Melbourne great Garry Lyon has backed the Demons' decision to trade former No.1 draft pick Jack Watts.
The decision has polarized fans, with many furious at the club's decision to offload the fan favourite.
However, Lyon says the decision is for the good of the club, stating tough decisions are what win premierships, with the ruthlessness shown this trade period not seen at the club in some time.
“It’s not a popular call to trade Jack. It’s not an easy call to trade Jack. It’s not a safe call to trade Jack,” Lyon said on SEN on Wednesday morning.
“But popular, easy and safe don’t win flags, nor necessarily provide the environment for one – something the Demons haven’t done for 53 years.
“I’ve heard Jack, in the past 24 hours, described as a great player and the heart and soul of the football club. He hasn’t been either of those things. He has been a good, at times but not for long enough, a very good player, and a popular, but also very frustrating, footballer.
“He has had nine years at the elite level. He has finished top five in the best-and-fairest once, he averages 16 touches and 0.9 goals throughout his career, and he has polled a total of 13 Brownlow votes in 153 games.
“Our judgments are made from the grandstands on the weekend, the lounge room if you can’t get there and the training days if you’re totally dedicated.
"The football club’s decision to trade Jack Watts has not just been made on what happens on the weekend, it’s the manifestation of all that happens throughout the summer months and the day-to-day training loads. It’s the endless hours of game review tapes and it’s the degree of urgency, intensity and desperation that they’ve sought over the years.
“Quite simply, previous regimes have been prepared to settle for less from Jack and I don’t think the Simon Goodwin cartel will.
"Those that observe Jack more closely and intimately than anyone else in the game are in a far better position to past judgment on whether he is part of their finals and premiership push. The fact they took pick 31 and are contributing to his wage suggests that they’re in no doubt.”
Watts has played a total of 153 matches for Melbourne since making his debut in Round 11, 2009 against Collingwood.
He played 16 games in 2017, averaging 15.7 disposals and kicking 22 goals.
He missed rounds 14 – 17 due to a hamstring injury and was dropped from the senior side after the Demons’ loss to GWS in Round 20, missing the next two weeks, before returning to the team in Round 23.
Despite having two years to run on his contract, he was told he would be put up for trade by the Dees at the end of the season with the club's patience with his lack of consistency finally running out.
