Watts Cooking: Paul Roos appalled by Jack Watts' treatment

Jack Watts

Watts starred in Melbourne's 17-point win over Richmond, booting three goals from 19 possessions and having an equal career-best 11 marks as his quality season continued.

Along with many of his team-mates, Watts appears to be emerging from the club's dark times of the last few years as the Roos renaissance continues to gather steam.

Roos, though, suggested Melbourne – and possibly deceased former coach Dean Bailey - made a mistake with their handling of Watts right from the very beginning, saying bringing him in for a marquee clash like the 2009 Queen's Birthday clash just placed greater expectations on him as a youngster.

"Jack made a really interesting comment after the (Richmond) game and I think that sort of sums up what we've been saying with Jack," said Roos on Melbourne radio station SEN on Monday.

"He doesn't have to be a star player.

"I'm happy for him to be a good AFL player and then work his way up the ranks and become a very good AFL player.

"But I think unfortunately for Jack, he's rolled out on Queen's Birthday and seen as the saviour of a footy club as an 18-year-old Brighton Grammar student.

"So from day one, his opinion of himself is if I'm not the best player on the ground, I'm doing something wrong, so I was really pleased to hear that from Jack.

"I mean, he wouldn't say that to me directly but I think so."

Roos said he attended that 2009 Queen's Birthday clash as Sydney coach with George Stone, who is now with him at the Demons as a development coach, and said he felt for Watts as Collingwood made a point of introducing him to the AFL in the most brutal way.

"I was amazed and appalled to be honest as an opposition coach, so I think we're just saying to Jack, if Jack continues to play like he has certainly the last three weeks, he's had a pretty consistent season, we just want him to compete, do the basic things well over and over again and all of a sudden he's a match-winner on the weekend.

"But that's not what we want him to do. We want him to play a role like everyone else played their role in the team and we can see he's talented enough to be a very good AFL player."

Although Roos looks to have turned things around at AAMI Park, that didn't look the case after Melbourne were humbled by West Coast in Round 2.

But with the team in real danger of retreating back into themselves like it was 2013 all over again, Roos said it was important to make some changes, one's that have appeared to pay dividends.

"That was the real worry I had at the time," Roos said. "We just didn't, couldn’t seem like that team for them coming in day in, day out.

"We had a big discussion as a coaching group. We had to change something so at least it's felt like … it's a different team.

"Howey (Jeremy Howe) off half-back and Chip (James) Frawley forward and (Lynden) Dunn was forward there for a while.

"It's just a psychological thing, to say, 'guys we've got to forget the past few years'.

"It is hard and obviously been pretty tough times but certainly that was the main thing.

"But we also felt those players could compete in those areas as well and t would give us a different look as a team."

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