Skip to main content
Topic: Watson-Positional switch paying off (Read 23973 times) previous topic - next topic
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Re: Watson-Positional switch paying off

Reply #15
@D7

Yep, that was one of the burning questions of the early 90s - Where the ball was likely to end up after it left Earl's boot.  ???
Reality always wins in the end.

Re: Watson-Positional switch paying off

Reply #16
We've put alot into him so it's best we explore every angle with him before making any decisions.

Interestingly, we got Henderson as a CHF and he played his best footy at CHB thus far (will be a real good forward for us when fit though), we got Rowe as a CHF now performing decently at CHB, so we have nothing to lose here and once again we might find out something that benefits us by putting Watson forward. Reading the play well often results in a good forward.

Re: Watson-Positional switch paying off

Reply #17
@D7

Yep, that was one of the burning questions of the early 90s - Where the ball was likely to end up after it left Earl's boot.  ???
Often where it lands after it leaves Levi's boot.

Re: Watson-Positional switch paying off

Reply #18
Watson. LOL.  Another example of our great recruiting  ::)

Re: Watson-Positional switch paying off

Reply #19
Watson. LOL.  Another example of our great recruiting  ::)

I think way too much emphasis is being put on the board, recruitment, players, etc., and way too little light is being shone on player development because of that focus. The coaches, MC and specialists are getting away with shizenhouse player development by having that distraction!

There are blokes languishing at the NBs that look to have made zero progress since being drafted as 18 years olds two or three years ago, spuds or not that just simply shouldn't be the case, we should be seeing progress at some level!

Regardless of what happens in the draft or trade week, if we don't get the player development right the players will continue to be wasted!
The Force Awakens!

Re: Watson-Positional switch paying off

Reply #20
Watson. LOL.  Another example of our great recruiting  ::)

I think way too much emphasis is being put on the board, recruitment, players, etc., and way too little light is being shone on player development because of that focus. The coaches, MC and specialists are getting away with shizenhouse player development by having that distraction!

There are blokes languishing at the NBs that look to have made zero progress since being drafted as 18 years olds two or three years ago, spuds or not that just simply shouldn't be the case, we should be seeing progress at some level!

Regardless of what happens in the draft or trade week, if we don't get the player development right the players will continue to be wasted!

But then when the club tries to develop a player and try them in a different position, everyone flaps about and says 'why bother, he's a spud, he missed that goal a few weeks ago....' 

Same rubbish as always, won't give a kid a go but then whinge when we've got no players coming through.

The match committee needs to play kids for the rest of the year and give them a decent run. Play Watto in the forward line in senior team, give Graham a full bloody game without making him the sub. Keep playing Johnson and give Holman a crack. We've got nothing to lose anymore, but plenty to gain in these kids.

Re: Watson-Positional switch paying off

Reply #21
We've put alot into him so it's best we explore every angle with him before making any decisions.

Pretty much, but I would like it to be an extended run to make a serious assesment rather than just a couple weeks. He sure has some attributes that would help him but then again he needs to work on his intensity I feel. Imagine if he comes on as a forward I will lose it I reckon in a good way.

Re: Watson-Positional switch paying off

Reply #22
Watson. LOL.  Another example of our great recruiting  ::)

I think way too much emphasis is being put on the board, recruitment, players, etc., and way too little light is being shone on player development because of that focus. The coaches, MC and specialists are getting away with shizenhouse player development by having that distraction!

There are blokes languishing at the NBs that look to have made zero progress since being drafted as 18 years olds two or three years ago, spuds or not that just simply shouldn't be the case, we should be seeing progress at some level!

Regardless of what happens in the draft or trade week, if we don't get the player development right the players will continue to be wasted!

Some of them started so far back that no matter how much progress they made, it wouldn't bring them up to AFL level - eg McCarthy, Temay, Collins, Lucas, Bower, Bootsma, Mitchell, McInnes, Davies, Kerr, Heyne, Dale, Bray, Carter, Lodge, Austin, Twomey, Dare, Watson... just some of the recruits over the past 3-4 years who really weren't up to it, not matter how much development you could have put into these cats it is unlikely they would be able to cut the mustard. (Yes I know Austin is showing something for the Dishlickers but is still not the sort of tall defender you'd see in a top side).

Last year's recruiting already seems streets ahead of the last decade or so... Cripps, Reynolds, both Ciarans, Johnson, Docherty, Holman ... all show plenty of promise at different stages of development. Haven't seen enough of Giles yet to get a feel for the bloke. (didn't include Everitt or Daisy as they'd already proved they could play before arriving.) Wood may yet surprise. Jury is out on Graham, though, with little to lose now he should be given the remainder of the season to show whether he can or can't cut it. Many will want the same for Watson as the reborn forward, but the same old same old will dog him... too slow, in many ways. He really did not have great competition over the last two weeks up forward - with an AFL quality tall defender on him, well, I'd rather not think about it - love to be really, really wrong.

