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

[koshari]

My



Shields has always been an elite runner, and has done some great jobs this year for the team as a tagger.

If I was an opposition player like Daicos, Heeney or Neale and saw WillPhil coming to me as a tagger. I would be licking my lips as 5 sprints in he would be blowing up like a balloon.

But it’s pretty much his only option to stay at the club, as the mids are sorted now and that boat has now left the pier. He might not want the tagger role and might seek another home at the end of the year if any other club has an interest.

That mid performance prolly relagated laz as a full time vfl player as well.

 

[ChairmanZia]

Yep yesterday tagged their best mid

Got it 18 times and a goal also so was good both ways

They seem like they are prepping him to take shiels role

If so then it's a good sign, we haven't had a good tagger since danny jacobs.

We were flying in 2018 until jacobs got heavily concussed and started to slide from there.

 

[amaz199]

Now that Jy absolutely killed it in the middle, Will needs to have ridiculously good form to turn things around for him.

If the 1s continue playing competitive football from here, he will not be able to get in.

 

[The Nostradamus]

Who was their best mid?

Tagged Flynn gentile to just 17 touches which was Flynn’s lowest possession count for the year

And After 43 and 32 the last 2 weeks was in serious form

Beat him easily and got 18 touches and a goal himself

Will only be a matter of time before he takes shiels spot if not next week

 

[ChairmanZia]

Tagged Flynn gentile to just 17 touches which was Flynn’s lowest possession count for the year

After 43 and 32 the last 2 weeks

Beat him easily and got 18 touches and a goal himself

Will only be a matter of time before he takes shiels spot if not next week

Let him develop for the year to fully get use to the role.

 

[Junk yard]

Tagged Flynn gentile to just 17 touches which was Flynn’s lowest possession count for the year

And After 43 and 32 the last 2 weeks was in serious form

Beat him easily and got 18 touches and a goal himself

Will only be a matter of time before he takes shiels spot if not next week

This time last year he was dubbed by many on here as our next captain and people were slamming anyone who doubted him. Mcdonald is no good, Hollands is no good! Turns out we f@#$d up. Our number 3 pick in his fourth year is tagging a VFL midfielder. Let it go mate.

 

[The Nostradamus]

This time last year he was dubbed by many on here as our next captain and people were slamming anyone who doubted him. Mcdonald is no good, Hollands is no good! Turns out we f@#$d up. Our number 3 pick in his fourth year is tagging a VFL midfielder. Let it go mate.

He’s not really just a tagger
More a defensive mid that can hurt the other way also

If he gets more touches than the oppo best mid each week you take that easily

 

[FootySmartSimpson]

Mate don’t think he’ll be with us next season. Best thing for his career.

You might be right.

 

[Augustine]

Everyone gets picks wrong. Even number 3 picks aren't guarantees. Some drafts are weaker than others. Those are the vagaries of footy. As bad as we've been these past five years, weirdly our hit rate on picks has actually been really good. It's all the other list management decisions that we've stunk up. This is our one bad miss.

Phillips is a decent footy player, he's not a hack kick, he's not soft, he's not a plodder. However, I have not seen one sign that he can ever be elite. I can't even remember a single passage of play that caught my eye where I've gone "wow this kid has something" like for example one of Powell's freaky visionary handballs that we saw in his first handfull of games or the proto-versions of LDU's lateral burst. I still can't tell you what Phllips' "thing" is. Wardlaw has jaw-dropping ferocity, McKearcher has run and carry and that rare gift of knowing how to accumulate disposals, Duursma has goal instincts and high marking. Sheezel is Sheezel.

