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

[Arthur Cloke]

My question with Will is, does he lack a tank because his last 3-4 years of footy have been so interrupted, or did we draft yet another inside mid with no tank? Because IMO, the belief that any footballer can build their running to an elite(ish) level is a fallacy.

Fair call Gonzales. Sure, every athlete can build a tank, but only to a certain point.

 

[shintemaster]

My question with Will is, does he lack a tank because his last 3-4 years of footy have been so interrupted, or did we draft yet another inside mid with no tank? Because IMO, the belief that any footballer can build their running to an elite(ish) level is a fallacy.

I think times have changed. My amateur take is that 15-20+ years ago most 18 year old footballers weren't coming in anywhere near as close to their developed athletic capacity. The system was, well, less of a system and players often had latent capabilities that could be developed. IMO nowadays most, not necessarily all, recruits are at a more developed level and therefore the variances at <18 age have more likelihood of tracking through to AFL level. Most will increaase their base but so will their cohorts who are already ahead of them.

Exceptions as always will remain, players that didn't have enough opportunity, time, family circumstances, growth impacts - whatever - and have greater untapped athletic potential.

 

[Horizons_00]

My question with Will is, does he lack a tank because his last 3-4 years of footy have been so interrupted, or did we draft yet another inside mid with no tank? Because IMO, the belief that any footballer can build their running to an elite(ish) level is a fallacy.

He hasn't had a preseason yet or had a uninterrupted season with glandular \ injuries.... Yet

He gets this right we should see whether he has a tank

 

[Orange Peanut]

 

[Val Keating]

Then takes a pull of the Bunsen burner

 

[franjon]

hells bells if we have a problem of fitting Wilphil into our best 22 then we'll be flying.
Give the guy a chance . Just needs a clear run from injury and illness. There's a really good player there who will shine with some continuity

Can you stop making sense and direct me to the best fishing in Queenstown?

 

[DuckYeah]

Then takes a pull of the Bunsen burner

He’s not wrong though. Somewhere in the last 20 years journalism stopped being journalism and just became tabloid head turning click bait

 

[FootySmartSimpson]

I think we need to stop placing expectation on Will. He doesn’t have to be the great hope for the club, we have plenty of talent now to share that load.

People forget this guy has no football leading up to the draft, hasn’t completed a full AFL preseason and also had the best part of a year wiped out by Glandular Fever.

I think he will be a slow burn, but once he gets there he will an integral part of the team.

He gives me Andrew Swallow vibes. Just needs time. He won’t be flashy or a match winner, he will be our Mr Reliable.

If we get a Swallow out of him, I will be very pleased. I think people forget what a gun Swallow was, especially before his ankle injury.

 

[King Corey]

No disrespect to Will but Andrew Swallow

Andrew Swallow

Age

37

Ht

182cm

Wt

80kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

20.7

5star

K

9.6

4star

HB

11.1

5star

M

2.9

3star

T

6.6

5star

CL

5.8

5star

No current season stats available

D

8.8

3star

K

5.4

2star

HB

3.4

3star

M

2.6

3star

T

4.4

5star

is s stretch target on his career to date.

If he/we can keep him on the park for multiple preseasons/seasons we can start predicting upper limits

 

[Whiskey Stat]

No disrespect to Will but Andrew Swallow is s stretch target on his career to date.

If he/we can keep him on the park for multiple preseasons/seasons we can start predicting upper limits

I'd say Phillips' career is tracking relatively well in comparison to Swallows, especially when accounting for the interuptions that Will has had to deal with to date..

Below compares Swallows fourth to Phillips third season.

Swallow only played three games in his third season.

The main difference at this stage is the tackling ability of Swallow and his ability to get Free Kicks, which I assume accounts for most of the difference in their fantasy scores, if that stuff floats your boat.

 

[King Corey]

I'd say Phillips' career is tracking relatively well in comparison to Swallows, especially when accounting for the interuptions that Will has had to deal with to date..

Below compares Swallows fourth to Phillips third season.

Swallow only played three games in his third season.

The main difference at this stage is the tackling ability of Swallow and his ability to get Free Kicks, which I assume accounts for most of the difference in their fantasy scores, if that stuff floats your boat.


View attachment 1872096

Occasionally you have to compare head to head, looking at output regardless of tenpering factors.

At the close of 2008 Swallow's combined VFL/AFL form was ahead of Phillips at the corresponding stage.

