Talk » SURGERYReds C Devin Mesoraco had surgery on his ri

At the start of last season, former Melbourne great Garry Lyon implored Jack Watts to become the Demons Jack Gunston. ? ?Lyon wrote Watts, the much-maligned former No.1 draft pick, had to model his game on the Hawthorn star. ?With the pair boasting similar physiques and attributes, Lyon argued Watts could become a similarly dangerous athletic forward threat as Gunston, if he also mirrored the star Hawks work rate and ability to impose himself on games consistently.I believe Jack Watts must do all in his power to become Melbournes version of Gunston, Lyon wrote in The Age, adding: The most invaluable feedback Watts could get at this stage of his career would be to have access to the match reports of his direct opponents, and then compare those with the direct opponents of Gunston. ? ?Having spoken to a number of those defenders, there was a blunt and consistent theme. Gunston was a nightmare match-up who never gave them a moments peace, while Watts, undeniably talented, was far, far easier to defend. ?And this is the area where Watts must become a dedicated, single-minded and almost obsessive student. ?Fast-forward 18 months and Gunston is on the verge of notching another premiership - his fourth. Hes carried extra responsibility in the Jarryd Roughead-less Hawthorn forward line and is on track to kick another haul of 50+ goals for the third straight season. ?The other Jack, though, is playing as though he read Lyons article and acted on it. ?Watts, six months older than Gunston and a couple of centimeters and kilograms heavier than the Hawk, is finally repaying the Demons faith.Since the day he was drafted at No.1 in 2008, Watts has been scrutinised and criticised to within an inch of his life. Much of it was self-inflicted, but having finally added the hunger and contested work required, he has rounded out an already skilful package.?The former whipping boy is suddenly a match-winner.And a comparison of the two Jacks from season 2016 is interesting reading. ? ?Both have played 18 matches, with the Hawk edging his Demon counterpart in goals per game (2.3 to 1.9), as well as disposals (16.6 to 16.2), tackles (3.2 to 1.7), contested possessions (6.6 to 6.0), contested marks (1.6 to 1.1) and marks inside 50 (2.5 to 1.8). And perhaps a sign of his greater aerobic capacity, Gunston averages significantly more time on ground than Watts (91.6 percent to 83.6). ?Watts though, is slightly ahead in goal assists (0.7 to 0.5), disposal efficiency (78.4 percent to 73.5), clearances (0.7 to 0.4) and, unsurprisingly after becoming an unofficial break-in-case-of-emergency back-up ruckman to Max Gawn, in hit-outs (1.8 to 0.1). ?Interestingly, the duo is dead even in marks per game (6.6 each) and inside 50s (2.6). ?Its perhaps no great surprise that Gunston is leading Watts in most areas but its clear the Demon is finally playing the consistent, hardened football expected of a 25-year-old senior player. ?Watts - and the football world - will get a chance to see just how much the gap has narrowed when the Demons and Hawks clash at the MCG on Saturday.Who knows if Watts read Lyons article all those months ago, or has tried to model his game on Gunstons, but hes certainly becoming the player that [Watts] should aspire to become, as Lyon suggested. ?And as they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. ?wholesale jerseys china . They reached the 100-point plateau for the fourth time in five games, bested the visiting Trail Blazers by 34 in the paint and scored 19 of the final 25 points in regulation. china jerseys . -- Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson asked his players a simple question during Fridays morning shootaround: How many of them had ever been on a team 14 games over . https://www.chinajerseysreplica.us/ . Bryzgalov stopped 25 shots on Saturday in the Oklahoma City Barons 4-1 victory over the Abbotsford Heat. The Oilers signed Bryzgalov to a one-year $2 million contract last Friday after shedding payroll by dealing defenceman Ladislav Smid to the Flames. replica jerseys china .Y. -- Paul Byron and Matt Stajan scored as the Calgary Flames started a five-game road trip with a 2-1 overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday afternoon. cheap jerseys from china . -- If this was Aaron Gordons final home game at Arizona, and it almost certainly was, then he went out in style.CINCINNATI -- Matt Wisler got a little tentative with the top of the Cincinnati Reds order, and it cost him a game.Zack Cozart, Joey Votto and Eugenio Suarez homered off the right-hander in the fourth inning as the Reds got the better of a matchup between the NLs two worst teams, beating the Atlanta Braves 8-2 on Monday night.The Reds (35-58) have taken three of five this season against the Braves, who have the majors worst record (32-61). Atlanta is 19-31 all-time at Great American Ball Park, including five losses in its last six games.Wisler (4-9) has given up five homers in his last two starts. Cozart led off the fourth with his 15th homer, and Votto extended his second-half resurgence with a two-run shot. Suarezs two-run homer just inside the left-field foul pole made it 5-1.The ball started getting up, Wisler said. Once the ball started getting up, they started teeing it up on me. I cant keep having outings like this. Its frustrating.After facing only nine batters in the first three innings, Wisler appeared to get a little tentative with his pitches -- a bad thing in a hitter-friendly ballpark.He just wasnt aggressive, I think, interim manager Brian Snitker said. The ball kind of ran back over the plate, the ball to Votto. He kind of lost a little aggressiveness in his pitching and it hurt him. Youve got to be on the attack. Youve got to be the aggressor.Votto later added an RBI single. In four games since returning from the All-Star break, Votto is 8 for 15. His homer came on a 2-2 pitch that wandered over the middle of the plate.I had him right where I wanted, and I missed with a pitch, Wisler said.Left-hander Brandon Finnegan (5-7) pitched into the sixth and gave up seven hits -- three of them by Adonis Garcia, who hit a solo homer in the sixth. Finnegan had lost three of his last four starts, giving up 20 runs in 19 innings.Wisler won his last start, 11-8 over the White Sox in Chicago on July 8 despite giving up six runs, including two homers.dddddddddddd Since the start of June, he is 2-4 in eight starts with a 7.06 ERA.Billy Hamilton singled three times, scored a run and stole three bases for a total of 27, the third-most in the NL.STATSWisler also gave up three homers in an inning on June 11 against the Cubs. ... It was the third time this season that the Reds hit three homers in an inning. They also did it April 23 against the Cubs and May 4 against the Giants. ... Garcia has hit safely in all five games against the Reds this season, going 11 for 22 with two homers. ... Cozarts 15 homers match his career high. He most recently hit 15 in 2012. Twelve of his 15 have been solo shots.MESORACO SURGERYReds C Devin Mesoraco had surgery on his right hip Monday, his third major operation in a year. He had surgery on the left hip last season and was back for opening day. He had surgery for a torn labrum in his left shoulder in May. The right hip started bothering him early this season, and doctors advised that it would require surgery at some point as well.TRAINERS ROOMBraves: RH Shae Simmons threw a simulated game on Monday. Hes recovering from Tommy John surgery in February 2015.Reds: 2B Brandon Phillips was back in the lineup after missing two games with a strained right calf. He went 1 for 3 -- extending his hitting streak to seven games -- and left for a pinch hitter in the seventh.UP NEXTBraves: RHP Tyrell Jenkins (0-1, 4.50) makes his second career start and sixth major league appearance.Reds: LHP Cody Reed (0-4, 8.39) makes his sixth career start. He has failed to last five innings in his last three starts.---Follow Joe Kay on Twitter: http://twitter.com/apjoekay ' ' '