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

[shintemaster]

Ironically I think that doomed his career in the end. Lost all strength and pace like a lot of blokes who focus too hard on endurance, and as such became a very dispensable role player instead of someone who could have been very explosive.

Will simply can't lose much more weight without seriously impacting what explosiveness and strength he has IMO. But each to their own opinion.

He wasn't strong enough / clean enough in tight anyway. Earnt himself a few extra years for mine.

 

[Scallop Industry Thug]

Our best kick of 25m passes. I wonder if he can be the high half forward that can pressure. Maybe lacks the pace.

 

[BigRedRoo]

It's more after sitting back and looking at other sides that are going ok, for us our midfield should consist of

1. LDU - he can go fwd
2. Wardlaw - seems more labradore chasing a ball, so purely midfield
3. Simpkin - can go fwd with some success, his ball butchering is for the first time getting on my nerves, but he knows where to be.
4. Sheezel - can do it all
5. McKercher - will be a mid who can play other roles
6. Powell - is ahead of Phillips and maybe he's learning the art of being adaptable.
7. Undrafted - I assume we will take a mid with pick 3, the local experts would have forgotten more about the available players than I'd know. I don't draft watch.
8. Phillips - one-paced stopper with limited ball winning ability.

You do the math, now yes if he stays I'm not concerned, but heck for us to improve we cannot carry players, we're 17th and will probably finish 16th. After 4 previous years of between 18th/17th.

Currently we have the below players with a very high ceiling.

1. Archer - who is going well but a mile of the finished product, that's a compliment
2. Duursma - isn't much he cannot do on the park, is 3 miles off the finished product.
3. McKercher - loving his run, 13 games in, so as above
4. Comben - cripes, I did say he'd be the ' difference'. if he ever got fit.
5. Wardlaw - sloppy trainer, but will get there.
6. Sheezel, really has arrived but will get stronger and further improve, mind boggles.

So you'd pick those six every week, ride the ups and downs.
But the likes of Phillips, Ford for example I do wonder what their ceiling will be.

I think Will would be crackers to stay fwiw.

I think Phillips looks better with every game.
Not everyone can be a Harry and play brilliant football right out of the box.
Some guys need a year or so to get the speed of the game and understand how to best use their talents.
Will had a tough start with Covid and the Club at the time was a schmozzle. Follow this up with a bad bout of Glandular Fever and Will has had a few hurdles to overcome.
Will was taken because of his professionalism, I have no doubt Will will continue to work hard and find his place in the team.

 

[Ischenko]

Phillips was really good. Kept us in it early when we came out flat. Again, so many people miss what he does cos he’s so clean in tight. Must keep.

 

[Tas]

It's more after sitting back and looking at other sides that are going ok, for us our midfield should consist of

1. LDU - he can go fwd
2. Wardlaw - seems more labradore chasing a ball, so purely midfield
3. Simpkin - can go fwd with some success, his ball butchering is for the first time getting on my nerves, but he knows where to be.
4. Sheezel - can do it all
5. McKercher - will be a mid who can play other roles
6. Powell - is ahead of Phillips and maybe he's learning the art of being adaptable.
7. Undrafted - I assume we will take a mid with pick 3, the local experts would have forgotten more about the available players than I'd know. I don't draft watch.
8. Phillips - one-paced stopper with limited ball winning ability.

You do the math, now yes if he stays I'm not concerned, but heck for us to improve we cannot carry players, we're 17th and will probably finish 16th. After 4 previous years of between 18th/17th.

Currently we have the below players with a very high ceiling.

1. Archer - who is going well but a mile of the finished product, that's a compliment
2. Duursma - isn't much he cannot do on the park, is 3 miles off the finished product.
3. McKercher - loving his run, 13 games in, so as above
4. Comben - cripes, I did say he'd be the ' difference'. if he ever got fit.
5. Wardlaw - sloppy trainer, but will get there.
6. Sheezel, really has arrived but will get stronger and further improve, mind boggles.

So you'd pick those six every week, ride the ups and downs.
But the likes of Phillips, Ford for example I do wonder what their ceiling will be.

I think Will would be crackers to stay fwiw.

I think you are looking at list management the wrong way, rather than look how far he is away from the top you should be looking at how far ahead he is from the bottom when it comes to if you want to retain someone or not. How much you offer the player is going to depend on output.

We are going to lose Thomas, Greenwood and Shield more than likely. Taylor and Lazzaro out of contract and who knows if they get another deal or not. Phillips is the best quality mid we have that doesn't have a regular spot atm and the gap is going to widen in the next year or two even if we draft really good quality young mids because they generally aren't physically conditioned to go hard all season long in their first year. They aren't even taught the gameplan in their first pre-season, they tend to be eased into things.

I think it is the main reason Sheezel and McKercher have worked as a half-back in their first year and Wardlaw and Duursma haven't had the same impact in their, those roles are much harder to excel at without a greater understanding of the gameplan and tactics.

 

[Amicalola]

He's actually quite dangerous around goals.

When Sheezel got it to him and he snapped around the body, it went straight through. His set shot is ultra reliable too. Classy player as always.

I'd give him another year or two.

I wonder if we should be playing him as a mid-forward, or at least experimenting with that. He doesn't have a huge number of shots so the sample size is small, but I don't actually ever recall him missing. The 'stolen' goal from Q1 yesterday would have been a banger had it not been disallowed.

