Player Watch #29: Will Phillips

[Chadwiko]

to all making excuses for Will, I suggest you watch the VFL this week. Watch what he does when the ball doesn't land in his lap, his work rate and desire to be involved. Consistently starts behind his man at stoppages and gets inflated/cheap tackle numbers.

Why would I watch Phillips do this in the VFL when I can watch every single one of our midfielders do this in the AFL?

 

[backtothedraft]

If development, rather than talent id is the core issue, we need to provide the new coaching staff and development program a grace period to see if they can uplift individual and team performance.

 

[Epictetus]

Will's drive or the clubs coaches being questioned is nonsense.

Wasn't good enough. Was never going to be. And the fact it's possible even likely he's played his last AFL game will prove that out.

Move on.

 

[spurs]

What a disappointment. When we need him most now that Taz has gone and can't become the player we need in our side. He's a bust.

 

[King Corey]

The most disappointing part of his time at north to date has been the dearth of "Willy" double entendres.

 

[Krakouer Bonar]

Bit of bad luck has befallen ol' Will during his time at North.

But hey, while a dog is down lets give it a good kickin', thats the BigFooty way, eh?

 

[speedy]

I'd suggest Powell's inability to defend had him out of the midfield rather than Will's inclusion. He got very few after Will was subbed.

Got to persist with Powell though. The potential to be a solid 2 way mid is there, needs to put on another 5-8kg. Powell can cover the ground much better than Will. Will is a dead set plodder.

 

[Epictetus]

Powell is also clearly and obviously and unarguably a SHITLOAD more talented than Phillips.

 

[swaeney]

Will's drive or the clubs coaches being questioned is nonsense.

Wasn't good enough. Was never going to be. And the fact it's possible even likely he's played his last AFL game will prove that out.

Move on.

If Simpkin is out with a quad injury this week surely he plays ?

 

[ChairmanZia]

It doesn't take any talent to chase and tackle.

Before superstars pop up, we need to have a solid list first, we are yet to have built the list outter layer yet.

2020 til now is only the cleansing stage, we have just started to build. It's year 1.

 

[Chadwiko]

People under-rate Phillips and over-rate Powell.

The truth lies somewhere in the middle.

 

[Blightys Barrel]

It’s interesting to go back read the first 3 pages of this extensive and well commented player thread. From the media commentary and club officials, we had secured a vital part of the puzzle to take us back to the promise land as a club. The praise and high hope is there for the majority to see. However there were a few learned souls in there who did not drink the Koolade. Instead they provided an educated insight on some of the weaknesses in Will’s game he (and the coaches) would need to overcome for him to realize his potential behind the likes of Rowell and Anderson. No surprises to see endurance and one dimensional style commented on by some of those gifted judges of junior talent.

A great read on the whole draft process is this book The Draft: inside the AFL's Search for talent by Emma Quayle It’s a lottery and you need a little luck in unearthing the gems.

 

[Junk yard]

People under-rate Phillips and over-rate Powell.

The truth lies somewhere in the middle.

Underrating of Will is certainly not the issue!

 

[Topparoo]

He's been a bit of a disappointment that's for sure but I really hope he plays this week and is given a proper run of games. Whether it's confidence or he hasn't got the tank I don't know. He really hasn't had a decent run at it. If we label him a bust now without a good six to 10 weeks we'll never know with Will. We have nothing to lose and possibly a stoppage beast to gain. Time will tell.

 

[Junk yard]

Took a few days for

Powell is also clearly and obviously and unarguably a SHITLOAD more talented than Phillips.

There's definitely some fools willing to argue!!

 

[Masked Avenger]

The other factor is that it’s much easier for a role player to slot into a mature, solid, system, one in which the players around you are predictable and know exactly what they are doing and where they are running.

Our game plan is still being bedded down (being kind) - even if a new role player was carrying out their instructions to the letter, it mightn’t be rewarded or even apparent.

