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

[The Nostradamus]

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.

Yeah I think it’s a smart move

It’s finding him a role in our midfield

 

[RossHenshaw]

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

Can he do it vs Nick Daicos perhaps ? Worth the thought

 

[swaeney]

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.

At 1:14 in his debut year. The pick up, fend off and then goals. You can’t tell me that’s not elite.

you've posted multiple times how much you don't think he will make it. what's the point of wasting your weekends on here trashing him, instead of silently cheering for him?

 

[Shack18]

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.

Don’t agree, he is our cleanest player re hands, terrific vision and hits targets. You know when Will has the ball North will keep the ball.

 

[Epictetus]

At 1:14 in his debut year. The pick up, fend off and then goals. You can’t tell me that’s not elite.

you've posted multiple times how much you don't think he will make it. what's the point of wasting your weekends on here trashing him, instead of silently cheering for him?

There is literally nothing in that clip - and I mean nothing - that indicates he is or will be elite. Or even good, frankly.

I think we've been bad for so long that people forget what elite looks like.

 

[swaeney]

There is literally nothing in that clip - and I mean nothing - that indicates he is or will be elite. Or even good, frankly.

I think we've been bad for so long that people forget what elite looks like.

sure mate. i'm imagining you the 150kg bloke who is sitting on the couch all weekend- picking the ball up running at pace, fending off opposition while having one hot on your tail and kicking it over oppositions head for a goal. shut up and let him play ffs

 

[Epictetus]

sure mate. i'm imagining you the 150kg bloke who is sitting on the couch all weekend- picking the ball up running at pace, fending off opposition while having one hot on your tail and kicking it over oppositions head for a goal. shut up and let him play ffs

haha ok mate.

Were you one of the blokes that said anyone who doesn't rate Will doesn't understand footy? I lose track.

 

[brooksnk]

sure mate. i'm imagining you the 150kg bloke who is sitting on the couch all weekend- picking the ball up running at pace, fending off opposition while having one hot on your tail and kicking it over oppositions head for a goal. shut up and let him play ffs

Epictetus is 100% correct - there is nothing in that clip that is remotely special. You could put a highlights package together of just about every bone average mid in the competition and there would be nothing to set aparts will's highlight video.

The one noticable thing in that video is that he seems abnorally slow and consistenctly one paced without showing anything to compensate for it. It is a shame, because I think as a person, he has exceptioanl character. He just isn't up to imo.

It seems to me the only reason there are people so viciously defending him is because he happens to have been selected at 3 and is a good bloke. If he was picked at 35+, everyone would be calling for him to be deslited.

 

[Twangler]

I’ve been watching him in vfl and like others have been disappointed (as I’m sure Phillips would be too in his own performances). But he does have potential elite traits. His composure, creativity by hand and foot stand out. In that area I think he matches or at least isn’t too far behind the likes of Powell. He’s showing signs of developing a very solid defensive game so those traits combined point toward a successful AFL career if he can pull it all together.

 

[The acurate one]

At 1:14 in his debut year. The pick up, fend off and then goals. You can’t tell me that’s not elite.

you've posted multiple times how much you don't think he will make it. what's the point of wasting your weekends on here trashing him, instead of silently cheering for him?

That is some quality work by Phillips, no one can deny that. Is that after all of his illnesses or before. And I am fyi in the keep him camp, we got plenty to move on.

But I am concerned he may want to leave us, which is understandable.

 

[swaeney]

haha ok mate.

Were you one of the blokes that said anyone who doesn't rate Will doesn't understand footy? I lose track.

I’ve never said that so now you’re putting words into my mouth.

Cunnington was a slow burn before he cemented his spot in the seniors, and what else do they both have in common?

Not visually quick
Their play styles- the ability to create space for others when they have the ball.
Clean hands


I don’t understand what you get out of continuously shitting on a bloke because he has been a bit of a slow burn to start his footy career.

 

[brooksnk]

I’ve never said that so now you’re putting words into my mouth.

Cunnington was a slow burn before he cemented his spot in the seniors, and what else do they both have in common?

Not visually quick
Their play styles- the ability to create space for others when they have the ball.
Clean hands


I don’t understand what you get out of continuously shitting on a bloke because he has been a bit of a slow burn to start his footy career.

cunnington had super human strength, was impossible to tackle and could fend off 3 opposition players in sequence after digging out the ball from under 5 bodies. Could handball 40m and was an all round elite user of the footy by hand and foot around the ground.

Phillips doesnt have any of that.

This is Cunnington in game 16 -

 

[Arthur Cloke]

cunnington had super human strength, was impossible to tackle and could fend off 3 opposition players in sequence after digging out the ball from under 5 bodies. Could handball 40m and was an all round elite user of the footy by hand and foot around the ground.

Phillips doesnt have any of that.

