Past #33: Ed Vickers-Willis - delisted at end of 2020 season - won't be offered a new contract - 21 NM games - thanks EVW

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GS WARRIORS said:
AS Daniel Nielson burst into tears of happiness at becoming a North Melbourne player, his soon-to-be teammate Ed Vickers-Willis was sitting alone in his stationary car outside a local park.

Wonder if we would have drafted him if we knew he liked to do this. :p
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I thought Nielson was the one who started in the Naked Gun?
 

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Was disappointed this this pick on draft night. He wasn't the super quick skilled outside type we needed and we went tall the first two picks. Even though the draft was deep, I think we got a steal with Ed. Really like the pick.

Ed pretty much ticks every box without having any crosses instead. Doesn't tick leg speed but wouldn't get a cross for it either. Not slow, moves well, just not super quick.

His ticks
· Smart as they come for an AFL player

· Very hard working

· Great leadership

· Future Captain

· Very versatile – can play small and tall in def, as an inside mid or tagger

· Team orientated

· Disciplined



· 15+ beep test

· Not slow – Not super quick but has ok leg speed

· Great size and will have good strength



· Good kick

· Clean hands

· Good decision maker

· Good tackler

· Good mark

· Reads the play well



· U18 All Australia

· Lead the U18 champs in interception possessions

· 16 touches @ 81% efficiency, 39% contested at U18 champs

· 19 touches @ 67% efficiency, 40% contested at TAC Cup

· Melbourne Grammar captain and school captain
 
GS WARRIORS said:
Was disappointed this this pick on draft night. He wasn't the super quick skilled outside type we needed and we went tall the first two picks. Even though the draft was deep, I think we got a steal with Ed. Really like the pick.

Ed pretty much ticks every box without having any crosses instead. Doesn't tick leg speed but wouldn't get a cross for it either. Not slow, moves well, just not super quick.

His ticks
· Smart as they come for an AFL player

· Very hard working

· Great leadership

· Future Captain

· Very versatile – can play small and tall in def, as an inside mid or tagger

· Team orientated

· Disciplined



· 15+ beep test

· Not slow – Not super quick but has ok leg speed

· Great size and will have good strength



· Good kick

· Clean hands

· Good decision maker

· Good tackler

· Good mark

· Reads the play well



· U18 All Australia

· Lead the U18 champs in interception possessions

· 16 touches @ 81% efficiency, 39% contested at U18 champs

· 19 touches @ 67% efficiency, 40% contested at TAC Cup

· Melbourne Grammar captain and school captain
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Great info there. Yeah I had the same initial disappointment but have really warmed to him after watching a few highlights, listening to a couple of his interviews and general feedback from this forum. Seems to have a lot of Nick Maxwell about him, perhaps with better skills. Real leadership quality about him.
 
The nicknames for Vickers will be awesome. We can call him the Polo when his skills are sublime and he doesn't put a foot wrong, Jetta when he rushes up the middle of the ground leaving all in his wake and last but not least the Combi when he just can't move and stinks it up
 
TruRoos7 said:
The nicknames for Vickers will be awesome. We can call him the Polo when his skills are sublime and he doesn't put a foot wrong, Jetta when he rushes up the middle of the ground leaving all in his wake and last but not least the Combi when he just can't move and stinks it up
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When he kicks a goal, auz liebe zum automobil.

If that's how you spell the old Volkswagen slogan.
 

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A poker of a kick… lots of short passes and keeps his head up meaning he's already looking up the field unlike others who go sideways with handball. Not too sure he'll surpass John Blakey's long - durable career but these kinda players will stay healthy because they're not the line-breakers who tend to get too exposed. Stay at home Roy Ramsay (Conservative) meets Shaun Atley (attacking) type.

Chris25 who provided the write up (posted by Oh Erroll) is a prolific campaigner from the NFL boards who picked up the NFL only a handful of years ago and really studies his game… great student and thoughtful campaigner of write ups. I can't see 'Law Firm' being a midfielder all season long… assignment tagger and reminds me of #1 pick by the Blues Bryce Gibbs somewhat.. but Gibbs progressed with his long booming kick for goal..

As already mentioned… got that ol' Steve Wallis of Bulldogs thing about him. Not going to be a superstar in my books.
 
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not too much said about young ED so far this pre-season compared to Durdin and Nielson. Will be interesting to see how he progresses. Can see him becoming a solid type but not an a-grader.
 
roos_fanatic08 said:
not too much said about young ED so far this pre-season compared to Durdin and Nielson. Will be interesting to see how he progresses. Can see him becoming a solid type but not an a-grader.
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Has had some injury niggles, so will likely have a slow start to the year.
 
Egga said:
Has had some injury niggles, so will likely have a slow start to the year.
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That's a shame. Martin Blake, long time sports and footy journo, was recently asked which young recruit who isn't in the spotlight will make people stand up and take notice if given game time this year. Without hesitation he named this bloke, the big EVDub, saying he knows the family and has closely followed his development.
 
The main thing that stands out for me when watching his highlights is he plays an intelligent game. He stays calm and uses the ball really well. Safest bet out of our draftees to make it IMO.
 
Someone made an excellent point today and I don't remember who it was, but they said that the drafting of EVW could turn out to be a masterstroke, given the performance of MacMahon and our apparent dearth of mid-sized defenders.

To extrapolate on that, it seems the drafting of Durdin and Nielson will turn out to be a decision made with incredible foresight, given they could well end up getting a run of games in the seniors if Tarrant doesn't come along, Grima stays injured, Hansen's hips don't come up & MacMahon's performance doesn't improve.
 
Flawed Genius said:
Someone made an excellent point today and I don't remember who it was, but they said that the drafting of EVW could turn out to be a masterstroke, given the performance of MacMahon and our apparent dearth of mid-sized defenders.

To extrapolate on that, it seems the drafting of Durdin and Nielson will turn out to be a decision made with incredible foresight, given they could well end up getting a run of games in the seniors if Tarrant doesn't come along, Grima stays injured, Hansen's hips don't come up & MacMahon's performance doesn't improve.
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Pykie, I think.
 
http://www.nmfc.com.au/news/2015-03-20/vw-drives-role-change


Draftee Ed Vickers-Willis has set his sights on playing in the midfield and will make his first appearance in his new role this weekend.

RELATED: Ed Vickers-Willis player profile

The 18-year-old spent much of his junior football playing in defence but was recruited by North – with pick No.36 in last year’s draft – predominantly as a midfield type.

Vickers-Willis, who will play his first competitive match of the year on Saturday in Werribee’s VFL practice match against Footscray, said he will embrace the challenges of adapting to the position.

“A lot’s changed since I last played. Having had quite a few months down here (at North) and now that I’ve been training with the mids, I definitely see myself as a midfielder,” Vickers-Willis told NMFC.com.au.

“The strengths you have as a defender really change in the midfield because things like your defensive positioning – which was one of my biggest strengths when I played down back – now as an inside midfielder, isn’t quite as integral in your performance.”

Vickers-Willis is especially itching to get back on the park after experiencing a delayed start to his first pre-season in the AFL system.

The 190cm versatile tall suffered a quad injury in December – just two weeks after arriving at Arden Street – and was confined to the club’s rehab group until earlier this month.

Although Vickers-Willis is now taking part in full training and game sense sessions, he said his lengthy spell away from the main group wasn’t an ideal start to his time at North.

More at the NMFC website


Added 7kg to his frame already. 190cm/90kg now. Good size for a mid.
 
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