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

[Carey4life]

They had to play someone though.

It's unlikely Phillips, Hansen Jnr and Drury will all be on the list next year, so we can't jump to too many conclusions from who's been named.

I'd be keeping them in that order FYI.

I am Brady

I haven't seen it confirmed, although I assume these re-signings mean we're keeping our extra list spots. Otherwise a few players like Biggie get delisted mid-contract.

As an aside, there is a non-zero chance Brady paid the surgeon to botch CCJs Achilles so he can do his final year on the long-term injury list ...

 

[ChairmanZia]

Agree and got told he definately did not want to go to the Tiggers but stay at North...

this implies strong character, the lesser minded ones would've jumped ship far earlier.

 

[ferball]

So does the fact that Will and RHJ have one year deals count as a tick for Brady? Unfulfilled talent that isn't tying us down to a long or expensive contract while we find out if they can take the next step. Sounds like good business to me.

Before you can post here again you have to look in the mirror five times a day and say 100 times "Nothing Brady ever does is right!" until every urge you have to acknowledge him is gone!

 

[The Nostradamus]

Looking forward to more mid time for wilphil when we move jy forward next year

 

[DocSholl]

So does the fact that Will and RHJ have one year deals count as a tick for Brady? Unfulfilled talent that isn't tying us down to a long or expensive contract while we find out if they can take the next step. Sounds like good business to me.

Probably.not given he drafted him at 3

 

[Johnny99]

Needs to get super fit to play midfield in the AFL. Needs to put on muscle and weight. If he rolls up in similar condition to how he finished this year, well, he might as well pack his bags now.

 

[The acurate one]

Needs to get super fit to play midfield in the AFL. Needs to put on muscle and weight. If he rolls up in similar condition to how he finished this year, well, he might as well pack his bags now.

Adding to that he needs to dominate the VFL, make it hard to ignore him.

 

[ChairmanZia]

Looking forward to more mid time for wilphil when we move jy forward next year

Yes, a likely possibility and a very prudent one.

Phillips if he achieves his full potential will end his career like luke ball at collingwood.

 

[hotchilli]

Looking forward to more mid time for wilphil when we move jy forward next year

LDU, Wardlaw, Sheezel, Powell and then you potentially throw McKercher in the mix as well.

His competition to get midfield minutes is a lot more stiff then just the possibility of Simpkin playing half forward.

 

[swaeney]

LDU, Wardlaw, Sheezel, Powell and then you potentially throw McKercher in the mix as well.

His competition to get midfield minutes is a lot more stiff then just the possibility of Simpkin playing half forward.

I think you’re missing how important it is to play that defensive minded midfielder. Did you not watch the Sydney and Dogs games….?

 

[hotchilli]

I think you’re missing how important it is to play that defensive minded midfielder. Did you not watch the Sydney and Dogs games….?

There was a lot more wrong then having 1 defensive minded mid in those games.

 

[swaeney]

There was a lot more wrong then having 1 defensive minded mid in those games.

You're 100% right, but getting belted in the midfield certainly contributed. Our midfield are that far off it in terms of size and experience, we have shown this year that we don’t have the capability to go h2h against oppo mids lol

 

[hotchilli]

You're 100% right, but getting belted in the midfield certainly contributed. Our midfield are that far off it in terms of size and experience, we have shown this year that we don’t have the capability to go h2h against oppo mids lol

We were beaten in plenty of midfield battles when Phillips was in there playing the defensive mid role.

It’s nothing against Will but he’s also a very flawed footballer like Simpkin, Powell etc. and he’s still simply behind them currently.

He needs a big jump in the preseason to get past them if he’s going to be getting meaning midfield minutes.

 

[Masked Avenger]

We were beaten in plenty of midfield battles when Phillips was in there playing the defensive mid role.

It’s nothing against Will but he’s also a very flawed footballer like Simpkin, Powell etc. and he’s still simply behind them currently.

He needs a big jump in the preseason to get past them if he’s going to be getting meaning midfield minutes.

I'm confident Clarko would not have him pencilled in for Round 1 - so this will be a defining preseason for him.

I'm not sure how it's done, but he needs to lift his athletic profile.

He'll certainly need to bring that intensity which was a hallmark of his junior career.

 

[Only Forwards]

Adding to that he needs to dominate the VFL, make it hard to ignore him.

