Player Watch #29: Will Phillips - tags N.Daicos vs Collingwood - subbed off at 3/4 time??

[ferball]

He needs to be as good as LDU has shown to be.

I have my doubts he can get to that level.

They're different sorts of players.

LDU gets .9 GAs per match. I don't expect Will to be the big power mid LDU is but if he adds just over one more GA per game to his game that's getting toward LDU levels of good nut as a different player. If he can get 3 every two games, get involved and win a bit contested footy I can see his inside 50 kicking being a real weapon.

 

[ferball]

I wasn't sold on LDU early as I didn't see the burst that was spoken about during his junior years even though you could see the footwork. It appears that his groins were the culprit. Now we can see it.

Likewise, not sold on Philips, although I can see the vision and ability to work in a phone box. My query for him, which doesn't appear to be a strength at junior level, is whether he can be a physical player and develop a burst. I can't see it right now, he looks neat but thats about it. He has time though but also a lot of competition in there which LDU doesn't have.

Perkins would have been the better pick for me but can't look back now.

If you've got the AFL app on your phone or tablet then go to his highlights in the stats section. Look at the game against Brisbane this year (Gather Round) and in the extended highlights videos look for 27.44 in the second quarter, ie between 1.10 and 0.50 to go.

He charges thru a pack, well Harris Andrews (200cm/100kg) and then Daniel Rich (183/95) and wins the contested ball on the ground then gets it out and gets it moving our way. Its worth watching cos you'll see what he might be capable of in the future.

 

[giantroo]

Received 3 coaches votes for his VFL game against Frankston.

 

[Devington]

Received 3 coaches votes for his VFL game against Frankston.

Not bad for a game a few from here didn't rate.

 

[Kangaroos4eva]

Not bad for a game a few from here didn't rate.

 

[Lomas]

Not bad for a game a few from here didn't rate.

Yeah, must be due to him joining the coaching ranks soon…….

 

[shintemaster]

If you've got the AFL app on your phone or tablet then go to his highlights in the stats section. Look at the game against Brisbane this year (Gather Round) and in the extended highlights videos look for 27.44 in the second quarter, ie between 1.10 and 0.50 to go.

He charges thru a pack, well Harris Andrews (200cm/100kg) and then Daniel Rich (183/95) and wins the contested ball on the ground then gets it out and gets it moving our way. Its worth watching cos you'll see what he might be capable of in the future.

He's very neat, makes the right decision with ball in hand well above 9 times out of 10. Obviously has a good brain for footy and leads well from what I've seen. I think given he's a touch shorter and not blistering fast the trick that will take him from okay to weapon is if he can add powerhouse repeat running near his peak speed to his game. That will mean he can just follow the ball anywhere and be a threat that can't be left outside the contest if not attacking the congestion. I still have faith in this kid, but I think his illness issues have pushed back where we will see his best by a year or so. Needs time and games, looks easily a step above at VFL level which is generally a very good sign.

 

[Colby Cheer Squad]

He's very neat, makes the right decision with ball in hand well above 9 times out of 10. Obviously has a good brain for footy and leads well from what I've seen. I think given he's a touch shorter and not blistering fast the trick that will take him from okay to weapon is if he can add powerhouse repeat running near his peak speed to his game. That will mean he can just follow the ball anywhere and be a threat that can't be left outside the contest if not attacking the congestion. I still have faith in this kid, but I think his illness issues have pushed back where we will see his best by a year or so. Needs time and games, looks easily a step above at VFL level which is generally a very good sign.

Agreed. As much as we all love to see LDU burst through the centre and kick the leather off the ball, we are not guaranteed hitting a target and a set shot on goal from his sometimes wayward kicking. WilPhil is the opposite. When he is delivering inside 50, more often than not, he's finding a target. If he can find more of the ball forward of centre, then we will score a lot more. Simple.

 

[LB2Snake]

What type of midfielder ‘can’ he be?

I’m trying to look for comparisons. So far I’ve got Daniel Rich’s physique but not as powerful? Anyone else got something?

Isn’t he projected to be Lachie Neale MKII?

 

[ferball]

What type of midfielder ‘can’ he be?

I’m trying to look for comparisons. So far I’ve got Daniel Rich’s physique but not as powerful? Anyone else got something?

If you look at the highlight i pointed out a few posts above he knocks Rich out the way running straight at the ball. So he's already on par with Rich in terms of power.

 

[Lomas]

If you look at the highlight i pointed out a few posts above he knocks Rich out the way running straight at the ball. So he's already on par with Rich in terms of power.

How’s his wheelchair riding form?

 

[Devil Fish]

Said this before he’s still not fully fit he’s coming from a long way back. He was flying last preseason before he got glandular fever wait until he’s gets back to that level of fitness and if you still think he’s a bust then fine but people are going way too early on him.

Gee, how long does it take to get to “full fitness”???
Sounds like a 5 year project. Here I was thinking it was 3-4 months.