It's not writing Will off to hold the opinion he's not yet matching up at the equivalent stage to a future club captain and very influential, underrated 3x Syd Barker medalist.

 

[Passmore]

Occasionally you have to compare head to head, looking at output regardless of tenpering factors.

At the close of 2008 Swallow's combined VFL/AFL form was ahead of Phillips at the corresponding stage.

It's not writing Will off to hold the opinion he's not yet matching up at the equivalent stage to a future club captain and very influential, underrated 3x Syd Barker medalist.

Swallow gets overlooked a bit. Giving him a mulligan for ‘08 when he got dropped then injured, he was a star until he snapped his achilles.

 

[King Corey]

Swallow gets overlooked a bit. Giving him a mulligan for ‘08 when he got dropped then injured, he was a star until he snapped his achilles.

He was still a damn good player after too imo.

I reckon he and Cunnington had the most direct say in whether we won or lost between 2010-2020.

 

[Whiskey Stat]

Occasionally you have to compare head to head, looking at output regardless of tenpering factors.

At the close of 2008 Swallow's combined VFL/AFL form was ahead of Phillips at the corresponding

It's not writing Will off to hold the opinion he's not yet matching up at the equivalent stage to a future club captain and very influential, underrated 3x Syd Barker medalist.

Glandular fever is a fair tempering factor.
At the afl level, their first three seasons have tracked reasonably closely. Hopefully Will breaks out in his fourth year too.

Losing a year of physical development makes this a slightly unfair comparison to date. Not withstanding Swallow's own injury in 2008.

Swallow is personal all time favourite mine, and definitely massively underrated, especially pre achilles. It's hard to imagine any player, other than Sheezel, winning 3 or more BnFs in the coming years.
Comparing most third year players to Swallow will be fraught a exercise, I am pretty bullish of Phillips stocks however.

On a side note, using the app for this site to quote is a horses arse.

 

[DuckYeah]

Swallow gets overlooked a bit. Giving him a mulligan for ‘08 when he got dropped then injured, he was a star until he snapped his achilles.

Phillips will be a better player than spits. Willips is a better kick.

 

[King Corey]

Glandular fever is a fair tempering factor.
At the afl level, their first three seasons have tracked reasonably closely. Hopefully Will breaks out in his fourth year too.

Losing a year of physical development makes this a slightly unfair comparison to date. Not withstanding Swallow's own injury in 2008.

Swallow is personal all time favourite mine, and definitely massively underrated, especially pre achilles. It's hard to imagine any player, other than Sheezel, winning 3 or more BnFs in the coming years.
Comparing most third year players to Swallow will be fraught a exercise, I am pretty bullish of Phillips stocks however.

On a side note, using the app for this site to quote is a horses arse.

Agree and want to stress it's not about devaluing Will.

I just happen to rate Andrew Swallow very highly, he was an excellent balance between contested ballwinning, defensive coverage and intensity. He was from the Anthony Stevens school of lead by example, drag your side over the line leadership.

 

[Passmore]

Phillips will be a better player than spits. Willips is a better kick.

That’d be nice outcome.

 

[DuckYeah]

Agree and want to stress it's not about devaluing Will.

I just happen to rate Andrew Swallow very highly, he was an excellent balance between contested ballwinning, defensive coverage and intensity. He was from the Anthony Stevens school of lead by example, drag your side over the line leadership.

Spitta annoyed the **** out of me. Very decent pressure tackling beast though. Just a no frills inside mid that gave his all… one thing spits never did was handball at team mates feet

 

[The Dougster]

Phillips will be a better player than spits. Willips is a better kick.

If he can equal Swallow’s level we have a star on our hands

 

[Devil Fish]

If he can equal Swallow’s level we have a star on our hands

If he can equal Greg Williams level, then we definitely have a star on our hands.

 

[Devil Fish]

Phillips will be a better player than spits. Willips is a better kick.

LOL

 

[The Dougster]

If he can equal Greg Williams level, then we definitely have a star on our hands.

Diesel was a superstar

 

[Junk yard]

Diesel was a superstar

and Phillip's was dropped at least 3 times from one of the worst teams of all time. Wouldn't net us a pick in the 30s ATM.

 

[RossHenshaw]

and Phillip's was dropped at least 3 times from one of the worst teams of all time. Wouldn't net us a pick in the 30s ATM.

Paddy Dow MKII

 

[RossHenshaw]

Phillips will be a better player than spits. Willips is a better kick.