Nick's Collingwood Bulletin Board

Boogie Knights wrote:Watts has skills to be sure, what he lacks is competitiveness. For mine, this is an attribute you either have or you don't. It's not something that can be acquired.

Sure there are plenty of examples of players turning their career around at a new club, but I would bet they all had more competitiveness in one finger than Watts has in him.

Turning a career around via change of scenery is a result of opportunity and fit/role (how the coach uses the player). But the underlying aspect is they must already be competitive.

Watts is not this, so no amount of movement will change that. Dees have given him ample opportunity in numerous roles to no avail. That won't change.

Hard pass.

Not saying I want Watts but much of what you've written above could have been written about Varcoe before he arrived with us.

BazBoy wrote:AFL app says some Magpie's players have contacted Jack

Is that Howe we get it Dunne

I saw what you did there...

Given that Melbourne are actively encouraging him to look elsewhere and he's still pining for them in the media indicates to me he doesn't have the fire in the belly to really grab an opportunity elsewhere and will never fulfil his talent.

Buyer beware.

^^^

Yep, at some point we have to walk away from continually adding average ( not poor ) players onto our list for the sake of maybe an extra win during the home and aways. The club have to start being smart or we will end up with a list full of average footballers all playing average football together.
Sometimes the best thing to do is to invest in the future with some well thought out ( later ) selections.
I'm happy to pay a premium to get a premium but otherwise I would prefer to go to the draft this year and just hope to land a 200 gamer somewhere down the order.
A couple clubs manage to do it every year but you can't get it right if you don't have the picks.

Pies2016 wrote:^^^

Yep, at some point we have to walk away from continually adding average ( not poor ) players onto our list for the sake of maybe an extra win during the home and aways. The club have to start being smart or we will end up with a list full of average footballers all playing average football together.
Sometimes the best thing to do is to invest in the future with some well thought out ( later ) selections.
I'm happy to pay a premium to get a premium but otherwise I would prefer to go to the draft this year and just hope to land a 200 gamer somewhere down the order.
A couple clubs manage to do it every year but you can't get it right if you don't have the picks.

That's true. The idea if you want to get better is to recruit talent that's better than the opposition's talent. So if the opposition is offloading their lesser talent to you how do you expect to beat them when you play them. The proviso is that the lesser talent you have recruited will somehow play better football under a new coach and combine with the players you have to play better team football. Well it didn't work out for Lynch, Young, Russell, Armstrong, White and Mayne. Dunn is the exception. Howe and Varcoe left for more money, while WHE and Treloar wanted to return to Melbourne. Why should it work out for Watts who is being pushed out of Melbourne's best 22. Meanwhile our best opportunity to get better is to utilise our high draft picks in the national drafts.

Looking like he be our N umber 1 Target

Watts is worth nothing unless he's practically free.

The way we're going we'll have to change our name to Melbourne Magpies.

Unless something dramatic happens (which you can never rule out in silly season) I think we will be taking pick 6 to the draft. I am not against this, I would also be happy if we were to use it to upgrade our spot in next years draft as that is the one we want, and from all reports will be a very good year.


I agree that Watts wont be as cheap as a draft player, however, still has to be an upgrade on the likes of Mayne (and look what we are paying him ). From what i can see/hear the club is taking a hands off approach to free agency this year.....given last years blunders maybe not such a bad idea.

I am not against getting the odd player in this year as long as we are not going down the "spending multi years worth of picks".

I am fine with the reality that we may need a rebuild for a season or two*.

*dependent on what happens with the coach next season.

As long as we don't give up more than a 3rd round pick, I'm actually warming up to the idea of getting Watts. He certainly has the skills and is quick for a big bloke. Who knows, maybe we could get the best out of him as a winger or half forward flanker?

... wouldn't suit Collingwood - a forward who can kick straight

swoop42 wrote:Given that Melbourne are actively encouraging him to look elsewhere and he's still pining for them in the media indicates to me he doesn't have the fire in the belly to really grab an opportunity elsewhere and will never fulfil his talent.

Buyer beware.

The fire in the belly has always been his problem