Player Watch #29: Will Phillips

[Junk yard]

Actually not a bad shout I reckon. I remember Jacobs was a bit lost as a footballer early on. Becoming a tagger changed his career.

HE CANT RUN! That's his biggest problem. Who the hecks he gonna tag? Jake Stringer? ******* spare me! A tagger! Imagine the slow little plodder with no cardio rocking up to tag zack merrett, heck me he'd run him into the ground within 3mins. Caleb serong would have 45 and 3 on him. B.J was an absolute professional and his cardio was elite. Will is a good bloke.

 

[MrBlueandWhite]

HE CANT RUN! That's his biggest problem. Who the s he gonna tag? Jake Stringer? ****** spare me! A tagger! Imagine the slow little plodder with no cardio rocking up to tag zack merrett, * me he'd run him into the ground within 3mins. Caleb serong would have 45 and 3 on him. B.J was an absolute professional and his cardio was elite. Will is a good bloke.

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.

 

[DocSholl]

Jacobs was a decent size as well, so you could put him on guys like Fyfe and Dusty

Edit - is a decent size, he's not dead to my knowledge

 

[Ichiro #51]

How many clubs use a tagger these days? I can only think of one (the p&w).

 

[The Filth Wizard]

This guy was pick #67 in the draft 2 years before WillPhil and had glandular fever in February this year. So we need to stop the BS about an 18-24 month recovery. If you go back to early threads in the 2023 pre-season he was training the house down and this was going to be his year blah blah blah. I think we need to call it as a Bust and at the EOY the club and he part ways and he is thanked for his 4 years of service. He will have a few team mates with him in the departure lounge with 17 out of contract.

While I'm on the fence and falling backwards on Phillips at the moment it's important to note that some people recover from glandular fever quickly and others suffer from symptoms akin to chronic fatigue for an extended time.

 

[Souup]

How many clubs use a tagger these days? I can only think of one (the p&w).

No one does. At best they'll sit a player on a midfielder at a stoppage. In transition, teams are focused more on team defense and having a tagger designated to follow a particular player everywhere messes with the set up.

Even Maginness is not playing as a traditional tagger this year.

 

[DrZaius]

This guy was pick #67 in the draft 2 years before WillPhil and had glandular fever in February this year. So we need to stop the BS about an 18-24 month recovery. If you go back to early threads in the 2023 pre-season he was training the house down and this was going to be his year blah blah blah. I think we need to call it as a Bust and at the EOY the club and he part ways and he is thanked for his 4 years of service. He will have a few team mates with him in the departure lounge with 17 out of contract.

It's well documented that glandular fever affects people differently. Some may have barely any symptoms and a quick recovery while others struggle to shake it for years.

I should know considering I also got it in Jan 2022, it took me 6 months to even start feeling any better and I still suffer symptoms from time to time.

What's concerning for Will is that by all accounts it hit him hard as well and it may not be a question of when he recovers fully but if. Considering that he is a professional athlete if it is the latter his career may be in trouble.

 

[RightWingRoo]

While I'm on the fence and falling backwards on Phillips at the moment it's important to note that some people recover from glandular fever quickly and others suffer from symptoms akin to chronic fatigue for an extended time.

I'm in the latter category, nearly 3 years on and still battling fatigue. It's why I have a fair bit of sympathy for Will.

He played some good footy against good sides last year (swans, pies). But another who's gone backwards in a big way this year.
Really, desperately want him to make it, but not looking flash at the moment.
He's capable of better, just not sure if we'll ever see it again or consistently enough to play regular AFL footy.

 

[ChairmanZia]

Look, he might come good in a few years time but we basically have to treat all drafts before 2022 as busts.

But our drafting from 2022 on has been decent and any players pre-2022 will be bonuses such as larkey, xerri, powell

 

[speedy]

My hope for him has died out.

Small, slow and no cardio. Shouldn't be considered for seniors unless he rips the VFL up for a month. His inclusion has pushed Powell out of the midfield too, causing his game to go to s**t.

 

[Themanbun]

My hope for him has died out.