But other than that, you can't say Phillips doesn't remind you of a young Cunners.

 

[brooksnk]

But other than that, you can't say Phillips doesn't remind you of a young Cunners.

got me there.

 

[Only Forwards]

That is some quality work by Phillips, no one can deny that. Is that after all of his illnesses or before. And I am fyi in the keep him camp, we got plenty to move on.

But I am concerned he may want to leave us, which is understandable.

If he wants out I’d actually only really want to let him go with a player coming back our way who has similarly been maligned.

I don’t want some fourth round magic beans draft pick.

 

[The acurate one]

If he wants out I’d actually only really want to let him go with a player coming back our way who has similarly been maligned.

I don’t want some fourth round magic beans draft pick.

Yes these type of deals are often the best. We don't want as you say another mid to late draft pick.

I think he's moved ahead of Lazzaro.

""

 

[swaeney]

cunnington had super human strength, was impossible to tackle and could fend off 3 opposition players in sequence after digging out the ball from under 5 bodies. Could handball 40m and was an all round elite user of the footy by hand and foot around the ground.

Phillips doesnt have any of that.

This is Cunnington in game 16 -

Phillips kicking is better, his defensive traits are better than Cunningtons. He will never have a flashy highlights package but he will create the space that will allow the players with the highlights packages to do that.

I’m pretty sure even his draft profile said something of the like, and that’s exactly how we are seeing it.

 

[Epictetus]

Phillips kicking is better, his defensive traits are better than Cunningtons. He will never have a flashy highlights package but he will create the space that will allow the players with the highlights packages to do that.

I’m pretty sure even his draft profile said something of the like, and that’s exactly how we are seeing it.

How we're seeing it is that he's tagging in the VFL for a team thats won 2 games in nearly 2 seasons.

And I'm all for differing opinions, but saying he kicks it better than Cunnington is utter nonsense. You either didn't watch Cunnington play or you weren't paying attention or you have no idea. I'm cool if you choose which one of those applies.

 

[Zebrah]

Give him 2-3 more weeks as a tagger in the VFL. Let him establish himself. If he does it, I would put him in for Shiels. We might lose a bit short term, but long term upside.

No point giving up on someone with his junior talent given some of the average players of our list.

 

[apollo_creed]

How we're seeing it is that he's tagging in the VFL for a team thats won 2 games in nearly 2 seasons.

And I'm all for differing opinions, but saying he kicks it better than Cunnington is utter nonsense. You either didn't watch Cunnington play or you weren't paying attention or you have no idea. I'm cool if you choose which one of those applies.

Yeah Cunnington was a good field kick. People have short memories.

 

[Epictetus]

Give him 2-3 more weeks as a tagger in the VFL. Let him establish himself. If he does it, I would put him in for Shiels. We might lose a bit short term, but long term upside.

No point giving up on someone with his junior talent given some of the average players of our list.

I don't think he can do it and I think his junior talent stuff is a fallacy because he was drafted high...but I agree with this. Can't hurt to play him for the rest of the season. All things considered, there's no downside to that I reckon.

 

[swaeney]

How we're seeing it is that he's tagging in the VFL for a team thats won 2 games in nearly 2 seasons.

And I'm all for differing opinions, but saying he kicks it better than Cunnington is utter nonsense. You either didn't watch Cunnington play or you weren't paying attention or you have no idea. I'm cool if you choose which one of those applies.

VFL team has been winning more games than 2 in 2 seasons??

he's had everything against him.. i'm not even going to list them because they've been said here notoriously and people like you refuse to accept it.

also i'm not saying cunnington was a bad kick... he was definitely better with his hands. but phillips IS a better kick than cunnington ever was.

 

[Epictetus]

VFL team has been winning more games than 2 in 2 seasons??

he's had everything against him.. i'm not even going to list them because they've been said here notoriously and people like you refuse to accept it.

also i'm not saying cunnington was a bad kick... he was definitely better with his hands. but phillips IS a better kick than cunnington ever was.

You know what I meant re the 2 games. He can't get a game in that team. Not only can't he get a game, he's tagging VFL listed players in the twos.

He had glandular fever, yep. We get it. And I don't think you know what notoriously means.

And he's not a better kick than Cunnington.

 

[swaeney]

You know what I meant re the 2 games. He can't get a game in that team. Not only can't he get a game, he's tagging VFL listed players in the twos.

He had glandular fever, yep. We get it. And I don't think you know what notoriously means.

And he's not a better kick than Cunnington.

i'd even go as far and say that Phillips is up there with Sheezel and Tarryn Thomas as our best kick i50 to hit up targets. was never a strength of cunningtons

 

[Epictetus]

i'd even go as far and say that Phillips is up there with Sheezel and Tarryn Thomas as our best kick i50 to hit up targets. was never a strength of cunningtons

This is now not worth my time. God speed.