Player Watch #29: Will Phillips - tags N.Daicos vs Collingwood - subbed off at 3/4 time??

[Moti]

Suddenly? He ran 2.9 at the draft combine for 20m.

Daniel Harris ran a 2.93 as well. He doesn't play with speed, particularly post clearance.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

I think you need to temper your expectations for a 22 gamer with Will's illness history.

He has been a sub 6 times in those 22 games as well.

May be so.

I expect game changing midfielder with a selection as high as he was.

I’m yet to be convinced that will be the case.

 

[Flawed Genius]

The little tap at the centre clearance he, Sheezel and Wardlaw were in (1:16). He doesn't get a stat for that but without it, Harry doesnt get the footy, George doesn't get the handball and Fordy doesn't kick long to Curtis and we don't have a shot on goal three possessions from the bounce. Phillips outwardly won't be the midfielder that makes fans go "...faaaark" but he will be the bloke who enables the midfielders that do. Without him, you aren't going to have everything else you want

 

[Sillygit]

He won't wow you like LDU does. He won't physically destroy you like Wardlaw will. He won't be as positionlessly elite as Sheezel. But you will watch all three of those burst from stoppage or weave clear of congestion and hit up inside 50 and you'll go jeez how did they get that footy there. And in the cloud of dust they leave behind there will be Phillips on his hands and knees doing the smart dirty things that every footballer with a mega brain does to make his teammates better.

If you want the elite sexy footy you need the bulldozer footy savant there to make it happen. That's Will. That's his next fifteen years. He straight up bullied Parker in that footage above. It wasn't the only time he did it either. Got pinballed between two sets of heads, opened up and still got a clearance. He is a jet, he was always going to be a jet, and it was only ever going to be time that prevented it from happening.

 

[Roosurgence]

My main concern with Phillips is his cleanliness at the contest.

For a bloke that isn’t super quick he needs to be clean and one grab and at the moment he tends to fumble and double grab a bit.

Now it might be an adjustment/composure thing, but unless he can improve that area of his game, some of these other young mids coming through will push him out of the rotation.

 

[justroyal]

I was not expecting him to win that much footy.
A week ago I was trying to figure out on here he plays like.
These ****ing young kids really show you who they are and how they play when the senior guys are out. Including Cunnington and Zuurhar

 

[ferball]

Daniel Harris ran a 2.93 as well. He doesn't play with speed, particularly post clearance.

Its a tiny but of footage but he's motoring into this contest.

And at 1.15 in that post a couple above this one, when FG quotes GR, watch him at that contest. Not only does he get to the fall of the ball first, tapping it to Wardlaw, he spreads from the contest alot faster than anyone else there.

There can only ever be one best mid in the comp and at this rate it could end up being a contest between LDU, Sheeze and maybe Warlord as well. So when players like Phillips aren't quite that good ... who cares. They're still more than good enough to hold a spot in such a talented midfield.

 

[muttley45]

Blood spilt!

The lack of team mates in this pic to help out with a block/shepherd, is slightly sad to see

 

[Colby Cheer Squad]

I get the impression we are in for 10 years of Big Footy posters morphing into Fonzie and being unwilling or unable to admit they were wr-r-r-r-rong.

 

[ohmygewd]

Daniel Harris ran a 2.93 as well. He doesn't play with speed, particularly post clearance.

Don't need speed if you can think fast..Sam Mitchell proved this, Greg Williams before him and l'm sure a host of other midfielders who aren't particular fast of the line?

 

[ferball]

I was not expecting him to win that much footy.
A week ago I was trying to figure out on here he plays like.
These ******* young kids really show you who they are and how they play when the senior guys are out. Including Cunnington and Zuurhar

He's an inch taller than Leigh Matthews and 3 or 4 kgs lighter.

 

[PokerRoo]

If there is a player he should be looking to emulate its Lachie Neale

9

Lachie Neale

Age

31

Ht

177cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

27.0

5star

K

11.5

4star

HB

15.5

5star

M

4.0

4star

T

3.7

5star

CL

5.9

5star

D

28.3

5star

K

13.9

5star

HB

14.4

5star

M

4.6

4star

T

4.0

5star

CL

5.9

5star

D

12.0

3star

K

4.6

2star

HB

7.4

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

1.0

3star

CL

0.4

3star

. Neale is not big, or strong, or fast, or explosive, but he is clean. Will is showing signs that he can be that. If there is one skill that he should be working on everyday it is that. Being clean with the ball and never fumbling. In his 22 games he has shown this in in glimpses, and he will get better the more he plays.

 

[bennymate]

This kid is hard as nails, sees ball gets ball and good luck to anything that stands in his way.

 

[r00boy96]

Willy 'Wombat' Phillips

 

[leighlee13]

Daniel Harris ran a 2.93 as well. He doesn't play with speed, particularly post clearance.

I really loved Daniel as a player and I really like Will. Maybe he unknowingly reminds me of Daniel.

 

[Mav]

The lack of team mates in this pic to help out with a block/shepherd, is slightly sad to see

Not when you watch back. It was a center bounce, that didn't go straight up. Goldy is just to the right out of picture, Wardlaw is just forward hoping for the hand ball receive. Sheez was in a defensive position.

