The Eminently Sensible Phil Davis | Whateley (18.03.26)

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This is your town. This is your station. This is Wade Lee.

JC in Potsville texting through good morning. What an exquisite goal last night to win the game

by Sam Kerr watched it live and couldn't believe it. I'm still blown away watching it back

go girls. The Matilda's are into the final of the Asian Cup Saturday night in Sydney. Alan

Stagic, who's the long term Matilda's coach in the middle of the 2010s is going to join me

to review the performance and to set up the final at 11. Our staples on a Wednesday can hinkly the

out of coaching and the eminently sensible Phil Davis for Alex Scott and staff to sell your

livestock or sell your home. Phil, welcome back to the program. Morning, Jared. You got to see

well, you went to see the giants, but you got to see Marcus Bontan-Pelley on Saturday.

I thought we might just start a little old who I consider the best player in the game.

Yeah, no, it's interesting. I was thinking about that this morning, Jared. I was

the great thing about a game is you get to sort of like choose what type of play you like. You can

you know, almost pick, you know, this is my favorite player. You know, you can love Nick Daikos

because he's just beautifully skilled, gets the ball world, tears away. You have a big forward,

a big back, or you know, someone like Marcus, who's first half on on the weekend was just incredible.

The giants put up a lot of resistance in the first sort of 15 minutes. They looked at the

better side, missed a few opportunities. And then I felt like within reason Marcus just took the game

away from them, not always and just pure a stoppage brilliance, but just he's around the ground like.

He just, I think, I just find him a fascinating play. He just added more and more and more

goals to his game. He sits forward. He's a big man. And he's just an exquisite decision-maker and

kick. And yeah, I try to think about who I think the best player in the comp is. And yeah,

it's hard to look past him. Just he's so well-rounded. And I heard the comments about should they tag him,

should they not tag him? Yeah, it's always a tight balance. But yeah, he was the difference

maker on the weekend. So I felt like he had all phases of his game. He chased his mothered.

The moment where he ran Callahan down the field and beat him to the goal square was a pretty

startling moment given we feel like Finn Callahan's one of the power athletes of the comp coming

through. And what he did up for Annie's stoppage craft was pretty incredible. So he had the whole

sweep going in a year where he comes in as a 30 year old. Yeah, he looks in unbelievable shape.

And I don't think we should underestimate the impact that Kennedy and Richard's elevation

in that midfields had him because it's not all about him. He doesn't have to be hit to

every single stoppage. He gets a bit more flexibility. He can go and play forward. I just think

it keeps adding to it. And you know, you think about, you know, Callahan's one of the best endurance

speedrunners I've seen. And you think to yourself, well, maybe all of these additions that they've

had around the midfield for Bulldogs means Marcus doesn't have to red line for a whole entire

game. And it gives him opportunities to hopefully exert himself in moments like that. And yeah,

they were, they were very impressed. The giants were disappointing. But you know, they were pretty

remarkable. And I know I was reflecting on Marcus's career a little bit because sadly he went pick

four and we had pick one and saw in that draft. And that would have been pretty handy.

Yes. At the time. Josh Kelly's pretty handy played. So

anyway, I guess Tom board also got the doggy's a partnership. So there you go. We've been in two

ways. I guess for me, I look back and I got, how many years did he not exceed expectation for a

year? And maybe there was a couple of years there where he was very good but not amazing.

I think he's beaten the very, very high pass mark of what we expected every year by one or two.

Which is pretty remarkable in 12, 13 years. Yeah. Yeah. I know he and Toby have sort of made

friends in origin, but I did feel for Toby a bit when he was standing him for a little while at

various stopgages and around the ground. I don't think Toby really is signed up for that.

