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"Western Bulldogs premiership captain Marcus Bontempelli"
He plays like me: The bold comment that floored AFL recruiters in young Saint’s draft interview
He doesn’t touch alcohol and his intensity can put people off, but St Kilda’s Mattaes Phillipou is being tipped for big things.www.theage.com.au
He plays like me: The bold comment that floored AFL recruiters in young Saint’s draft interview
By Marc McGowan
March 3, 2024 — 5.15am
One early lesson Mattaes Phillipou’s dad, Sam – who played three games for Footscray – taught the future Saint was he could not be like everyone else if he wanted to be great.
Those words had an enormous impact in shaping who Phillipou became, and is, from his seemingly endless appetite for hard work to an obsession with maximising his potential, including never drinking alcohol.
To say he marches to the beat of his own drum would be an understatement. People who know the 19-year-old budding star – who David King flatteringly likens to Western Bulldogs premiership captain Marcus Bontempelli – tell you they have not met anyone like him.
In fact, Phillipou just moved out on his own in the past fortnight, into a Sandringham apartment near the beach, so he can properly escape the football bubble in his downtime that he otherwise dives headfirst into.
The future of the AFL: Here are the game’s top 20 young players
“I’ve always been that kid who’s been a little bit different,” a frank Phillipou told this masthead in a wide-ranging chat at St Kilda’s Moorabbin base.
“I’ve got to be careful with how I do it because sometimes I can [come across] a bit brash, especially growing up; like, if you didn’t have the same views as me, I’d just throw you to the side. I feel like I’m more understanding now.
“To give you an example, I haven’t had any alcohol, and growing up, teenagers start to drink – and I’d just have disgust for it … I couldn’t make sense of it because I had this purpose within me that was driving me to not do that stuff. Because of where I was trying to go; that wouldn’t fit into my fun.
“But now, if teammates choose to have a drink, I totally get it. It’s their way of unwinding.”
The Bontempelli comparison
Phillipou, the No.10 pick in the 2022 draft who Essendon and Hawthorn gave serious consideration to even earlier, played all 24 games in his debut season, under coach Ross Lyon, who famously drives high standards.
Good judges, such as North Melbourne’s dual premiership player King and Melbourne great Garry Lyon, believe the 190-centimetre forward-midfielder has a huge future in the game.
Phillipou is sometimes compared to Western Bulldgos captain Marcus Bontempelli.
The Bontempelli comparison is not a new one, and Phillipou was familiar with it when recruiters quizzed him two years ago on who he played like.
But it was his answer that caught amused talent scouts off guard, and quickly became a talking point leading into that year’s draft. The teenage prospect told them Bontempelli played like him. Nat Fyfe came up, too.
“I’ve always been a believer in believing in yourself and not having limitations,” Phillipou said. “I guess we’ve got similar playing styles. It was how I worded it, but I don’t retract the statement.”
Anyone unfamiliar with Phillipou may be getting the wrong impression about him. A self-professed introvert, the second-year AFL footballer simply wants to be the best he can be, and was chuffed that King saw Bontempelli-like qualities in him.
Phillipou’s confidence comes from a good place, and is emboldened by an insatiable work-rate that he demands of himself to give him every chance to reach his lofty goals.
“To have that said about me – someone who hasn’t really done anything yet – it’s like, ‘Wow’,” he said.
“There are other people who see the vision that I see. It’s hard not to get excited by that. But, I always just try and bring it back to the only way I’m even going to get close to that is if I continue to work, and continue watching vision with ‘BJ’ [St Kilda great-turned-assistant Brendon Goddard].”
Phillipou also has an admirer in dual Saints club champion Jack Steele, who told this masthead that Phillipou’s unique ways took some adjusting to but were “very refreshing”.
“He came in and did things his way and didn’t really worry about what everyone else was doing,” Steele said.
“He’s got a clear vision about what he wants to get out of his career ... [and] I love that he puts his best foot forward and wants to be the best player and contributor for the club as possible.
“I’ll ask him, ‘What’s on for the weekend, mate?’ and he’ll say, ‘Oh, I’ll probably chill out on Saturday, then on Sunday, I might pop in to do some touch’.
“Most people wouldn’t think about coming into the club in their spare time, but he doesn’t see it as work. It’s what he loves to do, so you can’t complain when someone’s got that sort of work ethic and attitude towards footy.”
Why he is hard on himself
Phillipou is his harshest critic.
Most young players take years to figure out the professionalism and standards required to make it at AFL level, and many never do. Nutrition was one area Phillipou needed education in, and it was not that he was eating poorly – he just did not understand how to fuel his body properly.
That knowledge gap compounded his well-intentioned desire to train as hard and long as possible, but teammate Mason Wood, who he briefly lived with, helped upskill him.
Wood taught Phillipou about macronutrients, a term that describes the nutrients – specifically carbohydrates, fat and protein – that your body requires to perform at its best.
He first came across macros at school but brushed the science off back then as too complicated, until Wood simplified it for him. Phillipou was cross with himself that it took too long for him to get there, believing he was capable of knowing all this before he lobbed at Moorabbin.
“That’s how I see it, and that’s how I view myself,” he said. “At times, you’ve got to be cautious because you can drive yourself down a dark hole with thoughts like that, but I want to keep that because [it will help me] get to where I want to get to quicker.”
Phillipou now makes sure to pile in at least 500 calories for breakfast to ready himself for training, whereas previously he would consume not even half that.
“I would come to training feeling sick, and start having coffees, and I was like, ‘I reckon it’s the coffees making me sick’ because I’d never had coffee before,” he said.
“I had low energy, would be mentally tired, and I was like, ‘You’re not working hard enough’, which makes it worse. Then, you totally drop back, and you’re not doing enough, or what I feel is not enough because I always strive to do more, and I can’t hit that because I’m not eating enough.”
