Player Watch Rupert Wills (Delisted 2020)

[Saintly Viewed]

Rupert Pupkin

 

[nahnah]

May as well try him as a FF, won’t be getting much of a look in the midfield you’d hope

 

[76woodenspooners]

Imagine both he and Crocker in their last year on the list.

Different situations.

Wills has shown great form at AFL level but lost his place due to injury.

Crocker is yet to show AFL form and has lost his place due to form.

If Wills’ body holds up this year then I think he’ll turn into a cracking player.

This time last year few would have predicted any of Sier, Mihocek, Stephenson, Mayne, or Thomas would be key to getting us to a Grand Final.

Every year there are players who surprise us with their good form. Wills looks as likely of that this year as any other candidates on our list.

 

[Apex36]

So we making him a FF?

I don’t think he has much choice but to try and re-invent himself Dave. He’s been overtaken by Sier, and we’ve added Beams. In a midfield that’s so stacked that we’re playing JDG as a forward, he’s about 10th in the pecking order, if not lower.

 

[Saintly Viewed]

I don’t think he has much choice but to try and re-invent himself Dave. He’s been overtaken by Sier, and we’ve added Beams. In a midfield that’s so stacked that we’re playing JDG as a forward, he’s about 10th in the pecking order, if not lower.

Certainly it’s a stacked midfield.

I’m sure you’re right with at least 10 ahead of him in the pecking order, just top of my head:

Pendlebury, Beams, Adams, Treloar, Sier, Wells, De Goey, Varcoe, Greenwood, Phillips, Sidebottom, Thomas, Crisp...

 

[Old Spice]

Could take a spot from Josh Thomas and then try and pinch some minutes in the midfield as part of the rotations. I really like him in the midfield and I'd like to see him stick around for a few years as Pendles and Beams are near the end.

 

[Kappa]

I really don't see how he could be a good full forward with his lack of speed...

 

[legendstatus]

Can still be a midfielder just needs to get on the park


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[Saintly Viewed]

I really don't see how he could be a good full forward with his lack of speed...

Can only have a go in different roles.
At least you’re optimistic.

 

[whiskeytown]

Different situations.

Wills has shown great form at AFL level but lost his place due to injury.

Crocker is yet to show AFL form and has lost his place due to form.

If Wills’ body holds up this year then I think he’ll turn into a cracking player.

This time last year few would have predicted any of Sier, Mihocek, Stephenson, Mayne, or Thomas would be key to getting us to a Grand Final.

Every year there are players who surprise us with their good form. Wills looks as likely of that this year as any other candidates on our list.

There was a role for those other players. Just can't see him getting a game unless injuries really hit. Even then, he (along with McLarty) was one of the few players who the club refused to play last year despite the epic injury list.

In previous years he played seniors after only a few consecutive VFL games... last year he played a lot of VFL but wasn't picked.

 

[Apex36]

Could take a spot from Josh Thomas and then try and pinch some minutes in the midfield as part of the rotations. I really like him in the midfield and I'd like to see him stick around for a few years as Pendles and Beams are near the end.

Given Thomas is a superior forward and mid to Wills, and he’s a completely different type of forward, I find it difficult to see this happening.

 

[Apex36]

There was a role for those other players. Just can't see him getting a game unless injuries really hit. Even then, he (along with McLarty) was one of the few players who the club refused to play last year despite the epic injury list.
In previous years he played seniors after only a few consecutive VFL games... last year he played a lot of VFL but wasn't picked.

They didn’t refuse to play Wills. He was on the epic injury list for most of the year.

Only played 12 games, and never really managed to put together a solid block of games with good form. Not sure what gave you the impression that he played a lot of VFL, but he didn’t, and he lacked continuity in the games he did play.

 

[THATSGOLD]

There was a role for those other players. Just can't see him getting a game unless injuries really hit. Even then, he (along with McLarty) was one of the few players who the club refused to play last year despite the epic injury list.

In previous years he played seniors after only a few consecutive VFL games... last year he played a lot of VFL but wasn't picked.

On Mclarty I always thought he was going to make it maybe with goldsack Dunn and Reid on the way out we got rid of him too early?

 

[whiskeytown]

They didn’t refuse to play Wills. He was on the epic injury list for most of the year.

Only played 12 games, and never really managed to put together a solid block of games with good form. Not sure what gave you the impression that he played a lot of VFL, but he didn’t, and he lacked continuity in the games he did play.

In previous years he only had to play a few consecutive games before they played him in the seniors. He played a number of consecutive games in the VFL this year and they ignored him.

Sier has taken his spot, and I reckon this year C Brown will be favoured to him whenever a vacancy in the seniors arises

 

[jmac70]

In previous years he only had to play a few consecutive games before they played him in the seniors. He played a number of consecutive games in the VFL this year and they ignored him.