Small, slow and no cardio. Shouldn't be considered for seniors unless he rips the VFL up for a month. His inclusion has pushed Powell out of the midfield too, causing his game to go to s**t.

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.

 

[FlyHigh18]

Tired of this bullshit. He is playing a different sport to Libba. To suggest he has similar talent is actually unfair on Will and the club, because it infers he's not doing the work or the club has ruined him.

Will Phillips is not good enough. And he never was. And it was obvious from the jump. The. *******. End.

Unfair.

There seems to be this annoying myth that the players we’ve been drafting (including many at high picks like Will) were duds, while other clubs are magically nailing picks in the 30+ range.

There’s a much more obvious and simple answer. The difference is player development and drive… and our club has been shyte at it. Not just s**t but negligent and wasteful.

I’m confident Will would’ve been elite long ago had he started at a few other clubs. Clubs who know how to turn them into AFL players with a proper career mindset.

 

[Junk yard]

Unfair.

There seems to be this annoying myth that the players we’ve been drafting (including many at high picks like Will) were duds, while other clubs are magically nailing picks in the 30+ range.

There’s a much more obvious and simple answer. The difference is player development and drive… and our club has been shyte at it. Not just s**t but negligent and wasteful.

I’m confident Will would’ve been elite long ago had he started at a few other clubs. Clubs who know how to turn them into AFL players with a proper career mindset.

Okay, so first it was he's a gun. Then he's tracking along perfectly. Now it's the clubs fault he's s**t? Our development is no doubt pathetic but Will never had the tools to be a player. For all the talk about how professional he is it's not evident in his tank or athleticism.

 

[FlyHigh18]

Okay, so first it was he's a gun. Then he's tracking along perfectly. Now it's the clubs fault he's s**t? Our development is no doubt pathetic but Will never had the tools to be a player. For all the talk about how professional he is it's not evident in his tank or athleticism.

17 other clubs would have also picked him in the top 5. The difference being many of them of them would have been able to get him to his full potential. Instilling the professionalism, dedication and maturity required in improving your body and mindset.

As die hard fans we’ll forever be optimistic, hence the positive comments along the way even when he wasn’t doing so well.

 

[Junk yard]

17 other clubs would have also picked him in the top 5. The difference being many of them of them would have been able to get him to his full potential. Instilling the professionalism, dedication and maturity required in improving your body and mindset.

As die hard fans we’ll forever be optimistic, hence the positive comments along the way even when he wasn’t doing so well.

Or maybe he was no good? Does happen.

 

[swaeney]

I still have hope that he pulls through. I believe all bar maybe Powell have gone backwards this year

 

[guapo]

Probably half a dozen game plans in 4 years, all abandoned within 6 rounds. Players being played out of their best position all over the ground and being forced to play a system rather than on instinct. As we all know, the list is ridiculously unbalanced.

And then there’s the psychology of being in the worst performing team of their lifetime.

Hardly surprising that many of them aren’t living up to expectations.

Read back over Twomey’s phantom yesterday. Said Will was one of the super 5 in the draft, though had the potential to slip to 7. JUH is the only 1 of the said 5 who is a walk up start at his side, most aren’t even getting a game


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[The acurate one]

17 other clubs would have also picked him in the top 5. The difference being many of them of them would have been able to get him to his full potential. Instilling the professionalism, dedication and maturity required in improving your body and mindset.

As die hard fans we’ll forever be optimistic, hence the positive comments along the way even when he wasn’t doing so well.

It really doesn't matter who we took and where . This isn't about Logan and never was. I am not a big believer in the club being at fault with development. It's on the individual to have the inner drive to become the very best version of themselves. Will isn't lazy and has drive, he just isn't a top line footballer.

So we can develop a Larkey from the dregs of the draft, a Comben amongst all his injuries. A Sheezel we developed in ten minutes it so seems. Etc
It's ok to get it wrong, all clubs do it.

 

[Moti]

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.

George is the only mid that can defend in any meaningful way. Powell had 15 tackles a few game ago but I still wouldn't say it was a strong defensive game. We need a more balanced group through there to allow the more skilled players like Powell and LDU to do their thing.