There was even a game early in the season last year when coach Lyon told Fox Footy that Phillipou had “cooked himself” while training too much in the lead-up.
Reining himself in and ensuring he does switch off is still a work-in-progress, but something the young gun said he was getting better at.
Phillipou’s way of doing that is playing video games, most often Fortnite, against mates back in South Australia and younger brother Jevan – another bright AFL prospect who also excels on the basketball court and as a decathlete.
He’s also into movies and music – he loves the Rocky films and typically has American rap and 1990s hip hop in his ear buds. But, as always with Phillipou, there is a catch to his relaxing moments.
“The music gets me hyped. I find getting excited and wound up is more relaxing than forcing myself to switch off,” he said.
“I feel like the more I try to force relaxing; the worse it gets with me. I’ve got to have everything done for the day to just naturally relax … I feel like it’s more of a response to if I’ve done the right thing.”
Phillipou’s footy bucket list
Phillipou is a young man in a hurry, and has already graduated to training more with the midfielders after predominantly playing as a forward last season.
St Kilda’s 1966 VFL premiership remains the only prize in their cupboard, but their 2022 first-round draftee is hellbent on changing that.
Negotiations are well advanced to extend Phillipou’s time as a Saint, and he wants to repay the club with a long and, of course, successful career in the red, white and black.
“I’ve got a lot of high goals for myself individually, and team-wise, I want to win a lot of premierships,” he said.
“I want to play a lot of games, and ideally, I want to do that here. Really, it’s that simple, and to be honest, if I could put it into one meaning – it’s just to achieve my full potential.”
How about All-Australian accolades? Brownlow Medals?
“I feel like if you asked me that question a year ago, I would have said, ‘Definitely’,” Phillipou said.
“If I continue to do everything I can, every day, and commit myself to the habits that’ll get me there, yeah, I believe I can. But I don’t want to put a limit on myself; the same way I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself and say I’m guaranteed to get here.”
The Saints played in three grand finals in the previous Lyon era, including the drawn one in 2010, but were unable to break through despite having the likes of Nick Riewoldt, Lenny Hayes, Goddard, Nick Dal Santo, Stephen Milne and Leigh Montagna.
The current St Kilda squad lacks that top-end quality, but Phillipou is far from the only promising young player, with Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, Mitch Owens, Marcus Windhager and Anthony Caminiti showing plenty.
There is also great hope for players such as Darcy Wilson, Olli Hotton, Isaac Keeler, Matt Allison, Lance Collard, James Van Es and Angus Hastie, while Max King (23) and recruit Liam Henry (22) are not that much older.
“These guys are ultimate professionals and ferociously competitive, and it’s so exciting because I know that’s what it’s going to take if we want to ever get to the level we want to get to,” Phillipou said.
“It’s hard to put into words, just the thought of [potentially playing in a flag for the Saints] – but I know it’s possible. All the guys here – the coaches, the players, the people who I interact with – all believe it’s possible.
“I don’t put a limit on myself, and I’m also not putting a limit on what’s possible as a club.”
What? I don't remember that happening. Did they leak the script for this year?
Yes indeed.
I find it hard to pick a favourite player, the two you mentioned are absolutely top notch players, but I tend to go for the lesser lights like Coops and Hotton.
I am firmly on the Arie bandwagon. If we can get that kid to AFL level what a weapon we will have.
On SM-S908E using BigFooty.com mobile app
seasonedsainter
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He plays like me: The bold comment that floored AFL recruiters in young Saint’s draft interview
He doesn’t touch alcohol and his intensity can put people off, but St Kilda’s Mattaes Phillipou is being tipped for big things.
He plays like me: The bold comment that floored AFL recruiters in young Saint’s draft interview
By Marc McGowan
March 3, 2024 — 5.15am
One early lesson Mattaes Phillipou’s dad, Sam – who played three games for Footscray – taught the future Saint was he could not be like everyone else if he wanted to be great.
Those words had an enormous impact in shaping who Phillipou became, and is, from his seemingly endless appetite for hard work to an obsession with maximising his potential, including never drinking alcohol.
To say he marches to the beat of his own drum would be an understatement. People who know the 19-year-old budding star – who David King flatteringly likens to Western Bulldogs premiership captain Marcus Bontempelli – tell you they have not met anyone like him.
In fact, Phillipou just moved out on his own in the past fortnight, into a Sandringham apartment near the beach, so he can properly escape the football bubble in his downtime that he otherwise dives headfirst into.
The future of the AFL: Here are the game’s top 20 young players
“I’ve always been that kid who’s been a little bit different,” a frank Phillipou told this masthead in a wide-ranging chat at St Kilda’s Moorabbin base.
“I’ve got to be careful with how I do it because sometimes I can [come across] a bit brash, especially growing up; like, if you didn’t have the same views as me, I’d just throw you to the side. I feel like I’m more understanding now.
“To give you an example, I haven’t had any alcohol, and growing up, teenagers start to drink – and I’d just have disgust for it … I couldn’t make sense of it because I had this purpose within me that was driving me to not do that stuff. Because of where I was trying to go; that wouldn’t fit into my fun.
“But now, if teammates choose to have a drink, I totally get it. It’s their way of unwinding.”
The Bontempelli comparison
Phillipou, the No.10 pick in the 2022 draft who Essendon and Hawthorn gave serious consideration to even earlier, played all 24 games in his debut season, under coach Ross Lyon, who famously drives high standards.
Good judges, such as North Melbourne’s dual premiership player King and Melbourne great Garry Lyon, believe the 190-centimetre forward-midfielder has a huge future in the game.
Phillipou is sometimes compared to Western Bulldgos captain Marcus Bontempelli.
The Bontempelli comparison is not a new one, and Phillipou was familiar with it when recruiters quizzed him two years ago on who he played like.
But it was his answer that caught amused talent scouts off guard, and quickly became a talking point leading into that year’s draft. The teenage prospect told them Bontempelli played like him. Nat Fyfe came up, too.