I've had in my head that maybe Phillips could become like an 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

level of midfielder in his prime - elite without being spectacular, reliably competent, defensively accountable, doing the grunt work and making other more skilful players around him better. I no longer think he can get to that level. I've re-calibrated my expectations of him now and I think the best we can possibly hope from him is to get to the level of a Ryan Bastinac

Ryan Bastinac

Age

33

Ht

184cm

Wt

76kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

19.2

5star

K

10.0

4star

HB

9.2

5star

M

3.4

3star

T

3.0

5star

CL

2.6

4star

No current season stats available

D

18.8

5star

K

10.8

4star

HB

8.0

5star

M

3.4

4star

T

3.6

5star

CL

2.6

5star

or a Trent Dumont

43

Trent Dumont

Age

29

Ht

186cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

19.9

5star

K

10.5

4star

HB

9.4

5star

M

3.3

3star

T

4.1

5star

CL

2.6

4star

D

20.1

5star

K

10.4

4star

HB

9.7

5star

M

3.4

3star

T

3.9

5star

CL

2.4

4star

D

9.6

3star

K

5.6

3star

HB

4.0

3star

M

0.6

1star

T

4.4

5star

CL

2.6

5star

- and to be honest he's not even near those guys yet.

So if he has any trade value left, we trade. If that means feeling a little foolish trading a former pick 3 for a third rounder or something like that, so be it. Cut your losses.

He has half a season to change our minds.

 

[Zondor]

Tagged Flynn gentile to just 17 touches which was Flynn’s lowest possession count for the year

And After 43 and 32 the last 2 weeks was in serious form

Beat him easily and got 18 touches and a goal himself

Will only be a matter of time before he takes shiels spot if not next week

Phillips simply doesn’t cover the ground like Shiels does. To tag you gots to be able to run. :stern look

 

[RossHenshaw]

Everyone gets picks wrong. Even number 3 picks aren't guarantees. Some drafts are weaker than others. Those are the vagaries of footy. As bad as we've been these past five years, weirdly our hit rate on picks has actually been really good. It's all the other list management decisions that we've stunk up. This is our one bad miss.

Phillips is a decent footy player, he's not a hack kick, he's not soft, he's not a plodder. However, I have not seen one sign that he can ever be elite. I can't even remember a single passage of play that caught my eye where I've gone "wow this kid has something" like for example one of Powell's freaky visionary handballs that we saw in his first handfull of games or the proto-versions of LDU's lateral burst. I still can't tell you what Phllips' "thing" is. Wardlaw has jaw-dropping ferocity, McKearcher has run and carry and that rare gift of knowing how to accumulate disposals, Duursma has goal instincts and high marking. Sheezel is Sheezel.

I've had in my head that maybe Phillips could become like an Andrew Swallow level of midfielder in his prime - elite without being spectacular, reliably competent, defensively accountable, doing the grunt work and making other more skilful players around him better. I no longer think he can get to that level. I've re-calibrated my expectations of him now and I think the best we can possibly hope from him is to get to the level of a Ryan Bastinac or a Trent Dumont - and to be honest he's not even near those guys yet.

So if he has any trade value left, we trade. If that means feeling a little foolish trading a former pick 3 for a third rounder or something like that, so be it. Cut your losses.

He has half a season to change our minds.

Elijah Hollands says hi

 

[Coalface]

If so then it's a good sign, we haven't had a good tagger since danny jacobs.

We were flying in 2018 until jacobs got heavily concussed and started to slide from there.

Danny Jacobs... Tell me more about him...

 

[Junk yard]

How are those comparisons with logan mcdonald looking now??

Not so good.

 

[Junk yard]

He's going to be an absolute cannon ball in his mid 20's, not only that, he's going to get contest to contest and power through.

He's got extremely high footy IQ, everyone at the ground can see it. He cuts the angles when he gets it, knows how to get repeat links.

He has a a deceptively explosive first 5 meters also, which is only going to become more noticeable with strength and fitness.


Wardlaw, Sheezel and LDU are all absolutely A++ talents, but I wouldn't be sleeping on Will ending up our best mid/player in the future.


He's projecting to be similar to Tom Mitchell imo, but with a few additional yards of pace that Mitchell has never had. Mitchell was/is a superstar ball winner, if he had Phillips' first 5m, who knows what he would have been. You are probably talking Diesel (who wasn't quick btw, but possibly puts Mitchell into that level......). It's up to Will to build the same endurance base and consistency that Mitchell developed.

