Player Watch #18: Wil 'Shotgun' Dawson - Extends to end of 2026

[Forever North]

Was ok for his 1st game against a pretty good forward. Hopefully him and Comben can be our defensive pillars for the next decade. Makes a massive difference Corr being the third tall.

 

[The Nostradamus]

He’s clearly not ready but I guess it doesn’t matter as we aren’t going to win anyway so no harm playing him today

 

[Disco Dew]

He’s clearly not ready but I guess it doesn’t matter as we aren’t going to win anyway so no harm playing him today

now let’s get finboner up the other end!

 

[R00StaR]

You don’t think so? I thought he competed well and interrupted a number of contests. But it is also relative. If he played like that at game 100 then sure, we have an issue, but it was a good performance for an 18 year old on a genuinely good mature player who gets bloody good service. He was better than Chom


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I was smashing the like button all the way up until the last sentence.
Meh.... now ive said, ill give you a like for the rest of it.

 

[R00StaR]

After today, no way. If he's that mentally soft he won't make it anyway.

He's far from mentally soft, can already see this kid is harder on himself than anyone else could be.

 

[ferball]

He's far from mentally soft, can already see this kid is harder on himself than anyone else could be.

Yeah I agree. I can't believe today would wreck his confidence as a player.

 

[Sillygit]

i can't believe we're even talking about confidence being wrecked. pretty god damned disrespectful after 1 game to suggest it.

 

[Colby Cheer Squad]

Jesse Hogan the only one I can remember (might be 195cm, but still was ready)

I agree, thought under the circumstances he was fine. I don’t think Chom, or Corr would’ve made much of a difference. All his delivery was silver service. Their mids are quality kicks if given space.

Two of Wright's goals were from uncontested marks out the back in which he was hit on the tit with silver service as you mentioned. Fair ****s to him for having the footy smarts to get separation on a first gamer but they were only a couple of rungs up from Joe the Goose goals. A third goal was from a marginal free kick out on the boundary and again, fair ****s to him for drilling the set shot.

 

[Moti]

I was smashing the like button all the way up until the last sentence.
Meh.... now ive said, ill give you a like for the rest of it.

It was more pointing out that people seem to think he had an average game where Chom was outworked multiple times.

 

[bennymate]

i can't believe we're even talking about confidence being wrecked. pretty god damned disrespectful after 1 game to suggest it.

Its not like it hasn't happened before, see Sellers.

 

[Psicosis]

WTF are some of you on about? Thought he competed well. Copped a knock early and kept fighting. I don’t attribute those goals to him (1 was kicked on Chom), it was a result of up the ground.

Thought he competed really well, spoilt well and blimey he can actually kick.

He was far from a downgrade from others who have played the second KPD this year, so if it were me I’d give him a run of games.

 

[Kangaroos4eva]

WTF are some of you on about? Thought he competed well. Copped a knock early and kept fighting. I don’t attribute those goals to him (1 was kicked on Chom), it was a result of up the ground.

Thought he competed really well, spoilt well and blimey he can actually kick.

He was far from a downgrade from others who have played the second KPD this year, so if it were me I’d give him a run of games.

And he got better as the game progressed. Was absolutely cooked by mid-Q4 and kept having a crack. He and chom are great competitors.

 

[Samsquanch]

WTF are some of you on about? Thought he competed well. Copped a knock early and kept fighting. I don’t attribute those goals to him (1 was kicked on Chom), it was a result of up the ground.

Thought he competed really well, spoilt well and blimey he can actually kick.

He was far from a downgrade from others who have played the second KPD this year, so if it were me I’d give him a run of games.

Look, 2MP blew a few chances so the tally could have been worse for Wil, but he stayed on for the whole game and worked right to the bell. He will no doubt be gutted at his debut but if he's learned a bit from playing on an experienced forward then it was worth it. I hope he gets a run of games this season and that the results drive his determination to build the strength and stamina to go with seasoned opponents over the next couple of seasons. Anybody who's upset by his game today is a bum.

 

[Ligma]

I love how clarko was on the bench today talking him through it, it’s exactly what I wanna see clarko doing with this young bunch.

 

[Sillygit]

Its not like it hasn't happened before, see Sellers.

i suppose that you immediately called larkey a bust as well?

 

[Caracas]

Wil is a keeper. He was laying into Wright from the get go. He reminded me of Thommo in his element.

 

[Samsquanch]

I love how clarko was on the bench today talking him through it, it’s exactly what I wanna see clarko doing with this young bunch.

I noticed that Luke McDonald was doing the same, offering a lot of guidance and controlling the backline in the way that we saw Luke Hoge doing at the Bears a couple of seasons back. I'd like to see that continue for the rest of the season.

 

[Flawed Genius]

Wil is a keeper. He was laying into Wright from the get go. He reminded me of Thommo in his element.

Hes another Comben. If they keep Chom back we'll have two snarling, pissed off 195+ cm defenders who hate getting beaten. There's 40% of the spine until 2037. Wardlaw in the centre makes 60%. Now we need forwards.

 

[amaz199]

Thought he battled manfully today and didn't lose focus. Just kept going.

First game too.

 

[kirbonavich]

Hes another Comben. If they keep Chom back we'll have two snarling, pissed off 195+ cm defenders who hate getting beaten. There's 40% of the spine until 2037. Wardlaw in the centre makes 60%. Now we need forwards.

I read 2037 and instantly thought you were on drugs... then I realised i'm old as f*ck.

 

[Shinboner1]

My friend plays for st kilda and said he was a pain to play on in the vfl game a couple of weeks ago.
Even before the bounce he was pushing and shoving etc.
We obviously saw that from the get go today.

Really keen on seeing him develop, offers something more for us and keeps mcdonald playing on the shorter guys.
Could see us running 3 talls long term.
Great to see him bounce back up after taking a hit earlier in the game.
Just needs to work on fitness, positioning and confidence.

 

[amaz199]

Corr, Dawson, Comben.

Not too shabby?

 

[ChairmanZia]

Corr, Dawson, Comben.

Not too shabby?

If logue is fit, he sould take over corr's spot.

We do seem to have a plethora of key defenders.

Only if we can have that many for key fwd.

 

[tazaa]

He actually plays like a modern day defender.
Wright beat him on indefensible balls but he looked good overall.

 

[Possession]

Youngest kid in the comp but he competes like a bully. He will be an absolute monster when he fills out. Didn't mind him playing on 2MP all day, was a baptism of fire and I think he'll be better for it.