“I’ve always been a believer in believing in yourself and not having limitations,” Phillipou said. “I guess we’ve got similar playing styles. It was how I worded it, but I don’t retract the statement.”
Anyone unfamiliar with Phillipou may be getting the wrong impression about him. A self-professed introvert, the second-year AFL footballer simply wants to be the best he can be, and was chuffed that King saw Bontempelli-like qualities in him.
Phillipou’s confidence comes from a good place, and is emboldened by an insatiable work-rate that he demands of himself to give him every chance to reach his lofty goals.
“To have that said about me – someone who hasn’t really done anything yet – it’s like, ‘Wow’,” he said.
“There are other people who see the vision that I see. It’s hard not to get excited by that. But, I always just try and bring it back to the only way I’m even going to get close to that is if I continue to work, and continue watching vision with ‘BJ’ [St Kilda great-turned-assistant Brendon Goddard].”
Phillipou also has an admirer in dual Saints club champion Jack Steele, who told this masthead that Phillipou’s unique ways took some adjusting to but were “very refreshing”.
“He came in and did things his way and didn’t really worry about what everyone else was doing,” Steele said.
“He’s got a clear vision about what he wants to get out of his career ... [and] I love that he puts his best foot forward and wants to be the best player and contributor for the club as possible.
“I’ll ask him, ‘What’s on for the weekend, mate?’ and he’ll say, ‘Oh, I’ll probably chill out on Saturday, then on Sunday, I might pop in to do some touch’.
“Most people wouldn’t think about coming into the club in their spare time, but he doesn’t see it as work. It’s what he loves to do, so you can’t complain when someone’s got that sort of work ethic and attitude towards footy.”
Why he is hard on himself
Phillipou is his harshest critic.
Most young players take years to figure out the professionalism and standards required to make it at AFL level, and many never do. Nutrition was one area Phillipou needed education in, and it was not that he was eating poorly – he just did not understand how to fuel his body properly.
That knowledge gap compounded his well-intentioned desire to train as hard and long as possible, but teammate Mason Wood, who he briefly lived with, helped upskill him.
Wood taught Phillipou about macronutrients, a term that describes the nutrients – specifically carbohydrates, fat and protein – that your body requires to perform at its best.
He first came across macros at school but brushed the science off back then as too complicated, until Wood simplified it for him. Phillipou was cross with himself that it took too long for him to get there, believing he was capable of knowing all this before he lobbed at Moorabbin.
“That’s how I see it, and that’s how I view myself,” he said. “At times, you’ve got to be cautious because you can drive yourself down a dark hole with thoughts like that, but I want to keep that because [it will help me] get to where I want to get to quicker.”
Phillipou now makes sure to pile in at least 500 calories for breakfast to ready himself for training, whereas previously he would consume not even half that.
“I would come to training feeling sick, and start having coffees, and I was like, ‘I reckon it’s the coffees making me sick’ because I’d never had coffee before,” he said.
“I had low energy, would be mentally tired, and I was like, ‘You’re not working hard enough’, which makes it worse. Then, you totally drop back, and you’re not doing enough, or what I feel is not enough because I always strive to do more, and I can’t hit that because I’m not eating enough.”
There was even a game early in the season last year when coach Lyon told Fox Footy that Phillipou had “cooked himself” while training too much in the lead-up.
Reining himself in and ensuring he does switch off is still a work-in-progress, but something the young gun said he was getting better at.
Phillipou’s way of doing that is playing video games, most often Fortnite, against mates back in South Australia and younger brother Jevan – another bright AFL prospect who also excels on the basketball court and as a decathlete.
He’s also into movies and music – he loves the Rocky films and typically has American rap and 1990s hip hop in his ear buds. But, as always with Phillipou, there is a catch to his relaxing moments.
“The music gets me hyped. I find getting excited and wound up is more relaxing than forcing myself to switch off,” he said.
“I feel like the more I try to force relaxing; the worse it gets with me. I’ve got to have everything done for the day to just naturally relax … I feel like it’s more of a response to if I’ve done the right thing.”
Phillipou’s footy bucket list
Phillipou is a young man in a hurry, and has already graduated to training more with the midfielders after predominantly playing as a forward last season.
St Kilda’s 1966 VFL premiership remains the only prize in their cupboard, but their 2022 first-round draftee is hellbent on changing that.
Negotiations are well advanced to extend Phillipou’s time as a Saint, and he wants to repay the club with a long and, of course, successful career in the red, white and black.
“I’ve got a lot of high goals for myself individually, and team-wise, I want to win a lot of premierships,” he said.
“I want to play a lot of games, and ideally, I want to do that here. Really, it’s that simple, and to be honest, if I could put it into one meaning – it’s just to achieve my full potential.”
How about All-Australian accolades? Brownlow Medals?
“I feel like if you asked me that question a year ago, I would have said, ‘Definitely’,” Phillipou said.
“If I continue to do everything I can, every day, and commit myself to the habits that’ll get me there, yeah, I believe I can. But I don’t want to put a limit on myself; the same way I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself and say I’m guaranteed to get here.”
The Saints played in three grand finals in the previous Lyon era, including the drawn one in 2010, but were unable to break through despite having the likes of Nick Riewoldt, Lenny Hayes, Goddard, Nick Dal Santo, Stephen Milne and Leigh Montagna.
The current St Kilda squad lacks that top-end quality, but Phillipou is far from the only promising young player, with Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, Mitch Owens, Marcus Windhager and Anthony Caminiti showing plenty.
There is also great hope for players such as Darcy Wilson, Olli Hotton, Isaac Keeler, Matt Allison, Lance Collard, James Van Es and Angus Hastie, while Max King (23) and recruit Liam Henry (22) are not that much older.
“These guys are ultimate professionals and ferociously competitive, and it’s so exciting because I know that’s what it’s going to take if we want to ever get to the level we want to get to,” Phillipou said.
