Player Watch #24: Tom Powell - signed thru 2026

[Themanbun]

 

[Moti]

People who have tried to argue that Powell is significantly ahead of Phillips were kidding themselves, tbh.

Problem for Will is he is.

 

[Reagan Smash]

People who have tried to argue that Powell is significantly ahead of Phillips were kidding themselves, tbh.

Powell had a stinker today like most of his team mates but On what metric is Phillips ahead of Powell ?

 

[trooroo4life]

Powell had a stinker today like most of his team mates but On what metric is Phillips ahead of Powell ?

There’s a weird fascination for will Phillips on here. I’ll never understand it. They can’t bring themselves to accept he is shit.

As for Powell, trade bait. See what he’s worth.

 

[koshari]

Liability as a centre square midfielder.
Just isn’t up to.

Imagine if we had Serong instead **** me.

Or kosi.

 

[DocSholl]

There’s a weird fascination for will Phillips on here. I’ll never understand it. They can’t bring themselves to accept he is shit.

As for Powell, trade bait. See what he’s worth.

It's a lot easier to accept you picked a dud with pick 33 than it is with pick 3

 

[koshari]

It's a lot easier to accept you picked a dud with pick 33 than it is with pick 3

He was considered the "safe" pick when they took him.

 

[Lomas]

He was considered the "safe" pick when they took him.

Yep, I recently went back and looked at draft write ups heading in and he was seen as a safe pick big on leadership.

 

[DocSholl]

He was considered the "safe" pick when they took him.

Funnily enough our opponents today stuffed up their high pick in that draft too

 

[zoomba23]

It's a lot easier to accept you picked a dud with pick 33 than it is with pick 3

Luckily, the 2020 draft was so shithouse that it only has three players who you'd put in the upper echelons of the comp. Two of them were unavailable to us and the other one went at pick 20. So the hand wringing isn't worth it

 

[DrZaius]

Time to turn him into a half back

This. Did okay there for a few weeks.

For whatever reason just doesn't seem to be up to it as a centre-square midfielder at the moment (which is odd considering he was an absolute ball pig of a junior.

 

[Themanbun]

This. Did okay there for a few weeks.

For whatever reason just doesn't seem to be up to it as a centre-square midfielder at the moment (which is odd considering he was an absolute ball pig of a junior.

He simply doesn't understand how to play midfield at this level. Lots of blokes who do alright there as juniors struggle with it at AFL level.

As I've been bleating on about. Half back. Keep his job simple. But please don't put him in the midfield again.

 

[DrZaius]

He simply doesn't understand how to play midfield at this level. Lots of blokes who do alright there as juniors struggle with it at AFL level.

As I've been bleating on about. Half back. Keep his job simple. But please don't put him in the midfield again.

Yeah looking likely unfortunately.

Probably best just to settle him in a position at this stage and possibly push into the midfield mix in the future once he's more mature and the group has solidified (assuming he's still wearing our jumper by then).

 

[tazaa]

I genuinely don't care if this campaigner is around next year or traded or in the 22 or the VFL.
He is so inconsistent he will never make it as an AFL footballer.

If he does then something must have clicked between the ears.
These flakey types who go missing for weeks and then come back, they don't build out long successful AFL careers.

Bad day or not there was some pathetic soft efforts today that he would be embarrassed of. Or at least I hope he is.

 

[HTPunter]

He simply doesn't understand how to play midfield at this level. Lots of blokes who do alright there as juniors struggle with it at AFL level.

As I've been bleating on about. Half back. Keep his job simple. But please don't put him in the midfield again.

How many players do we want at half back?

I’d have thought it’s obvious by now that failed mids just don’t go to half back and suddenly be good half backs. If you’re a mid, be a mid, or no spot.

We can’t have another half back. Plus if you can’t defend as a mid, what makes you think he’ll defend as a half back?

 

[HTPunter]

The 11th half back on our list apparently (not including the variety types like lockdown Archer or taller Goater).

Stop ****ing trying to make half backs for ****s sake I’m going to snap

 

[Themanbun]

How many players do we want at half back?

I’d have thought it’s obvious by now that failed mids just don’t go to half back and suddenly be good half backs. If you’re a mid, be a mid, or no spot.

We can’t have another half back. Plus if you can’t defend as a mid, what makes you think he’ll defend as a half back?

Absolutely fair call. I've been on record asking the same thing - how many blokes can we hide at half back?

But I genuinely think it suits his skillset better. He has vision and poise when he has space and time with the ball but doesn't have it when under pressure. His midfield defensive work is, IMO, down to not understanding structures and roles and the fluster of the bounce and stoppage, rather than a flat out unwillingness to work, which should theoretically be easier at half back. In the zone, where he often gets lost, half back is generally easier than midfield (who have to set up the wall, decide who drops in, who takes width, etc) and you're closer to the general at full back telling you if you're off the mark. You also get more time to roll and an opportunity to go 1:1.

