MELBOURNE'S number one draft pick Jack Watts has revealed he was no certainty to pursue a career in football, despite the high profile attention he received in the build-up to last year's NAB AFL National Draft.
Watts is also a talented basketballer and was targeted by the Australian Institute of Sport's basketball program before finally deciding that his future lay in Australian football.
The issue, Watts told the BigPond Sports Weekend program on Sunday, came down to deciding where his true passion lay.
“The induction to the AIS football academy was probably a pretty big turning point,” he said.
"With basketball, if I really wanted to do it, I would have committed a lot earlier and gone up to the AIS and lived there from the age of 14 or 15. At the time, I just wasn’t quite ready for it.”
“I’ve always loved my footy ... and I’m really happy where I am”.
But his background on the rectangular court has not been wasted, with the 18-year-old already showing the benefits of developing skills in more than one code.
Watts’ composure with the ball in hand is marked for a first-year player, something he puts down to his grounding with the round ball.
“With basketball, you have to use your peripheral vision a lot. Taking that attribute into footy definitely helps you.”
Not that his vision extended to the "lightning bolt" that is Alwyn Davey. The Bomber onballer turned on his considerable pace on Friday night to catch Watts stone cold and win a holding the ball decision.
Watts admitted the incident was all part of learning to adjust to the much quicker pace of League football.
"It’s going to take time to get used to the tempo," he said.
“I’m just learning; I’ve only played two games ... I’ve got to learn from that and pick up the pace. Hopefully, in the next few weeks I won’t make that same mistake again.”
The loss to Essendon was symptomatic of the inconsistency that has dogged the Dees' season, with a poor third quarter inflating the eventual margin of 43 points.
Watts said a Scott Lucas goal just before half time that took the Bombers out to a three goal lead proved pivotal.
He believed it gave Essendon some critical breathing space heading into second half, but said the effort dished up by the club after the break was poor.
“We just fell away in that third quarter; It’s just not good enough.
“We’re going to have to do something as a group to turn that around and get four quarters of good footy going.”
The key forward prospect kicked the first two goals of his AFL career against the Bombers, but said that playing on veteran Don Dustin Fletcher provided the real lesson from his second game at the top level.
“The whole week I had Robert Shaw, my school coach, telling me that Fletcher was going to give me a bath,” he said with a laugh.
“He’s just a legend of the game, Fletcher, so it was a bit daunting ... it’s all a learning curve and I’m just going to have to get used to playing on those sorts of guys.”
Fletcher, like Watts, started his League career juggling his football commitments with the final year of high school.
Watts said that while getting the mix right was challenging, people around the club such as strength and conditioning coach Valeri Stoimenov, were helping him to make up any training gaps with one-on-one sessions designed to put strength into what is still a gangly frame.
“That’s been extremely helpful in making sure I do the right amount of work.
“I came into the club about 80kgs flat ... I’m up to 87 kilos now but obviously I’ve still got a lot more to go”.
In good news for Demons fans, Watts said Brad Green – who landed awkwardly on his head and neck after competing for a mark against Essendon – had pulled up well and would be in no doubt for next weekend’s clash against the Brisbane Lions.
