Player Watch #29: Will Phillips - 20d/12 tackles in VFL vs Brisbane - returns to the team vs Hawthorn

[Heaps of fun]

He was so clean in the wet in that third quarter against the Weagles.

Should have a very good wet weather midfield. Try getting around Greenwood while Simpkin and Phillips are digging the footy out. Should be able to dictate terms with these non-conditional in-and-under footballers too. Greenwood and Phillips will be bringing the pressure and tackling volume to allow us to control tempo late in games, something we struggled with in the Scott era, especially after Swallow retired.

 

[King Corey]

A bit of the terminator in this kid. He doesn't make many mistakes, he hits hard and looks pretty relentless. I can see him being a scary proposition that will just power through games in a couple of seasons.

He has so much going for him as a playmaker. He works in very well with everything else we have in being a 3rd midfielder in a sense.

Powell is more the Cunnington slow down time and create type. LDU and potentially JHF are the get, go and create types.

Stephenson, Thomas, Goater et al all look / have looked the type who go through the midfield and break games open with movement or class.

But Phillips is the type of player who could help maximise everyone around him. He's not the biggest or toughest presence on the ball but he's very effective and physical. He's not the quickest player but he powered from contest to contest very well in the juniors. He's not the slickest but he's very clean and very effective (that word again) with his use.

 

[The Warlord]

He has so much going for him as a playmaker. He works in very well with everything else we have in being a 3rd midfielder in a sense.

Powell is more the Cunnington slow down time and create type. LDU and potentially JHF are the get, go and create types.

Stephenson, Thomas, Goater et al all look / have looked the type who go through the midfield and break games open with movement or class.

But Phillips is the type of player who could help maximise everyone around him. He's not the biggest or toughest presence on the ball but he's very effective and physical. He's not the quickest player but he powered from contest to contest very well in the juniors. He's not the slickest but he's very clean and very effective (that word again) with his use.

Likes a goal too.

 

[Event Horizon]

He has so much going for him as a playmaker. He works in very well with everything else we have in being a 3rd midfielder in a sense.

Powell is more the Cunnington slow down time and create type. LDU and potentially JHF are the get, go and create types.

Stephenson, Thomas, Goater et al all look / have looked the type who go through the midfield and break games open with movement or class.

But Phillips is the type of player who could help maximise everyone around him. He's not the biggest or toughest presence on the ball but he's very effective and physical. He's not the quickest player but he powered from contest to contest very well in the juniors. He's not the slickest but he's very clean and very effective (that word again) with his use.

I think the kid will be a very good player, but going by this description, it's not the type you pick at pick 3

 

[King Corey]

I think the kid will be a very good player, but going by this description, it's not the type you pick at pick 3

I don't see that as a negative at all though. He's not a one trick pony (a la Brad McKenzie) he's the sort of player who normally gets drafted by the swans in the 2nd or 3rd round (Parker, Hannebery - even JK Jr et al) and years later is pushed into the top 10 or top 5 of revised draft lists.

 

[Mjs94]

He has so much going for him as a playmaker. He works in very well with everything else we have in being a 3rd midfielder in a sense.

Powell is more the Cunnington slow down time and create type. LDU and potentially JHF are the get, go and create types.

Stephenson, Thomas, Goater et al all look / have looked the type who go through the midfield and break games open with movement or class.

But Phillips is the type of player who could help maximise everyone around him. He's not the biggest or toughest presence on the ball but he's very effective and physical. He's not the quickest player but he powered from contest to contest very well in the juniors. He's not the slickest but he's very clean and very effective (that word again) with his use.

The heartbeat of the midfield.

 

[The Warlord]

Psicosis posted this to own some idiot Carlton supporters on the MB.

But Will's first two kicks in this are what I was talking about him practising.

The second one, the pass to Larkey, that's why he went pick 2 in the open draft.

The maturity and confidence in his own ability toi wait for the right option, then he kicks to the space and his KPF takes an all but uncontested mark in front of goals 35m out.

