Unofficial Preview Changes and pre-match discussion vs [sigh] Brisbane in Hobart

[King Corey]

I worked with him for 3 years. Not a bad bloke outside of footy

(I believe you worked with him)

 

[Chadwiko]

Mate, fair dinkum, you sound like playing Phillips would have won us the game, but instead we have chosen to cop another loss.

Our midfield has gotten comprehensively pantsed in multiple games this year. The games where it didn't look quite so bad were the games that Will Phillips played. Do I think he's some elite saviour and the answer to all our problems? Of course not.

But every bloody talking head in the AFL world has correctly identified our biggest issue is a lack of defensive effort and talent in the middle of the ground (not just midfielders, but wingers/flankers too). For all his supposed "limitations", Phillips excels at this.

Will Phillips has only played in 4 of our 8 games this year, and yet he's 8th for NMFC in total tackles, 7th for total clearances, and has more Goal Assists than guys like Xerri and Sheezel.

I swear people have become so blinded by SuperCoach scores and stats that they think a dude who quote-unquote "only" gets 15 disposals in 60% TOG is some kind of failure, when the reality is Will Phillips plays his role and plays it well.

But beyond the issue of Will Phillips specifically, the team selection is just straight up indefensibly bad this week. Guys who played shithouse in the AFL were not dropped, and guys who played shithouse in the VFL were rewarded with inclusion in the 26 man squad. It speaks volumes about the complete lack of accountability and standards at North at the moment and is an accurate reflection on where we are on the ladder yet again.

 

[muttley45]

Both Zorko and Wilmot provide 90% + of their rebound, and scoring chain starts, hope, but don't expect they have some close attention from the get go, along with Lachie Neale

9

Lachie Neale

Age

32

Ht

177cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

27.0

5star

K

11.5

4star

HB

15.5

5star

M

4.0

4star

T

3.7

5star

CL

5.9

5star

D

28.3

5star

K

13.9

5star

HB

14.4

5star

M

4.6

4star

T

4.0

5star

CL

5.9

5star

D

12.0

3star

K

4.6

2star

HB

7.4

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

1.0

3star

CL

0.4

3star

of course

 

[Val Keating]

His best footy for mine was in 2023. If the illness is still affecting him, it is permanent and career-ending. I do not believe it has anything to do with his playing time.

Fair enough. Whatever the reason, he struggles to run out games.

 

[King Corey]

Both Zorko and Wilmot provide 90% + of their rebound, and scoring chain starts, hope, but don't expect they have some close attention from the get go, along with Lachie Neale of course

Lock in one of them for 10 coaches votes and 0 coaches attention then.

 

[The Nostradamus]

Both Zorko and Wilmot provide 90% + of their rebound, and scoring chain starts, hope, but don't expect they have some close attention from the get go, along with Lachie Neale of course

Would have loved to see wilphil lockdown on neale

konstanty should try lock down zorko or wilmot

 

[Val Keating]

Would have loved to see wilphil lockdown on neale

konstanty should try lock down zorko or wilmot

Neale would run him into the ground like Daicos did.

 

[Val Keating]

I’m not hating on Willphill, I know it looks like it, but I honestly think there’s a player there. He just needs to build his fitness up.

 

[kanga kanga kanga]

Neale would run him into the ground like Daicos did.

daicos only had a impact on the game after will phill was subbed off, he had 20 pressured disposals that were ineffective while will phill was tagging him

 

[DocSholl]

daicos only had a impact on the game after will phill was subbed off, he had 20 pressured disposals that were ineffective while will phill was tagging him

And why was Will subbed off?

 

[kanga kanga kanga]

And why was Will subbed off?

ask clarko, if neale has 20 pressured disposals at 3 quater time and no impact and then will gets subbed off he has done his job and had a good game

 

[Val Keating]

And why was Will subbed off?

Because he was knackerd. Tbf Daicos runs like Shane Crawford used to.

 

[pizzasteve88]

Our midfield has gotten comprehensively pantsed in multiple games this year. The games where it didn't look quite so bad were the games that Will Phillips played. Do I think he's some elite saviour and the answer to all our problems? Of course not.

But every bloody talking head in the AFL world has correctly identified our biggest issue is a lack of defensive effort and talent in the middle of the ground (not just midfielders, but wingers/flankers too). For all his supposed "limitations", Phillips excels at this.

Will Phillips has only played in 4 of our 8 games this year, and yet he's 8th for NMFC in total tackles, 7th for total clearances, and has more Goal Assists than guys like Xerri and Sheezel.

I swear people have become so blinded by SuperCoach scores and stats that they think a dude who quote-unquote "only" gets 15 disposals in 60% TOG is some kind of failure, when the reality is Will Phillips plays his role and plays it well.

