I think Watts is the biggest disappointment for a top 10 pick, let along a #1, for the last decade or more. He is soft and has been gifted 100 games. I wouldn’t want him at EFC.
But I also think he got very unlucky to be drafted to Melbourne, has had 4/5 coaches in his career, got rushed in too early with too much fanfare and then left to the wolves when it went wrong. You can tell he is devoid of confidence and enjoyment for the game.
I think he would be worth a punt for minimum wage FA or for a very late draft pick. With the right structure and right team around him, he could be a valuable back up player. Wouldn’t pay much though and still probably would prefer him not at EFC.
As I remember it, NicNat was the standout talent of the 08 draft pool, but he was still raw and a project player, and was always going to take a while. Melbourne were utterly awful and seemed to decide they needed someone who could meaningfully impact in their first year (and as Taj pointed out, the Dees would have had a lot of trouble developing Naitanui to his potential anyway). I still would have rolled the dice on NicNat if I were them though.
Watts was an odd one. He got some big numbers in the champs and even running around in the middle in the TAC Cup, but he never was really tested and he thoroughly failed to convince me. Bit like Ben Griffiths, he made his name beating up on lesser opponents. His big bag of goals at the champs was against a very weak NSW side, and of the three big name kpds in the draft that year, he basically played on none of them all year. Trengove was injured all season, Phil Davis hurt himself in the first qtr of the SA/VM game when he was matched up with Watts, and when Hurley and Watts’ TAC sides met up, Watts played through the middle and racked up numbers while going nowhere near the forward line, while Hurley dominated the defensive 50, stopped anyone from scoring, and won the game for his team before (if I remember right) sneaking forward to score a goal or two. Watts did test really well at draft camp, and It was well-known a fair bit before the draft that Melb were going to take him at 1, but I’ve never really been able to work out why. He certainly didn’t scream ‘star in the making’ to me.
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This was at the point when one of their main recruiters had an account on here, registered with his @melbournefc.com.au email address - and used to troll people like you - wasn’t it?
You’re kidding? Is that fair dinkum?
Yep, can’t remember who confirmed it, I think foggy.
This is on Old Blitz I think (maybe even Old Old Blitz).
I’ve only been here 4 years now and I started at what we would now refer to as “Old Old Old Old Old Blitz”. I dont’ recall this incident though so I’m thinking you might be missing a few prefixes there!
I think Watts is the biggest disappointment for a top 10 pick, let along a #1, for the last decade or more. He is soft and has been gifted 100 goals. I wouldn't want him at EFC.
But I also think he got very unlucky to be drafted to Melbourne, has had 4/5 coaches in his career, got rushed in too early with too much fanfare and then left to the wolves when it went wrong. You can tell he is devoid of confidence and enjoyment for the game.
I think he would be worth a punt for minimum wage FA or for a very late draft pick. With the right structure and right team around him, he could be a valuable back up player. Wouldn’t pay much though and still probably would prefer him not at EFC.
There’s been a stack of top 10 picks who never played a game, so Watts is a long way ahead of them. Richmond drafted a bloke with their first pick who only managed four games. We grabbed someone at pick five who only played six games in his career.
I think Watts is the biggest disappointment for a top 10 pick, let along a #1, for the last decade or more. He is soft and has been gifted 100 goals. I wouldn't want him at EFC.
But I also think he got very unlucky to be drafted to Melbourne, has had 4/5 coaches in his career, got rushed in too early with too much fanfare and then left to the wolves when it went wrong. You can tell he is devoid of confidence and enjoyment for the game.
I think he would be worth a punt for minimum wage FA or for a very late draft pick. With the right structure and right team around him, he could be a valuable back up player. Wouldn’t pay much though and still probably would prefer him not at EFC.
There’s been a stack of top 10 picks who never played a game, so Watts is a long way ahead of them. Richmond drafted a bloke with their first pick who only managed four games. We grabbed someone at pick five who only played six games in his career.
Watts hasn’t had a string of injuries, hardly fair to compare the pair.
I think Watts is the biggest disappointment for a top 10 pick, let along a #1, for the last decade or more. He is soft and has been gifted 100 goals. I wouldn't want him at EFC.
But I also think he got very unlucky to be drafted to Melbourne, has had 4/5 coaches in his career, got rushed in too early with too much fanfare and then left to the wolves when it went wrong. You can tell he is devoid of confidence and enjoyment for the game.
