Player Watch Rupert Wills (Delisted 2020)

[OniAu]

I reckon youre making up a new rule if you think the tackler has to have control of his opponent.

The umpires like to let these go but when you turn nearly 720 degrees before disposing of the ball you should be pinged.

There is such thing as control in a tackle. Hardly a new rule , if the tackler is scraggling at your legs , hes hardly got you holding the ball if you can get your hands free and dispose of it

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

There is such thing as control in a tackle. Hardly a new rule , if the tackler is scraggling at your legs , hes hardly got you holding the ball if you can get your hands free and dispose of it

Its not a very good tackle but its still a legal tackle in the letter of the rules.

I'd be interested to see this "control" in a tackle you speak of in the rules of the game.

 

[Scritchyscroony]

He is actually important to our midfield structure and balance.We need his big body grunt in and under at stoppages. He is a tackling machine and exactly what we needed when Adams was out all that time and we looked soft at the coal face. Adams can't be expected to do this role all on his own. With Greenwood doing an excellent job as a Backman this year it's down to wills and Seir. Seir was a big failure... Didn't play well or play the role properly.

If we drop Wills to bring back Degoey we are making a mistake. I'd drop Noble, WhE even Varcoe to bring back Degoey and strepenson rather than Wills.

 

[barrackers]

It was more “hands to yourself, Rupert”. That umpire has to be a school teacher haha.

I think both may have been rolled out at various times and often from one context to the next.

 

[Lockyer24]

Would it be fair to say that Rupert isn't starring, but he is making our other midfielders perform much better.

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[Timmy from Thomastown]

Would it be fair to say that Rupert isn't starring, but he is making our other midfielders perform much better.

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Very fair.

He frees Trelaor Pendlebury and Sidebottom to be more outside (combined with Phillips who is always outside) whilst he and a badly missed Adams do the gruntwork in the middle.

Hes providing what we should have expected from Sier....with slightly less polish and skill but equally as effective.

 

[Kirby]

He played well last night and is really freeing up our better users of the ball.

 

[jonbe54]

Rupe is what I call an 'enabler' - his hard work frees others to do better.

 

[ZEV]

had taken his angry pills yesterday

 

[Damon_3388]

He is actually important to our midfield structure and balance.We need his big body grunt in and under at stoppages. He is a tackling machine and exactly what we needed when Adams was out all that time and we looked soft at the coal face. Adams can't be expected to do this role all on his own. With Greenwood doing an excellent job as a Backman this year it's down to wills and Seir. Seir was a big failure... Didn't play well or play the role properly.

Yeah Wills is definitely needed around the ball. He gives the other mids space to do their thing (how good is it to see Treloar and Adams get some room to attack over the last couple of games?!), and it means that Grundy doesn't have to do all the physical bullocking stuff around the stoppages. Wills allows us to have an accountable defensive element in there, without playing someone as an out-and-out tagger.

I was thinking that Wills' numbers don't look that flash (outside of the tackling), but then I didn't take into account the low amount of gametime he's playing. Stretch things out to, say, 85% gametime, and it's actually pretty impressive for the role he's playing:



If we can get him up to 75-80% over the next couple of weeks, he'll prove even more valuable. He plays within himself much more than Sier does (the difference in disposal efficiency is a whopping 21%), and is much more willing and able to play a supporting role and do the defensive stuff, rather than being a "see ball, get ball" player. For the role we need them to play, Wills has been and is much better.

If we drop Wills to bring back Degoey we are making a mistake. I'd drop Noble, WhE even Varcoe to bring back Degoey and strepenson rather than Wills.

I think Noble is the one that drops off. He's found the ball pretty well in his couple of games, but isn't really that damaging, and is a bit replaceable.

 

[Temploar]

Not a gun but exactly what we need right now.
His grunt is exceptional, hits like a battering ram.

I love having players like him and Adams in the midfield, it makes us such a better side.

 

[nahnah]

If he was quicker he'd be really good, he's just so slow... playing a good role for us atm

 

[SpongePie]

How is he tracking vs Sier this time last year. In other words, 2018 Sier vs 2019 Wills?

 

[Saintly Viewed]

How is he tracking vs Sier this time last year. In other words, 2018 Sier vs 2019 Wills?

That’s a real clever question.

I’d say Sier 2018 was a higher plane than 2019 Wills.
Sier a far better driver in heavy traffic. More menacing over all. Tracking to be a Sydney Josh Kennedy type.
Not sure Wills has ever reached that kind of potential.

But 2019 Wills is far better than 2019 Sier.

Overall Sier is (far) better than Wills. But Wills is doing the business. So credit to him on that.
Sier still living in the potential bubble.

Great question.

 

[No SPIN]

I think he is very important and will prove his worth in finals, where is his grunt and size will fatigue/hurt opposition midfielders.
A further benefit is his ability to stop the opposition breaking from Centre bounces - the secondary bounce that ensues allows us to drop a 7th defender back if needed because the 6-6-6 doesn't apply. So in a crunch games where the opposition has momentum this becomes critical.

 

[jackcass]

That’s a real clever question.

I’d say Sier 2018 was a higher plane than 2019 Wills.
Sier a far better driver in heavy traffic. More menacing over all. Tracking to be a Sydney Josh Kennedy type.
Not sure Wills has ever reached that kind of potential.

But 2019 Wills is far better than 2019 Sier.

Overall Sier is (far) better than Wills. But Wills is doing the business. So credit to him on that.
Sier still living in the potential bubble.

Great question.

Wills was actually better performed at VFL level in 2018, just got injured when the senior vacancy became available and Sier took his chance.

 

[ClaytonM]

If he was quicker he'd be really good, he's just so slow... playing a good role for us atm

I don't think it is his pace that is his major issue. He needs to be cleaner by hand. In today's game you can't afford to fumble or it is a potential turnover. If he was cleaner by hand he would be definite best 22 for me.

 

[ride56]

Definitely played his best game for the pies. Looked more assured. Well done to the big fella

 

[DaVe86]

If we cop a wet day in the finals, or the game descends into a contest struggle (as most finals games do), he'll be a very valuable asset for us.

For now he is doing his role. I think he'll keep his spot even with De Goey back, because I don't think Jordan will have the tank to play midfield. Which might mean one of JT, Varcoe, WHE or Cal Brown make way. Hard to see any of those guys dropping out though based on the past fortnight. Tough times ahead, but Wills is doing his part right now.

 

[Wagee]

i called for wills to be in the team along time ago before they played him forward,him along with adams are the reason we're looking so much better, wills, adams, degoey and grundy in the midfield come finals time will awesome to watch pure grunt wont give the opposition 1 free disposal then trelor and pendles to be the icing on the cake !!!

 

[Vicky Park]

Wills is starting to remind me of this guy, although Rupe has more hair

 

[Saintly Viewed]

Known as the bull.

So it’s the bull over the bear.

Just like the stock market. (Except isn’t the stock market more gear than bull currently?)

 

[AgroMagro]

Rupe hurts opposition midfielders when he tackles them. I like that. The hairdo is a bonus.

 

[vicparksfinest]

“Number 1 pressure player in the AFL over the past month”
Credit: On The Couch

Pretty big Ruu

 

[No SPIN]

“Number 1 pressure player in the AFL over the past month”
Credit: On The Couch

Pretty big Ruu

I was surprised when I heard that - maybe Top 10, didn’t expect number 1.

He’ll be very hard to drop with those stats going into finals.