Player Watch #24: Tom Powell - signed thru 2026

[Horizons_00]

Bloody hell a big year awaits for this bloke.

Now or never.

He was the one of the only ones to come back this year super fit? Packed on muscle and worked hard in the preseason.

He was one of our shining lights in the first horrible start of the year. He has dropped off immensely but just like 95% of the team.

 

[FootySmartSimpson]

At present, he is too inconsistent. Highly skilled and talented but still not fit enough, not able to be relied upon defensively and is a total liability on the spread.

 

[amaz199]

He was the one of the only ones to come back this year super fit? Packed on muscle and worked hard in the preseason.

He was one of our shining lights in the first horrible art of the year. He has dropped off immensely but just like 95% of the team.

Powell has not played his best footy.

He has shown a lot of class and skill (especially around goals) but next year should be a helluva run for him.

 

[zoomba23]

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

Ben Cunnington's fourth year: 21.0 disposals in an inconsistent year.
Ben Cunnington's fifth year: Syd Barker Medal

Jy Simpkin'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

Not knocking him in bad faith, because I still have hope he can be good (and think he's a fair way ahead of the bloke whose thread has made it to 482 pages), but if you look at definitive points of difference:

Cunners: Contested ball winning, sexy handballs
Jy: Contested ball winning, evasiveness
LDU: Contested ball winning, explosiveness, evasiveness
Powell: ??

Where's his point of difference? He might be a good user, but he struggles to get the bloody thing himself and loses battles against guys bigger and quicker than him. Something's going to need to shift big time if he's to follow that trend

 

[the big lebowski]

Should take kick ins

Best long kick in the team.

Run 10, kick 60.

 

[muttley45]

Not knocking him in bad faith, because I still have hope he can be good (and think he's a fair way ahead of the bloke whose thread has made it to 482 pages), but if you look at definitive points of difference:

Cunners: Contested ball winning, sexy handballs
Jy: Contested ball winning, evasiveness
LDU: Contested ball winning, explosiveness, evasiveness
Powell: ??

Where's his point of difference? He might be a good user, but he struggles to get the bloody thing himself and loses battles against guys bigger and quicker than him. Something's going to need to shift big time if he's to follow that trend

He is no doubt our Torpedo ambassador

 

[Moti]

Not knocking him in bad faith, because I still have hope he can be good (and think he's a fair way ahead of the bloke whose thread has made it to 482 pages), but if you look at definitive points of difference:

Cunners: Contested ball winning, sexy handballs
Jy: Contested ball winning, evasiveness
LDU: Contested ball winning, explosiveness, evasiveness
Powell: ??

Where's his point of difference? He might be a good user, but he struggles to get the bloody thing himself and loses battles against guys bigger and quicker than him. Something's going to need to shift big time if he's to follow that trend

Powell is smart, his vision is elite and his ball use is 9/10 (9 great for 1 what the).

He has to get Pendles smart though to go along with better body development. On his side though is every pre-season he has come back stronger and fitter, let's hope he gets the power pre-season this year.,

 

[the big lebowski]

Powell is smart, his vision is elite and his ball use is 9/10 (9 great for 1 what the).

He has to get Pendles smart though to go along with better body development. On his side though is every pre-season he has come back stronger and fitter, let's hope he gets the power pre-season this year.,

I think going the other way might be best.

Drop weight, make a focus on covering the ground better.

Play his as a Goddard type qrt back behind the footy. Use that vision and disposal to set up play. Feed him the ball at most opportunity.

He’s not athletic enough or tough enough to be a center square mid. Even when he was getting heaps of the ball in the first half of the season, we were miles off it as a midfield group.

 

[Moti]

I think going the other way might be best.

Drop weight, make a focus on covering the ground better.

Play his as a Goddard type qrt back behind the footy. Use that vision and disposal to set up play. Feed him the ball at most opportunity.

He’s not athletic enough or tough enough to be a center square mid. Even when he was getting heaps of the ball in the first half of the season, we were miles off it as a midfield group.

Can understand the HB idea but I after seeing Sheez and him play it over the past 12 months, you pay for a lack of speed back there,

 

[the big lebowski]

Can understand the HB idea but I after seeing Sheez and him play it over the past 12 months, you pay for a lack of speed back there,

True. But we don’t have much in the way of speedy options there anyway.

 

[LeFtBehinD]

Can understand the HB idea but I after seeing Sheez and him play it over the past 12 months, you pay for a lack of speed back there,

Don’t underestimate the cumulative speed that comes from hitting a target and not causing a direct turnover.

Still not sure where he fits though myself. Had an excellent start and managed some good games playing back at the end of the year.

 

[zoomba23]

True. But we don’t have much in the way of speedy options there anyway.

Goater's the great white hope and he's coming back from an injury famous for killing pace and athleticism. Woohoo

 

[tazaa]

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

He is nowhere near Gulden on any metric.

I don’t know why Tommy always gets a pass.

The difference between his best footy and his worst is so wide - for how long do you cut a bloke some slack.

Every time you think yep he’s turned the corner and he’s earned our trust and then he goes out and puts 2 or 3 stinkers together.

He needs to nail down a role in the side by this time next year.

 

[swaeney]

He needs a permanent position and given a block of games to solidify it. I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing him as the new general at half back. Good disposal and vision, free up Colby to a wing

 

[The acurate one]

He is a very smart footballer has good skills but is slow AF. How do you best counter that.

 

[travelli]

Should take kick ins

Best long kick in the team.

Run 10, kick 60.

The kick in guy should pretty much be a recognised position now in AFL. There are 10 - 20 kicks right there every game.

If you can roost it accurately 60 metres then that is a spot.

 

[swaeney]

The kick in guy should pretty much be a recognised position now in AFL. There are 10 - 20 kicks right there every game.

If you can roost it accurately 60 metres then that is a spot.

Always cringe when LMac is kicking in for us lol

 

[Its a Process]

He is a very smart footballer has good skills but is slow AF. How do you best counter that.

Play in the back 6. Only place on the field you can get away with it. Unless you are Cunners!

 

[The acurate one]

We tried Powell in the back 6 last season, it was a disaster.

 

[Themanbun]

We tried Powell in the back 6 last season, it was a disaster.

Well he ain't any good in the midfield so where does that leave us?

 

[rickety]

Always cringe when LMac is kicking

 

[The acurate one]

Well he ain't any good in the midfield so where does that leave us?

 

[The acurate one]

So the tip for dealing with awkward conversations, is to lighten the mood.

Love to know how you lighten the mood after a 20 goal thumping.

NMFC- Hey Tommy guess what
Tommy - What
NMFC - You're not as bad as Biggsy Bert Nuyon
Tommy - LOL you guys are such cards.

 

[Makeshift Park]

He is a very smart footballer has good skills but is slow AF. How do you best counter that.

I think you get him to start centre stoppages on the flank, and then he just kinda toddles around between the arcs for most of the transitional stuff. Works wonders for Pendles.

 

[The acurate one]

I think you get him to start centre stoppages on the flank, and then he just kinda toddles around between the arcs for most of the transitional stuff. Works wonders for Pendles.

'
Ok so to play someone totally unaccountable you need others to work harder to cover for you. ANd fyi that's actually fine.

What we doing with Wardlaw, LDU and Phillips