As with his first season at Port Adelaide, Jack Watts started season 2019 brightly with lots of preseason marks and an impressive round 1 performance in a win over his old side Melbourne, this time in his new role sweeping across half back. A very nasty leg bone and ankle break in round 2, however, cut short what had looked like a lucrative positional change. He was back on the training track before Christmas. Watts looked like a million dollars drifting from a wing as a quarterback where he could seemingly intercept at will, a role made popular under the 6-6-6 rules but more often filled by midfielders whose aerial prowess was not as strong. If he can get his body right and regain the spring in his legs, that is a very sexy role to play. That is a big if, even if Jack Watts were not his name. He should rise through middle rounds with a flashy preseason.
What a tough break, Jack
As with his first season at Port Adelaide, Jack Watts started season 2019 brightly with lots of preseason marks and an impressive round 1 performance in a win over his old side Melbourne, this time in his new role sweeping across half back. A very nasty leg bone and ankle break in round 2, however, cut short what had looked like a lucrative positional change. He was back on the training track before Christmas. Watts looked like a million dollars drifting from a wing as a quarterback where he could seemingly intercept at will, a role made popular under the 6-6-6 rules but more often filled by midfielders whose aerial prowess was not as strong. If he can get his body right and regain the spring in his legs, that is a very sexy role to play. That is a big if, even if Jack Watts were not his name. He should rise through middle rounds with a flashy preseason.
What's the deal with Jack?
Things looked just peachy for Jack Watts in his new home at Alberton after round 1, where he booted the first goal as part of a haul of 3.3. That ended up his only fantasy ton of the year across 19 games, and he finished with his worst average since his 2011 breakout. 2018 was the first of his ten seasons in which he handballed more than he kicked, wasting his stellar conversion record with only 18.8 on the scoreboard. You can give excuses for Watts, like how Port is near the bottom of the league in hitting targets by foot, or how the ball gets sucked towards Charlie Dixon and Justin Westhoff. Ultimately, it's all in his head, as evidenced by his two other best games coming after being dropped to the SANFL. Will we ever see his best for a full season? He's a classic speculator pick, both for Port and your team. Don't pay much for him.
Jack Watts was swung into the middle last week after spending much of the first half of the year up forward, and he delivered one of his best performances in recent memory. Does it mean he has finally shaken off persistent injuries to get back to the form of which we know he is capable? It would be a brave coach in salary cap leagues to take that gamble, but he should be started in draft leagues where he would no doubt have been picked up from the free agent pool this week.
Jack Watts wearing teal
Coming off his best form in 2016 where he nailed down the CHF position at Melbourne, he was forced to ruck for long periods of 2017 when Max Gawn went down, which wore him out pretty quickly. After some good performances including a late winner against Collingwood, he suffered an injury-riddled second half and eventual trade to Port Adelaide in the off season, capping a trademark roller coaster ride of millennially inscrutable emotion and mercurial manner. Watts comes to the Power to play CHF once again, as the club has plenty of ruck options. They need someone to play there as Justin Westhoff has never quite cut it in the most difficult position on the ground, and their other options are too green. That is where Watts plays his best football and can make the greatest contribution to his club, and if he can stand up there he can be a low-end fantasy starter worthy of a middle-round pick.
