Player Watch #18: Wil 'Shotgun' Dawson - Extends to end of 2026

[Devil Fish]

I can't believe any true North fan would lay into a first gamer coming into a truly terrible defence and side,pathetic.

There’s not one post here of anyone “laying” into Dawson. Not one.

It was first game as a key defender against a seasoned tall forward. How could anyone expect him to play well in that situation??? Particularly in the current NM defence.

But anyone who says Dawson “looked good” was watching the game through rose coloured glasses.

Wright getting 10 coaches votes is enough to tell anyone that Dawson struggled. Which was very clear at the game. Maybe it wasn’t so clear on TV but on several occasions, Wright lost Dawson with ease to take an uncontested mark inside F50.

Sure, Dawson competed and didn’t give up. But gee, isn’t that the bare minimum to expect as a fan.

It usually takes years for a kid to develop into a quality key defender.

Again, there’s not one post here suggesting Will won’t make it.

 

[The Dingrel]

There’s not one post here of anyone “laying” into Dawson. Not one.

It was first game as a key defender against a seasoned tall forward. How could anyone expect him to play well in that situation??? Particularly in the current NM defence.

But anyone who says Dawson “looked good” was watching the game through rose coloured glasses.

Wright getting 10 coaches votes is enough to tell anyone that Dawson struggled. Which was very clear at the game. Maybe it wasn’t so clear on TV but on several occasions, Wright lost Dawson with ease to take an uncontested mark inside F50.

Sure, Dawson competed and didn’t give up. But gee, isn’t that the bare minimum to expect as a fan.

It usually takes years for a kid to develop into a quality key defender.

Again, there’s not one post here suggesting Will won’t make it.

I will say though I really like the way Will kicks....very very nicely weighted kicks for a guy his size. Was caught out by the speed early on, but he got the hang of it and competed well in a few contests. 100% confident he will hold down a key position for us and have a long career. Very rare for us to debut an 18yo 200cm guy less than half way through his first season (normally 2 or 3 seasons in, or approaching retirement age for Brad Scott) and I reckon he went as or better than expected.

 

[Colby Cheer Squad]

This is a friendly reminder that Wil Dawson is 18 years and 5 months old as of today. And again, if he'd been born 12 days later, he'd still be playing Coates League Under 18s. As a 200+cm skinny kid, it is quite an accomplishment to have earned his debut so soon.

 

[The Dingrel]

This is a friendly reminder that Wil Dawson is 18 years and 5 months old as of today. And again, if he'd been born 12 days later, he'd still be playing Coates League Under 18s. As a 200+cm skinny kid, it is quite an accomplishment to have earned his debut so soon.

And a top 10 pick?

 

[Caracas]

There’s not one post here of anyone “laying” into Dawson. Not one.

It was first game as a key defender against a seasoned tall forward. How could anyone expect him to play well in that situation??? Particularly in the current NM defence.

But anyone who says Dawson “looked good” was watching the game through rose coloured glasses.

Wright getting 10 coaches votes is enough to tell anyone that Dawson struggled. Which was very clear at the game. Maybe it wasn’t so clear on TV but on several occasions, Wright lost Dawson with ease to take an uncontested mark inside F50.

Sure, Dawson competed and didn’t give up. But gee, isn’t that the bare minimum to expect as a fan.

It usually takes years for a kid to develop into a quality key defender.

Again, there’s not one post here suggesting Will won’t make it.

I assure you, I am at that stage where I watch all our games through the blackest of glasses. However, through that darkness, I could clearly see what Dawson will bring to this team.

 

[King Corey]

And a top 10 pick?

Rule of thumb - any North tall drafted ahead of schedule was destined to be a top 10 pick by the next national draft.

Jacob Edwards likes this

 

[DocSholl]

This is a friendly reminder that Wil Dawson is 18 years and 5 months old as of today. And again, if he'd been born 12 days later, he'd still be playing Coates League Under 18s. As a 200+cm skinny kid, it is quite an accomplishment to have earned his debut so soon.

Also a good reminder that leaving him on Wright when we were still in the contest was madness.

 

[DocSholl]

Rule of thumb - any North tall drafted ahead of schedule was destined to be a top 10 pick by the next national draft.

Jacob Edwards likes this

It's the Kris Shore rule

 

[BlueandWhiteinmyBlood]

This is a friendly reminder that Wil Dawson is 18 years and 5 months old as of today. And again, if he'd been born 12 days later, he'd still be playing Coates League Under 18s. As a 200+cm skinny kid, it is quite an accomplishment to have earned his debut so soon.

