Roos and Schwarz urge Dees to re-think Watts trade plans

Melbourne will be making a huge mistake if they trade maligned forward Jack Watts, according to ex-Demons star David Schwarz and former coach Paul Roos.

The former No.1 draft pick looks destined to depart the Demons after nine seasons, having been spotted in Adelaide yesterday, along with his manager Paul Connors, where they met with officials from Port Adelaide.

Roos, who coached the Demons for four seasons until handing over the reins to Simon Goodwin at the end of 2016, says that he'd be jumping all over Watts if he were coaching a rival club.

"He's the sort of player that every team needs," Roos told SEN's Dee Tales Podcast

"If I was another club and Melbourne rang me and said 'would you like Jack Watts?', I couldn't get hold of him quick enough.

"I'd hate to see him go from Melbourne and I think it's a big mistake if they do trade him."

Roos said it is important as a coach to focus on areas of certain player's games that they do well, rather than highlighting all the areas that they need to improve.

"You can't always harp on people's weaknesses. That's the problem that certainly existed before I got to Melbourne," he said.

"Every player has got weaknesses. Wattsy responded when you talk about his positiives – he's an elite kick, he's an elite decision maker, he's a very good player.

"He's got weaknesses and some of the things that he needs to address are his responsibility but I'm a massive Jack Watts fan."

Schwarz told SEN's The Run Home his ability and skillset is unique and paramount to the success of Melbourne’s efficiency up forward.

“He’s too good of a player to lose,” he said.

“Do they want Jack to be Dustin Martin? Do they want him to be Marc Murphy? He’s not that! He’s polish on the outside."

Despite the sudden speculation surrounding his future, there is one stat that suggests the former Sandringham Dragon may be more valuable to the Demons’ structure than most think.

Of the players that have recorded more than 80 entry kicks inside 50 in 2017, Watts has the second highest retention rate percentage in the competition with 65 per cent, behind only Adelaide skipper Taylor Walker.

“I know there are people that sit beside Simon Goodwin that desperately want to keep Jack Watts, and I don’t know why he’s leaving,” Schwarz said.

“Sometimes when a player’s been under your guidance for so long, you get frustrated with what they can’t do and forget what they can do,” Fox Footy analyst David King added.

While Port Adelaide has emerged as a strong suitor, it is believed that Collingwood, Geelong, West Coast and Sydney have also shown interest in the key forward, but the Power are the front-runners according to King.

“If Port Adelaide can get one more (either a Watts or Rockliff type), they are with a bullet in premiership contention for 2018,” he said.