“It’s hard to put into words, just the thought of [potentially playing in a flag for the Saints] – but I know it’s possible. All the guys here – the coaches, the players, the people who I interact with – all believe it’s possible.
“I don’t put a limit on myself, and I’m also not putting a limit on what’s possible as a club.”
Very refreshingly honest, transparent and frank.
Please don't invite Arie's crew around the new pad.
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Love the coverage but this article also reinforces that we should hang onto Mason Wood when he can no longer step onto the field. The support he's given our youngsters is phenomenal.He plays like me: The bold comment that floored AFL recruiters in young Saint’s draft interview
He doesn’t touch alcohol and his intensity can put people off, but St Kilda’s Mattaes Phillipou is being tipped for big things.
He plays like me: The bold comment that floored AFL recruiters in young Saint’s draft interview
By Marc McGowan
March 3, 2024 — 5.15am
One early lesson Mattaes Phillipou’s dad, Sam – who played three games for Footscray – taught the future Saint was he could not be like everyone else if he wanted to be great.
Those words had an enormous impact in shaping who Phillipou became, and is, from his seemingly endless appetite for hard work to an obsession with maximising his potential, including never drinking alcohol.
To say he marches to the beat of his own drum would be an understatement. People who know the 19-year-old budding star – who David King flatteringly likens to Western Bulldogs premiership captain Marcus Bontempelli – tell you they have not met anyone like him.
In fact, Phillipou just moved out on his own in the past fortnight, into a Sandringham apartment near the beach, so he can properly escape the football bubble in his downtime that he otherwise dives headfirst into.
The future of the AFL: Here are the game’s top 20 young players
“I’ve always been that kid who’s been a little bit different,” a frank Phillipou told this masthead in a wide-ranging chat at St Kilda’s Moorabbin base.
“I’ve got to be careful with how I do it because sometimes I can [come across] a bit brash, especially growing up; like, if you didn’t have the same views as me, I’d just throw you to the side. I feel like I’m more understanding now.
“To give you an example, I haven’t had any alcohol, and growing up, teenagers start to drink – and I’d just have disgust for it … I couldn’t make sense of it because I had this purpose within me that was driving me to not do that stuff. Because of where I was trying to go; that wouldn’t fit into my fun.
“But now, if teammates choose to have a drink, I totally get it. It’s their way of unwinding.”
The Bontempelli comparison
Phillipou, the No.10 pick in the 2022 draft who Essendon and Hawthorn gave serious consideration to even earlier, played all 24 games in his debut season, under coach Ross Lyon, who famously drives high standards.
Good judges, such as North Melbourne’s dual premiership player King and Melbourne great Garry Lyon, believe the 190-centimetre forward-midfielder has a huge future in the game.
Phillipou is sometimes compared to Western Bulldgos captain Marcus Bontempelli.
The Bontempelli comparison is not a new one, and Phillipou was familiar with it when recruiters quizzed him two years ago on who he played like.
But it was his answer that caught amused talent scouts off guard, and quickly became a talking point leading into that year’s draft. The teenage prospect told them Bontempelli played like him. Nat Fyfe came up, too.
“I’ve always been a believer in believing in yourself and not having limitations,” Phillipou said. “I guess we’ve got similar playing styles. It was how I worded it, but I don’t retract the statement.”
Anyone unfamiliar with Phillipou may be getting the wrong impression about him. A self-professed introvert, the second-year AFL footballer simply wants to be the best he can be, and was chuffed that King saw Bontempelli-like qualities in him.
Phillipou’s confidence comes from a good place, and is emboldened by an insatiable work-rate that he demands of himself to give him every chance to reach his lofty goals.
“To have that said about me – someone who hasn’t really done anything yet – it’s like, ‘Wow’,” he said.
“There are other people who see the vision that I see. It’s hard not to get excited by that. But, I always just try and bring it back to the only way I’m even going to get close to that is if I continue to work, and continue watching vision with ‘BJ’ [St Kilda great-turned-assistant Brendon Goddard].”
Phillipou also has an admirer in dual Saints club champion Jack Steele, who told this masthead that Phillipou’s unique ways took some adjusting to but were “very refreshing”.
“He came in and did things his way and didn’t really worry about what everyone else was doing,” Steele said.
“He’s got a clear vision about what he wants to get out of his career ... [and] I love that he puts his best foot forward and wants to be the best player and contributor for the club as possible.
“I’ll ask him, ‘What’s on for the weekend, mate?’ and he’ll say, ‘Oh, I’ll probably chill out on Saturday, then on Sunday, I might pop in to do some touch’.
“Most people wouldn’t think about coming into the club in their spare time, but he doesn’t see it as work. It’s what he loves to do, so you can’t complain when someone’s got that sort of work ethic and attitude towards footy.”
Why he is hard on himself
Phillipou is his harshest critic.
Most young players take years to figure out the professionalism and standards required to make it at AFL level, and many never do. Nutrition was one area Phillipou needed education in, and it was not that he was eating poorly – he just did not understand how to fuel his body properly.
That knowledge gap compounded his well-intentioned desire to train as hard and long as possible, but teammate Mason Wood, who he briefly lived with, helped upskill him.
Wood taught Phillipou about macronutrients, a term that describes the nutrients – specifically carbohydrates, fat and protein – that your body requires to perform at its best.
He first came across macros at school but brushed the science off back then as too complicated, until Wood simplified it for him. Phillipou was cross with himself that it took too long for him to get there, believing he was capable of knowing all this before he lobbed at Moorabbin.
“That’s how I see it, and that’s how I view myself,” he said. “At times, you’ve got to be cautious because you can drive yourself down a dark hole with thoughts like that, but I want to keep that because [it will help me] get to where I want to get to quicker.”
Phillipou now makes sure to pile in at least 500 calories for breakfast to ready himself for training, whereas previously he would consume not even half that.