Will has an extremely high ceiling, but just isn't as easy on the eye as the other 3.

His fundamentals (clean hands, footy IQ, vision, speed of disposal, disposal on right and left) are all just as good as Sheezel imo.

Will is basically a much much better version of young Andrew Swallow at the moment imo.

Tom Mitchell? Diesel??? Deceptively explosive? Missed the entire board.

 

[koshari]

Elijah Hollands says hi

Actually showing up his brother

 

[koshari]

Danny Jacobs... Tell me more about him...

Changed his name to avoid confusion with crows ruckman who also wasnt called danny.

Either that or autocorrect sees benny as danny?

 

[KiwiRoo]

Nah, he's just not that good. It's sad but he's a bust

It might turn out that way, but I remember very similar comments been made about Cunners early doors too

 

[Epictetus]

It might turn out that way, but I remember very similar comments been made about Cunners early doors too

Sigh...

 

[Shagga is all Class]

Tagged Flynn gentile to just 17 touches which was Flynn’s lowest possession count for the year

And After 43 and 32 the last 2 weeks was in serious form

Beat him easily and got 18 touches and a goal himself

Will only be a matter of time before he takes shiels spot if not next week

Would have no issue him getting a run at that role for 3+ weeks later in the year.

If it doesn't work, then we move onto Payne, Lazz or whoever else might be a chance. George probably doesn't have the tank.

Watched Cincotta last night and you do not have to be a world beater, plus he kicked 2 goals.

 

[Only Forwards]

Tom Mitchell? Diesel??? Deceptively explosive? Missed the entire board.

Quoting posts from 12 months ago to continue to shit on the kid.

I have never seen a poster on this board with more bias against a player than you have towards Will.

Not Nostradamus and Gibson/Scott.

Not Mav with Thomas.

90+% of your posts are against a single player.

You are the very definition of biased.

 

[Brian Fontana]

Anyone hanging their hopes on wilphil is deluded. The fact he’s uncontracted for next year and playing VFL, tells you everything you need to know.

Seems like a great kid but doesnt have it unfortunately. Might get a go at a team with no depth in the midfield like a geelong.

 

[ChairmanZia]

Danny Jacobs... Tell me more about him...

When he was flying, he shuts down opp's best mid out of the game.

He was the best tagger in 2018 until injury in which he never recovered from.

E.g. trent cotchin 2015 elimination final, 8 possesions...

 

[Mixed Results]

I wrote on this in the delistings thread, but there will be clubs putting two if not three years on the table for Will.

Clubs will recognise the upside of his situation as a high draft pick with a rough run at it, and you'll get a club with a need for young mids willing to risk the list spot.

For us, I still believe in Will, but if it's a three year deal I wouldn't be upset if the club moved on.

 

[ChairmanZia]

It's encouraging that we are developing his tagging role, could turn him into a decent role player.

A good coach can turn players like him into very useful one.

 

[Augustine]

It might turn out that way, but I remember very similar comments been made about Cunners early doors too

Cunnington was always really slow for a midfielder. As a skinny teen he didn’t have any of that amazing core strength and power that compensated for his lack of leg speed. He also had no tank early doors.

There was people calling him a bust. But others were point to his elite traits, top tier vision especially with handballs, super clean hands under pressure, a Pendlebury-esque ability to float through traffic, real hardness in ground ball contests, natural ability to rove packs, and an unteachable goal sense. Eventually when he got an AFL standard tank and put on that crazy farmer’s strength that gave him the ability to fend off and rag doll any would-be tacklers, he was a top ten midfielder in the comp for many years. He still had weaknesses and I have distinct visions of fast players running right past him in the middle as they cut us open. But he became probably our best player of the 2010s.

There has been no glimpses, no moments, no passages of play that give you a sense of what Phillips Could become. I think there’s maybe been one match that Phillips has played that he can hang his hat on and that was last year against Essendon. Nobody can say what the characteristics of Phillips are. I would really like someone to tell me.

I don’t hate the guy. I really like him and want him to succeed. I just don’t see it happening.