Player Watch #24: Tom Powell - signed thru 2026 - finishes 5th in the 2024 SBM.

[DesertRoo]

Scott is much more integral to us than Powell, don't know why that's the first player you'd think of instead of Fisher or Konsanty

Yeah you're right, there's a finished 5th in the Syd in the thread title, I could've picked about over a dozen or so names but I literally just picked two next to each other on the bench, not much though process gone into nullifying a ill thought out opinion of dumping Powell.
I should've spent more time than the two seconds.

 

[Blightys Barrel]

I'm no Bailey Scott hater, but he kinda fizzled to the finish line last season.

Hope he can get back to his best form.

He still lead the team for meters gained (42nd in AFL), that shows his ability and willingness to run up and down to help out on defence. We know his limitations on the Disposal side, but he bleeds Blue and White and try’s his best each week. But agree as did the coaches his form dipped this year as evident by not getting in the top 10 of the Syd Barker. Although LMac did make top 10……..a result as baffling as the Jazzy G AFLW voting for the last 5 years

 

[shinboner magic]

Doing everything he can. Hope he makes that 5th on baller spot his own.

Yes hopefully he is given the opportunity at the coal face to show if he can compete , now that he has built up his body

At the risk of being called a Powell hater or anything similar, I think he might struggle to stay in the 22 this year.

I have him and Parker playing the same role, and I think Parker edges him out.

From the other thread, here's how I see the 22 this year;

B: Archer - Logue - Corr
HB: Goater - Comben - C. Daniel
C: McKercher - Sheezel - Stephens
HF: Zurhaar - Darling - Simpkin
F: Curtis - Larkey - Duursma
R: Xerri - LDU - Wardlaw
INT: Parker, Phillips, Ford, B. Scott
Sub: (From) Powell, Fisher, Konstanty

Picking ford and Phillips over Powell is just fantasy- I like those two but Powell has more talent than both of them put together

You can back Powell in to make AA now.

Just need him to say we won’t win a game and we’ll be undefeated

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

Yes hopefully he is given the opportunity at the coal face to show if he can compete , now that he has built up his body



Picking ford and Phillips over Powell is just fantasy- I like those two but Powell has more talent than both of them put together



Just need him to say we won’t win a game and we’ll be undefeated

Ford and Phillips are firmly in the delisting gun at the end of 2025.

 

[shinboner magic]

Ford and Phillips are firmly in the delisting gun at the end of 2025.

Phillips is pretty much back up at this stage and think if he did have a 2 year deal from the cats he should have taken it.

So many mids in front of him and was more than likely we were drafting another one in the draft (fos).

 

[chubbspeterson]

Ford and Phillips are firmly in the delisting gun at the end of 2025.

Trade bait. We need to get better at extracting something out of our fringe players, even if it's a pick in the 30's or 40's.

 

[Frank Thring]

At the risk of being called a Powell hater or anything similar, I think he might struggle to stay in the 22 this year.

I have him and Parker playing the same role, and I think Parker edges him out.

From the other thread, here's how I see the 22 this year;

B: Archer - Logue - Corr
HB: Goater - Comben - C. Daniel
C: McKercher - Sheezel - Stephens
HF: Zurhaar - Darling - Simpkin
F: Curtis - Larkey - Duursma
R: Xerri - LDU - Wardlaw
INT: Parker, Phillips, Ford, B. Scott
Sub: (From) Powell, Fisher, Konstanty

Phillips in over Powell. Yeah right

 

[Passmore]

Trade bait. We need to get better at extracting something out of our fringe players, even if it's a pick in the 30's or 40's.

Hopefully when we’re better, our fringe players are worth more. Hard sell to extract anything for blokes that can’t get a game in a team that’s won 15 games in 5 years.

 

[zoomba23]

Powell has to sort his shit out so that he isn't a witch's hat defensively and has a defined offensive role as opposed to having the most frustratingly misaligned skillset I've ever seen in a potentially quality midfielder. Phillips is going to have to have an all-time tagging run to get a look-in, because he's not making it in with his offensive traits. Ford is probably going to need a lobotomy if he wants to play beyond next year. Fair play to Chadwiko though for sparking multiple pages of impassioned discussion, whether it was bait or not

 

[DuckYeah]

McKercher looking seriously promising, fitness wise to roll through there.

I have this feeling Kerch aint moving from the HB line

 

[Chadwiko]

Fair play to Chadwiko though for sparking multiple pages of impassioned discussion, whether it was bait or not

GR poster of the year stuff.

 

[Disco Dew]

GR poster of the year stuff.

The master baiter himself.

 

[Chadwiko]

The master baiter himself.

 

[Disco Dew]

She turned to me, that's when she said it. Looked me dead in the face, asked, "Cash or credit?"

 

[Frank Thring]

Yeah that's a reasonable thing to inquire about.

First and foremost, they play a different role.

Moreover, I think Phillips is set for a massive year. He's looking fit and fully recovered from his illness, and I think he knows that this is his last chance. I'm expecting big things from him this season.

Powell finished 5th in the B & F while Phillips didn't make too 20 and that's facts Powell also came back in great nick so not sure how you think Phillips gets in before Powell.

