Player Watch #24: Tom Powell - signed thru 2026

[5 GB USB]

I'm just not convinced, he has all the attributes but a few highlights every couple of weeks doesn't cut It. Interesting rest of the season coming up for Powell.

 

[My Left Foote]

22 years old and only played 60 games, improvement isn't always linear, will have a better idea this time next year of where he is at and what his future holds as he gets closer to 100 games. Personally I think he will be fine, there's a very good footballer there.

 

[7577969923]

22 years old and only played 60 games, improvement isn't always linear, will have a better idea this time next year of where he is at and what his future holds as he gets closer to 100 games. Personally I think he will be fine, there's a very good footballer there.

Ranked number 2 for goal assists at the club this season, and 6 for score involvements. He does have an impact with his decision-making and disposal.

 

[lockheed]

Most definitely elite vision

 

[the big lebowski]

Ranked number 2 for goal assists at the club this season, and 6 for score involvements. He does have an impact with his decision-making and disposal.

Pesky facts!!!!

 

[7577969923]

Most definitely elite vision

He's probably the only one at the club that sees and makes that handball.

 

[Sphynx]

Ranked number 2 for goal assists at the club this season, and 6 for score involvements. He does have an impact with his decision-making and disposal.

Absolutely. He's one the best in the team with the ball.

But the damning statistic is despite those numbers he's had the following center bounce numbers since the bye, which has also correlated with a massive uplift in the midfields performance when he was replaced by Sheezel/Simpkin/Phillips.

CBA %:

39%
28%
12%
17%


His TOG %'s have also dropped by around 10% since 5-6 games ago. He's spending more time on the bench and is basically operating in Lazarro's 20-22 place in the team, bench/half forward, with a few center bounces a game, as Laz did in the first half of the year.

12%-17% is the exposure Clarko was giving Laz, McKercher, Curtis and Greenwood in the first half of the year to center bounce.


Earlier in the season at the peak of his form he was present in 85%-90%+ of our center square bounces.

That is a huge difference and there's clearly something the coaches have identified that they don't like, despite him having really strong offensive numbers.

He's been pushed back in the pecking order by the return of Simpkin, Sheezels midfield move and Clarko deciding to run Phillips as a tagger.

However, Powell averaged some of those high CBA numbers earlier this year with all of LDU, Wardlaw, Simpkin in the side. He's simply been pushed 2 or 3 places down the pecking order, which is a bit alarming.


These might only be short term decisions, but the question really is how does he honestly fit in the long term if this is where Clarko is putting him now?

He is a gun young player, statistically really good. I'm in agreeance with everyone in that regard, but no one can really prove where he's going to go. It's easy to rattle off his name with the group of others.

Is he actually going to move Simpkin out? It doesn't appear that way now with Clarko. He probably would have already if that was the case, Clarko has actively moved Jy back into the midfield since the bye and Powell out of it despite Jy playing mostly forward all year and Powell having a 12 game sample size as THE clearance mid in the side.

He's not a HFF and we have McKercher and likely another top pick this year to incorporate in the midfield rotation the next few seasons. That's ignoring someone like Duursma who could develop into anything.

He doesn't have the running speed and capacity to play off the wing imo.

We simply can not let him rot in the VFL or on a HFF for extended periods of time in the next 12 months, it's not fair on his career either.

I really think an open decision needs to be made on him at the end of the year.

If Powell is a major part of the plans, someone else needs to step aside into another role. As hee needs at least 40%+ CBA's to be effective.

If not, we should be moving him on to fill a few of the other list holes, he's one of the few North players who would have genuine currency and has had a pretty decent year.

 

[ferball]

Absolutely. He's one the best in the team with the ball.

But the damning statistic is despite those numbers he's had the following center bounce numbers since the bye, which has also correlated with a massive uplift in the midfields performance when he was replaced by Sheezel/Simpkin/Phillips.

CBA %:

39%
28%
12%
17%


His TOG %'s have also dropped by around 10% since 5-6 games ago. He's spending more time on the bench and is basically operating in Lazarro's 20-22 place in the team, bench/half forward, with a few center bounces a game, as Laz did in the first half of the year.

12%-17% is the exposure Clarko was giving Laz, McKercher, Curtis and Greenwood in the first half of the year to center bounce.


Earlier in the season at the peak of his form he was present in 85%-90%+ of our center square bounces.

That is a huge difference and there's clearly something the coaches have identified that they don't like, despite him having really strong offensive numbers.

He's been pushed back in the pecking order by the return of Simpkin, Sheezels midfield move and Clarko deciding to run Phillips as a tagger.

