Welcome Welcome to Hawthorn: Ethan Phillips. 2024 SSP.

[extractasam]

Blank will be right to go first day of preseason this year. So it will be interesting to see what decision is made. I guess it all comes down to how Easy goes for the rest of the season.

Find a way to keep them all if we can I hope. Depends how many picks we intend on taking to the draft though I assume.

Personally believe he should be playing every week. His speed of mind makes up for his lack of leg speed and I trust the coaches to play him in a way he doesn’t get exposed back to goal too often. He’s ahead of Serong imo, just has more confidence ball in hand and reads the game better.

I have a sneaky feeling he will be one of those players who can actually be better at AFL level than VFL due to how much more predictable the ball movement can be. Tom Stewart came into the league at 24 also so there’s no ceiling on this guy.

 

[Roddy]

Find a way to keep them all if we can I hope. Depends how many picks we intend on taking to the draft though I assume.

Personally believe he should be playing every week. His speed of mind makes up for his lack of leg speed and I trust the coaches to play him in a way he doesn’t get exposed back to goal too often. He’s ahead of Serong imo, just has more confidence ball in hand and reads the game better.

I have a sneaky feeling he will be one of those players who can actually be better at AFL level than VFL due to how much more predictable the ball movement can be. Tom Stewart came into the league at 24 also so there’s no ceiling on this guy.

We need two big pillars/gorillas down back, both for opposition with two monster forwards and to free up Sis. A freed-up Sis is a major key for us...

 

[SSSSSS]

We are in KPP mania at the moment where guys like Esava are getting 850k thrown at them.

I'd keep him any and every AFL standard KPP on the list. Worst case scenario if he isn't best 22 is someone offers something crazy for him.

 

[extractasam]

We need two big pillars/gorillas down back, both for opposition with two monster forwards and to free up Sis. A freed-up Sis is a major key for us...

Yeah for sure, I’m still not sold on whether Phillips is that. I’d like to see him playing the role Scrim is playing now to help free Scrim to play a bit looser and further up the field.

 

[Roddy]

Yeah for sure, I’m still not sold on whether Phillips is that. I’d like to see him playing the role Scrim is playing now to help free Scrim to play a bit looser and further up the field.

Easy has the potential to be a pillar, rather than a gorilla (although 198 and 90 is solid). Scrim has had a career best season so far, Weddle’s going to be an absolute gun and Serong is a solid foot soldier, but none of those three are key position players. Just as Sis isn’t.

 

[The Spirit of Cricket]

Reigning in the Frostball has helped tremendously.

But last season he was leading he reverse coleman until he missed the last few games.

I'm not sure this was because of our midfielders not performing either, which has been suggested, given we were one of the better clearance sides in the league last year and we have regressed in this area this year.

I'm not sure how much is gameplan related either way - were we exposing him last season with our set-up and are we helping him play to his strengths and mitigate his weaknesses this season?

Whatever the reason(s), he was performing at a much lower level compared to this season.

he said on the Talking Hawks podcast that he'd been told to reign it in a bit more by the coaches which likely coincides with our gameplan becoming more measured and versatile than just "go go go!"

his defensive work and efforts have always been this good, i believe they're just more noticeable because the guys that typically get the plaudits (Sic, Dimma, Blanck) are injured, down on form of playing elsewhere. so his good defensive work is in the direct on-ball play that we see a bit more than in the past. there's also more responsibility on his shoulders and he is clearly thriving in that role.

 

[tommyk72]

We are in KPP mania at the moment where guys like Esava are getting 850k thrown at them.

I'd keep him any and every AFL standard KPP on the list. Worst case scenario if he isn't best 22 is someone offers something crazy for him.

Ryan is a good example of turning SPP investment into gold.

 

[lethalselbow]

Very unlucky not to get a look in vs Brisbane.