I think he would be worth a punt for minimum wage FA or for a very late draft pick. With the right structure and right team around him, he could be a valuable back up player. Wouldn’t pay much though and still probably would prefer him not at EFC.
There’s been a stack of top 10 picks who never played a game, so Watts is a long way ahead of them. Richmond drafted a bloke with their first pick who only managed four games. We grabbed someone at pick five who only played six games in his career.
Watts hasn’t had a string of injuries, hardly fair to compare the pair.
I’m not sure who the other player you are referring to is.
Without looking through the full list of draftees over the last decade I can think of Meesen, Thorp, Dowler, and Drum (pretty sure he was top 10) as top 10 tall picks more disappointing than Watts.
Watts is bad, but there have been some genuine total busts taken in the top 10.
Without looking through the full list of draftees over the last decade I can think of Meesen, Thorp, Dowler, and Drum (pretty sure he was top 10) as top 10 tall picks more disappointing than Watts.
Watts is bad, but there have been some genuine total busts taken in the top 10.
Happy to concede that Watts is not the worst top 10 pick… how about #1 pick since 2004? I’d have Deledio, Murphy, Gibbs, Kruzer (inj), Scully, Swallow, Patton (inj), Whitfield, Boyd ahead of him. With McCartin still far too early to tell.
With guys who are injured it is hard because not sure it makes it a bad pick, but rather unlucky.
Without looking through the full list of draftees over the last decade I can think of Meesen, Thorp, Dowler, and Drum (pretty sure he was top 10) as top 10 tall picks more disappointing than Watts.
Watts is bad, but there have been some genuine total busts taken in the top 10.
Happy to concede that Watts is not the worst top 10 pick… how about #1 pick since 2004? I’d have Deledio, Murphy, Gibbs, Kruzer (inj), Scully, Swallow, Patton (inj), Whitfield, Boyd ahead of him. With McCartin still far too early to tell.
With guys who are injured it is hard because not sure it makes it a bad pick, but rather unlucky.
Oh yeah, if you take out the injury prone guys, he’s easily the worst #1 since at least Fraser.
Without looking through the full list of draftees over the last decade I can think of Meesen, Thorp, Dowler, and Drum (pretty sure he was top 10) as top 10 tall picks more disappointing than Watts.
Watts is bad, but there have been some genuine total busts taken in the top 10.
Happy to concede that Watts is not the worst top 10 pick… how about #1 pick since 2004? I’d have Deledio, Murphy, Gibbs, Kruzer (inj), Scully, Swallow, Patton (inj), Whitfield, Boyd ahead of him. With McCartin still far too early to tell.
With guys who are injured it is hard because not sure it makes it a bad pick, but rather unlucky.
Oh yeah, if you take out the injury prone guys, he’s easily the worst #1 since at least Fraser.
You have to wonder though if they take Nic Nat instead and he doesn't have Cox to learn from and doesn't have the support.. and instead Watts learns his trade away from the Melb media gaze and gets help from guys like Kennedy, Darling, LeCras etc etc.. would we be saying the opposite?
Not trying to defend Watts but can’t have been easy to go to such a crap club, go through 3 different coaches in your first 3-4 years… and by then the media is dumping crap on you every week…
If we got him for a cheap price why not? He’s obviously got talent but if he’s not doing the hard stuff then he won’t get a game in the seniors, simple as that. Has a high enough ceiling for improvement to warrant a risk for say a late 3rd round pick or something.
Melbourne has ruined a lot of young players careers, similar to Richmond.
I think Watts is the biggest disappointment for a top 10 pick, let along a #1, for the last decade or more. He is soft and has been gifted 100 goals. I wouldn't want him at EFC.
But I also think he got very unlucky to be drafted to Melbourne, has had 4/5 coaches in his career, got rushed in too early with too much fanfare and then left to the wolves when it went wrong. You can tell he is devoid of confidence and enjoyment for the game.
I think he would be worth a punt for minimum wage FA or for a very late draft pick. With the right structure and right team around him, he could be a valuable back up player. Wouldn’t pay much though and still probably would prefer him not at EFC.
There’s been a stack of top 10 picks who never played a game, so Watts is a long way ahead of them. Richmond drafted a bloke with their first pick who only managed four games. We grabbed someone at pick five who only played six games in his career.
Without looking through the full list of draftees over the last decade I can think of Meesen, Thorp, Dowler, and Drum (pretty sure he was top 10) as top 10 tall picks more disappointing than Watts.