However, Powell averaged some of those high CBA numbers earlier this year with all of LDU, Wardlaw, Simpkin in the side. He's simply been pushed 2 or 3 places down the pecking order, which is a bit alarming.


These might only be short term decisions, but the question really is how does he honestly fit in the long term if this is where Clarko is putting him now?

He is a gun young player, statistically really good. I'm in agreeance with everyone in that regard, but no one can really prove where he's going to go. It's easy to rattle off his name with the group of others.

Is he actually going to move Simpkin out? It doesn't appear that way now with Clarko. He probably would have already if that was the case, Clarko has actively moved Jy back into the midfield since the bye and Powell out of it despite Jy playing mostly forward all year and Powell having a 12 game sample size as THE clearance mid in the side.

He's not a HFF and we have McKercher and likely another top pick this year to incorporate in the midfield rotation the next few seasons. That's ignoring someone like Duursma who could develop into anything.

He doesn't have the running speed and capacity to play off the wing imo.

We simply can not let him rot in the VFL or on a HFF for extended periods of time in the next 12 months, it's not fair on his career either.

I really think an open decision needs to be made on him at the end of the year.

If Powell is a major part of the plans, someone else needs to step aside into another role. As hee needs at least 40%+ CBA's to be effective.

If not, we should be moving him on to fill a few of the other list holes, he's one of the few North players who would have genuine currency and has had a pretty decent year.

He's been pushed out by Sheezel by the looks of things.

 

[Sphynx]

He's been pushed out by Sheezel by the looks of things.

+ Phillips.

Phillips attended more center bounces than LDU against the Dogs.

There's effectively 2 open spots in the center for rotation when we are running a tagger.

The 17% Powell attended was when Phillips went to the bench and we ran 3 genuine mids in the middle. He was only called upon to relieve the tagger in the middle. Clarko preferred LDU, Simpkin and Sheezel (without Wardlaw in consideration)

Those 2 rotated spots need to be shared between LDU, Wardlaw, Simpkin, Sheezel and Powell. Ignoring every other prospect we have.

Remembering Powell attended 17% CBA's on the weekend without Wardlaw in the side.

There's a chance he could get dropped for GW when he's back, as Simpkin is probably pushed back to half forward for big potions for GW and Sheezel plays less in the center and more in the F50.

It's either get rid of the tagger and keep Powell in the side, or Powell is a permanent forward or in the VFL. I don't think Powell as a half forward is a viable option.

It's a pretty big decision for Clarko considering where Powell was a few months ago vs Phillips.

 

[R00StaR]

+ Phillips.

Phillips attended more center bounces than LDU against the Dogs.

There's effectively 2 open spots in the center for rotation when we are running a tagger.

The 17% Powell attended was when Phillips went to the bench and we ran 3 genuine mids in the middle. He was only called upon to relieve the tagger in the middle. Clarko preferred LDU, Simpkin and Sheezel (without Wardlaw in consideration)

Those 2 rotated spots need to be shared between LDU, Wardlaw, Simpkin, Sheezel and Powell. Ignoring every other prospect we have.

Remembering Powell attended 17% CBA's on the weekend without Wardlaw in the side.

There's a chance he could get dropped for GW when he's back, as Simpkin is probably pushed back to half forward for big potions for GW and Sheezel plays less in the center and more in the F50.

It's either get rid of the tagger and keep Powell in the side, or Powell is a permanent forward or in the VFL. I don't think Powell as a half forward is a viable option.

It's a pretty big decision for Clarko considering where Powell was a few months ago vs Phillips.

What about half back where he'll rack up more disposals meaning higher usage of his skills and vision to set up attacking play.

 

[Sphynx]

What about half back where he'll rack up more disposals meaning higher usage of his skills and vision to set up attacking play.

It's not a bad consideration.

 

[king of the road]

What about half back where he'll rack up more disposals meaning higher usage of his skills and vision to set up attacking play.

I think he was tried there. Even he joked in an interview about how he wasn’t much good in that role.

 

[R00StaR]

I think he was tried there. Even he joked in an interview about how he wasn’t much good in that role.

Not for long though, he'd need to learn it better. Imagine the damage he could cause with 25 to 30 disposals.

 

[cybercrab]

While Phillips did null Treloar on the weekend the tag didn't help our midfield at all, surely we can't tag someone every match. The modern day taggers either have more strings to their bow (Neal-Bullen and Berry) or don't have a solidified spot in the team (Maginness) I think WillPhill would be better at playing hf than Powell, great kick of the footy with good ground ball skills. Could he even play the McGrath back pocket role?

