DocSholl
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And was also heavily criticised in his first few years as a high pick not delivering straight away.
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Player Watch #29: Will Phillips - tags N.Daicos vs Collingwood - subbed off at 3/4 time??
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And was also heavily criticised in his first few years as a high pick not delivering straight away.
If I’m being honest I’m disappointed in WillPhil so far. The positive is he has shown us all this year in a few games that he has what it takes to get to the 25+ disposals and use it well, BUT a few times in each game he burns the ball. Under no pressure he just hits the chest of the oppo player which is not acceptable. I guess that’s why he has played in the VFL recently.
I will be looking more closely next year at him. We desperately need him to be a win for us, and I mean a gun and not an average AFL to great VFL player.
I will be looking more closely next year at him. We desperately need him to be a win for us, and I mean a gun and not an average AFL to great VFL player.
Seriously, here's just a couple of comparisions after three years to Will Phillips. If we get a Viney, Cerra, Adams out of him I'd be rapt. There's a litany of others with similar numbers at year three. He is a gun and will be for years to come ... bookmark this post.Ok, but his traits and dimensions were such that I think it's an unfair and strange comparison for Will. Anyway.
I think he can be an effort first mid who gives everything he has and occasionally has impactful games. I would expect though that he will struggle to maintain a midfield role amongst LDU, Wardlaw, Thomas, this years early picks and Powell who I consider to have a far higher ceiling.
For me, he always looks to be struggling to keep his head above water in a game. He doesn't do anything easily. That's a concern I think.
68 pressure points, 25 pressure acts, 11 tackles for Will.
Career high numbers and just generally absolutely huge defensive numbers for anyone.
George Wardlaw who's a pressure beast and leads our team in both pressure points and pressure acts averages 54PP, 22PA and 5 tackles for the year.
But yeah, drop the spud and then we can bitch and moan about how much we're getting killed around the ball and no one wants to apply defensive pressure and how bad LDU is because we have no idea how important Phillips is to freeing guys like him and TT up to shine.
Career high numbers and just generally absolutely huge defensive numbers for anyone.
George Wardlaw who's a pressure beast and leads our team in both pressure points and pressure acts averages 54PP, 22PA and 5 tackles for the year.
But yeah, drop the spud and then we can bitch and moan about how much we're getting killed around the ball and no one wants to apply defensive pressure and how bad LDU is because we have no idea how important Phillips is to freeing guys like him and TT up to shine.
I value your comments and I hope he makes it, we need him too.
Why can’t we have him and Greenwood in the same team for PA and PP and tackles. Sounds like a solution for our mids to get it out of the square.
- Sep 13, 2013
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Chris Judd numbers.
They're good numbers, but I guess it falls back to what your expectations are and unfortunately for Will the conversation is often in the context of his draft position.
My eye test is that Wardlaw might be below those metrics, but for a 1 pre season teenager his best is just better. He'll have singular defensive acts or passages that are eye watering.
And, really, when they are not fully realised players you're just hanging on glimpses of what they'll be rather than what they are. Cunnington and LDU had and even Simpkin might've had patches of their early careers where they were inconsistent or played twos, but there was always glimpses of special stuff. I don't think Will has that special trait other than trying really hard and whilst admirable, I'm just not excited by that.
Phillips has the balance between inside and outside that Greenwood doesn't have. Contrary to some opinions around here, Phillips is quick and agile, which allows him to impact defensively and then also spread to the outside and cover ground.
Greenwood's biggest weakness is that he struggles to spread and mostly impacts at the coal face.
If we stacked our midfield with Phillips, Greenwood and Cunnington for example, we'd get killed on the spread.
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Logan McDonald is a very average footballer.A fair point I had a look at the draft year 2020, probably Eddie Ford could have gone earlier.
Very average, debatable still as to whether we should have taken McDonald. 196cms and he’d be handy now.
But we didn’t for whatever reason.