No, no, I think Toby's, Toby doesn't mind going around the ball when he can sort of dictate a

bit because he's one of the more remarkable clearance and possession accumulators of

St. Toby, but to have Marcus next to you, probably think, yeah, this bloke's probably going to

hit the scoreboard here as well, set up some scores and maybe after's rained in a little bit. But,

you know, it was, it was not probably what Toby was hoping for when he usually runs around the

four line. So if I pinned you to who is the number one player in the competition in your mind,

is is it Bontan Pelley for you? Oh, it's such a good question. Yeah. In the old adage of,

if I started a team tomorrow to win a game tomorrow, yeah, I would probably presume that I would

pick Marcus. All right. There were two teams that you had on watch that you were curious to see

first up. The first of those was Adelaide and they got their winning ends calling one of the MCG,

but what, what impression did you form? They were good. I thought the team, I thought their

stuff around the ball was better and that's probably been my biggest concern for them. I really

liked their backline and I think they've got more than enough power on the four line. Obviously,

Jordan Dawson's a star, but I just felt as though are they missing a weapon like all these other

teams, the best teams have got two weapons at least around the ball and I think you sort of need

that to compete. So that's still a watch, but I thought they looked very good. I thought they

looked very, very sharp. Probably more important. They did what I thought they needed to do,

Joe, which is a big tick for me. They, you know, that's a lot of expectation and to come over,

take care of climate and just beat it, just shows an increasing sign of maturity. I like the fact

that they got challenged. That's always a good sign. It's easier just to be in front from start to

finish, but to get in front, to be challenged and then have to go again to finish the game. I think

all very, very big ticks and Matthew Knicks would be very happy. I think they're in a good spot.

I sort of think about that and we extrapolate a little bit. They're the games that they need to win

if they're going to win 16 games and get another home final. So Adelaide a tick and Fremantle

across. Early, it looked like it was going to be a massive tick. How did Fremantle leave you feeling?

Yeah. So I probably went in the early crow when I thought about texting Grant. We kind of

the president being like, oh, but I didn't have, I was currently watching the giants just have

just been smashed. I thought I better not go that one. And then all of a sudden, I was like, what's

going on here? And then, yeah, I think I really loved the story. I heard Nathan Buckley talk about

that Chris spent the last five minutes almost to the first quarter. I've been like, okay,

what we thought was going to work is not suiting for today, whether it be a combination of

the structures didn't quite work or the plays weren't quite executed the same way. Let's actually

spend five minutes or whatever the period of time was tinkering. And let's give the players

the ownership, we'll change some things and it'll execute. And then they slowly, but surely

took care of business, pretty remarkable from a long point of view. But I think, and I would

rightfully say that there's some criticism that should be targeted towards Fremantle.

You'd, they long had no right to win, particularly at a quarter time. Pretty disappointing performance.

I heard Justin Longwell's comments after the game. We can touch those if you want to, Jared,

but it was just disappointing aside that you expect a lot more. It's only round one. But these are the

games, I think, back in the year, you sort of go, okay, what kind of big test did they tick going

until final, just a level of maturity? You're all the way back and long way back these days, Joe's

2013. They went over to Jolong and they won that qualifying final and you go, well, these are

the sort of things that we thought they could do, but can they do? And you know, almost a generation

later, they had an opportunity to land up in a less important game, but a significant mark on how

we actually improved. So what about Justin Longwell's comments? So he, he was asked the questions,

so it was his honest response. The comp should all start at once. There were teams who managed to

navigate that without too much trouble on the weekend, though. Yeah, my gut feel was like it doesn't

matter. I think I've said, I said two weeks ago that, you know, the opening round we can,

you know, does any team have a better home ground advantage than the West, than Australian teams?

I'm not sure any team has a better, so everyone has swings and rounds about them. What's good

and what's not good? Like, that's the part of the game. We don't get a quality. We look for equity

and we try to make it work in this competition. And there's always question marks there.

Do I think playing a proper game the week before helps? Maybe marginally, but I've seen some people

do some analysis and within reason, you know, favorites have actually lost, have actually lost more

so I understand his view. If I was Freeman, I would love to be an opening round. It'd be fantastic.

Like, I totally understand that, but it is what it is. And you got to ask the question, the answer.

And like, I like coaches that actually answer questions, so I can't be too critical. But to me,

do I think it's a material factor? No, they should have been better.

Right. So, Freeman, across Adelaide, a tick. The big gaps in the competition. So Brad Scott

cited the AFL's margin compression and he wished them good luck with that given the haves

and the have-nots in the competition. This was the defining factor of a two-speed economy

last year. And the early impression are that the gaps are going to be everywhere in this year's

comp. Yeah, I understand the inference. I have some hope that the, you know, I think what was it

last year? Do you have to create me? But it was like eight teams or nine teams were out quite early.

I don't think it'll be that number this year. There's injuries like Sydney, for example,

poor Errol Gordon, but we'll touch on that as well later. But I don't expect it to be nine.