But beyond the issue of Will Phillips specifically, the team selection is just straight up indefensibly bad this week. Guys who played shithouse in the AFL were not dropped, and guys who played shithouse in the VFL were rewarded with inclusion in the 26 man squad. It speaks volumes about the complete lack of accountability and standards at North at the moment and is an accurate reflection on where we are on the ladder yet again.

& I think that’s what I find most frustrating. I am a big Will fan but him aside, it’s the unaccountability that applies to not just games but contract lengths as well. Probably why we are (& will be) culture-less since 2017. All standards are created equal…but some standards are more equal than others.

 

[Val Keating]

The bloke replacing Phillips is very good defensively

 

[kanga kanga kanga]

The bloke replacing Phillips is very good defensively

no one is questioning wardlaw being in the team, everyone here knows wardlaw is a gun, the only question is why can’t they play together

 

[The Nostradamus]

no one is questioning wardlaw being in the team, everyone here knows wardlaw is a gun, the only question is why can’t they play together

They can and it’s by moving Powell to a wing

But they want to keep playing him inside which is a mistake imo

 

[Moti]

daicos only had a impact on the game after will phill was subbed off, he had 20 pressured disposals that were ineffective while will phill was tagging him

It started to turn midway through the second quarter. Will did a great job but you are rarely going to get a Roos side that in sync for the forseeable future.

 

[Val Keating]

no one is questioning wardlaw being in the team, everyone here knows wardlaw is a gun, the only question is why can’t they play together

Because they are both pure mids and both play 60-65% game time and Wardlaw is a better player at the moment.

 

[Val Keating]

It’s the knock on effect. The load it would put on LDU & Powell having 2 mids that only play 60% game time would be too much.

And I certainly wouldn’t be taking LDU and Powell out of the middle to accommodate.

 

[ferball]

As many as he can in half a game. Baily scott 3 touches and keeps his spot. Midfield coach is cooked.

Libba is one of the best mids in the comp right now. Slow plodder, wins it inside. They have 2 defensive inside mids in that team and they are dominating.

You missed his epic chase the other week obviously. That's the sort of thing we need more of from Will.

 

[Event Horizon]

Both Zorko and Wilmot provide 90% + of their rebound, and scoring chain starts, hope, but don't expect they have some close attention from the get go, along with Lachie Neale of course

Well, is any of them more important to Brissie than Merrett is to Essendon? Probably not. Yet this didn't move us to clamp down on Merrett or even to have anyone in the vicinity of him

 

[Event Horizon]

I’m not hating on Willphill, I know it looks like it, but I honestly think there’s a player there. He just needs to build his fitness up.

How many years does that take?

 

[apollo_creed]

Our midfield has gotten comprehensively pantsed in multiple games this year. The games where it didn't look quite so bad were the games that Will Phillips played. Do I think he's some elite saviour and the answer to all our problems? Of course not.

But every bloody talking head in the AFL world has correctly identified our biggest issue is a lack of defensive effort and talent in the middle of the ground (not just midfielders, but wingers/flankers too). For all his supposed "limitations", Phillips excels at this.

Will Phillips has only played in 4 of our 8 games this year, and yet he's 8th for NMFC in total tackles, 7th for total clearances, and has more Goal Assists than guys like Xerri and Sheezel.

I swear people have become so blinded by SuperCoach scores and stats that they think a dude who quote-unquote "only" gets 15 disposals in 60% TOG is some kind of failure, when the reality is Will Phillips plays his role and plays it well.

But beyond the issue of Will Phillips specifically, the team selection is just straight up indefensibly bad this week. Guys who played shithouse in the AFL were not dropped, and guys who played shithouse in the VFL were rewarded with inclusion in the 26 man squad. It speaks volumes about the complete lack of accountability and standards at North at the moment and is an accurate reflection on where we are on the ladder yet again.

60% of game time is really three quarters.
25% per quarter but no one plays full quarters so 20% being the going rate per quarter equates to about 3 quarters.
Even at 60% GT 15 touches is less than what's expected. You can't compare it to be 100% to adjust the figure because no one is playing that much.

It's not even debatable that he doesn't find the ball enough. It has been the case every game this year. and last year. It is definitely his weakness and still isn't improving.

What he does bring to the side and why I'd pick him is his defensive application, depth to our midfield and he's generally very clean with his hands and not unreliable by foot.

He's not doing enough to demand a spot but he's also not failing to the point he should be in and out of the side like a yo-yo.

I feel sorry for him but I'm not in love with him.

 

[Val Keating]

How many years does that take?

Like I wrote in Wills thread I think he’s around 12~24 months behind Powell in his development due to illness and injury, so about that long.

 

[zoomba23]

Like I wrote in Wills thread I think he’s around 12~24 months behind Powell in his development due to illness and injury, so about that long.

Even with that history, there's not a chance in hell we give him seven years of grace to prove himself.

It's go-time for Will, and he comes across as sharp enough that he'd know that already