Be still my beating pants.

 

[Jasemon]

Psicosis posted this to own some idiot Carlton supporters on the MB.

But Will's first two kicks in this are what I was talking about him practising.

The second one, the pass to Larkey, that's why he went pick 2 in the open draft.

The maturity and confidence in his own ability toi wait for the right option, then he kicks to the space and his KPF takes an all but uncontested mark in front of goals 35m out.

Be still my beating pants.

Bailey Scott also showcasing his football skills and IQ in the lead up to Will’s goal assist.

 

[The Warlord]

Bailey Scott also showcasing his football skills and IQ in the lead up to Will’s goal assist.

Yeah, Bailey had a very good game.

 

[BlueandWhiteinmyBlood]

It’s cool to think, technically out of the last two drafts we got the two best underage midfielders in the country, at the time.

 

[giantroo]

From Shinboner1

 

[Mjs94]

Psicosis posted this to own some idiot Carlton supporters on the MB.

But Will's first two kicks in this are what I was talking about him practising.

The second one, the pass to Larkey, that's why he went pick 2 in the open draft.

The maturity and confidence in his own ability toi wait for the right option, then he kicks to the space and his KPF takes an all but uncontested mark in front of goals 35m out.

Be still my beating pants.

He also has amazing defensive anticipation - I was sitting behind the goals for our 2nd game against the dogs and his defensive anticipation (eg us turning it over 5-10m ahead of Will or at a stoppage) was in my view better than any of our others mids. Has all the tools you could want from someone with his physical makeup

 

[KangaRooster]

Will be Jy’s vice captain in a few years

 

[Heaps of fun]

Will be Jy’s vice captain in a few years

Almost guaranteed.

 

[Flawed Genius]

The second one, the pass to Larkey, that's why he went pick 2 in the open draft.

The maturity and confidence in his own ability toi wait for the right option, then he kicks to the space and his KPF takes an all but uncontested mark in front of goals 35m out.

Be still my beating pants.

You can see him looking at Plowman, waiting for him to move just far enough left so Larkey has room to run. As soon as he judges Plowman is far enough out of the lane, he drops that perfect little kick to where ONLY Larkey can get to it. At the time of writing he was what, barely 19? That is unbelievable football brain on display. So many other footballers, many older than him, blaze away taking a shot, or dump it to a contest at the top of the square

On second watch it's even better - he moves Plowman with his eyes (looking at the left FP, Plowman thinks it's going wider so he moves there) and when Plowman turns his back and wanders into the pocket Will goes more central into the space Plowman vacated. Manipulation at its finest. Plowman is awful but it's still pretty sick from WP

 

[Themanbun]

From Shinboner1

View attachment 1292827

Thicc

 

[Event Horizon]

I don't see that as a negative at all though. He's not a one trick pony (a la Brad McKenzie) he's the sort of player who normally gets drafted by the swans in the 2nd or 3rd round (Parker, Hannebery - even JK Jr et al) and years later is pushed into the top 10 or top 5 of revised draft lists.

It's not a negative in terms of Will as a player going forward. But it is interesting that the Swans would pick blokes like this in the 2nd and 3rd rounds, while we pick them at pick 3.

Lachie Hansen wasn't a bad player either.

 

[ferball]

It's not a negative in terms of Will as a player going forward. But it is interesting that the Swans would pick blokes like this in the 2nd and 3rd rounds, while we pick them at pick 3.

Lachie Hansen wasn't a bad player either.

He wouldn't have been there in the second or third round. He was rated top five or six across most draft w***ers experts. Was clearly brilliant too. There is nothing wrong with this pick and no one from that draft who looks a whole lot better taken after him, except maybe Tom Powell.

 

[hsquid]

It’s cool to think, technically out of the last two drafts we got the two best underage midfielders in the country, at the time.

