FORWARD Jack Watts says he’s not feeling any extra pressure this pre-season, after coming off his best AFL season to date.
Watts, who finished fifth in Melbourne’s best and fairest in 2016, said the expectation was no different to any other year.
“[I] definitely don’t feel more pressure. I’m committed to trying to better that year,” he told Melbourne TV.
“You don’t want to sit on one good year for your whole career. As a team, we want to get better, but me personally, I want to have more of an impact and improve on certain things.
“I want to improve my running, my goalkicking and marking – and have more of an impact this year. I want to contribute to the team’s success and that comes with everyone individually committing to putting in the work.
“There is more excitement for this year than anything. There may be a little bit more pressure as a team to perform. We’re expected to be a pretty good team this year. I think we’ll relish that.”
Watts said there was now a “really positive environment” around the club and it was something he could feel as he returned from his off-season break.
“There is real excitement, although every team has that same feeling coming into week one of pre-season,” he said.
“There is a real genuine belief that we can do something special as a group.
“The thing that [new senior coach] Goody (Simon Goodwin) rammed home early this week was that it doesn’t just happen. We’re well aware of that and that’s where the hard work comes in and that’s what we’re really committed to doing over the next three or four months to be prepared for this season.”
Watts said his first week of pre-season under Goodwin was similar to last year, when he was senior assistant coach to Paul Roos.
“We got a pretty good taste of it last year with Goody and that’s just continued on and ramped up a bit, if anything,” he said.
“The thing that I’ve noticed is that determination from all of the boys.
“We’re really setting ourselves for a big year this year and this is the start of it, by putting in the hard work early.”
Meanwhile, Watts, who spent a fair portion of his off-season in the USA and Bali, was also busy devoting time to his sideline project, Skwosh, a men’s swimwear company.
“It’s all going well … it’s something really exciting and enjoyable outside of football for me to focus on, which is great,” he said.
“We’re all online … it’s really funky, fun swimwear trunks and it’s the right time to get onboard this summer.
“I’m definitely not in the design process – I don’t think they’d let someone with my [new blond] hair contribute – but I’m more in the networking, relations and sales. I’m helping that, pumping it up and getting certain personalities wearing them.”
