Player Watch #29: Will Phillips [Part II] - Extends to End of 2025

[hotchilli]

Yep. Defensively, he is completely useless outside stoppages - which is most of the game. Everyone arguing for Will seems obsessed with stoppages (where he is capable, but not more than that), and they ignore 90% of his job.

Just need to have your strengths outweigh your weaknesses which unfortunately is not the case for Will currently.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

Just not good enough.

That’s all it comes down to.

Midpaced, mid skilled, can’t run and is on the smallish side.

 

[Passmore]

Just not good enough.

That’s all it comes down to.

Midpaced, mid skilled, can’t run and is on the smallish side.

Unfortunately, that’s the reality. Try him here, try him there…the result will be the same.

 

[Dierdre Chambers]

That's true, but we also now have the benefit of Dierdre Chambers, who joined the site a week ago, and whose posts are laser focused on tutoring us as to the playing strengths of one player.

I'm thankful.

Is this a player watch specifically on WIP?

 

[Dierdre Chambers]

His name is George.

Kamikaze George plays an all together different role as I see it, he’s totally see ball get ball and or destroy man with ball. Nobody more explosive, will continue to turn the ball over and get injured I suspect but also will blow games open in bursts… Parker more the defensive Mid role and was best in the business previously at that role. Not sure he’s the future however, keep WIP and get him to Atkins level…

 

[swaeney]

Sounds like you think we could pop him on the LTI list. I like the idea. We currently don't have any spots for the MSD, this could work.

Hi Perplexed, I’ve said above that I believe his time is up. I don’t think we should pop him on the LTI list, he isn’t up to standard so we should move him on post season.

What’s your problem? Are you hungry again big guy?

 

[perplexed]

Will not done yet, Kangas midfield now batting super deep yet still working out the best mix. He’s the best defensive pressure mid in there and best creative handball both left and right side. He basically gets no receives so every possession is loose ball hard ball or occasional uncontested mark. Playing four quarters seems the issue, second half last week was frustrating after a solid first half. No problem retaining him, gives great depth, presumably low salary, could still be ideal foil for stars like LDU Sheezel FOS Colby etc. He also hits targets more than most mids, classic role player, quality character

Are you Will's mum?

Also, why do you think that 'he doesn't get any receives'? Could it be that he isn't willing or able to run and create an option for his teammates?

 

[Moti]

Will needs to move to a club where he can be an important part of the midfield group.

We need to improve our speed and agility by introducing Colby and Finn into the middle.

Turning him into a theoretical defensive mid, which he has been solid at best at, is not in the interest of the North Melbourne Football Club.

 

[Fish Sticks]

If he’s happy to play as our second string defensive midfielder, he’ll have a long career on a modest salary at Arden St I reckon.

Let’s face it, as a footballer, he doesn’t have the athleticism to do much else.

He’s always looked okay to me. Clearly AFL standard. Just not necessarily best 22.

He also seems like a good character to have around the club and it’s hard to dislike having him on the list.

Just seems like 3/4s of the posts in this thread are still built around the antiquated hopes and broken expectations of a shit draft that was nearly five years ago now.

Long career?? Not on past or current form he won’t.
Unless Will dominates VFL for the next month or two & forces his way back into the team, he will be unlikely to be on our list next season.
We have McKercher, FOS, Urquhart & maybe Durrsma who should be getting midfield time over the next 2/3 years, plus whoever else we draft in that time.
He is already behind LDU, Powell, Wardlaw, Parker & Simpkin.
The future looks grim for Will unless he has Lazarus type comeback.

 

[tazaa]

We’re at round 4.
We’ve tried to make it work but unfortunately we’ve looked at our best with one less full time mid.
He just doesn’t have another string to his bow.

If he was a natural accumulator he’d pick himself but he doesn’t have that in him.
That get it and go that can burst from a pack.

I think he gets another crack mid season when the grounds are softer and the temperature is right down.

But I did expect more output based on his preseason.

 

[Makeshift Park]

Long career?? Not on past or current form he won’t.
Unless Will dominates VFL for the next month or two & forces his way back into the team, he will be unlikely to be on our list next season.
We have McKercher, FOS, Urquhart & maybe Durrsma who should be getting midfield time over the next 2/3 years, plus whoever else we draft in that time.
He is already behind LDU, Powell, Wardlaw, Parker & Simpkin.
The future looks grim for Will unless he has Lazarus type comeback.

Every good team has depth in the twos who might play half a dozen senior games a year.

 

[Sillygit]

But I did expect more output based on his preseason

That's the most disapointing part for me. The flame flickered, but the fire did not catch. Anothers temporary misfortune even gave him a slightly more open door too, who knows if wardlaw was healthy from round 1 if will would have even got this run.