 

[jay317]

The most glaring thing that seems to happen every game is he'll run past for a handball when he has a step on his opponent and nearly every time he just cannot get away from them.

 

[ferball]

+ Phillips.

Phillips attended more center bounces than LDU against the Dogs.

There's effectively 2 open spots in the center for rotation when we are running a tagger.

The 17% Powell attended was when Phillips went to the bench and we ran 3 genuine mids in the middle. He was only called upon to relieve the tagger in the middle. Clarko preferred LDU, Simpkin and Sheezel (without Wardlaw in consideration)

Those 2 rotated spots need to be shared between LDU, Wardlaw, Simpkin, Sheezel and Powell. Ignoring every other prospect we have.

Remembering Powell attended 17% CBA's on the weekend without Wardlaw in the side.

There's a chance he could get dropped for GW when he's back, as Simpkin is probably pushed back to half forward for big potions for GW and Sheezel plays less in the center and more in the F50.

It's either get rid of the tagger and keep Powell in the side, or Powell is a permanent forward or in the VFL. I don't think Powell as a half forward is a viable option.

It's a pretty big decision for Clarko considering where Powell was a few months ago vs Phillips.

Yeah ... I guess what I mean is Phillips' role isn't something someone else can do but more that Sheeze and Powell are competing for one spot. Phillips wasn't in the side that played Port (or the Eagles iirc). That was the first time I remember him in the middle regularly.

re the bolded...

Phillips had only one clearance against the Dogs, but if he was on Treloar ... Treloar only had 2. He is averaging 5.9 per game, dunno the breakdown between CBA clearances and the others. Bont had 11, as opposed to 6.67 so he covered Phillips' work negating Treloar (assuming that's what happened.) Libba averages 4 and had 4. Against the Dogs Phillips seemed to do his job limiting Treloar's usefulness but on balance it didn't seem to have alot of effect cos Treloar still had a goal or two and they covered his midfield output with Bont whereas the two weeks earlier Phillips' work was effective and noticeably inhiobited the opposition.

 

[archereleven]

Imo, the reason for low cba's is purely a lack of defensive intensity, and I wholeheartedly agree. If the ball isn't within a 1m radius of Powell, he isn't interested.

I think he's a very good prospect, but I would be relegating him to the 2s to work on this aspect of his game. He is lazy imo



On SM-G991B using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[shinboner magic]

He has not bought into the rabid defensive efforts that are making us more competitive.

Needs to be pitted against warlord in the 1 on 1s during preseason- so he knows the required level and effort

 

[7577969923]

+ Phillips.

Phillips attended more center bounces than LDU against the Dogs.

There's effectively 2 open spots in the center for rotation when we are running a tagger.

The 17% Powell attended was when Phillips went to the bench and we ran 3 genuine mids in the middle. He was only called upon to relieve the tagger in the middle. Clarko preferred LDU, Simpkin and Sheezel (without Wardlaw in consideration)

Those 2 rotated spots need to be shared between LDU, Wardlaw, Simpkin, Sheezel and Powell. Ignoring every other prospect we have.

Remembering Powell attended 17% CBA's on the weekend without Wardlaw in the side.

There's a chance he could get dropped for GW when he's back, as Simpkin is probably pushed back to half forward for big potions for GW and Sheezel plays less in the center and more in the F50.

It's either get rid of the tagger and keep Powell in the side, or Powell is a permanent forward or in the VFL. I don't think Powell as a half forward is a viable option.

It's a pretty big decision for Clarko considering where Powell was a few months ago vs Phillips.

I understand what you're saying, but I'd like to think there's a role for Tom and he retires having played 250 to 300 games for the Roos and several premiership medallions in his pool room.

The way I see it is that the great teams bat deep through the middle and have 5 to 6 guys that can go into any centre bounce or stoppage situation and dominate. I think back to the great Brisbane Lions teams. They had absolute midfield stars in Voss, Black, and Lappin, but they also had 4 or 5 others who were capable of going in there and doing a job. Guys like Power, Akermanis, Notting, Headland, and Ashcroft. On that basis, we should be able to build a team that makes use of LDU, Wardlaw, Sheezel, Simpkin, Phillips, McKercher, (insert our next top 3 pick), and Powell.

IMHO Powell is up there with Sheezel as the best decision-maker and ball user on our list, and the clear number one in terms of distributing the ball by hand. He does have some areas to develop, most of which will be aided by improved strength and building his tank.

 

[chubbspeterson]

Absolutely. He's one the best in the team with the ball.

