie was just pointing out the many ways to look at the draftees.

He talked mostly on a needs basis, Melbourne do not need a ready made midfielder for next season, nor do they need a freak athlete in 5 years.
Most of what he said above is either one of these things, A) A compliment to alot of his ability. B) An obvious point of he is lean and will need to put on weight, he is only in year 11 after all and C) a question over his hardness, Dermie should know a 16-17 year old might not have all that just yet surely.

Nothing to worry about Demons, Watts will be hitting his straps when all your other youngsters are and is definately the right choice with 1.
For god sake don't be stupid and expect a world beater next season. He will play a handful of games over the next 2 years and when he plays he will be Robbos side kick. It takes time with KPP. Also don't forget an AFL program will probably get him to put on 10kg of pure muscle. He will also grow another 2cm's.

 

[Dave The Man]

Most KPP come in tall and Skinny.

Only Hawkins and Dawes I can remember that had a Big Body when Drafted.

Dawes was 193cm and 101 kg when Drafted and Not Sure on Hawkins.

Watts has great ability just need Muscle and Should go Number 1

 

[Dave The Man]

Video of Watts:

[youtube]wjuXc1SM-l8[/youtube]

 

[Salaryman]

Not true.

While his athleticism is his biggest strength, if he was just a freak athlete he wouldn't be able to turn games like he did against Vic Country in the U18 Champs and has done for Swan Districts in the WAFL several times this year. It's his physicality, competitiveness, ground level ability, aggression and his ability to have such a massive influence at stoppages with his hands, tackling, defensive pressure, 1%ers, 2nd efforts etc. (which as any watcher would know is incredibly important to winning games of football) that puts him in a different league to other athletic project types.

+1

 

[Australia]

Video of Watts:

[youtube]wjuXc1SM-l8[/youtube]

Considering this was one of his worst games of the season, that surely equals proof that he should be number 1. He did those great things on a bad day where he was often double teamed.

 

[Cruiser23]

Not true.

While his athleticism is his biggest strength, if he was just a freak athlete he wouldn't be able to turn games like he did against Vic Country in the U18 Champs and has done for Swan Districts in the WAFL several times this year. It's his physicality, competitiveness, ground level ability, aggression and his ability to have such a massive influence at stoppages with his hands, tackling, defensive pressure, 1%ers, 2nd efforts etc. (which as any watcher would know is incredibly important to winning games of football) that puts him in a different league to other athletic project types.

Fair enough, you've obviously seen more of him considering your from WA and i was a little harsh in saying he's 'just' a freak athlete but what you've pointed out still doesn't show he has footballing ability. All those things come from his athleticism and his will to play the game but it doesn't show the footballing side of his game (disposal, positioning, footy smarts etc) which is mighty important nowadays. He is a massive project that will take time and whether he becomes a star is debatable.

What i was trying to point out (came out a little to harshly), for a number 1 pick, he seems to be to much of a risk but i'm sure others (maybe you) would disagree, that's the beauty about this, there's no real answers at this stage.

 

[TheBigUnit]

Fair enough, you've obviously seen more of him considering your from WA and i was a little harsh in saying he's 'just' a freak athlete but what you've pointed out still doesn't show he has footballing ability. All those things come from his athleticism and his will to play the game but it doesn't show the footballing side of his game (disposal, positioning, footy smarts etc) which is mighty important nowadays. He is a massive project that will take time and whether he becomes a star is debatable.

IMO handballing, tackling, defensive pressure and 1%ers, all consist of footballing ability. His OH and pack marking and ruck work (directing and distributing his taps much better) are also developing very well this year.

Like Brereton said in his article this morning it's debatable whether he has 'footy smarts' - he's far from a 'thinking man's' footballer, like Joel Selwood, that'll outsmart his opponents through superior positioning and reading of the play (which is probably what most people consider 'footy smarts'), but much more so a raw instinctive, 'see the ball, get the ball' footballer like Chris Judd - and no-one complains about Chris Judd not having footy smarts.

 

[Cruiser23]

IMO handballing, tackling, defensive pressure, 1%ers, all consist of footballing ability. His OH and pack marking and ruck work are also developing very well this year.

Like Brereton said in his article this morning it's debatable whether he has footy smarts - he's far from a 'thinking man's' footballer, like Joel Selwood, that'll outsmart his opponents through superior positioning and reading of the play (which is probably what most people consider footy smarts), but much more so a raw instinctive, 'see the ball, get the ball' footballer like Chris Judd - and I don't think anyone complains about Chris Judd not having footy smarts.

Again, i'm sure you've seen more of him than me so you're probably right in your assessment of him, i was just going on what i've seen of him. One thing i'm sure we can agree on he's a big talent and definitely a top 5 pick no doubt, whether he's pick 1 material i think is debatable considering there is Watts and Rich to take into account.

 

[HBF]

I think that's a fairly reasonable assessment by Dermie. Jack could do worse than to get hold of some tapes of Hurley's games, although with Hurls I suspect it is both something more instinctual and ingrained over years of junior footy.

I would have thought that Hurley is advantaged by his bigger body, and therefore he is able to exert himself more ferociously at the contest. Still, Watts could learn a thing or two - how to read the game and where to position himself.

 

[Dave The Man]

Another Video of Watts:

[youtube]nGzqCIRgJLw[/youtube]