 

[Moti]

Powell should be ahead of Philips in the pecking order based on the last 12 months, hard to argue against that.

I struggle though to fit either in and I am a big Powell fan.

Why? Flexibility. I have struggled to get Teakle in the team and we know we need a 2nd ruck option. Does Duursma play? And if he does, does that mean Curtis is the small forward so we have an extra mid? A lot of water to go under the bridge the next 4 months so as long as the players get themselves ready to play

 

[Shermanator]

Powell is the sleeper. When I talk to oppo supporters they always bring up Sheez, Colby and Warlaw (so do the media to be fair) but no one except our supporter base realise how dominant Powelly was as a junior.

His footy IQ is exceptional all he needed was strength and a tank to show why he was a first rounder.

Here's a quick reminder of his draft profile..


STRENGTHS:

• Accumulation
• Consistency
• Contested ball
• Stoppage craft
• Handball skills
• Vision/decision making
• Clean hands

IMPROVEMENTS:

• Strength
• Damage by foot

The son of former Sturt star Matthew Powell, Tom has a natural ability to find the ball, particularly in-tight but also on the outside. In 12 home-and-away matches this season, Powell averaged just under 35 disposals, easily eclipsing the next highest average. Throughout the year, Powell formed a terrific one-two punch with teammate Mani Liddy, with both being integral to Sturt's successful campaign. His standout game of the season came in Round 10 against West Adelaide, where he gathered 47 disposals, 10 clearances, and kicked two goals in the Double Blues' win. Although Powell doesn't boast the frame of the prototypical tall midfielder, he cracks in as hard as anyone and is a terrific extractor, often burrowing in to the win the ball.

Arguably Powell's best attribute at the coal-face is his distribution by hand. When combined with his football smarts, match awareness and elite vision, Powell's ability to locate and hit-up open targets by hand is outstanding. He is clean at ground level and consistently makes good, quick decisions in congestion. Although Powell undoubtedly excels at stoppages, he is also able to impact the game in general play, averaging 5.7 inside 50s per game and often featuring in important handball chains through the corridor.

 

[DesertRoo]

Powell is the sleeper. When I talk to oppo supporters they always bring up Sheez, Colby and Warlaw (so do the media to be fair) but no one except our supporter base realise how dominant Powelly was as a junior.

His footy IQ is exceptional all he needed was strength and a tank to show why he was a first rounder.

Here's a quick reminder of his draft profile..


STRENGTHS:

• Accumulation
• Consistency
• Contested ball
• Stoppage craft
• Handball skills
• Vision/decision making
• Clean hands

IMPROVEMENTS:

• Strength
• Damage by foot

The son of former Sturt star Matthew Powell, Tom has a natural ability to find the ball, particularly in-tight but also on the outside. In 12 home-and-away matches this season, Powell averaged just under 35 disposals, easily eclipsing the next highest average. Throughout the year, Powell formed a terrific one-two punch with teammate Mani Liddy, with both being integral to Sturt's successful campaign. His standout game of the season came in Round 10 against West Adelaide, where he gathered 47 disposals, 10 clearances, and kicked two goals in the Double Blues' win. Although Powell doesn't boast the frame of the prototypical tall midfielder, he cracks in as hard as anyone and is a terrific extractor, often burrowing in to the win the ball.

Arguably Powell's best attribute at the coal-face is his distribution by hand. When combined with his football smarts, match awareness and elite vision, Powell's ability to locate and hit-up open targets by hand is outstanding. He is clean at ground level and consistently makes good, quick decisions in congestion. Although Powell undoubtedly excels at stoppages, he is also able to impact the game in general play, averaging 5.7 inside 50s per game and often featuring in important handball chains through the corridor.

It's a joke, rewatch his first 13 games before the season ending groin injury.
Come back to me and say there isn't a player there

 

[hundini]

Exceptional hands and vision

 

[Wayne Campbell]

Still only 22!

 

[DesertRoo]

Okay so you project Powell will play a larger role for NFMC than I do this year. That's fine.

There's absolutely no need to be a dick about it lol.

A Cane Cornes type question, requires a similar deserved response, don't take it so personality...

 

[KangaRooster]

Great thing about Powelly is he has needed to improve significantly every year since being drafted, and he’s delivered every time.

Obviously isn’t a complete player and far from his final form, but statistically he’s in the top couple for his age in the AFL.

If he keeps clocking along at this rate, he’ll be a keep on big bucks or release for band 1 combo midfielder when he hits his FA year.

 

[Its a Process]

There is definitely a player there but with his physical attributes and our relative strength of inside mids he will have to have a degree of flexibility in his career and be able to play in multiple positions.

Personally I’d like to see him on a half back flank this year with some running through the wing rotations as well.

Like a Mitch Duncan from the Cats

 

[kaboom kid]

Exceptional hands and vision

I also rate his kicking and certainly has an eye for goal. But the hands are his real point of difference

 

[DunderHead]

I can see Powell get time in the middle while some of the more fancied types like Wardlaw and Sheezel play more dual roles - forward back wing