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

[HBFlanker]

By "pull his finger out" I hope you don't mean work harder. He's had a lot of bad luck but never stopped giving himself every opportunity to get the best out of himself.

He was still recovering from illness and injury in round 1. He wasn't available for senior selection, it had been decided weeks out.

Will Phillips is among the least of our problems, I can't wait to watch him the next couple of years.

I hope you are right but theres serious competition for spots now.

Wardlaw, LDU, Thomas are locks in the middle for mine, and are the three starters.

Phillips fighting it out with Jy, Powell, Mckercher for other spots.

And the ace up the sleeve being Sheezel who trumps probably all of them.

 

[roo blitz]

By "pull his finger out" I hope you don't mean work harder. He's had a lot of bad luck but never stopped giving himself every opportunity to get the best out of himself.

He was still recovering from illness and injury in round 1. He wasn't available for senior selection, it had been decided weeks out.

Will Phillips is among the least of our problems, I can't wait to watch him the next couple of years.

By pull his finger out I mean become a regular top 22 player in our team in what has been the worst team over the last 4 years without a doubt. He was a pick 3 player in the draft after all . Granted he has had some bad luck and is one of the covid affected draft players but he is going into his 4th year so needs to perform to a higher consistant level. I'm not saying he is a bad player or wont make it , just that this is the year he has to put regular good performances on the board. I think he is a bit of a limited player in his skill levels for a no3 pick but he is a hard worker that I dont doubt. If he can start to put it together he will be a real bonus as I think he has a lot of doubters out there. Unfortunately players do get judged on performance levels so at times it sounds harsh.

 

[roo blitz]

One hope I have is that Phillips is a slow burner a bit like LDU who is now one of the best going around but took a number of years to develop. I just think LDU always had a wider skill level with explosive powers that took him to that level.Others like Sheezel and Wardlaw have it straight away. I think McKercher will make an impact straight away. Phillips is now behind these players. If he was on the trade market this year its interesting to see whether we would have been offered a top 20 or so pick. If our current midfield clicks he may be pushed out over the next year or 2 as I dont see how he would fit in. I want him to achieve as much as any player on the list

 

[roo blitz]

As the late great Ron Barrassi said to Healy " Dont look at me like that, How many kicks have you had ?, Thats the answer to everything, possessions, You give me possessions and I'll shut up ". Haha I must admit it will make the doubters doubt less . And Healy was a great player

 

[Horizons_00]

He has to be our inside mid. I feel like Ita between him and Powell atm.

 

[Whereitallbegan]

I like Will but i'm in no hurry to see him BOG on ground. Surely they have facilities in the change rooms.

Actually played with a guy who shat himself while in the field….1 too many Jack Daniels the night before!

 

[Passmore]

There's no middle ground with Will.

It's either a race to be the first to call him a bust or you're shooting Bambi if you dare question him.

Sent from my SM-A908B using Tapatalk

 

[shinboner magic]

Didnt pick him round 1 last year.

I worry for Phillips. I think its 50/50 he is on the list in 2025. Big chance to be traded.

I like him, but we are just so heavy through the midfield, and he is a fair way behind a couple of the others (LDU, TT).

He has an opportunity as a point of difference, Lachie Neale type, but he needs a big 2024. No question.

Think if clarko didn’t have him in his plans he would have been traded.
He was matching Rowell when he was a year younger - there’s a talented player there - biggest issue is there got so many mids

 

[HBFlanker]

Think if clarko didn’t have him in his plans he would have been traded.
He was matching Rowell when he was a year younger - there’s a talented player there - biggest issue is there got so many mids

Its too soon to talk trading.

He doesnt have any other strings to his bow, like Sheezel and Thomas obviously do.

Hes a pure mid.

Im hoping he turns into a Caleb Serong type, which would be ideal.

 

[LB2Snake]

What name would you be in favour of?
I still recall how I hated the proposed long name “North Melbourne Fitzroy Kangaroos” or “Fitzroy North Melbourne Kangaroos”. And I don’t think too many would be in favour of Fitzroy Kangaroos or North Melbourne Lions.