Would you mind taking your high footy IQ and commonsense elsewhere mate, this is big footy, only negativity and idiotic comments allowed.

 

[Zondor]

Would you mind taking your high footy IQ and commonsense elsewhere mate, this is big footy, only negativity and idiotic comments allowed.

Fascinating.:stern look

 

[BlueandWhiteinmyBlood]

Fascinating.:stern look

I was only being sarcastic mate, I enjoyed and welcome the opinion, made a lot of sense.

 

[Its a Process]

I thought he got done on the lead but was really good in defending higher entries. He changed his angle of defence a couple of times which I thought was really smart

 

[giantroo]

 

[The Dingrel]

Also a good reminder that leaving him on Wright when we were still in the contest was madness.

Perhaps we've learnt from the final round last year, and Brady was coaching....."NO Clarko you're not swinging Chom onto 2 metre, let the kid learn, the winning culture can wait"

 

[amaz199]

Also a good reminder that leaving him on Wright when we were still in the contest was madness.

So we bring him in with clear instruction he has the Wright matchup then we punish him because Wright was marking kicks to advantage not even the best defender can get to?

Yeah, nah.

 

[Jeremy Jordan]

Also a good reminder that leaving him on Wright when we were still in the contest was madness.

I know. We should have put Stephen Silvagni on him.

 

[DocSholl]

So we bring him in with clear instruction he has the Wright matchup then we punish him because Wright was marking kicks to advantage not even the best defender can get to?

Yeah, nah.

Wright took several big contested marks away from goal at the start of the third quarter, where he put work into Dawson early. One in particular at CHF where we had started the quarter well and then forced them into a long kick from half back. They goaled from it.

No issue with him getting the match-up initially but we were in that game at half time and it was very clear they were going to.go to that match up as much as possible.

 

[Engimal v3]

I suspect he'll get more games this year as 2024 is basically a write off for Logue. The game against Essendon was a big lesson for him, but it let's him know the level required.

 

[Shinboner1]

I thought he got done on the lead but was really good in defending higher entries. He changed his angle of defence a couple of times which I thought was really smart

Whole team got done on the lead.
We seem to just not stand in front of forwards in the forward 50

 

[Better Loosen Up]

Embarrassment of riches at Arden St. Logue is suddenly redundant.

And what's even more amazing is that Corr has suddenly gone ahead of him! Bigfooty at its finest!

 

[amaz199]

Wright took several big contested marks away from goal at the start of the third quarter, where he put work into Dawson early. One in particular at CHF where we had started the quarter well and then forced them into a long kick from half back. They goaled from it.

No issue with him getting the match-up initially but we were in that game at half time and it was very clear they were going to.go to that match up as much as possible.

Our momentum killing turnovers in the 3rd quarter gifted them the game and exposed our backline on multiple occasions. Marks will happen irrespective of who is on Wright or any of the forwards.

Comben didn't look flash in the first half as well FYI. So I don't buy he would've done a better job.

Once the turnovers stop at crucial parts of the ground we won't be so concerned about debutants taking on big responsibilities.

It comes back to encouragement and trust. When a coach trusts you on a big task, you trust yourself to do the best you can and coach yourself in the process. It's a good learning curve for Dawson and how he can improve.

Dawson will become a staple faster than initially thought because he has the desire Clarko is looking for otherwise he wouldn't play this early.

 

[Event Horizon]

WTF are some of you on about? Thought he competed well. Copped a knock early and kept fighting. I don’t attribute those goals to him (1 was kicked on Chom), it was a result of up the ground.

Thought he competed really well, spoilt well and blimey he can actually kick.

He was far from a downgrade from others who have played the second KPD this year, so if it were me I’d give him a run of games.

In our current predicament it's a no brainer. He simply has to play. If we are playing for the future, we have to put games into the right people, the ones that are likely to be here long term. If we get nothing else out of this season, putting 10 games into the likes of Dawson could be priceless.

 

[shintemaster]

I thought he went fine all things considered and didn't seem that phased by having a few kicked on him. Great debut. If he can get a few games this year it will be a massive bonus for him and us.

 

[Caracas]

After the break, we could be looking at Corr/Dawson/Dawson and Larkey/Comben combinations.

 

[Better Loosen Up]

Give him 4 or 5 years and we have ourselves a Harris-Andrews