Will it be four or five? Maybe. Has it always been four or five? Probably. I don't remember

20 years where 16 teams were quite good. You know, it's always been a bit of, so I think four

isn't it? Well, do I think those bottom teams are going to struggle against the good teams? Yes,

I do. This, the NREL is phenomenal. This is what I was meant to do when it came in. They've

sharpened it. It's great. The speed on the ball from the last touch is like, like, I'm glad I'm

not playing Joe. The game is so fast. Stop the stoppages were what I live for. And now they're

basically gone. So, you know, but in saying that, you saw what Max gondered on the weekend. It's

still capable for those people that, you know, build their game around stoppages to still perform.

But yeah, I think Brad's not wrong about the bottom few teams will struggle because they can't

defend in words now going to become an offensive juggernaut of a comp. But, you know, what,

the footies been throwing. Hundred points all the time. Good goals growing. Good one-on-one

contest. Everything that you want. We're seeing and unfortunately for Brad and Esson, and it looks

like they're just not participants at the top end of town. So, Gary lines of the view that 100

goals is possible because of the way the footies played, because of the speed in which it comes in.

The defenders aren't able to outnumber the reinforcement. It's not there. They're going to have to

live one-on-one with forwards and the leading lanes back. The balance of power is tip to the forwards.

So, it was all thrilling to hear him say. And I thought that might make you break out in a cold

sweat. Yeah, once again, very happy to be in the grandstand when you say stuff like this, Jared.

I, you know, I think one of the difference I'd have, and I obviously haven't studied the 80s and

the 90s enough in terms of when the hundreds were kicked all the time. But we do disperse goal-kicking

a lot more these days. It's more of an even spread. We get more midfielders kicking goals.

No offense to Lee Matthews, obviously. But, you know, we spread the goals quite a bit.

But I think the point stands, I'm not sure if 100 goals is exactly going to be on the line again,

but I think he's premises 100% true. I'm expecting, you know, let's say the 18 scores on a

weekend, I'm expecting 10, no, 8 to 10 to be over 100 most weekends now. It's looking like that's

what's capable. It always starts fast, Jared. So, I probably will temper my exact view for the

next four to five weeks once the game loses a bit of pizzazz as sort of the fatigue comes into the

game and coaches start to adapt. But no, I think it's been really wonderful for the game.

Now, the last touch out of Bounds Rule has put so much pace on the game. I think it's a fascinating,

you know, double that, you know, they've fixed the staff rule, which we spoke about for two years,

Jared. And now we've got this new rule. Yeah, it's definitely gone a long, long way back in the

offensive favor. What will we learn about the key defenders of the competition? Those who,

say, the intercept defender for a little while was the most important player in the game,

you could have made the argument. Are we about to learn who can win their own, who can have their

own contest in an old school way? Is you're going to stand this bloke most of the day and he's

going to get a lot of it coming to him? Yeah, I think there's no doubt that, you know, I think your

point stands, especially if decision-making, you know, improves the times. I think if you just

bomb, you'll always get what we see, but I think what we've seen now is there's more time and

more opportunity, but you're right. The players that can do both will be incredibly value. What we'll

find out probably this year is a who can actually stop one on one a little bit, but we'll also find

out who's been taking intercepts through a complete lack of accountability. Yes. And we'll see

the people that have looked great and got away with it. And, you know, if they're a truly good

player, Joe, they'll adapt and they'll get tighter and maybe the intercept possession numbers

will go from 9 to 7 to defend a bit better. But yeah, I think if you're one that wasn't cheating

to get them, you'll be okay, but if you were taking a few liberties to do it, it might be a bit

more difficult. Early season injuries are our reality of the comp, but when Sydney are up and

flying in Errol Goulden was the spark that started that in the second half of opening round.

And then he's gone for four months. It does seem, it does land a bit heavier than most.

It does. And I think if I go back to sort of think about like, hey, most teams need at least two

genuine stars around the ball. He, he, he, he is obviously like the third and he goes in the

midfield because he's just so flexible and so remarkable, but the water Goulden once who punches

pretty phenomenal. It just disrupts that dynamic so much. It just places more reliance on

he need to probably play, spend even more time around the ball. And the thing that I love about

Errol is he's probably top five ball user or probably top three forward of center. He, he's able

to connect. I know that, you know, even if you listen to Josh Carff, the weekend's game and he

goes, our forward 50 connection wasn't there. It's because you don't have a bloke like Errol Goulden.