Apart from AFL railroading it, the naming question was never resolved at the time


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

I wouldn't have minded North Melb Lions, but that's just me.....I get that others would've hated it. I was on the band wagon because I could see the long term benefits. It's incredibly difficult to build your supporter base and though us a Fitzroy weren't a bad alignment.
Ah well.

 

[ferball]

Actually played with a guy who shat himself while in the field….1 too many Jack Daniels the night before!

That would have been disturbing. We've all seen players metapohorically shit themselves on field. i think that's where I'd like to leave it.

 

[franjon]

Wound up with a debt to Nauru of just over $1M, despite offers from North and others to sort it out with a merger and repayment arrangement. Liam posted the rest above. Absolute dogs!

I'm sorry T'toes, yes I knew that, but I was a bit taken by Ross the Sloshes hidden genders.

 

[roo blitz]

There's no middle ground with Will.

It's either a race to be the first to call him a bust or you're shooting Bambi if you dare question him.

Sent from my SM-A908B using Tapatalk

I'm in the middle ground. Just not sure which way it will go.

 

[Shermanator]

I like Will but i'm in no hurry to see him BOG on ground. Surely they have facilities in the change rooms.

Especially when people are calling for him to pull the finger out, surely he'll wait until he gets to the change rooms..

 

[Krakoueraddict]

There's no middle ground with Will.

It's either a race to be the first to call him a bust or you're shooting Bambi if you dare question him.

Sent from my SM-A908B using Tapatalk

Which is a bit funny because he's been straddling the middle ground with his on field performance. He has had his moments/quarters where he's looked a likely type and he's had games where he's been completely ineffectual.

I think it's because of his lack of elite attributes, smaller stature and slow burn start that there are many willing to write him off.

FYI I'm a believer in both Phillips and Powell and reckon they can be vital cogs in the team for the next 5-8 years.

 

[Devil Fish]

Genuine concerns for this bloke going forward. Just don’t see how he fits in?

Can only play one position, is unathletic, below average defensively and below average disposal. Hasn’t really improved his endurance base either, should be finishing top 10 in the shuttle run if he wants to be a starting centre square mid. With McKercher coming in I think he gets pushed out and hard to see a way back for him.

Short memory king rising - are you aware Will polled a Brownlow vote in round 24 vs GC? Never seen anything like it. Proved all the critics wrong. Yours Truly included.

 

[Epictetus]

The concern is that he just doesn't have any special traits and by all reports, he busts his arse. Where is the upside going to come from to see him jump in front of other clearly more gifted players?

I don't reckon he'll play more than 5 games in 2024.

 

[MagicDaw]

Think Will will prove many doubters wrong this season. Will be at the bottom of the pack retrieving the ball and dishing it out Cunners style with a handball to a player on the move.
Don't think we have anyone else like him.
Will be essential and on top of that he looks like a great leader with a manic drive to succeed.

 

[roo blitz]

Think Will will prove many doubters wrong this season. Will be at the bottom of the pack retrieving the ball and dishing it out Cunners style with a handball to a player on the move.
Don't think we have anyone else like him.
Will be essential and on top of that he looks like a great leader with a manic drive to succeed.

Great leaders generally have to lead by performances on the field to be great so the ball is in his court to do that. Its a vital year for him this year. Hopefully it might be what finally gets him going

 

[joegreen]

There can generally be considered 3 types of professional athletes.

1.
A in talent
A in mindset

These are as rare as hen's teeth - the out and out superstars of world sport. Think Bolt, Woods, Djokovic, Messi, Ronaldo. In AFL it would be Carey, Matthews, Judd etc. A clear cut about the rest. The have the physical gift but mentally tough, prepared to do whatever takes. I see Sheezel and hopefully Wardlaw here too.

