Player Watch #29: Will Phillips [Part II] - Extends to End of 2025

[roos_fanatic08]

I was hoping he’d get the first month unimpeded while Wardlaw was out.

To me he is seemingly on the shit list (probably due to being little bit one dimensional).

Won’t surprise me if he is an out this week, even if we need harder bodies against the demons.

 

[Merlin007]

I was hoping he’d get the first month unimpeded while Wardlaw was out.

To me he is seemingly on the shit list (probably due to being little bit one dimensional).

Won’t surprise me if he is an out this week, even if we need harder bodies against the demons.

He'd be close to the first out, but with (at least) two forced changes, 'stability' might give him another week

 

[Chadwiko]

There's a weird phenomenon in the Will Phillips thread.

During and immediately after the game, you've got multiple posters talking about how he looked good, and there's positive signs, etc.

Then, the longer away from the game we get, the same cavalcade of posters comes in talking about how akshually he's shit and is about to be dropped.

Anyone else noticed that?

 

[Sillygit]

Don't be silly. This isn't just about possessions - it's about playing well. He did not play well on the weekend and his good games are too few and far between.

it's "not about possessions" and yet there are pages upon pages here criticising the amount of possessions he gets.

ok, sure.

 

[roos_fanatic08]

There's a weird phenomenon in the Will Phillips thread.

During and immediately after the game, you've got multiple posters talking about how he looked good, and there's positive signs, etc.

Then, the longer away from the game we get, the same cavalcade of posters comes in talking about how akshually he's shit and is about to be dropped.

Anyone else noticed that?

I think he had some really good moments on the weekend, but ultimately he was subbed off, so it's realistic to think he'd be in the gun.

 

[Moti]

His role wasn’t to primarily win the ball in the Dog’s game.

I love how it’s all on one player and not the whole unit. You can’t have a team where you have 10 mids all getting eight clearances. It’s about balance. You need players like Will doing selfless, unfashionable jobs so others can prosper. Our midfield has failed for too long. We need to forget this fascination with draft talent and pick a team that will win more often than not.

Daniel - McKercher

Scott - LDU - FOS
Xerri - Wardlaw - Urquart

Sheezel - Simpkin

Iowell, Phillips, Duursma, Parker

This is where we should be heading when George returns.

I am paying attention to this point as it has been made numerous times, not just about Will, but about our other mids as well.

From what I saw, Will did nothing majorly different from any of the other mids. He has a solid body and getting in the way is a strength of his, but he didn't provide any real defensive or blocking advantages over any other player. As far as I am concerned, that part of his game isn't a difference maker regularly.

It is up to him to show his 2-way worth but he did look more like Calthorpe on the weekend than Liber.

 

[TruRoo]

it's "not about possessions" and yet there are pages upon pages here criticising the amount of possessions he gets.

ok, sure.

Possessions are one measure but it's about impact on the game. Does he need more of the ball to have a genuinely good impact? Or is he damaging enough in the limited amount of possessions he gets?

If his defensive running is his strength, can we carry that enough elsewhere to necessitate him playing?

As it stands, despite us having a dominant ruck and all this midfield talent we are getting cut to shreds week in week out. How much is Phillips liable in that?

 

[kool kangas]

There's a weird phenomenon in the Will Phillips thread.

During and immediately after the game, you've got multiple posters talking about how he looked good, and there's positive signs, etc.

Then, the longer away from the game we get, the same cavalcade of posters comes in talking about how akshually he's shit and is about to be dropped.

Anyone else noticed that?

Thats the NM Big Footy posters for you....nothing new.

 

[kool kangas]

it's "not about possessions" and yet there are pages upon pages here criticising the amount of possessions he gets.

ok, sure.

The club will decide whether he will have a job to do or not this weekend. If they feel a tagger is needed then l think he will remain, however if they want more speed in the side then maybe someone else will be selected.. l would like to see him in as a tagger for Viney.

 

[Horizons_00]

I think Will enjoyed being a tagger because he finally felt like he had a role at the club.

 

[Sillygit]

Possessions are one measure but it's about impact on the game. Does he need more of the ball to have a genuinely good impact? Or is he damaging enough in the limited amount of possessions he gets?