Watts is bad, but there have been some genuine total busts taken in the top 10.
Happy to concede that Watts is not the worst top 10 pick… how about #1 pick since 2004? I’d have Deledio, Murphy, Gibbs, Kruzer (inj), Scully, Swallow, Patton (inj), Whitfield, Boyd ahead of him. With McCartin still far too early to tell.
With guys who are injured it is hard because not sure it makes it a bad pick, but rather unlucky.
Oh yeah, if you take out the injury prone guys, he’s easily the worst #1 since at least Fraser.
You have to wonder though if they take Nic Nat instead and he doesn't have Cox to learn from and doesn't have the support.. and instead Watts learns his trade away from the Melb media gaze and gets help from guys like Kennedy, Darling, LeCras etc etc.. would we be saying the opposite?
Not trying to defend Watts but can’t have been easy to go to such a crap club, go through 3 different coaches in your first 3-4 years… and by then the media is dumping crap on you every week…
I don’t buy it.
Winners in elite sports are a special type of person. It isn’t just ‘potential’. It’s not a ‘flower, suffering to bloom’. The cream of elite sportsmen would be winners if they were developed in a plastic bubble and fed daisies all day.
Without looking through the full list of draftees over the last decade I can think of Meesen, Thorp, Dowler, and Drum (pretty sure he was top 10) as top 10 tall picks more disappointing than Watts.
Watts is bad, but there have been some genuine total busts taken in the top 10.
Happy to concede that Watts is not the worst top 10 pick… how about #1 pick since 2004? I’d have Deledio, Murphy, Gibbs, Kruzer (inj), Scully, Swallow, Patton (inj), Whitfield, Boyd ahead of him. With McCartin still far too early to tell.
With guys who are injured it is hard because not sure it makes it a bad pick, but rather unlucky.
Oh yeah, if you take out the injury prone guys, he’s easily the worst #1 since at least Fraser.
You have to wonder though if they take Nic Nat instead and he doesn't have Cox to learn from and doesn't have the support.. and instead Watts learns his trade away from the Melb media gaze and gets help from guys like Kennedy, Darling, LeCras etc etc.. would we be saying the opposite?
Not trying to defend Watts but can’t have been easy to go to such a crap club, go through 3 different coaches in your first 3-4 years… and by then the media is dumping crap on you every week…
In a word...NO
Nic Nat has ticker…he throws himself into more packs in a single game than Watts has in his entire career
I think Watts is the biggest disappointment for a top 10 pick, let along a #1, for the last decade or more. He is soft and has been gifted 100 goals. I wouldn't want him at EFC.
But I also think he got very unlucky to be drafted to Melbourne, has had 4/5 coaches in his career, got rushed in too early with too much fanfare and then left to the wolves when it went wrong. You can tell he is devoid of confidence and enjoyment for the game.
I think he would be worth a punt for minimum wage FA or for a very late draft pick. With the right structure and right team around him, he could be a valuable back up player. Wouldn’t pay much though and still probably would prefer him not at EFC.
There’s been a stack of top 10 picks who never played a game, so Watts is a long way ahead of them. Richmond drafted a bloke with their first pick who only managed four games. We grabbed someone at pick five who only played six games in his career.
Without looking through the full list of draftees over the last decade I can think of Meesen, Thorp, Dowler, and Drum (pretty sure he was top 10) as top 10 tall picks more disappointing than Watts.
Watts is bad, but there have been some genuine total busts taken in the top 10.
Happy to concede that Watts is not the worst top 10 pick… how about #1 pick since 2004? I’d have Deledio, Murphy, Gibbs, Kruzer (inj), Scully, Swallow, Patton (inj), Whitfield, Boyd ahead of him. With McCartin still far too early to tell.
With guys who are injured it is hard because not sure it makes it a bad pick, but rather unlucky.
Oh yeah, if you take out the injury prone guys, he’s easily the worst #1 since at least Fraser.
You have to wonder though if they take Nic Nat instead and he doesn't have Cox to learn from and doesn't have the support.. and instead Watts learns his trade away from the Melb media gaze and gets help from guys like Kennedy, Darling, LeCras etc etc.. would we be saying the opposite?
Not trying to defend Watts but can’t have been easy to go to such a crap club, go through 3 different coaches in your first 3-4 years… and by then the media is dumping crap on you every week…
I think it’s a bit telling that even Watts’ defenders talk about how much he could have learned from playing with Jack Darling, when Darling was drafted TWO YEARS after Watts.