“I would come to training feeling sick, and start having coffees, and I was like, ‘I reckon it’s the coffees making me sick’ because I’d never had coffee before,” he said.
“I had low energy, would be mentally tired, and I was like, ‘You’re not working hard enough’, which makes it worse. Then, you totally drop back, and you’re not doing enough, or what I feel is not enough because I always strive to do more, and I can’t hit that because I’m not eating enough.”
There was even a game early in the season last year when coach Lyon told Fox Footy that Phillipou had “cooked himself” while training too much in the lead-up.
Reining himself in and ensuring he does switch off is still a work-in-progress, but something the young gun said he was getting better at.
Phillipou’s way of doing that is playing video games, most often Fortnite, against mates back in South Australia and younger brother Jevan – another bright AFL prospect who also excels on the basketball court and as a decathlete.
He’s also into movies and music – he loves the Rocky films and typically has American rap and 1990s hip hop in his ear buds. But, as always with Phillipou, there is a catch to his relaxing moments.
“The music gets me hyped. I find getting excited and wound up is more relaxing than forcing myself to switch off,” he said.
“I feel like the more I try to force relaxing; the worse it gets with me. I’ve got to have everything done for the day to just naturally relax … I feel like it’s more of a response to if I’ve done the right thing.”
Phillipou’s footy bucket list
Phillipou is a young man in a hurry, and has already graduated to training more with the midfielders after predominantly playing as a forward last season.
St Kilda’s 1966 VFL premiership remains the only prize in their cupboard, but their 2022 first-round draftee is hellbent on changing that.
Negotiations are well advanced to extend Phillipou’s time as a Saint, and he wants to repay the club with a long and, of course, successful career in the red, white and black.
“I’ve got a lot of high goals for myself individually, and team-wise, I want to win a lot of premierships,” he said.
“I want to play a lot of games, and ideally, I want to do that here. Really, it’s that simple, and to be honest, if I could put it into one meaning – it’s just to achieve my full potential.”
How about All-Australian accolades? Brownlow Medals?
“I feel like if you asked me that question a year ago, I would have said, ‘Definitely’,” Phillipou said.
“If I continue to do everything I can, every day, and commit myself to the habits that’ll get me there, yeah, I believe I can. But I don’t want to put a limit on myself; the same way I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself and say I’m guaranteed to get here.”
The Saints played in three grand finals in the previous Lyon era, including the drawn one in 2010, but were unable to break through despite having the likes of Nick Riewoldt, Lenny Hayes, Goddard, Nick Dal Santo, Stephen Milne and Leigh Montagna.
The current St Kilda squad lacks that top-end quality, but Phillipou is far from the only promising young player, with Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, Mitch Owens, Marcus Windhager and Anthony Caminiti showing plenty.
There is also great hope for players such as Darcy Wilson, Olli Hotton, Isaac Keeler, Matt Allison, Lance Collard, James Van Es and Angus Hastie, while Max King (23) and recruit Liam Henry (22) are not that much older.
“These guys are ultimate professionals and ferociously competitive, and it’s so exciting because I know that’s what it’s going to take if we want to ever get to the level we want to get to,” Phillipou said.
“It’s hard to put into words, just the thought of [potentially playing in a flag for the Saints] – but I know it’s possible. All the guys here – the coaches, the players, the people who I interact with – all believe it’s possible.
“I don’t put a limit on myself, and I’m also not putting a limit on what’s possible as a club.”
seasonedsainter
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Love this,
This level of competitiveness reminds me specifclly of some athletes
Tom Brady
Kobe
MJ
Buddy
Lachie Neale.
Juddy
The more I listen the more, the obesion to be better and ego actually matters when it comes to being the best. If anyone has ever listened to Juddy talk about competitiveness.
I would love to be a fly on the wall in a meeting with him and a sports psych
The work he has done with Pou and Nas is out of this world.
gringo2011
Premium Platinum
He probably has perfectionism coupled with anxious striving. Not particularly good for the real world but great for sporting excellence.
goodie23
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Nice to see three of our boys make this list, including the youngest player on it
www.theage.com.au
Barely a week out from “round zero”, we have tackled the challenge of naming the AFL’s best 20 footballers aged 21 or younger ahead of the new season.
Cue the debate.
The criteria were simple: players must have played at least 10 games (sorry, George Wardlaw, Sam Darcy, Harley Reid and co.) and not have turned 22 years old. The list is based mostly on production – but with some extrapolation, so those who are only one year in are not too disadvantaged.
Care was taken not to give too much weighting to potential and also factored in that it is harder to make an early impact as a tall forward or defender than, say, a midfielder or half-back flanker.
Among those to miss out were Adelaide’s Max Michalanney and Luke Pedlar, 2022 No.1 pick Aaron Cadman, Carlton’s Ollie Hollands, Kangaroos Paul Curtis and Will Phillips, Hawthorn’s Josh Ward, Demons Judd McVee and Jake Bowey, Gold Coast’s Bailey Humphrey, and Eagles Reuben Ginbey, Elijah Hewett and Noah Long.
Key 2023 stats: 13 disposals, 6 contested possessions, 4 score involvements
Could, and probably will, end up the best of the Saints’ new breed. Phillipou is obsessed with becoming a great AFL footballer and backs up his confidence with a standout work-rate behind the scenes. Fox Footy guru and North Melbourne premiership star David King even sees some Marcus Bontempelli-type traits in the South Australian teenager, who he believes could one day dominate games for fun. The talk out of St Kilda is they will let him roam away from the forward line more often in 2024, and this journey is just getting started.
