Jack Watts given no guarantees about his future at Melbourne

UPDATE: MELBOURNE coach Paul Roos cannot guarantee Jack Watts will be at the club next year while Jeremy Howe’s manager says his client’s decision is not about money.

Carlton v Melbourne

MELBOURNE coach Paul Roos cannot guarantee Jack Watts will be at the club next year as the Demons begin the task of improving their list.

Roos gave no assurances about any player including Watts, the No.1 pick in the 2008 draft, and out-of-contract high-flyer Jeremy Howe.

Roos said the Demons “clearly had to improve” after just seven wins this season.

“We’ve got to make our list better and that’s not designed to scare Jack Watts or anyone on the list,” Roos told AFL360 on Monday night.

“That’s just the way things sit. I haven’t had any specific conversations with Jack.”

Asked if he had made up his mind on Watts for next year, Roos replied: “No, not at all.”

“I can’t guarantee any Melbourne player (will be at the club next year).”

Watts was dropped ahead of Melbourne’s 26-point win over Greater Western Sydney in the final round, but Roos said at the time not to read too much into the forward’s omission.

Meanwhile, Howe is weighing up a lot more than money in his decision on his playing future, according to his manager.

Ben Niall, who looks after Howe’s interests, says “it has always been our hope that he will stay”, but says happiness and success are playing a factor in his decision.

“We’re in good conversation with Melbourne,” he said on SEN on Tuesday morning.

“We’re hoping that we can work it through and we’re still in the middle of that process.

If we can come to an arrangement, absolutely It’s always been our hope that he will stay.

“It’s not (about) money. I think it’s being in an environment that he can flourish and playing a role that gets the best out of him and being in an environment that’s successful in the longer term. You’re a lot happier when you’re winning. Melbourne are taking some steps in that direction ... the chess pieces are very slowly starting to come together.

Jeremy Howe is another Demon whose future in unclear. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

“We’re waiting for Melbourne to get back to us at the moment. I provided them with a bit of information about the market and what it says he might be worth.”

Niall admits there has been genuine interest from other clubs, but no formal offers have been made.

“We’ve got indications of what they might look like but they’re not formal. We don’t want Melbourne negotiating against themselves,” he said.

“We haven’t really gone too far down the track with other clubs.”

Howe, 25, last night said “it’s not about shopping around”.

“It’s going to have to be sooner rather than later. I think it’s heading in the right direction,” he said on Channel 7.

- with Lauren Wood

Originally published as Jack Watts given no guarantees about his future at Melbourne