 

[Johnny99]

Don't need speed if you can think fast..Sam Mitchell proved this, Greg Williams before him and l'm sure a host of other midfielders who aren't particular fast of the line?

Dwayne Swan?

 

[Sphynx]

There's more than a few comparisons to early Cunners imo in terms of how he is building into his career.

Cunners had played about 40 odd games in the middle of his third year, Will has played half that, so really a year behind in this comparison.

Statistically they aren't miles apart in their 3rd years, Cunners was averaging around 18 touches a game in the middle of his third year, Will is averaging 15.

Cunners got blasted by Roo's on the couch in his second year, in a year he average 12 disposals a game (after about 35 games in his career, so essentially Phillips at the end of this year)

People just need patience and Cunners is a great example in the same role.

Phillips is alot more physically gifted than Cunners, but will will take the same time to build the strength in his body to play the same role.

It took Cunners almost 4.5 years to start getting 20+ disposals consistently and it was in a side that finished in the finals for most of his first few years, not one getting belted.

 

[the big lebowski]

WAP is best throwing his body around trying to win the footy. But I feel he’s been too I’m his head around stoppage structures, holding position etc. there was one instance of this on the weekend too, which cost us a goal.

When he looks to smash into oppo mids, playing on instinct he’s at his best.

But as I said until he’s about 25-30% fitter it’s all much a do about nothing. After 2 more pre seasons he’ll start to become a premier mid in the comp, like Simpkin is now.

He had -13 meters gained on sat, with 12 hb and only 4 kicks. An increase in fitness will enable him to get more outside footy.

 

[Caracas]

It is insofar as those four should get bulk midfield minutes.

Phillips simply doesn’t have the flexibility to play elsewhere.

I still don’t see the problem, though. Worse case, Will is a really good backup in the event of the inevitable injuries. That’s something we want and really need, isn’t it? Otherwise, we get a good trade. Win/win all round.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

 

[KangaRooster]

He won't wow you like LDU does. He won't physically destroy you like Wardlaw will. He won't be as positionlessly elite as Sheezel. But you will watch all three of those burst from stoppage or weave clear of congestion and hit up inside 50 and you'll go jeez how did they get that footy there. And in the cloud of dust they leave behind there will be Phillips on his hands and knees doing the smart dirty things that every footballer with a mega brain does to make his teammates better.

If you want the elite sexy footy you need the bulldozer footy savant there to make it happen. That's Will. That's his next fifteen years. He straight up bullied Parker in that footage above. It wasn't the only time he did it either. Got pinballed between two sets of heads, opened up and still got a clearance. He is a jet, he was always going to be a jet, and it was only ever going to be time that prevented it from happening.

How good that he’s done his apprenticeship at Ben Cunnington’s feet.

WiPhi, Jy, LDU, Thomas(?), they’ll all be crediting Cunners when they’re accepting medals.

 

[chubbspeterson]

We might have to come to the realisation that this draft class paid the price for a lack of footy due to covid.
Personally I'm giving Will 2-3 years given he's not played almost that many years in footy since his draft year.
Judge him end of 2025. I feel like he'll be that guy in the midfield that will be a glue guy like a Sidebottom or Jack Crisp

25

Jack Crisp

Age

31

Ht

190cm

Wt

91kg

Pos.

D/M

Career

Season

Last 5

D

21.2

5star

K

11.5

4star

HB

9.7

5star

M

4.6

4star

T

4.0

5star

MG

307.6

4star

D

17.7

4star

K

10.7

4star

HB

7.0

4star

M

5.1

5star

T

1.6

3star

MG

307.6

4star

D

14.4

4star

K

8.4

4star

HB

6.0

4star

M

2.8

3star

T

3.0

5star

who does a lot of work that probably honestly goes unnoticed with Pendles and Daicos getting all the love.

 

[Clarke is King]

Nothing surer than this guy captaining the club at some point. Shinboner.

 

[ohmygewd]

Dwayne Swan?

Yeah wrong player to compare with Swanny had a great burst of speed and under Malthouse's rapid interchanges, he kept Swanny fresh which meant he didn't have to have a great tank like Will.

 

[tazaa]

Players spirits are up despite the loss. They know that we were missing a few in LDU and Zurhaar and Thomas in the VFL. Sydney was there for the taking and we couldnt close. Young sides do that.

But the belief is there now. Need to keep that momentum going into next week. Pressure is on Collingwood to get the job done. But this is our turf and so far at Marvel we have proven hard to beat.

I cant describe whats its like when you come off the field and everyone put in a shift in an unfair loss. No one can be blamed for that. Maybe Drury, Stevo and Shiels had quiet games but the rest all contributed.

WP knows he still needs to get fitter but hes happy that hes got the opportunity to play inside mid and hes doesnt mind being asked to play the inside bull and get his hands dirty. Sometimes you just give the kids the task and let them tackle it head on. Doesnt phase him one bit. Happy that he disposed of it well overall and that he kept turnovers to a minimal.

Kid is always gonna be team first. Does not care for the accolades or for the fancy stuff so long as the team wins. Leave him in the middle.