Yeah. And Errol Goulden finishes plays. He generates plays and they are so hard to find.

They're incredibly difficult to find and there'll be a tough four months. The good thing for

him and Sydney is that he'll be out of run. He'll be running in four to six weeks. It's not like a,

I don't know, like an ankle sprain. That's like three months. He'll be out of run the whole time

once you get to a bit of freedom in that shoulder. Just disappointed. I think we're all very excited.

I think Sydney probably rather than being a top four or five side, probably just slip a little bit,

but that'll be fine. I still think they can make a fair damage in the year. He's a very good,

very good player. So he's going to set himself to get back with sort of six to go and have that

base and work his way from there. So that that that's feasible, isn't it with a shoulder recon?

Yeah. No, that, no, that back in the day, that was sort of a six months, but sort of 12 to 16,

which sounds like he's going to have to get the full one, which is probably closer to four months,

but you're right. If he's back, call it late July, you know, you'd think, as you said, six weeks,

give him three to four weeks to be scratchy and get going. And then his last two weeks,

he'll be in good shape. Then you're in the finals. So I think Sydney will do more than enough to

have already qualified for the finals by the time he gets back or will be in a good spot to qualify,

I should say. So six is a fair way to go. But he'll be, he'll have enough time to get form rolling.

I've been thinking it, we'll, we'll secure it will be a bigger conversation at some point later

in the year once we've got a bit more evidence, but I have been think you told us a little while back

that this was the sort of team that was going to have to overpay to bring in B plus talent and

then shoot the dry lights out at the draft. That's the lot that they had. And that's pretty,

that is exactly what they've executed. They've overpaid to bring in players that there are

questions as to whether they're different smakers. They, their NAS comes out of the draft. So that's

what they're aiming for there. And the rest of their picks, they're sort of waiting to bloom.

Just give me an early marker on St. Kilda knowing that once we've seen a bit more that they will be

a bigger conversation in the way that your mind works. Yeah, I think so. I probably think that

what's happened is in the first two games against two, you know, okay sides probably think

kind of what are going to play finals and Melbourne will probably miss had opportunities in both games

to win them and had different opportunities in the games to probably extend what was a small

little bigger lead. And it's, it's so early. We've got time. They've got a really, really big game

this week and against the Giants. That's a, that's a big game for both sides. You know, Norton

3d changes the look a lot. Once again, I'm probably going to say it all year, but if you don't have

multiple stars around the ball, it is very hard to generate enough good looks and be able to

scoring power because that's where so many teams have started to score the game like. And without

Max King, their forward line really relies on great ball use inside 50. And that's an issue that

they're, they're going to have to work through and NAS is a remarkable player what he showed back in

of last year. He's got the biggest target on his back out of any play in this competition and

people are going to go after him every single week. And he's going to have to find a way to do it,

you know, sort of three and 15 on the weekend, which is a pretty nice day out, but

three and 30 is going to be harder for him to get than it's ever been in his career. So

they're an interesting watch. You know, as you said, their playbook's been right. They need to

now get over this hump. There's a hump there that they need it. They should be one on one. They

should probably be torn out to be frank. They've had enough opportunities, but it's a challenge.

Football is just not easy. It's hard to win games and they haven't been executed and there's

a combination of factors there. And we know historically they've started the year slow and built the

wins back half of the year. So you'd hope that they can course correct and they'd want to course

correct quickly because you wouldn't want to be two and six. That would be a hard place to be.

Yes. So the bounty on the Giants game Giants will all some first up and then

much less so it's in Kiel to go there. Giants are banged up. Gosh, that's an important four points.

Yeah, that's the one for me. I would expect the Giants to win, but St Kielder would be wanting to

really bring their best version because Norton 3 starts to feel like a pretty heavy

thing to carry in. We get carried away these days because we're always talking about big picture

stuff so early in the year, but Norton 3 is just an uncomfortable place to be.

Phil, great to pick your brain. Thank you. Enjoy round two and we'll talk again next Wednesday.

Thank you, Jared. Phil Davis for Alex Scott and staff to sell your livestock or sell your home.

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