If his defensive running is his strength, can we carry that enough elsewhere to necessitate him playing?

As it stands, despite us having a dominant ruck and all this midfield talent we are getting cut to shreds week in week out. How much is Phillips liable in that?

ah, but you see when there IS further analysis of his game, Chadwiko for example, and comparisons to others in their midfield roles in our team, the rebuttal continuously comes back to "but he only got it X amount of times". So THAT means the only that measure is being considerd IS the amount of possessions.

I don't know, and neither does anyone else for that matter, precisely why he got subbed. It wasn't injury. It wasn't like for like, Tucker did not assume the exact same role that Wiphi was playing. It was, by my viewing, an unmitigated failure, whatever the strategic re-shuffle that took place. Maybe that's more reflective of the sub, I don't know.

Maybe there's a lack of trust in his tank still. Maybe roos_fanatic08 is dead on and he's in the dog house, something he's expected to be doing that he's not. I find it disappointing because this was a clear opportunity to give him a shot at it and he was allowed 49%, less than half, game time. Again, unclear why, but without the knoweldge as to why, disappointing from an observers perspective.

Incredibly few players play 4 full quarters of brilliance. There were a few of our consistently good players in this game that had bad moments and patches.

 

[DuckYeah]

Not sure many teams are chasing an 11 possession a game mid or a tagger that can't complete a game. Either let him go or stick with him, Best chance of value or success looks like VFL.

From Saturday night, i’d take Phillips effective possessions over Powell ineffective possessions any day of the week.

 

[Themanbun]

ah, but you see when there IS further analysis of his game, Chadwiko for example, and comparisons to others in their midfield roles in our team, the rebuttal continuously comes back to "but he only got it X amount of times". So THAT means the only that measure is being considerd IS the amount of possessions.

I don't know, and neither does anyone else for that matter, precisely why he got subbed. It wasn't injury. It wasn't like for like, Tucker did not assume the exact same role that Wiphi was playing. It was, by my viewing, an unmitigated failure, whatever the strategic re-shuffle that took place. Maybe that's more reflective of the sub, I don't know.

Maybe there's a lack of trust in his tank still. Maybe roos_fanatic08 is dead on and he's in the dog house, something he's expected to be doing that he's not. I find it disappointing because this was a clear opportunity to give him a shot at it and he was allowed 49%, less than half, game time. Again, unclear why, but without the knoweldge as to why, disappointing from an observers perspective.

Incredibly few players play 4 full quarters of brilliance. There were a few of our consistently good players in this game that had bad moments and patches.

I've watched the replay and spent a lot of time looking at the first half stoppages. He had some good moments but overall was poor in there, IMO.

He was also unclean at times and cost himself disposals on the stat sheet. Two instances where he couldn't extract cleanly and forced a stoppage and another where he skimmed his hand on the handball.

And I like the bloke.

 

[ferball]

ah, but you see when there IS further analysis of his game, Chadwiko for example, and comparisons to others in their midfield roles in our team, the rebuttal continuously comes back to "but he only got it X amount of times". So THAT means the only that measure is being considerd IS the amount of possessions.

I don't know, and neither does anyone else for that matter, precisely why he got subbed. It wasn't injury. It wasn't like for like, Tucker did not assume the exact same role that Wiphi was playing. It was, by my viewing, an unmitigated failure, whatever the strategic re-shuffle that took place. Maybe that's more reflective of the sub, I don't know.

Maybe there's a lack of trust in his tank still. Maybe roos_fanatic08 is dead on and he's in the dog house, something he's expected to be doing that he's not. I find it disappointing because this was a clear opportunity to give him a shot at it and he was allowed 49%, less than half, game time. Again, unclear why, but without the knoweldge as to why, disappointing from an observers perspective.

Incredibly few players play 4 full quarters of brilliance. There were a few of our consistently good players in this game that had bad moments and patches.

It was pretty average analysis...

LDU kicked 2 goals to 0, had 9 more possessions while spending significant time on the forward line, had 8 score involvements to 3 and did all that in only 37% more game time ie a smidge over a third more game time. While copping extremely heavy attention from the opposition.

