Phillips reminds me of....

[Saintmatt]

While he's a similar size to Gram I'm not sure I agree with the comparison. Gram was a lightning quick, explosive half back/wingman with a long but errant kick. Phillips seems like a neat, composed outside mid who will accumulate possessions without doing anything too notable with them. I'd say he's a more composed Farren Ray without the overhead marking.

This. Their kicking style is completely different. Phillips kicks so far are short, conservative and accurate. Gram's kicking was very long and was a weapon, but not always accurate.

I would have thought Savage plays a more similar style to Gram, but more accurate.

The modern equivalent of Gram is Jayden Hunt at Melbourne. Great runner; lightening fast; long but not great kick. I seriously wish we could find a way to get him to Moorabbin.

[chico2001]

Hunt has dropped off a bit and been dropped twice from a strong melbourne unit, if he cant get a regular Demons game he may be the type of player we can get but I am over this rabble of a recruiting team at St Kilda who would not even know Hunt was alive. To the point, I cant think of player like Phillips...too early.

[skeptic]

Do we really want another player that bombs indiscriminately to the forward line?

[saintbob]

He reminds me of guys who have left the club to join relatives because they were sick and tired of playing in losing teams with a bunch of no hopers.
He will be at Collingwood with his brother in a few years time.

Wouldn’t mind if we tried to reunite the brothers at the Saints, his brother Tom is looking very good.

[Saintmatt]

Do we really want another player that bombs indiscriminately to the forward line?

That's a good question and clearly the answer is no. However - it's what happens before the ball goes in that's probably more important that the kick itself. Unfortunately - when we presently bomb indiscriminately to our forward line - it's the likes of Ross who are doing it from a clearance who, to be fair, couldn't run out of sight on a dark night. It's just a gather and kick. That's why it's much more effective when J Steven gets on the end of a clearance instead of a Ross, Dunstan hoist it high situation - he hits the ball at speed and then there's an air of nervousness around the opposition because their defenders actually have to defend man on man as their half backs haven't had time to roll back to help.

Players like Gram, Hunt, Harbrough, C Cameron etc literally get the ball and instinctively just take-off. Saad is a little like that too except he's generally got no idea what to do next. And Essendon's forward line is as poor as ours. Those players take a min of 10 - 15 steps which - at flat out speed - means they've instantly broken a line or at the very least - gained significant territory. From there, the opposition is instantly out of shape and out of position. It certainly would help if we then had a functional forward line to receive the bombed in ball but, forwards are more likely to be one-out rather than 3 on 1 (like at present) due to the rubbish footskills of our mids and treacle slow leg speed. It also brings our small forwards into the game.

[chico2001]

Trouble is that jack Stevens gets tagged and that then retards our ball use from the centre and we lose any run and carry that we have, apart from Webster in the half back line. This then allows the opposition back line to man up the saints. Sometimes the opposition get careless and allow gresh a bit of space but generally there is no room. McCartin doesnt appear to lead directly up the ground. Phillips and co have along way to go before getting a run in the middle.If Ross could deliver a bit better I think that would make a difference. So in total...the forwards dont get enough quality ball although a stats guru did say that we get the ball into the 50 arc quite a lot but the kicking for goal is woeful.

[saynta]

He reminds me of guys who have left the club to join relatives because they were sick and tired of playing in losing teams with a bunch of no hopers.
He will be at Collingwood with his brother in a few years time.

Wouldn’t mind if we tried to reunite the brothers at the Saints, his brother Tom is looking very good.

Family are true blue saints supporters too.

[ROLS-LEE]

Oh no...you mean he kicks 35m long and 35m up with no penetration?

Beat me to it. Having said that - he was was a hair's breath from winning the Norm Smith in 2010 GF1

2009 you mean. He had the same points as Chapman but it went to Chapman as geelong one the GF.
He could be a norm smith retrospectively when they change the rules.

Anyway Phillip's reminds me of Matt Young

Correct. Right you are. I always remember Gram - for all his good kicking - being amazingly courageous when it mattered in 2010 GF1 leaving his man in the dying seconds to effect the spoil on the wing.

Gram was a big game player that went under the radar. The losing him affected us more than we really knew at the time.
People generally remember him for his bombs from 50+ that generally never worked.