AFL 2021: It’s premature to criticise North Melbourne for drafting Will Phillips over Logan McDonald

The court of public opinion has already declared that North Melbourne made the wrong call in drafting Will Phillips. Here’s why they should think again.

Top-three draft pick Will Phillips will make his AFL debut for North Melbourne on Good Friday. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Prized North Melbourne draftee Will Phillips will finally get his right of reply on Good Friday.

Sydney’s hot start, including five goals in two matches from key forward phenom Logan McDonald, and the Kangaroos’ cool one have caused the court of public opinion to make a premature judgment.

To them, North’s recruiting team has blundered badly in picking Phillips at No.3 in last year’s AFL Draft, one selection before the Swans swooped on Western Australia’s McDonald.

That’s despite hard-at-it midfielder Phillips not playing an AFL match yet, a fact that will change in Round 3 against the Western Bulldogs.

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First-year Sydney Swan Logan McDonald’s made a big impression in his first two AFL matches. Picture: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

The 19-year-old, unlike McDonald and even Roos teammate and fellow first-round draft pick Tom Powell, didn’t get the chance to play in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Not even that fully explains why North Melbourne has tread more carefully with Phillips to start his AFL career.

He not only didn’t play last season, but his pre-season was seriously disrupted, too, firstly by nose surgery, then a persistent knee injury that wiped him out of the practice games pre-COVID.

The knee problem would’ve impacted the first half of Phillips’ season last year if the season operated as normal.

His VFL practice match appearance last weekend was effectively his first competitive hitout since the 2019 NAB League Grand Final, playing alongside No.1 draft picks Matt Rowell and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan.

Phillips was tipped to dominate in his draft year off a platform of averaging 22 disposals as a bottom-ager, but he was robbed of that opportunity.

Even so, AFL recruiters didn’t forget his rare qualities – on and off the field. On it, Phillips is a tough, physical ball-winner with finishing skills to match. He’s also proven he can kick goals.

Ben Cunnington and Jed Anderson are the Kangaroos’ two most experienced midfielders. Picture: Michael Klein

At a club that isn’t necessarily flush with leadership, Phillips shapes as a potential future captain. He was a school co-captain at Caulfield Grammar’s Wheeler’s Hill campus last year.

The Kangaroos are embarking on a full-blown rebuild and clearly prioritised building from the midfield out.

It’s going to take time – judgments two matches into David Noble’s tenure are foolhardy.

What’s obvious is the best sides have rich midfield stocks, with excellent top-end talent and genuine depth.

Their best onballer, Ben Cunnington, turns 30 in June, while Jed Anderson is 27 and Shaun Higgins left for the Cats in the off-season after deliberately being shifted out of the centre last season.

In Jy Simpkin and Luke Davies-Uniacke, the midfield building blocks have begun strongly, but that’s not nearly enough when you compare them to a Richmond, Geelong or Western Bulldogs.

That’s where last year’s draftees Phillips, Powell – who’s been highly impressive to date – and Charlie Lazzaro come in. Importantly, they all offer something different.

Jaidyn Stephenson might even be part of the solution, too, off what he produced in Round 1, as he transitions to a midfield role.

Will Phillips’ leadership qualities make him a potential future North Melbourne captain. Picture: Michael Klein

What was immediately apparent in 2020 was that North was in great need of an upgrade in the middle.

The club ranked between ninth and 15th in various key onball categories and subsequently struggled to generate enough inside 50s and scoring.

That’s not to say there isn’t a hole in attack. Trading Ben Brown to Melbourne left Nick Larkey as the long-term No.1 target and means Josh Walker is suddenly his tall sidekick.

The talented Charlie Comben is still waiting in the wings, but his first year-and-a-half in the AFL system has been ruined by injury.

There’s time for Comben to prove himself, and for the Kangaroos to find more key forwards.

It’s worth remembering Carlton drafted three talls – Jacob Weitering, Harry McKay and Charlie Curnow – in the first 12 picks of the 2015 AFL Draft, but the Blues are yet to play finals since.

They drafted Sam Walsh at No.1 in 2018 and spent a fortune last year luring Zac Williams from the Giants to juice up their midfield.

McDonald looks an outstanding prospect, but drafting key-position players also comes with an inherently greater risk.

There’s more than one way to skin a cat, or win a premiership, and it’s far too early to know whether North Melbourne’s strategy is wrong.

Originally published as AFL 2021: It’s premature to criticise North Melbourne for drafting Will Phillips over Logan McDonald