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

[Event Horizon]

Reckon he has the ceiling of a Harris Andrews

31

Harris Andrews

Age

27

Ht

202cm

Wt

98kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.8

3star

K

7.4

3star

HB

5.4

4star

M

5.6

5star

T

1.6

4star

MG

151.7

2star

D

17.0

4star

K

9.0

4star

HB

8.0

4star

M

4.0

4star

T

2.0

3star

D

9.8

3star

K

5.0

2star

HB

4.8

4star

M

3.4

4star

T

1.6

4star

MG

94.0

2star

type. Elite interceptor who can also lock down and be damaging with his field kicking.

Can’t teach his competitiveness and physicality.

Stacks of upside.

And a neat kick as well, going the highlights. Better than McKay’s kicking


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[JGreezy]

Reckon he has the ceiling of a Harris Andrew type. Elite interceptor who can also lock down and be damaging with his field kicking.

Can’t teach his competitiveness and physicality.

Stacks of upside.

It's a pick of a side trusting their development team.

He is currently maxed out in all of the areas that you can't teach (size, mobility, competitiveness, physicality) and he is very young.

If Barlow's development program can teach him the teachable things then he will be a great player. It's basically up to that.

 

[Shinboner1]

Was the player I asked for.

Couldn’t understand the lack of discussion on upside on him.

Mainly due to growth spurt and very late bday. He’ll be 18 for basically all of next year.

Low accumulation/production to date for sure.

But hes versatile, his intercept marking looks best in class, moves well enough, and has heaps of upside.

Just needs to fill out and get fit

 

[the big lebowski]

Just needs to fill out and get fit

Best place to do that is in the vfl for 2 years. Play back, play forward, let’s see what we’ve got in 2 years.

 

[DarkPhoenix]

Welcome Wil!

We do love a late birthday pick.

Crack in and make the best of your opportunity

 

[Bojan KantKick]

Really glad that Barlow will be working with him. Can imagine Gav Brown turning him into a spud.

 

[Oraaaaazio]

Best place to do that is in the vfl for 2 years. Play back, play forward, let’s see what we’ve got in 2 years.

Think this will be the plan for him, I wouldn't expect him to play senior footy at all next year. He's gained a fair bit of size & strength the last couple of years but saw him play a bit of footy including a few senior games over the same time frame and he's still got a kid's body. He got hurt a few times, he kept cracking in and doesn't back down but he's still a skinny kid and will need time to get used to consistently playing against big boys.

Has a bit of mongrel in him, a neat kick for a big bloke, clean hands & great below his knees for someone his size but he would've barely played 10 games in his life as a key back between Gipps Power, Vic Country & Leongatha. When playing as a ruck he wasn't a great tap ruck but could win it himself on the ground and really slick getting hands out to mids. He's been thrown between ruck & forward over the last two years and then played back since the champs so needs time to develop his craft still. The chopping & changing of roles is probably why his stats profile seemed a bit all over the shop and didn't look that impressive. Seemed to read the ball well as a back to intercept it but can lose his opponent working up the ground and back which will come with more time in the role and better fitness base.

Still learning and still got to gain size but great potential, his strengths at the moment are things you can't teach some big men and the things he needs to improve are things that will come with experience & coaching which is exciting.

 

[Friday Night Lights]

Welcome, Wil.

Really curious about what type of player he was before the massive growth spurt. If he’s grown up as smaller more mobile type and is still adjusting to his big frame then the scope for upside is really high.

 

[Oraaaaazio]

Welcome, Wil.

Really curious about what type of player he was before the massive growth spurt. If he’s grown up as smaller more mobile type and is still adjusting to his big frame then the scope for upside is really high.

His growth over the last couple of years sort of just takes him from being a big guy outside the AFL to a big guy in the AFL, he was always really mobile for a taller kid but never playing as a mid or anything, he grew 20cm ish over last two years but a 6 foot 15 year old is still playing ruck/key position as he was still taller than all the kids ins his team. COVID robbed a bit of his junior footy but outside of that played up in age groups when offered.. he was the bail out kick, big jump and always flew & tried to mark everything. Loved a hanger and won his own footy. Didn't lack confidence either.

 

[Kanga Glory]

In the highlights looked comfortable at both ends of the ground. Lokks like he could be a big brute in a few years.

 

[Friday Night Lights]

His growth over the last couple of years sort of just takes him from being a big guy outside the AFL to a big guy in the AFL, he was always really mobile for a taller kid but never playing as a mid or anything, he grew 20cm ish over last two years but a 6 foot 15 year old is still playing ruck/key position as he was still taller than all the kids ins his team. COVID robbed a bit of his junior footy but outside of that played up in age groups when offered.. he was the bail out kick, big jump and always flew & tried to mark everything. Loved a hanger and won his own footy. Didn't lack confidence either.

Cheers, appreciate that insight.

 

[speedy]

Is 7 months younger than O'Sullivan. Thats a lot of development time for a 17yo to concede to his peer.

 

[Shermanator]

Welcome Big Willy.

 

[ferball]

This is the kid i really wanted in those last three picks. Thought he had something from the few highlights I saw. A few times he'd compete hard, win the contest and mark in a way that stood out. Had a hunch Goad would turn out okay too but was really hoping we'd pick this kid if we picked talls and especially KPDs.

 

[My Left Foote]

Will "Kallan" Dawson

Dawson & Dawson sounds like a country law firm; At Dawson & Dawson we do wills, probate & conveyancing plus all your personal and professional needs, we know you and we know The Mallee.

 

[Liam Boy]

Dawson & Dawson sounds like a country law firm; At Dawson & Dawson we do wills, probate & conveyancing plus all your personal and professional needs, we know you and we know The Mallee.

at Dawson and Dawson we do Wills and Kallans

 

[GS WARRIORS]

Really wanted Dawson and Edwards (I get why we didn't take him) with our late 1st rounders. I was happy with all the picks but really happy at Dawson and Duursma selections.

So much upside; age, growing into his body, not been able to settle into one position, height, mobility, aggression, intercept marking, kicking skills.

 

[leighlee13]

My Dad text me after Wil was picked "Good another Spider Burton"
God love him.

 

[Waynesworld]

E

Dawson & Dawson sounds like a country law firm; At Dawson & Dawson we do wills, probate & conveyancing plus all your personal and professional needs, we know you and we know The Mallee.

Either that or a small time private investigator agency in some US backwater town...

 

[roos_fanatic08]

Clarko to W.Dawson: "Hey Big Shotgun"...."We have a few soft metro boys up here that we need to harden up a bit, so you might be able to do that for us"

W.Dawson response: "Yep, I'm in for that"

One of my favourites already.

 

[The Filth Wizard]

Clarko to W.Dawson: "Hey Big Shotgun"...."We have a few soft metro boys up here that we need to harden up a bit, so you might be able to do that for us"

W.Dawson response: "Yep, I'm in for that"

One of my favourites already.

Gee, it's a shame he's a year too late for Cunners.

 

[roos_fanatic08]

Gee, it's a shame he's a year too late for Cunners.

Lucky Jy and a few others carrying on the legacy of the Arden St Anglers.

 

[The Nostradamus]

Clarko to W.Dawson: "Hey Big Shotgun"...."We have a few soft metro boys up here that we need to harden up a bit, so you might be able to do that for us"

W.Dawson response: "Yep, I'm in for that"

One of my favourites already.

Big shotgun? Seems random lol

 

[The Nostradamus]

 

[roos_tt29]

In the highlights looked comfortable at both ends of the ground. Lokks like he could be a big brute in a few years.

It took McKay a while to develop, so I'm expecting the same here.