Toast Pick #48: Welcome to the kennel Bailey Williams

[tenderwarrior]

Loved how he checked that kick into the f50 to McLean (I think?) half way through the delivery. Was about to bomb long and adapted to hit it short.

I noticed how the channel 7 commentators thought it was a miskick, but i thought it was obvious that he did it on purpose.

 

[1961grandfinal]

Poised when he has the ball and foot skills are excellent. Much improved from my observations of his VFL efforts and his tackling was very strong as well.

Another get by the recruiters, they seem to be picking these players who are able to fit into a system that works.

 

[Libba39]

My thoughts on BW's debut.

Showed some good composure
Good set of hands
Finds the ball

Obviously still got some physical development to go but i really think we have a player here.

 

[Here we go dogs]

Very impressed, think we've found another one

 

[DognBones]

He got caught holding the ball early in the game which awakened him to the difference between the speed of VFL and AFL. After that he hardly put a foot wrong and and his kicking skills in particular began to show out. I think he'll be a fast learner and may adapt to the team structure very quickly and well. We may just have picked up another draft bargain!

 

[Cudi]

To me he looks like a carbon copy of Biggs, even down to the kicking style.

 

[littlenails]

Williams made a good debut and congratulations to him. A great first up performance.

Like some others, I was surprised that he got a gig this week ahead of Webb. In his early matches with Footscray this year I thought that Williams didn't get to the ball enough and when he did he often fumbled.

All that I can say is ... "In Bev we trust."

 

[immortalmike]

Looks a shitload like a young Bob. Right down to the schoolboy haircut and high agility.

 

[ScragCity]

Looks a shitload like a young Bob. Right down to the schoolboy haircut and high agility.

I had this exact same thought today. If he becomes half the player Bob is I'll take it.

 

[immortalmike]

I had this exact same thought today. If he becomes half the player Bob is I'll take it.

Ken oath you would. The one thing I really liked about him was that he actually thought before he disposed of the ball, which was a trait that was immediately apparent in Murph's first game. Also didn't look as slow as advertised to me.

 

[Pugz89]

Well that's good news KH I rate your eye test very highly.

I think he's playing because Bev sticks to his development beliefs. Every kid who's come in and showed good signs gets the same treatment - into the AFL for an early taste, then back to the VFL to work on their game with clear idea of what needs working on and what standard needs to be achieved.

And he backs the 'system' to cover any weaknesses in their first few games. A lot of coaches advocate this approach. Bev is the only one with the balls to carry it through in a team aiming for top 4.

Hawks do it. It's where he learnt the philosophy I'd say. They're still gunning for top 4.

 

[Mofra]

Very foot footskills -two passes which were low, quick and impossible to defend against.
Agile, not super quick but moves the ball fast.
Obviously needs time to develop the body with a couple of missed tackles but really showed promise on the weekend.

 

[fronkalicious]

No way he's as quick or as good off the left as Bob. Not even close imo.

 

[stefoid]

With Boyd likely to cop a week, he will undoubtedly stay in the side.

 

[McCraeBF]

The kid has composure...

Safe with the ball great hands...

Will play 200 good games and again great job to our recruiters..

I down side and I hate to do this but twice he had to go?? s**t himself both times he fixes that and we have another A grader

 

[King Harold]

No way he's as quick or as good off the left as Bob. Not even close imo.

yeah fronk , mighty big call comparing him to Murph.
Having said that I have been a big fan , still very much seduced by that "highlights package "
But gotta say I was wrong. was very surprised he was selected so soon and even more surprised about what he offered yesterday.

 

[Wizard17]

I can see where the Pendlebury comparisons came from. Moves so sweetly.

The intercept, kick to McLean and though he missed some tackles due to rookie errors if I remember correctly he nailed one at CHF that lead to a goal for us.

 

[immortalmike]

No way he's as quick or as good off the left as Bob. Not even close imo.

Bob wasn't that great at either at 18. If you get a chance watch his first game against Carlton way back when. He looked medium paced and kicked a fair amount of high floaters off both feet. I think people forget how long Bob took to really get going.

 

[Sultan]

A lot of talk about his foot skills, but I thought he was very good by hand in the last quarter. Dished out some quick fire handballs.

 

[flipper83]

Was in the top 10 players on the field according to champion data's rating system.

 

[bobby2]

Bob wasn't that great at either at 18. If you get a chance watch his first game against Carlton way back when. He looked medium paced and kicked a fair amount of high floaters off both feet. I think people forget how long Bob took to really get going.

I'll be honest, I can't remember back that far very well, but I'd be quite surprised if he wasn't quick back then. Players rarely make dramatic improvements to their speed over their careers. Do you know when he started to get quick?

 

[immortalmike]

I'll be honest, I can't remember back that far very well, but I'd be quite surprised if he wasn't quick back then. Players rarely make dramatic improvements to their speed over their careers. Do you know when he started to get quick?

Murphy ain't that quick. He just knows when to run and how to use his agility. I first noticed this quality in Eades first year as coach. But he showed some some signs in 02-04.

 

[bobby2]

Murphy ain't that quick. He just knows when to run and how to use his agility. I first noticed this quality in Eades first year as coach. But he showed some some signs in 02-04.

I agree that he uses what he has brilliantly, but he's still quite fast, and certainly a lot faster than Williams. I think Williams is the sort of player who will be able to weave through traffic thanks to his agility and composure. That said, agility and composure are much more useful traits than pure leg speed, and they will serve him excellently. Bob is just one of the rare players who has speed in addition to agility and composure. The likes of Bont, Macrae, Fyfe and Pendlebury are much better comparisons for Bailey- they lope around the field and never look like they're moving quickly, but they still sidestep with ease and take their time in traffic.

 

[Hard Ball Get]

Was fantastic. Ran hard, used it well, was composed.

My only negative was in one contest he was running back to a kick that was over his head that was directed to a Melbourne player (could have been Hogan) Watching live it looked like he could have possibly made that contest. Would have been absolutely crunched, but it just looked like he could have got there.

 

[Scary_Foot_9]

He's even better in person. Balance vision poise. And doesn't shy from the contest. Heck of a player.