I thought he was okay during the game but watching the replay he was almost invisible in the first half and I haven't watched the rest.

Tho I think it was a mistake to sub him out cos Tucker did nothing.

 

[ferball]

From Saturday night, i’d take Phillips effective possessions over Powell ineffective possessions any day of the week.

Powell had 19 effective disposals from 27 touches, Phillips had 10 from 11.

That's nearly double the amount in less than a third more game time (49% vs 81% for Powell.)

 

[Sillygit]

It was pretty average analysis...

LDU kicked 2 goals to 0, had 9 more possessions while spending significant time on the forward line, had 8 score involvements to 3 and did all that in only 37% more game time ie a smidge over a third more game time. While copping extremely heavy attention from the opposition.

I thought he was okay during the game but watching the replay he was almost invisible in the first half and I haven't watched the rest.

Tho I think it was a mistake to sub him out cos Tucker did nothing.

i probablty wouldn't qualify a third of the game as "only", myself, given that 37% is 12% less than how much will got to play. He's played almost two games compared to Will.

Now that I've given myself a headache from percentages, I'm also surprised you think he was invisible in the first half. First quarter, sure I can see that, second quarter not at all. But i think first quarter the entire team, save a few individuals, were invisible.

 

[TruRoo]

It was pretty average analysis...

LDU kicked 2 goals to 0, had 9 more possessions while spending significant time on the forward line, had 8 score involvements to 3 and did all that in only 37% more game time ie a smidge over a third more game time. While copping extremely heavy attention from the opposition.

I thought he was okay during the game but watching the replay he was almost invisible in the first half and I haven't watched the rest.

Tho I think it was a mistake to sub him out cos Tucker did nothing.

Agreed. Once again, Phillips had a limited impact on the game and to say he was good sets a very low bar for what an AFL footballer should be.

 

[perplexed]

When Will is playing, he is playing midfield, coz that is all he can do. That means one of LDU, Sheezel, Simpkin or Parker isn't. We want these guys playing together as much as possible, we will get better as they learn to work with each other. Taking one of our best players out of their best position in order to fit Will in is crazy stuff.

 

[Spud11]

There are 10 players I’d drop from the list before Phillips. For such a nondescript midfielder he comes under quite intense scrutiny on here.

 

[TruRoo]

There are 10 players I’d drop from the list before Phillips. For such a nondescript midfielder he comes under quite intense scrutiny on here.

Could you name them?

And he gets intense scrutiny because of the draft capital paid for being a nondescript midfielder.

 

[Spud11]

Could you name them?

And he gets intense scrutiny because of the draft capital paid for being a nondescript midfielder.

Nondescript as in “doesn’t do anything so terrible that he deserves more scrutiny than others”.

And his draft number wasn’t his fault either.

 

[Chadwiko]

Could you name them?

Not including unproven young-guys who haven't got a proper opportunity yet, I'd de-list all ten of these guys before I de-list Phillips.

Bergman
CCJ
K Dawson
Fisher
Ford
C Harvey
McDonald
Stephens
Teakle
Tucker

 

[TruRoo]

Not including unproven young-guys who haven't got a proper opportunity yet, I'd de-list all ten of these guys before I de-list Phillips.

Bergman
CCJ
K Dawson
Fisher
Ford
C Harvey
McDonald
Stephens
Teakle
Tucker

I don't disagree with many of those names apart from the whipping boy ex captain. Phillips is not on the path to be as good as McDonald yet and look at the vitriol some level at him.

 

[Disco Dew]

Not including unproven young-guys who haven't got a proper opportunity yet, I'd de-list all ten of these guys before I de-list Phillips.

Bergman
CCJ
K Dawson
Fisher
Ford
C Harvey
McDonald
Stephens
Teakle
Tucker

Teakle but no pink.
Classic chad

 

[TruRoo]

Nondescript as in “doesn’t do anything so terrible that he deserves more scrutiny than others”.

And his draft number wasn’t his fault either.

It's also not his fault he got glandular fever which has likely impacted his fitness base.

But just because he's not at fault for his shortcomings it doesn't mean they don't exist.