Player Watch #29: Will Phillips

[The Nostradamus]

Done a good job on Rowell (who is one of the best contested players in the comp) in the first half. For whatever reason they changed it up in the 2nd half and he didn’t have much impact. He wasn’t amazing, but he wasn’t terrible. We have nothing to lose by playing him and giving him some continuity at AFL level (same goes for all the young-ish mids, Lazz ect).

Yep was solid
Clean with the ball as always and kept his opponent quiet

 

[Epictetus]

He played on Rowell who is averaging 8 clearances a game , 2nd in league after Liberatore. Last night Rowell had 3.

Last year Will averaged 4 a game same as Wardlaw and Simpkin but this average was also impacted by two games as sub. and long stints not playing on the ball and/or with low % of time on ground. When he did play midfield for long stints last year he got the clearances and we also played well as a team. Worth remembering that two of those games last year were against Swans and Collingwood midfields.

Also worth remembering one B Cunnington averaged 4 clearances a game in the 3rd year of his AFL career

I fully agree Will is not performing to his potential and seems to be running around at half pace. But when he does play to that potential he’s shown he’s a very good footballer.

Even last night he was a standout in the quality of his disposal. How many of our turnovers, clearly our number one problem, were down to Will?

I think he’ll get there and be a standout midfielder by his mid-20’s. Hopefully that will be with North.

For the record, I agree with whoever said there's nothing to lose with playing him. More to do with his draft position.
He either goes well and gets an extension or we can trade him for something... or we delist him with enough evidence to make that call.

But, the efficiency argument is such nonsense. He doesn't kick the football and he rarely wins clearance. So of course he rolls with high %. It's literally 3:1 handball kick and they are uncreative, non damaging handballs at that.

He's neither the problem or part of the solution, but he gives a s**t so nothing to lose playing him given the current situation.

 

[shinboner magic]

Did his job

Would play him on Durham this week

 

[perplexed]

He played on Rowell who is averaging 8 clearances a game , 2nd in league after Liberatore. Last night Rowell had 3.

Last year Will averaged 4 a game same as Wardlaw and Simpkin but this average was also impacted by two games as sub. and long stints not playing on the ball and/or with low % of time on ground. When he did play midfield for long stints last year he got the clearances and we also played well as a team. Worth remembering that two of those games last year were against Swans and Collingwood midfields.

Also worth remembering one B Cunnington averaged 4 clearances a game in the 3rd year of his AFL career

I fully agree Will is not performing to his potential and seems to be running around at half pace. But when he does play to that potential he’s shown he’s a very good footballer.

Even last night he was a standout in the quality of his disposal. How many of our turnovers, clearly our number one problem, were down to Will?

I think he’ll get there and be a standout midfielder by his mid-20’s. Hopefully that will be with North.

You are very generous. I'm not sure how you can say Will has shown that he is very good footballer. He'll never be a dominant clearance mid, but he can't cover ground either. I just don't see a role for him.

Also, comparing him to Cunners is nuts, Ben was tough as nails and immovable over the footy, Will gets brushed aside by rookies.

 

[roos_fanatic08]

But, the efficiency argument is such nonsense. He doesn't kick the football and he rarely wins clearance. So of course he rolls with high %. It's literally 3:1 handball kick and they are uncreative, non damaging handballs at

I agree that his efficiency stats are inflated because he doesn’t kick but I tend to disagree that they aren’t damaging. Phillips has a lot of small short handballs around the contest that don’t look like much but they often give his teammates space to release out of the contest. While he doesn’t kick much (I wish he kicked more), he is a very neat kick and often kicks to the advantage of his teammates, same can’t be said for many others on this football team.

Outside of Sheezel and Powell, Phillips is probably the next in line as to who I’d like kicking the ball inside 50. He has shown that he is a solid kick to leading targets regularly at AFL level and at VFL level. Problem is he doesn’t get it enough forward if centre to be that distributor inside forward 50.

 

[HorneFrancis2Comben]

Man this thread is weird as hell, he was okay when the team did okay, doesn't have the ceiling of Sheezel, Wardlaw or Mckercher but to be fair not many do. Compliments them nicely in a theoretical future, and if Stephens gives the handball he has a goal and it a slightly better game and you might say par.

Probably was on par with what Jy has delivered all year in what looked like a similar split (which is disappointing but for another time.).

He was average, wasn't horrible, wasn't great just okay and seemed to mitigate rowel when on him.

