Port Adelaide could benefit from taking high-profile recruit Jack Watts from attack to the midfield

PORT Adelaide won’t recall high-profile recruit Jack Watts to face his former Melbourne team-mates in Friday Night Football. But when Watts does return to the Power line-up, his best role might be away from attack.

Port Adelaide recruits Steven Motlop, Tom Rockliff and Jack Watts. Picture Sarah Reed

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JACK Watts on Thursday will learn if he is to be a headline or a postscript for Friday Night Football.

Although it seems Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley already has made up his mind for the finals-defining clash at Adelaide Oval with Melbourne, Watts’ former AFL club.

There is little reason — nor eagerness from Hinkley — to change a winning line-up, other than to restore prime defender Tom Jonas if he has recovered from his hamstring twinge.

Jack Watts attacks the footy in his first game in Power colours against Fremantle in Round 1. Picture: Sarah Reed

This is actually a silver lining for Watts, one of the high-profile recruits the Power took up in October’s market with a three-year contract. The 2008 No. 1 draft pick can spend time proving himself to Port Adelaide rather than proving a point to the Demons.

The question is: Where can Watts prove his worth to the Power?

Watts’ 11-game run as a forward ended last week as Hinkley regained young forward Todd Marshall to work in an attack that continues to be built around Charlie Dixon.

Hinkley never opted to use Watts as a ruckman during the mini-crisis created by All-Australian Patrick Ryder’s absence for five weeds — with left Achilles tendinitis — after round one.

Hinkley on Monday passed on the option presented by Brownlow Medallist Gerard Healy — one of Watts’ greatest advocates — to play Watts in defence.

“Prefer to have the ball in Watts’ hands,” replied Hinkley, a strong admirer of Watts’ ball-handling and disposal skills.

Ruck, no. Defence, no. Attack, no longer as Watts’ record shows he has taken just two contested marks in 11 games — emphasising the question of his intensity and body work in the contest.

So this leaves the midfield. And with Port Adelaide now imposing inside the contest — with the “Bash Brothers” Sam Powell-Pepper and vice-captain Ollie Wines dominating at stoppages — there is the need to hammer this advantage with a clean-handling player moving the ball accurately from the stoppages.

Jack Watts takes a grab in the SANFL last weekend. Picture: Sarah Reed

Jack Watts celebrates a goal with Port teammates. Picture: Sarah Reed

Watts as a wingman is not beyond reason. And such an assignment is not beyond the athletic Watts, who already has darted around Port Adelaide’s attack with the running patterns of a silver ball in a pinball machine.

Port Adelaide’s search for its optimum line-up — after loading up with players such as Watts, former Brisbane captain Tom Rockliff, Geelong forward-midfielder Steven Motlop and veteran North Melbourne forward Lindsay Thomas — is taking time.

So is — as Rockliff has repeatedly noted — the task of creating understandings and familiarities between players will take time and might not be seen at its optimum until next season.

But there also is the challenge to find the best role or roles for each of the Port Adelaide players, as has been noted in the past fortnight with the move of Chad Wingard from attack (where by his own admission he was confused) to work to his strength of reading the ball in the centre square.

Such a realignment for Watts might be just as beneficial to both the Melbourne recruit and Port Adelaide’s need to get cleaner transition from its midfield to attack to avoid a repeat of last year’s costly inefficiency in the home elimination final against West Coast.

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Originally published as Port Adelaide could benefit from taking high-profile recruit Jack Watts from attack to the midfield