Key 2023 stats: 15 disposals, 8 contested possessions, 1.1 goals
Owens took on great responsibility last year, along with pre-season signing Anthony Caminiti, while Max King and Tim Membrey were sidelined – and finished fourth in the Saints’ Trevor Barker Medal. At 191cm, he is undersized as a key forward, but successfully operated as one. Owens made a quick start with eight goals across the Saints’ unbeaten first month, including a 27-disposal performance against Gold Coast. His role was, and will be, a bit different with King and Membrey in the side, but he is a big part of the club’s future.
Date of birth: 22/2/2003
Key 2023 stats: 24 disposals, 450 metres gained, 5 intercept possessions
Wanganeen-Milera oozes class and looks a home run selection from the Saints at No.11 in the 2021 draft. The vast majority of the 21-year-old’s disposals are kicks – and that’s by design because he is already the best exponent on St Kilda’s list. His move from the wing to half-back also made him the resident kick-in specialist, and coach Ross Lyon wants the Sherrin in his hands as often as possible. Finished top five in the club’s best and fairest award, and how he handles the extra attention surely coming will be fascinating viewing.
The future of the AFL: Here are the game’s top 20 young players
Ranking players is always fraught with danger and a very subjective exercise, but we have attempted to sort the AFL’s best young prospects, from Nick Daicos to Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and Mattaes Phillipou.
The future of the AFL: Here are the game’s top 20 young players
By Marc McGowan
February 27, 2024 — 11.41amBarely a week out from “round zero”, we have tackled the challenge of naming the AFL’s best 20 footballers aged 21 or younger ahead of the new season.
Cue the debate.
The criteria were simple: players must have played at least 10 games (sorry, George Wardlaw, Sam Darcy, Harley Reid and co.) and not have turned 22 years old. The list is based mostly on production – but with some extrapolation, so those who are only one year in are not too disadvantaged.
Care was taken not to give too much weighting to potential and also factored in that it is harder to make an early impact as a tall forward or defender than, say, a midfielder or half-back flanker.
Among those to miss out were Adelaide’s Max Michalanney and Luke Pedlar, 2022 No.1 pick Aaron Cadman, Carlton’s Ollie Hollands, Kangaroos Paul Curtis and Will Phillips, Hawthorn’s Josh Ward, Demons Judd McVee and Jake Bowey, Gold Coast’s Bailey Humphrey, and Eagles Reuben Ginbey, Elijah Hewett and Noah Long.
13. Mattaes Phillipou (St Kilda)
Date of birth: 27/12/2004Key 2023 stats: 13 disposals, 6 contested possessions, 4 score involvements
Could, and probably will, end up the best of the Saints’ new breed. Phillipou is obsessed with becoming a great AFL footballer and backs up his confidence with a standout work-rate behind the scenes. Fox Footy guru and North Melbourne premiership star David King even sees some Marcus Bontempelli-type traits in the South Australian teenager, who he believes could one day dominate games for fun. The talk out of St Kilda is they will let him roam away from the forward line more often in 2024, and this journey is just getting started.
10. Mitch Owens (St Kilda)
Date of birth: 24/9/2003Key 2023 stats: 15 disposals, 8 contested possessions, 1.1 goals
Owens took on great responsibility last year, along with pre-season signing Anthony Caminiti, while Max King and Tim Membrey were sidelined – and finished fourth in the Saints’ Trevor Barker Medal. At 191cm, he is undersized as a key forward, but successfully operated as one. Owens made a quick start with eight goals across the Saints’ unbeaten first month, including a 27-disposal performance against Gold Coast. His role was, and will be, a bit different with King and Membrey in the side, but he is a big part of the club’s future.
8. Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (St Kilda)
Date of birth: 22/2/2003
Key 2023 stats: 24 disposals, 450 metres gained, 5 intercept possessions
Wanganeen-Milera oozes class and looks a home run selection from the Saints at No.11 in the 2021 draft. The vast majority of the 21-year-old’s disposals are kicks – and that’s by design because he is already the best exponent on St Kilda’s list. His move from the wing to half-back also made him the resident kick-in specialist, and coach Ross Lyon wants the Sherrin in his hands as often as possible. Finished top five in the club’s best and fairest award, and how he handles the extra attention surely coming will be fascinating viewing.
Yep for sure,
I'd add
BJ
Sam Walsh
Nick Riewoldt
Nice to see three of our boys make this list, including the youngest player on it
The future of the AFL: Here are the game’s top 20 young players
Ranking players is always fraught with danger and a very subjective exercise, but we have attempted to sort the AFL’s best young prospects, from Nick Daicos to Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and Mattaes Phillipou.The future of the AFL: Here are the game’s top 20 young players
By Marc McGowan
February 27, 2024 — 11.41am
Barely a week out from “round zero”, we have tackled the challenge of naming the AFL’s best 20 footballers aged 21 or younger ahead of the new season.
Cue the debate.
The criteria were simple: players must have played at least 10 games (sorry, George Wardlaw, Sam Darcy, Harley Reid and co.) and not have turned 22 years old. The list is based mostly on production – but with some extrapolation, so those who are only one year in are not too disadvantaged.
Care was taken not to give too much weighting to potential and also factored in that it is harder to make an early impact as a tall forward or defender than, say, a midfielder or half-back flanker.
Among those to miss out were Adelaide’s Max Michalanney and Luke Pedlar, 2022 No.1 pick Aaron Cadman, Carlton’s Ollie Hollands, Kangaroos Paul Curtis and Will Phillips, Hawthorn’s Josh Ward, Demons Judd McVee and Jake Bowey, Gold Coast’s Bailey Humphrey, and Eagles Reuben Ginbey, Elijah Hewett and Noah Long.
13. Mattaes Phillipou (St Kilda)
Date of birth: 27/12/2004
Key 2023 stats: 13 disposals, 6 contested possessions, 4 score involvements
Could, and probably will, end up the best of the Saints’ new breed. Phillipou is obsessed with becoming a great AFL footballer and backs up his confidence with a standout work-rate behind the scenes. Fox Footy guru and North Melbourne premiership star David King even sees some Marcus Bontempelli-type traits in the South Australian teenager, who he believes could one day dominate games for fun. The talk out of St Kilda is they will let him roam away from the forward line more often in 2024, and this journey is just getting started.
