AFTER years of disappointment, who better than Jack Watts to boot the match-winning goal that may finally change Melbourne's fortunes?
So often blamed when things go awry for the Demons, Watts was unquestionably the hero as the Demons edged Collingwood by four points in a Queen's Birthday thriller.
The key forward found himself in a paddock of space on the MCG wing with minutes to spare, and his ice-cool, running goal put the Demons in front by 11 points.
Watts was soon in the thick of the action on the defensive end as the Magpies surged towards goals, and when the final siren sounded, he found himself in a moment eight years in the making.
"I had a nice little moment in front of the Collingwood cheer squad when the siren went at the end of the game," a jovial Watts told AAP after the game.
"It's a big journey, isn't it? It's nice to get on the other end of a few.
"I think it's more a club thing though, not a personal thing, feeling the direction that the club's going in now.
"Since ‘Roosy’ (former coach Paul Roos) came along and now ‘Goody’ (current coach Simon Goodwin), I feel like the club's really turned around.
"We've got a lot of work to do still to make this a really successful season, and we're more than prepared to put in the hard work."
It couldn't have been more perfectly scripted for Watts, eight years and four days since he was targeted by a merciless Collingwood in a highly-scrutinised Queen's Birthday debut.
The No.1 draft pick was fresh out of high school when he ran onto the MCG for the first time in 2009, having been heralded as a potential saviour for the struggling Demons.
The much-hyped debut couldn't have gone much worse for Watts, who was swarmed by Magpies the second he touched the ball.
Melbourne went on to finish bottom of the ladder for a second consecutive season, while Watts found himself the subject of endless scrutiny from a public who felt he hadn't lived up to the hype.
Now 26, Watts has begun to deliver on his potential in recent seasons as Melbourne looks to end an 11-year finals drought.
