Silly Season (post home and away season trade period) suggestions.

[Greystache]

Re: Silly Season (post home and away season trade period) suggestions.

My initial thought on Watts is Hell NO!!!

Then I'm thinking.......what if.............?

A. we get him for peanuts so its no great loss if he flops

B. He finally blossoms in a healthy environment with an inspirational coach, who has pretty much improved every single player on our list in one year.
(Some exceptions.......such as Hrovat and Talia I know.but still an incredible achievement)

C. We mange to turn him into the A grader he was supposed to be, and get him playing like a No 1 pick. How SWEEEEEET would that be. Hopefully a BIG nail in the coffin for the Paul Roos style of joyless negative football which I can't stand.

So I'm thinking..maybe it's worth a punt.

A couple of problems with that;

a) Melbourne won't give him away cheap, they'll look to recoup as much of their lost investment as possible. They'll be asking a first rounder and will probably accept a second round pick at worst. He's also under contract.

b) He doesn't have the competitive nature to every become an A grader, it's just not who he is. He's an athlete with nice skills who isn't suited to the tough competitive nature of AFL footy. At best he'll be an outside midfielder or back flanker who uses the ball well but gets exposed by physical pressure and who'll be poor defensively. He's also a prime candidate to go missing in finals.

He's got Gold Coast written all over him- Soft, outside, tall, athletic, with nice skills and no competitive spirit.

[Dancin' Douggy]

Re: Silly Season (post home and away season trade period) suggestions.

A couple of problems with that;

a) Melbourne won't give him away cheap, they'll look to recoup as much of their lost investment as possible. They'll be asking a first rounder and will probably accept a second round pick at worst. He's also under contract.

b) He doesn't have the competitive nature to every become an A grader, it's just not who he is. He's an athlete with nice skills who isn't suited to the tough competitive nature of AFL footy. At best he'll be an outside midfielder or back flanker who uses the ball well but gets exposed by physical pressure and who'll be poor defensively. He's also a prime candidate to go missing in finals.

He's got Gold Coast written all over him- Soft, outside, tall, athletic, with nice skills and no competitive spirit.

Then we don't even get past my point A. My scenario is only worth a shot if we got him for peanuts.
I wouldn't cough up much for him at all.

[ratsmac]

Re: Silly Season (post home and away season trade period) suggestions.

Then we don't even get past my point A. My scenario is only worth a shot if we got him for peanuts.
I wouldn't cough up much for him at all.

Just a spot on our list is paying overs.

I know what you're saying but it's a no from me.

[Dancin' Douggy]

Re: Silly Season (post home and away season trade period) suggestions.

Just a spot on our list is paying overs.

I know what you're saying but it's a no from me.

Truth be told.......I don't even LIKE him anyway..........

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Re: Silly Season (post home and away season trade period) suggestions.

For somebody with so much natural talent (good athlete, good skills, footy IQ), Watts is a terrible footballer. He really should be a damaging player, but as others have noted, he hardly has a competitive bone in his body.

For his sake, he should move to another club ... but he strikes me as somebody who isn't overly fussed whether he stays in the system or not.

[Happy Days]

Re: Silly Season (post home and away season trade period) suggestions.

At this point I have to stand up for Jack Watts and say that he is a truly fantastic human being and I wish him nothing but success.

From a footballing perspective, however, he is not worth the cost that it would take to get him, and as many others have pointed out his intensity and concentration levels mitigate his natural ability almost totally, almost all of the time.

[Twodogs]

Re: Silly Season (post home and away season trade period) suggestions.

Fantastic bloke. As a footballer... Yeah, nah.

[1eyedog]

Re: Silly Season (post home and away season trade period) suggestions.

Yep, I'd be happy for us to get Watts at the right price. A lot of talk about his attitude and forward pressure, but I think (hope) it's all about environment for him. If I was going to be the only person to apply pressure, I don't think I'd bother either.

Why would we bring a player like Watts in but not offer a player like Grant another contract? What does Watts offer that Grant doesn't?

[Ghost Dog]

Re: Silly Season (post home and away season trade period) suggestions.

Why would we bring a player like Watts in but not offer a player like Grant another contract? What does Watts offer that Grant doesn't?

Blonde flowing locks? Am more of a fan of the microphone head myself
The only problem getting Watts is dealing with Melbourne. They can hardly field a team and need every spud in the barrel.

But where would we play Watts, even if we had him? Modern players need to be flexible.

[hujsh]

Re: Silly Season (post home and away season trade period) suggestions.

Can be our Yao Ming. Random point - my Chinese students don't believe me when I tell them Yao Ming was a genetic experiment. They got the tallest sportswoman and male they could find and hooked them up. True story.

Did a quick google search and your students may be right to be cynical

"In Yao's case I don't have any proof … [but] in that period of time in the 1990s they were using all kinds of experimental stuff to enhance players' stamina and strength," Larmer said.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/basketball/yao-ming-the-basketball-giant-made-in-china-by-order-of-the-state/2006/01/18/1137553645228.html?page=2

It's an accusation but doesn't seem to be much to back it up apart from the encouragement given for his parents to hook up, their genetic disposition for height (there were probably taller sportspeople, especially women) and his mother being a ardent Maoist and former red guard member

[Happy Days]

Re: Silly Season (post home and away season trade period) suggestions.

Yao only really got 4 proper seasons out of himself; people of his height just aren't meant to exist. He had far more success as a meme.

[Ghost Dog]

Re: Silly Season (post home and away season trade period) suggestions.

Of COURSE there isn't much evidence to back it up. TIC this is China.
The official records say he inherited his love of basketball from his family. He has been on record saying he never wanted to play, and coaches came to his house force him to go to training.

[bulldogtragic]

Re: Silly Season (post home and away season trade period) suggestions.

Why would we bring a player like Watts in but not offer a player like Grant another contract? What does Watts offer that Grant doesn't?

If we get rid of Grant we are lean on scapegoats. I think Watts could really excel in this part building a broad playing list.

[Throughandthrough]

Re: Silly Season (post home and away season trade period) suggestions.

If we get rid of Grant we are lean on scapegoats. I think Watts could really excel in this part building a broad playing list.

Good point. Every club needs a bag player.

Could watts be the Simon Minton Connell of the new generation?

[LostDoggy]

Re: Silly Season (post home and away season trade period) suggestions.

Now there's a topic. Timeline of scapegoats (some more deserving than others). Hmmm howssabout:

Grant -> Higgins -> Giansiracusa -> Ray -> MacMahon -> Eagleton -> P.Hudson -> Minton-Connell -> N.Kellett -> Grgic - > Atkins -> Coleman -> Groenewegen -> Cullen -> Dunstan -> That's as far back as I go....