2021: Best mid in the draft (JHF)
2020: Best two mids in the draft (Philips, Powell)
2019: Pass
2018: Second best mid in the draft (Thomas, after Walsh)
2017: Best mid in the draft (LDU)

5/7 over five years
with a bit of fudging

 

[Kanga Glory]

He has so much going for him as a playmaker. He works in very well with everything else we have in being a 3rd midfielder in a sense.

Powell is more the Cunnington slow down time and create type. LDU and potentially JHF are the get, go and create types.

Stephenson, Thomas, Goater et al all look / have looked the type who go through the midfield and break games open with movement or class.

But Phillips is the type of player who could help maximise everyone around him. He's not the biggest or toughest presence on the ball but he's very effective and physical. He's not the quickest player but he powered from contest to contest very well in the juniors. He's not the slickest but he's very clean and very effective (that word again) with his use.

Will be (no pun intended) mr reliable

 

[ferball]

2021: Best mid in the draft (JHF)
2020: Best two mids in the draft (Philips, Powell)
2019: Pass
2018: Second best mid in the draft (Thomas, after Walsh)
2017: Best mid in the draft (LDU)

5/7 over five years
with a bit of fudging

+
2016: Who is the best mid from Jy, Taranto and McLuggage? Its close.

 

[The Warlord]

You can see him looking at Plowman, waiting for him to move just far enough left so Larkey has room to run. As soon as he judges Plowman is far enough out of the lane, he drops that perfect little kick to where ONLY Larkey can get to it. At the time of writing he was what, barely 19? That is unbelievable football brain on display. So many other footballers, many older than him, blaze away taking a shot, or dump it to a contest at the top of the square

On second watch it's even better - he moves Plowman with his eyes (looking at the left FP, Plowman thinks it's going wider so he moves there) and when Plowman turns his back and wanders into the pocket Will goes more central into the space Plowman vacated. Manipulation at its finest. Plowman is awful but it's still pretty sick from WP

Yeah, that willingness to wait and back your ability in that situation is unteachable.

If Shaun Atley had that he WOULD have have been the next Chris Judd.

 

[The Warlord]

It's not a negative in terms of Will as a player going forward. But it is interesting that the Swans would pick blokes like this in the 2nd and 3rd rounds, while we pick them at pick 3.

Lachie Hansen wasn't a bad player either.

KC was being expansive there.

Will was a well worthy pick 2 in the open draft on talent alone.

 

[King Corey]

KC was being expansive there.

Will was a well worthy pick 2 in the open draft on talent alone.

It's down to perception.

10 years later you want to have drafted players who would've justified 1st round picks. That the swans regularly pick these guys out in mid draft rounds says more about their excellent talent identification rather than devaluing these types of players.

Pre-2020 draft when it looked inevitable we'd take Hollands or McDonald, I said that DGB and Will were the 2 I was going to hate watching on as they tore it up at Sydney and * respectively.

Just felt like they were the guys that had a lot going for them but not sexy enough to justify an early pick. My feeling is we took a mature approach and picked the player that in 10 years will almost certainly have pumped out 200 games and been a perennial top 5 B&F type rather than rolled the dice on a guy who might be the greatest thing since sliced bread but might equally be a no fixed position, injury hampered bust.

 

[The Warlord]

It's down to perception.

10 years later you want to have drafted players who would've justified 1st round picks. That the swans regularly pick these guys out in mid draft rounds says more about their excellent talent identification rather than devaluing these types of players.

Pre-2020 draft when it looked inevitable we'd take Hollands or McDonald, I said that DGB and Will were the 2 I was going to hate watching on as they tore it up at Sydney and * respectively.

Just felt like they were the guys that had a lot going for them but not sexy enough to justify an early pick. My feeling is we took a mature approach and picked the player that in 10 years will almost certainly have pumped out 200 games and been a perennial top 5 B&F type rather than rolled the dice on a guy who might be the greatest thing since sliced bread but might equally be a no fixed position, injury hampered bust.

I know totally what you mean.

There was a great tweet along the lines of "Every year Sydney draft a guy called Timothy Hedgewhistle at pick 24 and a year later he's an absolute killer.."