2.
A in talent
B or worse in mindset

Plenty of this type about, and they get a lot of the attention, people make excuses for their talent and get chance after chance, they are streaky, inconsistent, go missing at times. Off field dramas, conflict, it goes on and on. And like the misguided boyfriend or girlfriend, living in hope that they their partner will one day change. Rare they ever do. Coaches pull their hair out and it creates instability and uncertainty in a team sport.

3.
B in talent
A in mindset

Prepared to work harder than anyone else, desperate for every opportunity, coachable and year after year after year pushes themselves to improve. Eventually they will overtake those in group 2 through sheer persistence, discipline and determination and in a team sport, coaches are prepared to invest here as they know they can rely on these people. Note their talent is still B so bloody good.

I have no doubt Will has an A mindset. I personally think and hope he has B in talent, because given time (with good health) he will be an important part of our side.

Too many people overinvest in group 2, thinking they can be group 1. Not understanding the difficulty in changing someone's mindset - you might for a short time, but often/eventually they drift back. And they underinvest in group 3, looking for the A talent and not understanding the importance of A mindset.

It's a balance and like most decisions a risk assessment. Once you start to think like a coach trying to get the best out of team to compete for silverware you appreciate and understand the nuance.

And with some luck our last 2 drafts have netted us 4 players in group 1. Time will tell.

 

[franjon]

By "pull his finger out" I hope you don't mean work harder. He's had a lot of bad luck but never stopped giving himself every opportunity to get the best out of himself.

He was still recovering from illness and injury in round 1. He wasn't available for senior selection, it had been decided weeks out.

Will Phillips is among the least of our problems, I can't wait to watch him the next couple of years.

Yes, and some obviously forget the glandular fever. Could've ruined Malcolm Blights career. I've never understood the pull your finger out theory. I hate to ask, but pull it out of what?

 

[pupstar]

Think Will will prove many doubters wrong this season. Will be at the bottom of the pack retrieving the ball and dishing it out Cunners style with a handball to a player on the move.
Don't think we have anyone else like him.
Will be essential and on top of that he looks like a great leader with a manic drive to succeed.

The perfect post describing Will.

 

[Psicosis]

I hope you are right but theres serious competition for spots now.

Wardlaw, LDU, Thomas are locks in the middle for mine, and are the three starters.

Phillips fighting it out with Jy, Powell, Mckercher for other spots.

And the ace up the sleeve being Sheezel who trumps probably all of them.

Whilst I don’t disagree with your three locks, the reality is that none have elite tanks. It’s an issue. It looks like LDU has put a lot of work into improving his tank this off-season (albeit early days). Tarryn and George have a long way to go in that department, just like Will.

Jy, Colby and Sheezel all have elite engines and will be required to strike the balance of impact vs running capacity.

 

[The Talent Scout]

So let me get this straight, Will has had 2 bouts of glandular fever, remembering that so many sportsmen in many sports have had 1 bout of glandular fever and either never recovered or taken 2 / 3 years to get back to where they were, throw in for good measure a bad reaction to covid plus not training due to work load {glandular fever} plus getting his fitness up to A.F.L. standard when he got the green light, oh and did I forget to add a couple of minor injuries. I am amazed that Will not only came back but such is his desire and competitiveness that he's playing to such a high level of football and his ceiling is quite untapped. Now, about being delisted, moved on, traded or being a bust or not playing more than 5 games next year, let me say this, in my opinion Will is tracking on target, maybe even ahead of his schedule for every thing he's gone through, pick 3? Pick that question mark up and drop kick it in the river, he's a pick 3 every day of the week and like in the movie ROCKY 111, where everyone is hoping but really questioning him to do it, APOLLO said to Rocky, "At the end of this, a lot of people are going to owe you a grave apology, and your going to owe me a favour." If anyone has any doubts watch him and Tom Powell rip Gold Coast to shreds and after watching it, watch it again.

 

[Gasometer]

Interesting article in Today’s HUN giantroo that looks at the difficulties of the 2020 Covid Draft with 13/60 or thereabouts DELISTED from Clubs

Covid wrecked many things but if there’s a Draft to get off the back of it is 2020