So let's keep this level of recruiting up... or even improve upon it then ensure we develop the above and the next lot with the right people. Time to be great at recruiting and great at development.
Only our ruthless best, from Board to bootstudders will get us no. 17

Re: Watson-Positional switch paying off

Reply #23
Who knows, maybe Watson can do another Collis by switching from a back to a forward. But he does have limitations, no right foot, and like Rowe, panics under pressure.

It's worth a try, especially now that Waite is gone.

It's not new, he has been tried before, I'd like to know who he was up against before we pump up his tyres as a potential forward. However, given his size and marking ability opposition cannot sit a non-gorilla on him. The only potential damaging match up would be a Gibson type and there are not too many of those. Watson is at least as mobile as Cloke :)) :)) :)) :)) :)) if he can develop some mongrel! Can you get it in a bottle?

But as far as trading I have a concern, given the Laidler disaster I have no confidence left in the MM lead MC to make correct decisions at all! They are too prejudiced with this idea that players need to flexible.

Cloke would run rings around Watto

Re: Watson-Positional switch paying off

Reply #24
Who knows, maybe Watson can do another Collis by switching from a back to a forward. But he does have limitations, no right foot, and like Rowe, panics under pressure.

It's worth a try, especially now that Waite is gone.

It's not new, he has been tried before, I'd like to know who he was up against before we pump up his tyres as a potential forward. However, given his size and marking ability opposition cannot sit a non-gorilla on him. The only potential damaging match up would be a Gibson type and there are not too many of those. Watson is at least as mobile as Cloke :)) :)) :)) :)) :)) if he can develop some mongrel! Can you get it in a bottle?

But as far as trading I have a concern, given the Laidler disaster I have no confidence left in the MM lead MC to make correct decisions at all! They are too prejudiced with this idea that players need to flexible.

Cloke would run rings around Watto

Already has RR?
Reality always wins in the end.

Re: Watson-Positional switch paying off

Reply #25
I don't reckon that Watson is worth 5 cents.

BUT I thought the same about Gordon Collis in 1963. Collis was our Centre-Half Forward that year. In 1964 he was switched to Centre half back and won the Brownlow Medal from Ken Fraser the Essendon CHF who was hot favourite that year to win.

Who knows, maybe Watson can do another Collis by switching from a back to a forward. But he does have limitations, no right foot, and like Rowe, panics under pressure.

It's worth a try, especially now that Waite is gone.

I'm too young to remember Collis, but when Earl Spalding first came across from Melbourne in 1992, I thought he was the biggest waste of space. Couldn't kick straight to save himself.
While he didn't reach superstar status, he became a pretty handy player for us, particularly between the period of about 1994-96.

Thought the same about Michael Sexton early in his career. Would drop easy marks, turn the ball over, I thought he was awful. Man he proved me wrong.
Ignorance is bliss.

ONWARDS AND UPWARDS!

Re: Watson-Positional switch paying off

Reply #26
Bruce Doulls first 10 games were average.

SOS' first two season included some deadest floggings but you could see that he was going to be good... real good.

Kouta took  a long time to get established... because they didn't know what to do with him.
DrE is no more... you ok with that harmonica man?

Re: Watson-Positional switch paying off

Reply #27
Cloke would run rings around Watto

Already has RR?
I think you have to be careful not to assess mobility using fitness or strength.

Is Watson as fit as Cloke, absolutely not, but is Watson as mobile as Cloke I think so!

Cloke is neither fast or agile, he uses brute strength to push off opponents and get a break, speed has nothing to do with it but fitness does because he repeats this lead over and over again!
The Force Awakens!

Re: Watson-Positional switch paying off

Reply #28
Watson played about the worst game of football I have seen from a senior player when he last played......I dont want to be relying on this flaky numptie to be kicking goals when the chips are down. I dont think he has the mental capacity to play the game at a high level for 100 minutes....dislikes physical contact and has less awareness on a footy field than Clive Palmer has in Parliment which tells you how well he is going....

Re: Watson-Positional switch paying off

Reply #29
Cloke would run rings around Watto

Already has RR?
I think you have to be careful not to assess mobility using fitness or strength.

Is Watson as fit as Cloke, absolutely not, but is Watson as mobile as Cloke I think so!

Cloke is neither fast or agile, he uses brute strength to push off opponents and get a break, speed has nothing to do with it but fitness does because he repeats this lead over and over again!

We, well at least I, speak figuratively. "To run rings round" someone is an idiom that can be used, among other things, to describe the act of showing more ability e.g. in footy, than that another person. I think Cloke would demonstrate that over Watson in spades and I think most who watch any footy would agree on that. But please, feel free to continue to split hairs.
Reality always wins in the end.