 

[WesternRoo]

He's very neat, makes the right decision with ball in hand well above 9 times out of 10. Obviously has a good brain for footy and leads well from what I've seen. I think given he's a touch shorter and not blistering fast the trick that will take him from okay to weapon is if he can add powerhouse repeat running near his peak speed to his game. That will mean he can just follow the ball anywhere and be a threat that can't be left outside the contest if not attacking the congestion. I still have faith in this kid, but I think his illness issues have pushed back where we will see his best by a year or so. Needs time and games, looks easily a step above at VFL level which is generally a very good sign.

I don’t get people that say he isn’t quick
He ran a 2.92 , 20 metre and apart from maybe Wardlaw is our quickest mid.

I agree with all the rest and he needs to play.

 

[Shermanator]

Gee, how long does it take to get to “full fitness”???
Sounds like a 5 year project. Here I was thinking it was 3-4 months.

 

[disco_cowboy]

Dom Tyson was a pick three too. They're not all guns.

But as far as WAP goes right now he's played as many games as LDU had by the end of his second season, twenty-one. Their stats are very similar and they've both shown glimpses of some good play by this stage in their career. Will potentially has more games left to play thios year than LDU played in his third season (2020, tho that was the year covid came to town and the shorter games mean its harder to compare those games). Will also had glandular fever. LDU had injuries and a sick father.

Its hard to compare their careers exactly at this point and they're different players but they aren't necessarily showing a different level of output.

i thought he was pick 5?

 

[ferball]

i thought he was pick 5?

Dom was pick three in 2011. LDU was pick four.

 

[koshari]

Isn’t he projected to be Lachie Neale MKII?

tracking more like Jimmy Toumpas ATM

 

[ferball]

Gee, how long does it take to get to “full fitness”???
Sounds like a 5 year project. Here I was thinking it was 3-4 months.

It takes years for a draftee to get full match fitness at AFL level. They used to say three full pre seasons and it would start to show in the third season. (Some of that probably includes a bit of growth and muscle development.)

Phillips had one year coming off covid year 2020 with stuff all footy, then got glandular fever, which meant his fitness would have gone backwards even if he wasn't a pro athlete.

It might not take three years but it will probably take at least 18 months till he's near his peak and can play out a game properly, so somewhere round the start of next season. (He started training again in sept/oct lst year according to reports.) And glandular fever is a bastard of a thing so he might never come good. But its too early to say one way or the other yet.

 

[Hearts to hearts]

There is no “tracking like” that is useful - the Covid break before the draft isn’t something any other group of players has had to deal with, plus the glandular fever since.

Nothing we can do from out here except enjoy the glimpses, respect what we see and hear about his character, and wait and see.

 

[shintemaster]

I don’t get people that say he isn’t quick
He ran a 2.92 , 20 metre and apart from maybe Wardlaw is our quickest mid.

I agree with all the rest and he needs to play.

He's not slow I agree, definitely has a quick enough first handful of steps though which is arguably all that is needed in congestion. Not sure I'd put him in the fast category over medium distances (breaking lines / wing type movement) though.

There is no “tracking like” that is useful - the Covid break before the draft isn’t something any other group of players has had to deal with, plus the glandular fever since.

Nothing we can do from out here except enjoy the glimpses, respect what we see and hear about his character, and wait and see.

Agree, and support him. Whilst it's not flavour of the month after a half decade of football pain it's ultimately part of the job of members and supporters.

 

[Mav]

tracking more like Jimmy Toumpas ATM

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Lachlie Neale didn't really get going until the back end of his second year. In effect this is Wills second year, but coming off of no football last year. Lets see how he's going at the back end of this year.

 

[Colby Cheer Squad]

It takes years for a draftee to get full match fitness at AFL level. They used to say three full pre seasons and it would start to show in the third season. (Some of that probably includes a bit of growth and muscle development.)

Phillips had one year coming off covid year 2020 with stuff all footy, then got glandular fever, which meant his fitness would have gone backwards even if he wasn't a pro athlete.

It might not take three years but it will probably take at least 18 months till he's near his peak and can play out a game properly, so somewhere round the start of next season. (He started training again in sept/oct lst year according to reports.) And glandular fever is a bastard of a thing so he might never come good. But its too early to say one way or the other yet.

There's a reason the 50 AFL games thing gets brought up a lot by people much smarter and better qualified to comment on these things than any of us. It's not just experience, it's also strength, conditioning, and match fitness. Go ask Todd Viney about it, he's big on this very thing. WilPhil is still over a season away from being fit and strong enough to really contest with the best.

 

[disco_cowboy]

Dom was pick three in 2011. LDU was pick four.

The more you know

 

[Mixed Results]

I don't think his speed is a significant issue, but compared to somebody like Simpkin, he has a slower cruising speed so to speak.

Based on his testing numbers and training sessions, he is a similar athlete to Simpkin, but he definitely plays slower. It's likely at this stage a case of conditioning and needing the game to slow down for him. We've seen his top speed a couple of times in the seniors this year and it's clear that he has wheels when he wants to use them.

 

[Devil Fish]

If you look at the highlight i pointed out a few posts above he knocks Rich out the way running straight at the ball. So he's already on par with Rich in terms of power.

WOW!!!