I'm not saying it will work and I agree, there's only so many blokes we can hide in that role.

 

[R00StaR]

The 11th half back on our list apparently (not including the variety types like lockdown Archer or taller Goater).

Stop ****ing trying to make half backs for ****s sake I’m going to snap

Archer BP, Goater perhaps although maybe he's wing. Fisher, LMAc pfft.

 

[BlueandWhiteinmyBlood]

I genuinely don't care if this campaigner is around next year or traded or in the 22 or the VFL.
He is so inconsistent he will never make it as an AFL footballer.

If he does then something must have clicked between the ears.
These flakey types who go missing for weeks and then come back, they don't build out long successful AFL careers.

Bad day or not there was some pathetic soft efforts today that he would be embarrassed of. Or at least I hope he is.

Isn’t he like the highest rated 22 year old in the comp, it’s either him or Gulden. We were trash yesterday and last week but he had some great games and moments this year. I thought it was a step forward. Looking forward to another pre season under Clarko but more importantly Barlow and his development team. I think we easily forget the absolute crap these boys went through with Noble

 

[Mixed Results]

Tom Powell's fourth year: 20.1 disposals in an inconsistent year.
Tom Powell's fifth year: ???

Ben Cunnington

10

Ben Cunnington

Age

33

Ht

185cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

21.4

5star

K

9.0

3star

HB

12.4

5star

M

2.9

3star

T

4.7

5star

CL

5.6

5star

D

17.7

4star

K

6.0

2star

HB

11.7

5star

M

2.0

2star

T

4.0

5star

CL

4.0

5star

D

15.8

4star

K

6.4

3star

HB

9.4

5star

M

2.4

3star

T

6.2

5star

CL

3.0

5star

's fourth year: 21.0 disposals in an inconsistent year.
Ben Cunnington

10

Ben Cunnington

Age

33

Ht

185cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

21.4

5star

K

9.0

3star

HB

12.4

5star

M

2.9

3star

T

4.7

5star

CL

5.6

5star

D

17.7

4star

K

6.0

2star

HB

11.7

5star

M

2.0

2star

T

4.0

5star

CL

4.0

5star

D

15.8

4star

K

6.4

3star

HB

9.4

5star

M

2.4

3star

T

6.2

5star

CL

3.0

5star

's fifth year: Syd Barker Medal

Jy Simpkin

12

Jy Simpkin

Age

26

Ht

183cm

Wt

77kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.0

4star

K

7.9

3star

HB

8.1

5star

M

2.4

3star

T

3.3

5star

CL

2.9

4star

D

20.6

5star

K

11.0

4star

HB

9.6

5star

M

2.0

2star

T

3.5

4star

CL

5.5

5star

D

10.0

3star

K

5.6

3star

HB

4.4

4star

M

2.8

3star

T

2.4

4star

CL

0.2

2star

's fourth year: 20.2 disposals in an inconsistent year.
Jy Simpkins's fifth year: Syd Barker Medal

LDU's fourth year: 21.9 disposals in an inconsistent year.
LDU's fifth year: Syd Barker Medal runner-up

 

[Moti]

Play him at HB

Assuming he has added some speed since yesterday.

His first season in the middle was better than all but LDU, George and Sheez.

Since 6-6-6 the need for speed in the middle means that those that don't have it get exposed much easier and more noticeably.

 

[ChopChopDigDig]

Tom Powell is the furthest thing from what’s wrong with our list atm.

 

[zoomba23]

Tom Powell is the furthest thing from what’s wrong with our list atm.

Is he? He's like a puzzle piece that doesn't fit anywhere in the puzzle. A riddle that has no answer.

I can kick goals but I'm not a forward. I'm an inside mid but I can't tackle. I get uncontested possessions but I'm not a runner. I can kick and handball but only when it's fed to me.

Loved him in 2021, not sure where his future lies now

 

[William Caresser]

Tom Powell is the furthest thing from what’s wrong with our list atm.

It's not that black and white. He's an elite user of the ball, clearly talented and can kick goals. But there's a big gulf between his bad and good games. Eg. against the Dogs he won zero centre clearances from 22 CBAs. He's played every game, mostly in a midfield that just hasn't performed. He goes missing.

But he's only 22 and has only played around 70 games. We all can see the talent, we all want it to work and maybe with another preseason it will. He could be A grade but he's currently C grade.

 

[amaz199]

Bloody hell a big year awaits for this bloke.

Now or never.