Over-rated / Under Rated #3: Bailey Williams

[mjp]

Age: 26
Games Total: 151
Games Last Year: 24

The story:
Recruited near the end of the draft (let's say about pick 50) back at the end of 2015 - supposedly after presenting as a 1-man wrecking crew to the Bulldogs recruiting contingent by gathering 48-possessions in a game...he made his debut almost immediately and played 6-games in the premiership year only to be one of those who made way for the legendary 5x injured players for the first final vs WC. The side went on a run, Bailey did not get another opportunity to press for a GF place.

It "FEELS" like he has the 7th/8th choice defender for the majority of his time at the club - but somewhere over the past 24-months has moved up the list to become the #1 choice outside mid. He has done this without ever really having "a game" but simply through being solidly dependable - last year he dipped below 15-possessions only twice but had > 25 only twice...not quite big enough to play as a true 3rd tall back (187cm) he is incredibly reliable 1-on-1 and has one of the games silkiest (and under-rated) side-steps to get out of trouble. He is strong overhead and can kick the footy an absolute mile - long goals are a bit of a specialty of his and he has kicked 20 over the past 2-seasons.


Is Bailey:
a). Over-rated - He's reliable sure - but at his size/strength he really SHOULD be so much more...if this is it - 20-touches and a goal every second week, what makes him better than Baker, Poulter et al. Why does he get all the chances.
b). Properly-rated - Strong one-on-one who rarely makes mistakes - can play mid and back and does so without complaint....great team player - looking forward to watching him tick over 200games!
c). Under-rated - He's part of the glue that holds our midfield together. Bont, Treloar, Liber...they get the glory. Williams covers for them defensively, sacrifices his own game to do so and nails his chances when they come.

[GVGjr]

If you speak to opposition supporters then Williams is hardly know much about him and he flies under the radar.
Doggies supporters probably overrate him because outside of Hunter we have't had any outstanding wingers for a while and he gets a bit of love for his versatility.
In most years there is even a bit of discussion about him getting some time right in the middle of the ground but it never really eventuates.

He is probably overrated by our supporters so A seems to be the right rating. He should be be delivering a bit more on the field and o recent long term contract signed indicates the club has a bit of faith in him.

[Bulldog Joe]

Bailey is probably over rated by Doggies supporters. He is probably the poor man's Bailey Dale.

He can kick a goal but he misses a few he should get. Worth his spot but promises more than he delivers.

[Guest]

I think he's probably all of the above. A bit a, b AND c. But the thing he DOES have is balance, composure and reliability and he really can kick the ball beautifully. He doesn't have many 'flakey' moments. Doesn't panic, and is often in the right place at the right time to back up his teammates with a spoil or a release option. These characteristics keep him ahead of players like Baker and Poulter and others atm imo. But doesn't make him a star either.

[jazzadogs]

I trust Bailey more than the other wingers on our list, and think he plays the defensive wing role very well - not dissimilar to what (trigger warning for any dees fans reading) Angus Brayshaw did for Melbourne. His role is not really about getting heaps of the ball (although ave 19 possessions is perfectly fine), but providing structure behind the ball - my impression is that he does this really well.

He's hardly missed a game since 2021 (a season where he was outstanding as a half back for 99% of it).

I think he's mildly under rated.

[whythelongface]

Like GVG I reckon Bailey flies under the radar with opposition supporters. Definitely not on the list of Bulldogs that are going to damage, however in saying that he is consistent in what he does.

I don’t think that he is over rated by our own supporters - pretty sure we know what we get with Bailey. He doesn’t often get in the players votes thus hoping that he can really have some off the radar games next year that damage the opposition.

[Go_Dogs]

I think he’s fairly rated. No one is suggesting he’s an AA calibre wing, but he does a lot of good work between the arch’s and has a good (and reliable) blend of offensive and defensive play. Often he helps his defenders out, and he can impact the scoreboard.

like him a lot. Working class wing who can play a few roles.

[Grantysghost]

A)..

[BiteNibbleChomp]

When the club did the big clearance sale at the end of last year, one of the tables had a bunch of old badges going for like a $1 each. A couple of them were players who were no longer playing (IIRC there was a Tim O'Brien and Hayden Crozier or something) but at least half were Bailey Williams.
For a dude who is definite best 23 and one of our more reliable contributors, we seem to forget him very easily.

