JACK Watts says he’s determined to play his part in helping Melbourne climb up the ladder as he can now see “such a positive future” for the club.
Watts said there were some “murmurings” that his side’s round two loss to Essendon at the MCG was “the same old Melbourne”. But he insisted the red and blue was now a far different line-up to previous seasons.
“We knew that we’re a completely different team and last weekend [against North Melbourne at Blundstone Arena] just assured us of that,” he told Melbourne TV.
“It was really good to get back on the right track and play the way we wanted to play. To play in a game like that, it was so much more fun and I’m sure it’s so much better for the fans.
“We did lose the game [by five points], which was heartbreaking, but we can take some positives from it.”
Watts said the older players at the club were now eager to see the younger brigade prosper.
“It’s pretty exciting to see guys like Clayton Oliver come in, in his first year, and the things that he’s doing as an inside mid – I’ve never seen a tougher bloke in his first couple of games,” he said.
“Sam Weideman’s doing some amazing things in the twos at the moment and won’t be far away.
“Then you’ve also got guys that you forget about a bit, [like] Angus Brayshaw, who is in his second year and Christian Petracca. Those two have just got huge futures and you almost look at Braysh as player who has been there for a long time, but he’s had one year.”
The 118-game player said he “just loves the place” and couldn’t wait to play finals in the near future.
“I’ve never been more confident really, with the way we’re set up,” he said.
“We’ve had Roosy (Paul Roos) for three years now and we’ve now had that continuity. My whole career had been chopping and changing with a new coach and players, so it really feels like we’re getting a clear group together.
“Then we’ve got Goody (Simon Goodwin) locked in for another three years, so that constant improvement is what we’re after. We’d be expecting to play finals very soon and we want to get right up there.
“With the list that we’ve got, we think we can be the best team in the competition going forward, but there is a lot of hard work and a bit of time to get there.”
Watts added that he now felt content playing as a forward on a regular basis.
“I’m definitely pleased [with my form so far this year]. I’ve put in a lot of work this off-season and pre-season,” he said.
“The team has changed immensely and the way that we’re playing is very different, which definitely helps me.
“If we get Hoges (Jesse Hogan) and one other big boy down there [in the forward line] … then I can scoot around their feet and take a couple of cameo marks, so that’s where I see myself.”
