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The heat should be turned from young Melbourne forward Jack Watts onto senior teammates such as Brad Green and Colin Sylvia, says former AFL premiership coach Robert Walls.
Watts, a 20-year-old, 40-gamer has been a magnet for criticism since he was taken at No.1 by the Demons in the 2008 national draft.
North Melbourne great Wayne Carey and ex-Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse were the latest to chime in on the weekend.
Malthouse said Watts appeared to lack the “desire” and “ambition” to be a top-class footballer.
But Walls said there were plenty of Demons whose efforts he would question before having a shot at Watts.
“I think he will become a really good player,” said Walls, a three-time premiership player and premiership coach with Carlton.
“He’s such a young player. He plays a pretty responsible position as a key forward – he’s only played 40 games of football.
“But if his workrate’s not good enough, if some people think that, don’t just pick on the one player.
“I reckon you could look at half of that Melbourne team.
“I reckon half of the Melbourne team haven’t done as much as they should have in recent times.”
Walls said it was evident from Mark Neeld’s appointment of a mostly young leadership group, headed by co-captains Jack Trengove and Jack Grimes, that the first-year coach did not believe his senior players had given enough for the cause.
“Obviously, the senior coach thinks that, because he’s said to Green and (Colin) Sylvia and all of those older players, you’re not going to be captain of this group – you’ve had your opportunity,” Walls said.
“Obviously, it wasn’t considered to be good enough, what they did, because they’ve gone to the two young Jacks and I think that’s fantastic.
“I think the general perception is the majority of those Melbourne players haven’t done what they should have done and it’s in front of them, so let’s wait and see.
“I think obviously Watts was singled out and Malthouse singled him out, but it could have been any one of another six or seven.”
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