I am hoping that by the time that round 1 has rolled around his preseason has been that huge he has pushed himself into the selection frame and never looks back.

This would be best case scenario.

But yeah, he needs to make himself undeniable.

 

[perplexed]

We can only hope for the best. But to me Will is a waste of a list spot. He doesn't have the strength or intensity to compete at stoppages, or the running ability to keep up in transition, or the smarts to find enough of the footy. It will have to be a pretty amazing pre-season to turn his career around.

 

[Waynesworld]

For all the BIG 'star' players we are thinking of, we do need a few honest battlers.

Phillips reminds me of a leigh adams and back in the brad days, we had a plethora of them (adams, bastinac, gibson, dumont, swallow, cunnington, ziebell).

When he gets going it will unlock a new level in our midfield. If not phillip, then someone liek phillips.

A 2020 ben cunnington would be great use to us now and he was in his absolute prime as of late 2020 but cancer took away his best years.

None of Adams, Swallow, Cunnington or Ziebell were battlers.

 

[Waynesworld]

If I can guess your first name and favourite food- what do I win?

And his age?

My guess is that would likely be his online banking password as well!

 

[King Corey]

None of Adams, Swallow, Cunnington or Ziebell were battlers.

Tbh, midfield Ziebell was. Up forward he was a talent though.

 

[The acurate one]

We can only hope for the best. But to me Will is a waste of a list spot. He doesn't have the strength or intensity to compete at stoppages, or the running ability to keep up in transition, or the smarts to find enough of the footy. It will have to be a pretty amazing pre-season to turn his career around.

Yes and no, when you've a core group of between 25-29 players to work with, what does one more battler in a group of 14-15 battlers mean. Not much I'd suggest.

Like you I see his obvious flaws and would be pleasantly surprised to see him turn his massively underwhelming career to date around.

It would be like that movie ' Miracle on 69th Street' : stern look. which I believe is a documentary on the NMFC midfield, but I could be well wrong.

Anyway we've a further season to read about, if Phillips had played we wouldn't have lost by 95 goals.

And gee that was a great 15 disposal game in the VFL. I reckon by mid year some poster will use the word " crafty".

12 more months of it.

Crikey.

 

[Masked Avenger]

None of Adams, Swallow, Cunnington or Ziebell were battlers.

A few players of yesteryear do get overrated on the Board - but Adams often fails to get the recognition he deserves.

My memory is that he was more than a good player.

Not blessed with repeat speed but he did have some toe over the first 5 metres. He was also a booming kick and was as hard as any player we had on the list.

His career seems to have been defined by his disgraceful act in thrusting his shoulder at Chris Judd forcing the golden dome boy to chicken wing Adams in self defence.

 

[Blightys Barrel]

There was a lot more wrong then having 1 defensive minded mid in those games.

I would say Chom going down, Souva on one leg, Bergman knocked out and our inability to exit defence were far bigger factors in that belting. First 1.5 QTRs we were competing, and then we hauled up the white flag and started thinking about which resort to book for the EOS trip.

 

[Lomas]

A few players of yesteryear do get overrated on the Board - but Adams often fails to get the recognition he deserves.

My memory is that he was more than a good player.

Not blessed with repeat speed but he did have some toe over the first 5 metres. He was also a booming kick and was as hard as any player we had on the list.

His career seems to have been defined by his disgraceful act in thrusting his shoulder at Chris Judd forcing the golden dome boy to chicken wing Adams in self defence.

Old Judd has been given a free pass on a few questionable acts. And his columns in the age were bad too.

 

[kool kangas]

I would say Chom going down, Souva on one leg, Bergman knocked out and our inability to exit defence were far bigger factors in that belting. First 1.5 QTRs we were competing, and then we hauled up the white flag and started thinking about which resort to book for the EOS trip.

Dont forget Steven, Archer and Simpkin were all playing with leg injuries from early in the 3/4 quarter restricting their running...

 

[chubbspeterson]

We can only hope for the best. But to me Will is a waste of a list spot. He doesn't have the strength or intensity to compete at stoppages, or the running ability to keep up in transition, or the smarts to find enough of the footy. It will have to be a pretty amazing pre-season to turn his career around.

I wouldn't say he's a waste of a list spot. There's plenty of others ahead of him.
Not like we couldn't take pick 40/58/64 to the draft if we really wanted to. Plenty we could pay out and move on.