10. Mitch Owens (St Kilda)
Date of birth: 24/9/2003
Key 2023 stats: 15 disposals, 8 contested possessions, 1.1 goals
Owens took on great responsibility last year, along with pre-season signing Anthony Caminiti, while Max King and Tim Membrey were sidelined – and finished fourth in the Saints’ Trevor Barker Medal. At 191cm, he is undersized as a key forward, but successfully operated as one. Owens made a quick start with eight goals across the Saints’ unbeaten first month, including a 27-disposal performance against Gold Coast. His role was, and will be, a bit different with King and Membrey in the side, but he is a big part of the club’s future.
8. Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (St Kilda)
Date of birth: 22/2/2003
Key 2023 stats: 24 disposals, 450 metres gained, 5 intercept possessions
Wanganeen-Milera oozes class and looks a home run selection from the Saints at No.11 in the 2021 draft. The vast majority of the 21-year-old’s disposals are kicks – and that’s by design because he is already the best exponent on St Kilda’s list. His move from the wing to half-back also made him the resident kick-in specialist, and coach Ross Lyon wants the Sherrin in his hands as often as possible. Finished top five in the club’s best and fairest award, and how he handles the extra attention surely coming will be fascinating viewing.
Do we know the rest of the listNice to see three of our boys make this list, including the youngest player on it
The future of the AFL: Here are the game’s top 20 young players
Ranking players is always fraught with danger and a very subjective exercise, but we have attempted to sort the AFL’s best young prospects, from Nick Daicos to Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and Mattaes Phillipou.The future of the AFL: Here are the game’s top 20 young players
By Marc McGowan
February 27, 2024 — 11.41am
Barely a week out from “round zero”, we have tackled the challenge of naming the AFL’s best 20 footballers aged 21 or younger ahead of the new season.
Cue the debate.
The criteria were simple: players must have played at least 10 games (sorry, George Wardlaw, Sam Darcy, Harley Reid and co.) and not have turned 22 years old. The list is based mostly on production – but with some extrapolation, so those who are only one year in are not too disadvantaged.
Care was taken not to give too much weighting to potential and also factored in that it is harder to make an early impact as a tall forward or defender than, say, a midfielder or half-back flanker.
Among those to miss out were Adelaide’s Max Michalanney and Luke Pedlar, 2022 No.1 pick Aaron Cadman, Carlton’s Ollie Hollands, Kangaroos Paul Curtis and Will Phillips, Hawthorn’s Josh Ward, Demons Judd McVee and Jake Bowey, Gold Coast’s Bailey Humphrey, and Eagles Reuben Ginbey, Elijah Hewett and Noah Long.
13. Mattaes Phillipou (St Kilda)
Date of birth: 27/12/2004
Key 2023 stats: 13 disposals, 6 contested possessions, 4 score involvements
Could, and probably will, end up the best of the Saints’ new breed. Phillipou is obsessed with becoming a great AFL footballer and backs up his confidence with a standout work-rate behind the scenes. Fox Footy guru and North Melbourne premiership star David King even sees some Marcus Bontempelli-type traits in the South Australian teenager, who he believes could one day dominate games for fun. The talk out of St Kilda is they will let him roam away from the forward line more often in 2024, and this journey is just getting started.
10. Mitch Owens (St Kilda)
Date of birth: 24/9/2003
Key 2023 stats: 15 disposals, 8 contested possessions, 1.1 goals
Owens took on great responsibility last year, along with pre-season signing Anthony Caminiti, while Max King and Tim Membrey were sidelined – and finished fourth in the Saints’ Trevor Barker Medal. At 191cm, he is undersized as a key forward, but successfully operated as one. Owens made a quick start with eight goals across the Saints’ unbeaten first month, including a 27-disposal performance against Gold Coast. His role was, and will be, a bit different with King and Membrey in the side, but he is a big part of the club’s future.
8. Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (St Kilda)
Date of birth: 22/2/2003
Key 2023 stats: 24 disposals, 450 metres gained, 5 intercept possessions
Wanganeen-Milera oozes class and looks a home run selection from the Saints at No.11 in the 2021 draft. The vast majority of the 21-year-old’s disposals are kicks – and that’s by design because he is already the best exponent on St Kilda’s list. His move from the wing to half-back also made him the resident kick-in specialist, and coach Ross Lyon wants the Sherrin in his hands as often as possible. Finished top five in the club’s best and fairest award, and how he handles the extra attention surely coming will be fascinating viewing.