Though I probably ought not say too much here - it took me until quite late in this season to get his badge, and I've got about 40 of the things now

Underrated.

- BNC

[jazzadogs]

When the club did the big clearance sale at the end of last year, one of the tables had a bunch of old badges going for like a $1 each. A couple of them were players who were no longer playing (IIRC there was a Tim O'Brien and Hayden Crozier or something) but at least half were Bailey Williams.
For a dude who is definite best 23 and one of our more reliable contributors, we seem to forget him very easily.

Though I probably ought not say too much here - it took me until quite late in this season to get his badge, and I've got about 40 of the things now

Underrated.

- BNC

He got awarded life membership this year and I didn't actually recognise him clean-shaven in the photo we put on socials.

[jazzadogs]

A)..

What's your reasoning? Just that you think he should be 'more'?

His preferred position coming in to the AFL was probably inside mid. Behind Bont, Libba and Macrae from the get go he reinvented himself as a medium defender.

He was excellent in that role until his meltdown in 2021 and never seemed to recover his confidence. He doesn't have the speed or penetration of Bramble/Dale to be halfback, and doesn't quite have the height to be a 3rd tall defender, and isn't quick enough to play on the good smalls...

So he's found a spot on the wing and realistically was one of the best in the comp at it last year.

[Grantysghost]

What's your reasoning? Just that you think he should be 'more'?

His preferred position coming in to the AFL was probably inside mid. Behind Bont, Libba and Macrae from the get go he reinvented himself as a medium defender.

He was excellent in that role until his meltdown in 2021 and never seemed to recover his confidence. He doesn't have the speed or penetration of Bramble/Dale to be halfback, and doesn't quite have the height to be a 3rd tall defender, and isn't quick enough to play on the good smalls...

So he's found a spot on the wing and realistically was one of the best in the comp at it last year.

Don't make me work

I think he can be pretty lazy defensively, he's very very quiet on field doesn't show many leadership traits, and is seemingly a golden boy with Bevo having never been dropped (not his fault I guess).
I see his upside however I think he gets a blessed run with supporters when things are going badly and tends to go under the radar.
I will add this season he was much better but so was the team. I want to see more from him when the chips are down considering as you mention he's a senior player now.

The fact he is in a break glass position for us and Freijah over took him so quickly in his native position screams where do we use this guy?

Ask me again at the end of the year, at this stage I think a little over rated heading towards properly rated.

[soupman]

I think he is underrated.

barely known outside of Bulldogs supporters, and even there largely forgettable.

Versatile, has been able to excel in two roles now; wing and medium defender, assured with ball in hand, reliable and consistent, and has some great attributes.

I think early there was a lot of optimism about what his ceiling could be, and as to whether he might make a move into the midfield. Maybe he does at another club, but the opportunity has never really been taken by him here.

He hasn't reached that hypothetical ceiling, but instead he is a genuine AFL quality player who does what we need him to do, often changing that mid game, and i think that gets overlooked at times.

I mean he is gonna get to 200 games, probably 250, with almost all of them having performed his role to a decent standard, and never really been dropped, yet as above no one would recognise him in the street and he is never going to be talked about as a particularly good player by the vast majority of supporters.

Underrated.

[Mofra]

C.
Champion data placed him in the top 5 wingmen in the competition last year which is vital for us, being a position we've struggled to fill adequately in recent years (Hunter aside).
Regularly at the pointy end of our KMs covered and one of the few players who runs hard defensively and can be a threat with ball in hand in the front half. He's one of our most important players.

[jazzadogs]

C.
Champion data placed him in the top 5 wingmen in the competition last year which is vital for us, being a position we've struggled to fill adequately in recent years (Hunter aside).
Regularly at the pointy end of our KMs covered and one of the few players who runs hard defensively and can be a threat with ball in hand in the front half. He's one of our most important players.

I was sure I'd read that about Champion Data but couldn't find it anywhere when I was googling. Elite wingers last year were probably Gulden, Josh Daicos and Massimo? Bailey Williams comfortably sits in the next rung imo.