It's easier for a role player to play well in a functioning team because the better players are doing most of the heavy lifting.

Put them in a poor system or side and they're usually not good enough to take up the slack.

While systems and development are important - it comes down to talent and application imo.

 

[Junk yard]

I mean easy to say in hindsight, but Jacobs looked like a soft plodder before he found his niche and confidence grew.

I'm not saying Phillips will make it, but it's worth a crack.

B.J was never soft. Will is a slow soft little potato and that's OK, we just need to all accept it.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

Sits comfortably in the ‘John O’Rourke Top 5 pick failures’ list.

 

[Passmore]

Sits comfortably in the ‘John O’Rourke Top 5 pick failures’ list.

There's plenty over time who don't make it. s**t happens.

Sent from my SM-A908B using Tapatalk

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

There's plenty over time who don't make it. s**t happens.

Sent from my SM-A908B using Tapatalk

It does.

But the constant talking up of his prospects is completely misplaced.

You need to be cut throat and make a call on these type of failures, move them on for anything of value.

 

[Sillygit]

Will's drive or the clubs coaches being questioned is nonsense.

Wasn't good enough. Was never going to be. And the fact it's possible even likely he's played his last AFL game will prove that out.

Move on.

what are you doing wasting your time here when you could be in the draft thread pointing out who "is never going to make it"?

 

[Colby Cheer Squad]

Bit of bad luck has befallen ol' Will during his time at North.

But hey, while a dog is down lets give it a good kickin', thats the BigFooty way, eh?

Yeah look, it may well be the case that Will doesn't make it and it certainly seems like he's a long way off the pace right now. But anyone popping champagne corks over that is a bit sad.

 

[Passmore]

It does.

But the constant talking up of his prospects is completely misplaced.

You need to be cut throat and make a call on these type of failures, move them on for anything of value.

He's talked up by BigFooty. That doesn't count in reality.

That he's barely played this year is more pertinent to his genuine rating.

Sent from my SM-A908B using Tapatalk

 

[Gumble Frankieton]

Needs to shave his head. He is a reverse Samson sort of bloke. Go the Scott Brown at Celtic look.


Slightly more serious comment:
just read back through the first 5 pages and we thought we were getting a Cunnington with a bit of pace (though a few said more a Swallow but better by foot). I'm not really sure what we've got with Will. Seems a solid citizen type that just hasn't been able to establish himself in the competition. Clearly the Glandular fever, interrupted pre-seasons, covid, a historically poor performing team, regular changes of coach etc can all be combined to explain why he hasn't made a solid impact. He did show some good signs last year, especially in a few mid-season games (29 touches v Coll, 27 and a goal against *). But we certainly haven't seen that player yet this year; admittedly he's only played 2 games but a combined 22 touches and being subbed out in one of the games against two teams with arguably weaker midfields isn't the best start.

Will he make it? Maybe, maybe not. But if it was up to me I'd play him in a good block of games and just tell him 'we are backing you in, relax and go out there and show us what you can bring to the team. When you get the chance then take the game on, when you can't get the ball then tackle like a mad bastard' etc.

 

[Flawed Genius]

lol there are some dead set awful calls in here.

Will is a slow soft little potato

Come on man. Will or his family has clearly done something to you personally or firebombed a business or something, but even you can admit there's nothing soft about Will. He might be in the slowish side, and he might be small, but the thing he is good at is extracting contested footy and tackling. He is not soft by any conceivable or measurable metric. Garbage call.

Elsewhere, for whatever reason (and I think there are plenty) it appears Will may not have the career he was hoping for at North, or that we were hoping for. Nobody from that draft has probably lived up to the expectations that were placed on them at the time. I still have hope that Will can carve out a place in our midfield and contribute to the development of our younger players as they come through and get his career back on track. If he doesn't, it will be a bloody shame, but you won't find me crowing on the football discussion website about how I was right all along or it's a good thing that Will is f***ing s**t or whatever.