Former Essendon premiership player Tim Watson has hit out at Carlton's Jed Lamb, suggesting all AFL players need to stop pretending to act tough.
Watson used Lamb as an example, after the Blues forward was the epitome of Carlton's past fortnight, in which they beat the Bombers for their first win of the season, before being decimated by the Demons.
Against Essendon, Lamb was tagging Brendon Goddard and was being physical with him every chance he got, although against Melbourne, Lamb was trying to get into Michael Hibberd, and it didn't have the same affect.
“When you see players go out there and they start whacking into the opposition players all over the ground, it’s not something that just happens on the spur of the moment,” Watson told SEN Breakfast on Monday morning.
“They only do it because they’re protected by the boundary line and the game.
“Jed Lamb, the whole thing, it’s just crap.
“Where was this bravado about 10 minutes into the second quarter at the MCG yesterday afternoon?
“The time to fight the fight is when the ball is there to be won or you’ve got to gut-run or do all those other things, it’s not about being able to whack someone off the ball.”
Lamb has been a serial offender this season, and Garry Lyon believes AFL players go down this route because they know they're not in it alone.
“This is the false bravado that comes from knowing you can pick a fight and that you’re never going to have to fight it,” Lyon added.
Carlton face Geelong this Saturday night, which could see Lamb try his hand at stopping former Blue Zach Tuohy, who had 27 disposals and six marks in the Cats' loss to Essendon on Saturday night.
