Market limited for Demon star says Ralph

Herald Sun journalist Jon Ralph believes the market for out-of-favour Melbourne forward Jack Watts is limited to the league’s also-rans.

The trade rumour mill has the Demons keen to off-load the former first round draft pick in the wake of a season that started promisingly but ended in being dropped late in the year.

During pre-season coach Simon Goodwin put the writing on the wall when he left the inconsistent forward out of the club’s JLT series matches in preference for younger players.

“Clearly he is on the market, and clearly there are clubs that are interested in him, but I don’t think they are the star clubs,” Ralph told SEN’s The Run Home.

“If I’m Jack Watts, and I’ve been dropped twice towards the end of the season, the writing is on the wall.”

The 26-year-old kicked 22 goals from 16 matches in 2017 for a career total of 153 games since debuting in 2009.

Tellingly he has not finished top three in the best and fairest despite the side finishing bottom four in four of the past eight seasons.

Ralph believes Watts' possible departure opens the door for the recruitment of out-of-contract Adelaide defender Jake Lever.

“I think what we can read into it is that Demons are getting Jake Lever because the Demons are not getting rid of Watts unless they are getting Lever,” he said.

Melbourne great David Schwarz doubted the Demons were looking to trade a player in his prime, adding it was a tactic designed to jolt the forward into action.

Melbourne first attempted to trade Watts at the end of 2012 but the board stepped in to thwart any potential deal.