Big preseason coming up I hope.
I have cooled from being absolutely livid yesterday. It is not enjoyable watching this club right now, am glad I didn't go.
On reflection, I have two comments about this.
1. The conditions have been explained and may give a little more context to the constant fumbling. Has been doing it in other games this year though but understand the conditions weren't great;
2. The above to me lacks context. He often tackled because he fumbled or missed grabbing the ball. Again, conditions played their part. His Sydney game was far and away better than his defensive effort yesterday, but don't need numbers to tell me that.
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I'd love to see some splits for LDU/TT with and without Will. Sample size probably not big enough
- Jul 18, 2013
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It's already been pointed out on this thread in the coach's own words that he was sent to the VFL to work on his defensive efforts in clearances. Yesterday, he laid 12 tackles. The coach is singing his praises for that alone. Not 25+ possessions. Specifically, Ratten told him that 27 possessions and 2 tackles doesn't cut it. But 20 possessions and 12 tackles - that's a contribution.
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The Warlord
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If Will can become an elite defensive player, then add that to his already elite hanbds, vision and short kicking and we have got ourselves a serious player.
I saw him being compared to Rory Laird elsewhere - I quite like it.
When will we see his quickness? I was worried about LDU in his first couple of years because the burst everyone told me he had just didn't appear in senior football, and speed doesn't need games played. In the end it was injury that came to light later that explains his lack of burst in the early years. Do we expect something similar from Will? Saw him play before Glandular too so that doesn't explain it.
The issue is with your expectations then. If you were hoping for Petracca, Martin or Josh Kelly then that's on you for expecting something that he has never been, even at underage level he was never anything like that. He and Rowell dominated and did all the hard defensive work and other small team things which allowed Anderson to thrive on the outside which allowed that 2019 Oakleigh side to absolutely dominate that season as a result. They won the Grand Final by about 60 points and could have won by 100+. Phillips (who was underage) and Rowell were the key cogs to unlocking the rest of that side.
He's not flashy but his return will be that of a pick 3 based on his ability to impact at the contest and allow others around him to shine.
Football people know the value of Will Phillips and Rowell-types. Rowell is not flashy either but he deservedly went #1 overall and is the best defensive player in the competition which is what is letting guys like Anderson, Miller and even Flanders of late thrive and shine.
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If we had Wardlaw, Will and Ryley Sanders going through our rotations next year, we'd have the best young defensive midfield in the game.
You can keep comparing him to Wardlaw because of their draft positions if you want, but there was no Wardlaw in the 2020 draft.
It's arguable Phillips and Powell will be the two best midfielders (non-Academy or NGA) from that draft at this point, and Phillips has had a dreadful run at 21 years old compared to the rest.
He has had some big first quarters and first halves. He just doesn't have the tank, but hopefully its due mostly to his lack of pre-seasons and illness.
Lachie Neale. Their stats are very similar after 2 seasons. Have similar build and size too. Lachie does it most by smarts.
What caught my eye with Will in his junior days was his balance in the contest, he didn't go to ground much. Hopeully when he gets used to the bigger bodies, he will get that back.
Getting comical now.
In the last 24 hours, one group of supporters has compared this bloke to Sloane, Neale, Judd, Cerra, Viney, Taylor Adams and ah....Joel Corey
At the same time, the other group has said he is no good at all, no pace, no weapons, no skill etc.
Reckon we lock the thread until he hits 50 games.
In the last 24 hours, one group of supporters has compared this bloke to Sloane, Neale, Judd, Cerra, Viney, Taylor Adams and ah....Joel Corey
At the same time, the other group has said he is no good at all, no pace, no weapons, no skill etc.
Reckon we lock the thread until he hits 50 games.
- May 21, 2008
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I’ve said it before , people on here will be eating their words when comes to Will . Give him a decent run with injuries/health and in 30 games he will be better than Matt Rowell .
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