But the damning statistic is despite those numbers he's had the following center bounce numbers since the bye, which has also correlated with a massive uplift in the midfields performance when he was replaced by Sheezel/Simpkin/Phillips.

CBA %:

39%
28%
12%
17%


His TOG %'s have also dropped by around 10% since 5-6 games ago. He's spending more time on the bench and is basically operating in Lazarro's 20-22 place in the team, bench/half forward, with a few center bounces a game, as Laz did in the first half of the year.

12%-17% is the exposure Clarko was giving Laz, McKercher, Curtis and Greenwood in the first half of the year to center bounce.


Earlier in the season at the peak of his form he was present in 85%-90%+ of our center square bounces.

That is a huge difference and there's clearly something the coaches have identified that they don't like, despite him having really strong offensive numbers.

He's been pushed back in the pecking order by the return of Simpkin, Sheezels midfield move and Clarko deciding to run Phillips as a tagger.

However, Powell averaged some of those high CBA numbers earlier this year with all of LDU, Wardlaw, Simpkin in the side. He's simply been pushed 2 or 3 places down the pecking order, which is a bit alarming.


These might only be short term decisions, but the question really is how does he honestly fit in the long term if this is where Clarko is putting him now?

He is a gun young player, statistically really good. I'm in agreeance with everyone in that regard, but no one can really prove where he's going to go. It's easy to rattle off his name with the group of others.

Is he actually going to move Simpkin out? It doesn't appear that way now with Clarko. He probably would have already if that was the case, Clarko has actively moved Jy back into the midfield since the bye and Powell out of it despite Jy playing mostly forward all year and Powell having a 12 game sample size as THE clearance mid in the side.

He's not a HFF and we have McKercher and likely another top pick this year to incorporate in the midfield rotation the next few seasons. That's ignoring someone like Duursma who could develop into anything.

He doesn't have the running speed and capacity to play off the wing imo.

We simply can not let him rot in the VFL or on a HFF for extended periods of time in the next 12 months, it's not fair on his career either.

I really think an open decision needs to be made on him at the end of the year.

If Powell is a major part of the plans, someone else needs to step aside into another role. As hee needs at least 40%+ CBA's to be effective.

If not, we should be moving him on to fill a few of the other list holes, he's one of the few North players who would have genuine currency and has had a pretty decent year.

I don't think we're there yet. This might be the first season Powell plays a full 22 games of AFL (knock on wood).
He needs another huge preseason and we can assess what his transition running looks like.
End of 2025 we might have to make a call on one of Phillips or Powell if a young kid drafted this year or McKercher demands the spot. I don't think the young mids drafted will be ready for the grind of 22 games just yet in the middle.

 

[Sphynx]

I understand what you're saying, but I'd like to think there's a role for Tom and he retires having played 250 to 300 games for the Roos and several premiership medallions in his pool room.

The way I see it is that the great teams bat deep through the middle and have 5 to 6 guys that can go into any centre bounce or stoppage situation and dominate. I think back to the great Brisbane Lions teams. They had absolute midfield stars in Voss, Black, and Lappin, but they also had 4 or 5 others who were capable of going in there and doing a job. Guys like Power, Akermanis, Notting, Headland, and Ashcroft. On that basis, we should be able to build a team that makes use of LDU, Wardlaw, Sheezel, Simpkin, Phillips, McKercher, (insert our next top 3 pick), and Powell.

IMHO Powell is up there with Sheezel as the best decision-maker and ball user on our list, and the clear number one in terms of distributing the ball by hand. He does have some areas to develop, most of which will be aided by improved strength and building his tank.

I think you are overstating how much midfield time there is to share around.

We average 6 players attending center bounces a game, 1 of which is the ruckman.

2 of those 5 midfielders generally only attend 1 or 2 center bounces a quarter.

Most sides will run 3 consistent center square mids, with 2 that help out.

I agree you need to bat deep with 5 or 6 guys, but a few of those need to be able to play on the wing or rotate forward.

Sheezel can obviously do that.

LDU and Wardlaw aren't going anywhere.

So that basically leaves 2 positions.

If you play a tagger, it's 1.

Powell is going to be competing with Simpkin, McKercher, maybe a FOS/Smillie, maybe Duursma, as well as Phillips for 1 or 2 spots.


There isn't room for all of them. We are probably 2 pure center square midfielders heavy if Simpkin returns to that role. I'm not counting McKercher or Duursma, as they are largely irrelevant at the moment and secondly far more versatile than the other 3 longterm.

