Father and son - pressure of expectations

[Dry Rot]

I never saw Watson snr play but Jobe Watson seems a trier with a big heart but no skills.

I think Jobe's life would be a lot easier if he had a different pedigree/surname re expectations, and there's probably a lot of other players in the same boat.

Thoughts?

And what was Watson snr like as a player?

[Sockeye Salmon]

I never saw Watson snr play but Jobe Watson seems a trier with a big heart but no skills.

I think Jobe's life would be a lot easier if he had a different pedigree/surname re expectations, and there's probably a lot of other players in the same boat.

Thoughts?

And what was Watson snr like as a player?

Watson Snr was a gun.

A bit like Robert Harvey in that he ran hard all day - in an era when no everyone was as fit as they might have been.

He was famous for playing VFL when he was just 15 - he already had a VFL build - and he kicked a goal in a night grand final in the late 70's after gathering the ball and jumping over a pack of players who had been scrambling for it.

Ted Whitten Jnr was another who suffered the 'he's not as good as his dad" thing. HIS FATHER WAS THE BEST OF ALL TIME, OF COURSE HE'S NOT AS GOOD AS HIS DAD!!! Whitten Jnr played state footy and his career was wrecked by the time he was 26. He went alright.

[alwaysadog]

I never saw Watson snr play but Jobe Watson seems a trier with a big heart but no skills.

I think Jobe's life would be a lot easier if he had a different pedigree/surname re expectations, and there's probably a lot of other players in the same boat.

Thoughts?

And what was Watson snr like as a player?

DR, surprisingly given Jobe's lack of them Tim Watson had sublime skills, great balance and was a match winner; he could turn a game in a five minute burst. Workrate like Harvey but had that extra dynamic quality that enabled him to lift at critical times. I don't use champion often, especially about opposition players, but he was one.

[GVGjr]

Does anyone remember that game where he jumped over two guys on the ground as part of his barnstorming run?

To be quite honest, every now and then I see a bit of Tim Watson in Ryan Griffen's play especially when he works his way through a tackle and still kicks the ball.

AAD, Was Watson really that skillful?

[1eyedog]

DR, surprisingly given Jobe's lack of them Tim Watson had sublime skills, great balance and was a match winner; he could turn a game in a five minute burst. Workrate like Harvey but had that extra dynamic quality that enabled him to lift at critical times. I don't use champion often, especially about opposition players, but he was one.


I agree although he didn't posses sublime skills. I would say sublime skills back then would be people like Robert Flower or Keith Greig. As time moves on we always build champions up over time. Watson was bullocky, knew where the ball was and how to get it, could break tackles or simply go around people (a la Griffen) and could ignite the rest of the team with a beautiful piece of play. I saw him play later on in his career after he made his comeback. Apparently I saw him at the Western oval one day but I can't remember him. I remember as a kid that his scanlens footy card was the hardest one to get, a good analogy for Watson on the footy field too.

[1eyedog]

It' funny, G.Ablett seems to have taken to AFL level and is already an absolute gun while N. Ablett seems to be struggling with the expectations of probably not only his brother's success but also the myth of his father. I agree that Jobe seems to be playing in the mould of his father, but the game is too quick these days and he appears to really struggle. I just don't think he's up to it. He's slow and while that's ok he doesn't have the skills or even the sleight of hand or the ability to set up his teammates in space to make up for this deficiency. He is a slow work horse, bit like a Clydesdale.

[Go_Dogs]

An interesting article ran in the Advertiser about the two Tuck boys yesterday. Shane basically said that the expectations were huge on him, and he doesn't want his son to play footy. Travis on the other hand seems to have taken to it a bit better.

I think a lot of the time the expectation is a bit unfair, but at the same time, if these guys choose to get into footy they have to be aware that the expectations and comparisons will exist.

[Mofra]

Ted Whitten Jnr was another who suffered the 'he's not as good as his dad" thing. HIS FATHER WAS THE BEST OF ALL TIME, OF COURSE HE'S NOT AS GOOD AS HIS DAD!!! Whitten Jnr played state footy and his career was wrecked by the time he was 26. He went alright.
A quick one for you, some who saw alot of Junior's footy say he could have played 300games barring injury, an extremely good footballer in his own right and the Whittens should have been noted with the Silvanis & Abletts in terms of father/son combos. Did you see enough to comment?

[bornadog]

Showing my age here, I remember the expectations on Ted Whitten jnr. I was only young then, but could feel the pressure standing in the outer. TW Jnr was a very skillful player but was expected to perform like the great man. I wonder how he felt playing and what was going through his mind before every game?

[Sockeye Salmon]

A quick one for you, some who saw alot of Junior's footy say he could have played 300games barring injury, an extremely good footballer in his own right and the Whittens should have been noted with the Silvanis & Abletts in terms of father/son combos. Did you see enough to comment?

300? Who knows, that's an awful lot. He was good though. Very skillful, a wonderful user of the ball. he was responsible for a fair few of Templeton's goals.

He would have been a handy addition to the 85 side considering he was still under 30.

[alwaysadog]

Does anyone remember that game where he jumped over two guys on the ground as part of his barnstorming run?

To be quite honest, every now and then I see a bit of Tim Watson in Ryan Griffen's play especially when he works his way through a tackle and still kicks the ball.

AAD, Was Watson really that skillful?

I remember it on the right HF flank, and he either goaled as a result or set one up at a critical stage of the game, that is what he is best remembered for; but I think you've answered your own question by comparing him to Griff. IMHO he had to have great skills to do what he did but he is remembered for those moments of desperation and determination, and he played in a side that had a heap of skilfull players. There seems to be a view that because he was prepared to get down and dirty he couldn't be a champ like others who played a bit wider; not my view at all.

[Twodogs]

The thing I most remember about Tim Watson was the time he king hit Libba as the teams were walking off the ground at 1/2 time at VFL park. From memory he walked up and hit Libba from behind.



I often think about it when I have to listen to him getting sanctimonious on the radio or the TV.

[GVGjr]

The thing I most remember about Tim Watson was the time he king hit Libba as the teams were walking off the ground at 1/2 time at VFL park. From memory he walked up and hit Libba from behind.



I often think about it when I have to listen to him getting sanctimonious on the radio or the TV.


I have that on tape somewhere and I don't think he king hit Libba. He got him late just before the siren and he was met by a flurry of Bulldog players.

[Twodogs]

I have that on tape somewhere and I don't think he king hit Libba. He got him late just before the siren and he was met by a flurry of Bulldog players.



Did he break Libbas jaw? It was a fairly craven act even if it wasnt technically a king hit.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Danny Southern got him back a beauty in the half time brawl.

In the last quarter Essendon were coming back and had got to about a goal behind. Watson tried to play on and run around Billy Kolynuik who caught him stone cold and kicked a goal from the free.

Watson got off at the tribunal after that as well. From memory it was a coathangar rather than a king hit?

Footscray 5.4 5.9 9.12 13.14 92
Essendon 3.2 5.5 6.6 9.10 64
Date: Mon 13-Jun-1994 Att: 39,181 Venue: Waverley Park



PS. We had a rabid Essendon supporting woman in our office who loved Timmy. I got in before her on the Monday and draped a Bulldogs jumper over her monitor with a note saying Timmy would get 6. She put in an official harassment claim against me!