 

[Waynesworld]

Prove it

What was his goal song?

You know what Gaso, I have no idea what his goal song was. I don’t write everyone’s goal song down in the record each game.

 

[swaeney]

Imagine if Simpkin had WP’s clean first use of the pill type energy. Imagine

 

[The acurate one]

Imagine if Simpkin had WP’s clean first use of the pill type energy. Imagine

Is it any wonder I find myself on the outer, how anyone or how the conversation morphed into Phillip being a better option than Jy.

This thread is approaching Mahony being as good as Pickett.

FFS, FMD and FML.

I need to clearly up my game, I hope we draft a slow plodder with pick 3 this year, will take the heat of the previous slow plodder pick 3 Phillip.

 

[Gasometer]

You know what Gaso, I have no idea what his goal song was. I don’t write everyone’s goal song down in the record each game.

Ewww calling out bullshit Wayno

Amongst all the mediocrity of noise yesterday you missed this after his goal?

Starts at 2:30



A unique selection

 

[perplexed]

Imagine if Simpkin had WP’s clean first use of the pill type energy. Imagine

Imagine if Will got fit or improved in any way since he was drafted (more than four years ago). Imagine

Personally I'm fine if we give him a one year contract. He is good depth, and we will need some in the midfield. I would be equally fine if we traded him and brought in a Dom Brew type rookie - who would likely bring more.

And FFS, Jy is our Captain and has won two Syds. Will has done nothing but clog the list yet.

 

[swaeney]

Why are you halfwits jumping down my throat saying that I said that Wp is better than Jy? It was kind of a compliment to them both, while highlighting Jy’s poor disposal yesterday.

jy has been so important to our midfield ever since he got back in. I think we can all agree on his disposal and htb’s / putting team mates under pressure ****s us up a lot, and we definitely expect more from our leader but his structural presence at stoppages and him positioning others has been a factor of us being in games again.

 

[DuckYeah]

Prove it

What was his goal song?

Baily Scotts one had my eyebrows raised

 

[DuckYeah]

Our best kick of 25m passes. I wonder if he can be the high half forward that can pressure. Maybe lacks the pace.

I think kerch has the title for best under 25/30. Phillips is second now.

About the pace thing, phillips went on a dash thtough the middle in the second quarter and I was stunned that people think he’s slow. He has pace, not the fastest not the slowest.

 

[Disco Dew]

Baily Scotts one had my eyebrows raised

Same…

 

[Frank Thring]

wtf? Like really? This is what you take from the game. Don’t look at the stats, look at what he was able to do. He was the glue binding the mids at times and had smarts and poise at critical moments.

Please, for your own health, try to look with a positive mindset at what is staring you straight in the face in terms of Will. Weird vendetta.

He was ok but certainly no glue unless you mean the glue under his boots when he runs?

 

[Frank Thring]

Ewww calling out bullshit Wayno

Amongst all the mediocrity of noise yesterday you missed this after his goal?

Starts at 2:30



A unique selection

I was at the game and I wouldn't have remembered.

 

[DuckYeah]

I was at the game and I wouldn't have remembered.

How could you not? Was unique.. like Baily scotts, Pink.

 

[Gasometer]

I was at the game and I wouldn't have remembered.

Thanks for letting us know Frank

 

[FootySmartSimpson]

He was ok but certainly no glue unless you mean the glue under his boots when he runs?

I’m not saying he starred. But he was the only mid for the first quarter that played with composure in Richmond’s onslaught. By that I mean he played his role and held the mids together like glue.

Throughout the game, he played a supporting role: inside defensive pressure, blocking space inside as well as playing a handy role in the forward line. 6 tackles, 3 clearances, 1 goal, 1 GA, for a mid/forward is decent.

 

[Junk yard]

I’m not saying he starred. But he was the only mid for the first quarter that played with composure in Richmond’s onslaught. By that I mean he played his role and held the mids together like glue.

Throughout the game, he played a supporting role: inside defensive pressure, blocking space inside as well as playing a handy role in the forward line. 6 tackles, 3 clearances, 1 goal, 1 GA, for a mid/forward is decent.

Did you watch the game? Funny areas for a mid/forward.

 

[swaeney]

View attachment 2069412
Did you watch the game? Funny areas for a mid/forward.

The fact that he kicked 1 (2) goals, and him starting at forward when not in the guts probably says he played mid/forward?

Are midfielders not allowed to push back and chop out our defenders?

 

[tales129]

View attachment 2069412
Did you watch the game? Funny areas for a mid/forward.

The fact that he kicked 1 (2) goals, and him starting at forward when not in the guts probably says he played mid/forward?

Are midfielders not allowed to push back and chop out our defenders?

Thats called work rate I do believe

 

[roos_fanatic08]

The fact that he kicked 1 (2) goals, and him starting at forward when not in the guts probably says he played mid/forward?

Are midfielders not allowed to push back and chop out our defenders?

Phillips and Sheezel spent plenty of time starting across half forward. As soon as the ball was bounced they were then pushing up to the stoppages to provide an extra number. We were doing it all day, and we were rotating through which players were pushing up to be the extra number.

 

[DANMAN]

View attachment 2069412
Did you watch the game? Funny areas for a mid/forward.

a bit more yellow through the middle , and goes from almost there to fully there