The problem currently is that LDU and Wardlaw are better than Powell, Phillips and Simpkin. Much better. The last 3 have very little flexibility other than in the middle.

Powell and Simpkin have both failed at half forward if we are to be honest.

This would be even worse if Thomas didn't blow his career up.

I'm going to hate to be that guy in a few years, but something is going to have to give in the next 18 months.


The midfield group is unbalanced, to the point we are going to have to go to the draft again for a running/versatile midfielder (when we really shouldn't have to) because we don't have enough of them and we have too many pure clearance midfielders.

I just hope the club aren't stupid about it and erode a chance to fix this issue by letting players rot in the VFL that have trade value.

If you offered me a swap right now for draft capital that secured Kako, or Faull, or Travaglia for Tom I would do it. It's no slight on Tom, who could still end up a North champion, it's just he's simply got more value than Phillips and Simpkin, there's Adelaide as a legitimate option needing mids and it's a chance to adjust the balance of the midfield group whilst filling another list need.

Nothing personal against him or even a inference regarding his future career prospects.

The same applies with Phillips or even Simpkin if it came to it and an offer was there.

I just can't see 2 of them, let alone 3 of them in the North side in 3 years time unless something odd occurs like losses of LDU, Wardlaw, Sheezel, McKercher etc.

The club is so much closer to absolutely nailing a list that is going to roar up the ladder than some realise. The emergence of Xerri and Comben in absolutely critical roles has really changed our outlook.

The hardest thing is generally the top end talent, we have it spades. We just need to redeploy some of that capital we have spent elsewhere to fill in some gaps whilst that capital has value imo.

 

[FootySmartSimpson]

Yeah ... I guess what I mean is Phillips' role isn't something someone else can do but more that Sheeze and Powell are competing for one spot. Phillips wasn't in the side that played Port (or the Eagles iirc). That was the first time I remember him in the middle regularly.

re the bolded...

Phillips had only one clearance against the Dogs, but if he was on Treloar ... Treloar only had 2. He is averaging 5.9 per game, dunno the breakdown between CBA clearances and the others. Bont had 11, as opposed to 6.67 so he covered Phillips' work negating Treloar (assuming that's what happened.) Libba averages 4 and had 4. Against the Dogs Phillips seemed to do his job limiting Treloar's usefulness but on balance it didn't seem to have alot of effect cos Treloar still had a goal or two and they covered his midfield output with Bont whereas the two weeks earlier Phillips' work was effective and noticeably inhiobited the opposition.

What were LDU and Wardlaw’s clearance numbers in the games Will played, versus their 2024 clearance averages?

 

[ferball]

What were LDU and Wardlaw’s clearance numbers in the games Will played, versus their 2024 clearance averages?

About average. LDU is averaging exactly 7 vs 6.3 for the year. George had 6 and 7 then got hurt. He's averaging 5 for the year but his clearance numbers are alot more erratic. He has had games where he got 2 and games where he got 10 before Will started tagging.

 

[ChopChopDigDig]

I'm just not convinced, he has all the attributes but a few highlights every couple of weeks doesn't cut It. Interesting rest of the season coming up for Powell.

Go back to LDU thread and there’s the same post over and over

 

[Moti]

+ Phillips.

Phillips attended more center bounces than LDU against the Dogs.

There's effectively 2 open spots in the center for rotation when we are running a tagger.

The 17% Powell attended was when Phillips went to the bench and we ran 3 genuine mids in the middle. He was only called upon to relieve the tagger in the middle. Clarko preferred LDU, Simpkin and Sheezel (without Wardlaw in consideration)

Those 2 rotated spots need to be shared between LDU, Wardlaw, Simpkin, Sheezel and Powell. Ignoring every other prospect we have.

Remembering Powell attended 17% CBA's on the weekend without Wardlaw in the side.

There's a chance he could get dropped for GW when he's back, as Simpkin is probably pushed back to half forward for big potions for GW and Sheezel plays less in the center and more in the F50.

It's either get rid of the tagger and keep Powell in the side, or Powell is a permanent forward or in the VFL. I don't think Powell as a half forward is a viable option.

It's a pretty big decision for Clarko considering where Powell was a few months ago vs Phillips.

Our midfield has been beaten the past 2 weeks with Philips tagging but the Pies performance was great. The midfield had its best game against the Eagles, after the bye without Philips or Jy.

Nullifying a player is great, but I think it is starting to cost us as opposition realise that that the tag doesn't make an enormous difference to the midfield battle.

Our midfield is not set and we have a fair amount of experimentation to go, so those outside LDU, Sheezel, Wardlaw and Mc Kercher have some work to do.