But that's football.

There's still a good portion of the season left, never say never. But if pre-season is a more equal ground to work from, then trying to get back into the team (that should also be doing better than past years) is a worse position. Short of others misfortune, again.

 

[koshari]

Every good team has depth in the twos who might play half a dozen senior games a year.

A tom dyson type?

 

[Makeshift Park]

A tom dyson type?

Or Jarryd Lyons, Robbie Fox, Zane Cordy…

 

[Frank Thring]

View attachment 2270543
OH MAN DONE HIT ME WITH THOSE NEGATIVE WAVES SO EARLY IN THE MORNING..

Reality can be harsh

 

[roos_fanatic08]

Every good team has depth in the twos who might play half a dozen senior games a year.

Yep, and believe it or not, we don’t exactly have much genuine midfield depth in the twos now that we delisted Lazz, Greenwood, Shiels ect.

At present it’s Uruqhart and then no one.

Talk of delisting is a bit premature in my eyes, injuries happen and it’s good to have physically mature depth ready to go.

 

[Flawed Genius]

That's the most disapointing part for me. The flame flickered, but the fire did not catch. Anothers temporary misfortune even gave him a slightly more open door too, who knows if wardlaw was healthy from round 1 if will would have even got this run.

But that's football.

There's still a good portion of the season left, never say never. But if pre-season is a more equal ground to work from, then trying to get back into the team (that should also be doing better than past years) is a worse position. Short of others misfortune, again.

This is where I'm at (and I think we're the three card carrying members of the Internet Fan Club) - I thought the pre season was the launching pad for so much more. For whatever reason it hasn't translated into that same sort of dominance and with George coming back he's likely to find it harder and harder to demand a spot.

 

[Dierdre Chambers]

Are you Will's mum?

Also, why do you think that 'he doesn't get any receives'? Could it be that he isn't willing or able to run and create an option for his teammates?

Great question, I can’t work it out as he is often ignored when in position, I don’t see it as unwilling or unable, my guess is they want to give it others whose role is to run with the ball but it definitely limits his possession count. I think Will’s mum is Penelope…

 

[kool kangas]

Yep, and believe it or not, we don’t exactly have much genuine midfield depth in the twos now that we delisted Lazz, Greenwood, Shiels ect.

At present it’s Uruqhart and then no one.

Talk of delisting is a bit premature in my eyes, injuries happen and it’s good to have physically mature depth ready to go.

Delistings start at the end of the previous trade period here...

 

[koshari]

Yep, and believe it or not, we don’t exactly have much genuine midfield depth in the twos now that we delisted Lazz, Greenwood, Shiels ect.

At present it’s Uruqhart and then no one.

Talk of delisting is a bit premature in my eyes, injuries happen and it’s good to have physically mature depth ready to go.

i dont think the talk is of delisting, more the chance of him looking for opportunities elsewhere if not getting a game. unless we get better players in i are happy to have Will, Pink and the like running round in the magoos.

 

[ferball]

i dont think the talk is of delisting, more the chance of him looking for opportunities elsewhere if not getting a game. unless we get better players in i are happy to have Will, Pink and the like running round in the magoos.

Perhaps we should rename the reserves the "McKays" seeing as Magoo has gone...

 

[DunderHead]

He has the rest of the year to work out how to impact over all four quarters.

This most obvious answer is that he needs to get fitter which you wouldn’t think is possible in-season. He’d need to work on some alternatives which revolve around expending his energy more smartly?

Are there any short and poor endurance midfielders playing good footy? If so, what are they doing?

 

[Themanbun]

Realistically if we have midfield injuries do we promote a midfielder from the VFL or do we promote a flanker and give FOS, Colby, Sheez, Jy, Parker more midfield minutes? The depth in our midfield isn't just the blokes in the twos

 

[Fish Sticks]

Every good team has depth in the twos who might play half a dozen senior games a year.

We are not a good team though?
Teams at the top can carry these players in case of injury during finals, no doubt, but not us. List spots are very tight, especially if we lose our extra rookies as I fully expect we will.
Mark my words, Phillips will be delisted (or traded for peanuts) unless he has a massive change in form before the end of the season.
We’ve used every first round pick in the last decade on midfielders… we are stacked with talent there!!

 

[Fish Sticks]

Or Jarryd Lyons, Robbie Fox, Zane Cordy…

Jarrad Lyons had multiple very good seasons playing every game for Brisbane during their years of the top of the ladder.
Will is a looooong way from that level.
Zane Corey was a forward ruck, these types can hang on for a decade