 

[Souup]

Unfair.

There seems to be this annoying myth that the players we’ve been drafting (including many at high picks like Will) were duds, while other clubs are magically nailing picks in the 30+ range.

There’s a much more obvious and simple answer. The difference is player development and drive… and our club has been shyte at it. Not just s**t but negligent and wasteful.

I’m confident Will would’ve been elite long ago had he started at a few other clubs. Clubs who know how to turn them into AFL players with a proper career mindset.

This times a million.

I've said it a number of times before: If you're drafted into the AFL via the National Draft, at the very least there would be 7 or 8 other clubs interested in drafting you. If you're picked up in the Rookie Draft, there would be at least a few teams keen on you, ditto the MSD. If you're on an AFL list, odds are you've displayed AFL traits and skills and with the right application, coaching and role within a system, you'll become a player. I don't rate Stephenson, but that's more to do with his application and clear lack of desire to turn his body into that of an AFL football. As a club we're also well acquainted with players whose careers fall off a cliff due to injury, which you only have so much control over. I'm not saying clubs don't draft duds, but players ending up flat out duds are in the minority in terms of reasons a player doesn't make it at the level.

Posters wonder why clubs like Collingwood can snag players like Billy Frampton, Oleg Markov and Darcy Cameron and turn them into great role players and eventual Premiership players, while we bring on Stephens, Fisher and Tucker who are underwhelming to say the least. I'd suggest it's got more to do with our ability to develop them rather than our recruiting team being morons.

I don't buy this excuse that our list has been full of s**t trucks for the last 5 years. The player development, coaching, list management (not talent wise but balancing the list - we've gone too long without grabbing quality small forwards and talls) and overall instability at the club has been the biggest issue and is the reason we're in the predicament we're in today IMO.

 

[Themanbun]

George is the only mid that can defend in any meaningful way. Powell had 15 tackles a few game ago but I still wouldn't say it was a strong defensive game. We need a more balanced group through there to allow the more skilled players like Powell and LDU to do their thing.

Agree, although I'm not sure we'll ever be able to fully carry those types.

All the good sides, even their hit to player knows what to do when they don't look like being the dominant force at the stoppage. They lay blocks, sweep, etc.

Ours are one way which is a wee bit of a problem.

 

[roos_fanatic08]

This times a million.

I've said it a number of times before: If you're drafted into the AFL via the National Draft, at the very least there would be 7 or 8 other clubs interested in drafting you. If you're picked up in the Rookie Draft, there would be at least a few teams keen on you, ditto the MSD. If you're on an AFL list, odds are you've displayed AFL traits and skills and with the right application, coaching and role within a system, you'll become a player. I don't rate Stephenson, but that's more to do with his application and clear lack of desire to turn his body into that of an AFL football. As a club we're also well acquainted with players whose careers fall off a cliff due to injury, which you only have so much control over. I'm not saying clubs don't draft duds, but players ending up flat out duds are in the minority in terms of reasons a player doesn't make it at the level.

Posters wonder why clubs like Collingwood can snag players like Billy Frampton, Oleg Markov and Darcy Cameron and turn them into great role players and eventual Premiership players, while we bring on Stephens, Fisher and Tucker who are underwhelming to say the least. I'd suggest it's got more to do with our ability to develop them rather than our recruiting team being morons.

I don't buy this excuse that our list has been full of s**t trucks for the last 5 years. The player development, coaching, list management (not talent wise but balancing the list - we've gone too long without grabbing quality small forwards and talls) and overall instability at the club has been the biggest issue and is the reason we're in the predicament we're in today IMO.

Combine all of that with a real lack of on field leadership and it's pretty easy to see why things are the way they are.

 

[Junk yard]

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.

 

[ferball]

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.

All of our players seem to start behind their man.

 

[hurricane]

Posters wonder why clubs like Collingwood can snag players like Billy Frampton, Oleg Markov and Darcy Cameron and turn them into great role players and eventual Premiership players, while we bring on Stephens, Fisher and Tucker who are underwhelming to say the least. I'd suggest it's got more to do with our ability to develop them rather than our recruiting team being morons.

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.