Forwards are always putrid. This season they were kind enough to let us see before the games start.
Last year I actually had the opposite, I couldn't pick all the guys I wanted at the start and instead picked all the wrong ones but I was tossing up Simpkin, Petracca, Brayshaw, Lynch, B. Smith, Wingard, Ceglar, D. Smith and then Martin as the safe premium.
In the end I took Martin, Wingard, Lynch, Brayshaw and D. Smith and then dumped Brayshaw into Ceglar to finalise the worst of all options play
My RDT where I took B. Smith, Simpkin, Brayshaw, Wingard and Petracca was a lot more solid (and I actually held Brayshaw...)
Tom Phillips seems underpriced for what he can achieve and his situation where he'll seemingly own a wing all season long.
Underpriced, for sure. A good pick, a lot more questionable. Would love some article that the Hawks had somehow fixed his kicking. He's one of the absolute biggest butchers in the league.
Managed 90 and 83 in the two seasons on a wing at the Pies and the Pies wing role is a lot more lucrative than the Hawks has been. Guys like Isaac Smith, Brad Hill and all have maxed out at 90 or lower and I don't think you'd find anyone who'd suggest Phillips is of that standard. To be fair Henderson did have a 95 season but he's a strong mark and a much better ball user.
Basically his only real success is as a keeper pick, which is most likely the 95+ mark. So basically needs a career best season in a team where his role has never meant that for better players.
I actually really like him for DT but just can't see it in SC, would probably need to go 105+ in DT to get to 95 given his disposal skills and it's that point where your own team kind of doesn't want you getting it that much if you butcher it that badly, reckon they use him to open up space and run his ass off but not as a primary ball mover.
Just hard when the requirement is so high and the player is as bad a kick as he is in a thoroughly uncontested role.