Sier has taken his spot, and I reckon this year C Brown will be favoured to him whenever a vacancy in the seniors arises

It’s up to Wills to break the door down.

 

[nahnah]

he is a good break the glass in case of an emergency depth player to have. Big boy that can tackle and win the footy.. uses the ball ok.

 

[Apex36]

In previous years he only had to play a few consecutive games before they played him in the seniors. He played a number of consecutive games in the VFL this year and they ignored him.

Sier has taken his spot, and I reckon this year C Brown will be favoured to him whenever a vacancy in the seniors arises

Mate, he’s only been on the list since the end of 2015. He played 6 games off the back of half a year of good form in 2016, then in 2017 he played one senior game and that was off the back of about 3-4 weeks of very good VFL form. Then he got injured again and hasn’t been seen since at the level because of constant injury and inconsistent form in the VFL. I don’t see this sudden change of favour towards him that you do, just him being constantly injured and others playing better footy than him. I don’t think he was ever rushed back in to the senior squad as you’re inferring.

 

[76woodenspooners]

There was a role for those other players. Just can't see him getting a game unless injuries really hit. Even then, he (along with McLarty) was one of the few players who the club refused to play last year despite the epic injury list.

In previous years he played seniors after only a few consecutive VFL games... last year he played a lot of VFL but wasn't picked.

IIRC, Wills did his hamstring around the same time as Sier came into the team ( jackcass ?) If injuries had been a little different, it may very well be Sier’s future who we’re speculating about instead.

 

[Saintly Viewed]

IIRC, Wills did his hamstring around the same time as Sier came into the team ( jackcass ?) If injuries had been a little different, it may very well be Sier’s future who we’re speculating about instead.

I’d have to differ here and say, No I doubt that.
Sier is just a more accomplished player, has many more attributes, is more brutal and better vision.
Bear is a good driver in heavy traffic.

 

[whiskeytown]

IIRC, Wills did his hamstring around the same time as Sier came into the team ( jackcass ?) If injuries had been a little different, it may very well be Sier’s future who we’re speculating about instead.

From what I recall it was a minor hammy and then he played out most of the VFL season after returning from that. But yes he and Sier were both in good form up until that point.

 

[Albert Parker]

Wills was handy as a forward yesterday in the intra-club, taking a couple of good contested marks and getting a nice ground ball get as well. I think he missed the goals on each of the 3 occasions that I saw him take a shot on goal though. Each was quite a poor kick and very gettable. He's not a viable forward option unless he really picks up confidence in his kicking.
Otherwise, he's a less accomplished Brayden Sier- less size, less athletic, less polish with the ball

 

[MarkT2]

So we making him a FF?

Kicking was sloppy - enough already. We improved last year partly due to exiting some poor users. More to do yet and we can't add any.

 

[adammania9]

Different situations.

Wills has shown great form at AFL level but lost his place due to injury.

Has he? If he didn’t break the record for tackles on debut, I reckon only few would rate him at all. All he’s really shown is that he’s a strong tackler, but otherwise he’s very limited - slow, poor kick and not an accumulator. I truly reckon he’s in the bottom five players on the list.

 

[JezzasOnTheAsphalt]

Wills was handy as a forward yesterday in the intra-club, taking a couple of good contested marks and getting a nice ground ball get as well. I think he missed the goals on each of the 3 occasions that I saw him take a shot on goal though. Each was quite a poor kick and very gettable. He's not a viable forward option unless he really picks up confidence in his kicking.
Otherwise, he's a less accomplished Brayden Sier- less size, less athletic, less polish with the ball

Goalkicking accuracy can improve, and I suspect would improve quite significantly with more practice/experience in the forward role. Good to hear he's showing some good signs forward but it's a big ask to expect the full package as a forward with that lack of experience.

For me no issues whatsoever with the club trying something different this pre season with him considering there is simply not going to be room for him in the guts

 

[76woodenspooners]

Has he? If he didn’t break the record for tackles on debut, ...

Not just on debut, in his six games he’s averaged 8 tackles a game.

I reckon only few would rate him at all. All he’s really shown is that he’s a strong tackler, but otherwise he’s very limited - slow, poor kick and not an accumulator.

Comparing Rupert Wills’ six AFL games with Brayden Sier’s first six AFL games ..

Rupert Wills: 44 kicks, 16 marks, 59 handballs, 103 disposals, 1 goal 2 behinds, 48 tackles, 15 clangers, 42 contested possessions, 5 1%ers

Brayden Sier: 48 kicks, 8 marks, 61 handballs, 109 disposals, 1 goal 0 behinds, 34 tackles, 21 clangers, 55 contested possessions, 6 1%ers

... of course stats aren’t everything, but IMO Wills has shown much the same promise on the field as Sier did in his first games and the stats don’t suggest otherwise.