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20. Logan McDonald (Sydney)
Date of birth: 4/4/2002
Key 2023 stats: 10 disposals, 4 marks, 1.6 goals
19. Josh Gibcus (Richmond)
Date of birth: 4/4/2003
Key 2022 stats: 9 disposals, 4 intercept possessions,4 contested possessions
18. Darcy Wilmot (Brisbane Lions)
Date of birth: 31/12/2003
Key 2023 stats: 16 disposals, 5 intercept possessions, 3 rebound-50s
17. Ollie Henry (Geelong)
Date of birth: 29/8/2002
Key 2023 stats: 10 disposals, 5 contested possessions, 1.9 goals
16. Archie Perkins (Essendon)
Date of birth: 26/3/2002
Key 2023 stats: 15 disposals, 5 contested possessions, 3 inside-50s
15. Max Holmes (Geelong)
Date of birth: 29/8/2002
Key 2023 stats: 19 disposals, 4 inside-50s, 4 tackles
14. Josh Weddle (Hawthorn)
Date of birth: 25/5/2004
Key 2023 stats: 17 disposals, 5 marks, 5 intercept possessions
13. Mattaes Phillipou (St Kilda)
Date of birth: 27/12/2004
Key 2023 stats: 13 disposals, 6 contested possessions, 4 score involvements
12. Jacob van Rooyen (Melbourne)
Date of birth: 16/4/2003
Key 2023 stats: 9 disposals, 3 marks, 1.4 goals
11. Finn Callaghan (GWS)
Date of birth: 26/4/2003
Key 2023 stats: 21 disposals, 3 inside-50s, 5 score involvements
10. Mitch Owens (St Kilda)
Date of birth: 24/9/2003
Key 2023 stats: 15 disposals, 8 contested possessions, 1.1 goals
9. Josh Rachele (Adelaide)
Date of birth: 11/4/2003
Key 2023 stats: 15 disposals, 6 score involvements, 1.1 goals
8. Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (St Kilda)
7. Jason Horne-Francis (Port Adelaide)
Date of birth: 21/6/2003
Key 2023 stats: 18 disposals, 9 contested possessions, 5 clearances
6. Jye Amiss (Fremantle)
Date of birth: 31/7/2003
Key 2023 stats: 8 disposals, 4 marks, 1.9 goals
5. Jamarra Ugle-Hagan (Western Bulldogs)
Date of birth: 4/4/2002
Key 2023 stats: 11 disposals, 5 marks, 1.5 goals
4. Harry Sheezel (North Melbourne)
Date of birth: 13/10/2004
Key 2023 stats: 27 disposals, 442 metres gained, 7 contested possessions
3. Will Ashcroft (Brisbane Lions)
Date of birth: 6/5/2004
Key 2023 stats: 22 disposals, 8 contested possessions, 4 clearances
2. Errol Gulden (Sydney)
Date of birth: 18/7/2002
Key 2023 stats: 27 disposals, 562 metres gained, 6 inside-50s
1. Nick Daicos (Collingwood)
Date of birth: 3/1/2003
Key 2023 stats (average): 31 disposals, 9 contested possessions, 4 clearances
StCicatriz
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Given the path are going down with getting young players it makes it more surprising they didn’t keep Wood just to help him guide them. Even if you’re going down the youth path you still need some experience around them.
CursingFijian
Knight of the Square Table
Archie Perkins seems overhyped this far in.
goodie23
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Worth remembering Wood was cut five(?) coaches ago (Ratten, Clarkson, Adams, Noble, Shaw) when North axed 11 players for a rebuild. He wasn't the oldest, the highest draft pick or close to having played the most games out of the group delisted. In 8 years he'd played more than half a season once. North had run out of patience and understandably so.
Makes his resurgence and importance to us all the more remarkable.
hayes
Brownlow Medallist
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Got it:
Anybody got this one?
Jack Steele has revealed his initial frustration at Ross Lyon for the St Kilda coach’s unwillingness to credit the Saints skipper’s achievements at the club before Lyon’s return to the role.
But the dual All-Australian and two-time best and fairest says he is now thankful for Lyon’s tough love in which Steele effectively had to prove his worth as a player all over again.
The midfielder is entering his third season as standalone captain of the Saints after sharing the role with Jarryn Geary in 2021.
Steele said he had wondered whether Lyon would want him to continue in the role once he arrived however was now confident the veteran coach had backed him in.
It had been a confronting start to their working relationship, with Lyon pushing Steele to lift his game by stripping weight as St Kilda shifted towards a high-octane running style of play following the exit of Brett Ratten.
The challenge was amplified when Steele hurt his shoulder during an early-season win against the Western Bulldogs, setting the tone for what would be a year of indifferent form for the captain.
Steele took a while to be won over by Ross Lyon. Picture: Getty Images
“He set the bar pretty high when it came to the standards that needed to be set and he came to the top with his leaders and it pushed me along,” Steele told this masthead of his relationship with Lyon.
“At times it was pretty hard to swallow. I probably wasn’t where I wanted to be in terms of my body and my performance a lot of the time throughout the year so yeah, he never really sort of wavered with that message that he first came in with. So yeah, he just pushed me along and it’s probably the best thing for me to be honest. So really grateful of the way he’s come in and not played favourites. I suppose treat everyone as equals, it really challenged me so I feel like I’m a better captain and a better player and person because of it.”
Steele said there had been moments when he’d felt Lyon had not appreciated the onballer’s circumstances or what he had brought to the table in earlier years at Moorabbin.
“Maybe him just not completely understanding my situation at times. That’s what frustrated me, but at the same time he was just being honest with what he saw and what he believed in and what he was trying to do at the club,” Steele said.
The Saints had a strong first season under Lyon. Picture: Michael Klein
“So I respect that and at the end of the day so I think he’s been a great change for our club and someone that I’m looking forward to working with in the years to come.
“I suppose knowing the body of work I’ve done in the in the years before, I suppose yeah. I thought I was a fairly established player at the club, and he didn’t really care or see it as that which was probably a good thing.”
More Coverage
The missing string Marshall wants to add to his bow
Exclusive stats: Pre-season kick-in, centre bounce surprisesYet Steele feels he eventually won Lyon’s respect and trust outright, rather than relying on past deeds or reputation. It has provided the Canberra product with greater satisfaction.
“(It) gives me confidence in the fact that I’ve had to you know, pretty much earn it again, and earn his respect and and I suppose the respect of the players,” Steele said.
“When he first got there, I wasn’t sure whether he would want to start fresh with a new captain, whether he really saw me as being the captain. But then over the last couple of weeks when I suppose the captaincy was decided. He told me pretty early that he didn’t expect there to be much change, which gave me a lot of confidence to go about my business and focus on my role. So yeah, so it’s good to know that now he really backs me and supports me
littlecreatures
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Not like his players like Hodge put Wingard into the behind post. Flog
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The hawks under Clarkson were one of the most ruthless teams of the modern era and Hodge repeatably did far more malicious things on the field then Webster and I guarantee you Clarkson encouraged and taught that under his tenure.
Completely unprofessional but typical for a man like that.