 

[Colby Cheer Squad]

I agree that his efficiency stats are inflated because he doesn’t kick but I tend to disagree that they aren’t damaging. Phillips has a lot of small short handballs around the contest that don’t look like much but they often give his teammates space to release out of the contest. While he doesn’t kick much (I wish he kicked more), he is a very neat kick and often kicks to the advantage of his teammates, same can’t be said for many others on this football team.

Outside of Sheezel and Powell, Phillips is probably the next in line as to who I’d like kicking the ball inside 50. He has shown that he is a solid kick to leading targets regularly at AFL level and at VFL level. Problem is he doesn’t get it enough forward if centre to be that distributor inside forward 50.

Yes spot on, he makes very good decisions whenever he has the ball, and if only he won more of the ball, he would be a damaging player. People suggest Xerri needs to find LDU in clearances rather than bomb the ball inside 50 himself. I'd prefer he found Phillips, who at least gives it off to our team's advantage pretty much every time he touches it.

 

[Whereitallbegan]

Will is too weak to compete at stoppages and then gets torched on the spread. If he had one elite trait I could understand persisting with him, but he doesn't. He is a complete liability and only exacerbates our weaknesses. We are struggling in the middle and rather than play someone who can help George and Luke we have them babysitting the work experience kid.

I think we should use Curtis and Zurhaar in bursts at centre bounces and McKercher and Sheezel elsewhere. Basically play players in roles that take advantage of their strengths rather than expose their weaknesses.

Well I’m perplexed also, “elite traits”, is anyone else sick of this phrase?
On any given weekend, we’d be lucky to name 5 players on our team sheet, that has one of these so-called “elite traits”
What elite traits do Curtis and Zurhaar possess, that we’d given them extended time in the midfield?

 

[perplexed]

Well I’m perplexed also, “elite traits”, is anyone else sick of this phrase?
On any given weekend, we’d be lucky to name 5 players on our team sheet, that has one of these so-called “elite traits”
What elite traits do Curtis and Zurhaar possess, that we’d given them extended time in the midfield?

They are both powerful players who can have an influence at centre bounces - which is what I think we should be using them for. I wouldn't give them 'extended time in the midfield', they would be gassed faster than Will.

 

[Blightys Barrel]

Smoked Rowell in the first half. Plenty worse than him. I will die on this

He played on Rowell who is averaging 8 clearances a game , 2nd in league after Liberatore. Last night Rowell had 3.

Last year Will averaged 4 a game same as Wardlaw and Simpkin but this average was also impacted by two games as sub. and long stints not playing on the ball and/or with low % of time on ground. When he did play midfield for long stints last year he got the clearances and we also played well as a team. Worth remembering that two of those games last year were against Swans and Collingwood midfields.

Also worth remembering one B Cunnington averaged 4 clearances a game in the 3rd year of his AFL career

I fully agree Will is not performing to his potential and seems to be running around at half pace. But when he does play to that potential he’s shown he’s a very good footballer.

Even last night he was a standout in the quality of his disposal. How many of our turnovers, clearly our number one problem, were down to Will?

I think he’ll get there and be a standout midfielder by his mid-20’s. Hopefully that will be with North.

Rowell laid 12 tackles to Will’s 2. And 39 pressure acts (game high) to Will’s 22 in almost equal game time. 108 mins to 99 mins. Some times it’s about the effort when you don’t have the ball, as much as when you do.

I would be curious to see Will’s combine 40 Meter times from a Junior to year 4. He really looks like he is running in quick sand against the majority of players out there. Would also like to see his 2 KM splits as well to see if he has picked up his endurance overall as well. I’m sure someone like Barlow has this for all players to plot their development.

 

[Midas]

I think we let things evolve over a few weeks and make a call then.

But I’m fence sitting nowadays after being a fervent supporter.

Playing in a team with confidence would allow his cleans hands and exquisite vision to play more adequately.

 

[The acurate one]

Well I’m perplexed also, “elite traits”, is anyone else sick of this phrase?
On any given weekend, we’d be lucky to name 5 players on our team sheet, that has one of these so-called “elite traits”
What elite traits do Curtis and Zurhaar possess, that we’d given them extended time in the midfield?

Harsh on Curtis and Zurhaar.

When one considers elite traits one must look at the position they play.

Curtis is going to be a star, strong as ox. Still learning the craft. Zurhaar needs a CHF to help him out.

 

[koshari]

Harsh on Curtis and Zurhaar.

When one considers elite traits one must look at the position they play.

Curtis is going to be a star, strong as ox. Still learning the craft. Zurhaar needs a CHF to help him out.

Everyone needs a chf to help them out.

 

[The acurate one]

Everyone needs a chf to help them out.

Yes they do and especially a HFF type.