Tom Phillips Biography

Delisted Hawk Tom Phillips is hungry for another chance at AFL level, saying his best football is still ahead of him.

After being infamously moved on from Collingwood two years ago as part of the club's salary dump along with Adam Treloar and Jaidyn Stephenson, Phillips played all 22 games with Hawthorn in 2021 before a combination of form and injury saw him fall out of favour in 2022.

"I wasn't able to get the continuity and runs on the board this year … that was upsetting to reflect on, but it gave me an opportunity to look at being more mentally resilient," Phillips said.

"I've had to have a slightly different outlook and approach, not being able to play a heap of games and perform on the field, but having to turn my attention to getting myself right and building myself back up.

"For me it's getting my body right. The hunger and the fire is there."

Hawthorn delists Tom Phillips, Daniel Howe, Connor Downie, and Jackson Callow.

"Daniel, Tom, Connor and Jackson have all made a great contribution to Hawthorn and displayed excellent character throughout their time at the club," Hawthorn National Recruiting and List Manager Mark McKenzie said.

Collingwood chief executive Mark Anderson has conceded salary cap pressure was a key factor in the club's decision to trade four players during the AFL Trade Period.

Adam Treloar, Jaidyn Stephenson, Tom Phillips, and Atu Bosenavulagi were all offloaded to rival clubs last week, with the Magpies receiving well under market value in return.

"We were without realistic access to the free agency market with our salary cap being at its limit," Anderson said.

"We have had quality players expressing interest in coming to our club, interest we could not realistically pursue due to our cap limitations.

"This could not continue and so some tough and, frankly, painful decisions had to be made."

Collingwood trades Tom Phillips to Hawthorn in exchange for a fourth-round selection.

Hawthorn shows interest in Tom Phillips after the midfielder was encouraged by the Magpies, who have under salary cap pressure, to explore his options despite having a year to run on his contract.

Phillips had been a mainstay on Collingwood's wing before being pushed to a half-forward role this season with the emergence of Josh Daicos.

Tom Phillips says Magpies draftee and teammate Isaac Quaynor is ready-made for AFL football.

Both Phillips and Quaynor represented Beverley Hills in Doncaster East before progressing to the Oakleigh Chargers' program, where Quaynor received guidance from Phillips' father Anthony.

"He's got a lot of traits to make him a really, really good footballer. He's strong, he's quick, he's got great endurance and he's very smart," Phillips said.

"He played at my junior footy club and Dad did a bit of work with him and has been a bit of a mentor for him over the past year or two, so I've known him a little bit over the years.

"He did a great amount of work to get drafted and he's continuing to work really hard."

Tom Phillips has averaged 27 disposals and booted eight goals in the opening 10 rounds of 2018 to put his name into the All-Australian conversation.

"It's about being more comfortable with the roles I'm playing. I'm flourishing under the guys I'm playing alongside and I put it down to the faith and trust from the coaches," Phillips said.

"The type of player I am with my running and work rate, adding more speed and carrying the footy, breaking the lines and actually being really damaging offensively were my aims.

"I want to keep my defensive mindset but set myself apart from the rest as a midfielder with that offensive flair, trying to set up the play, set up the guys to kick goals and try to get on the end of some myself."

Brothers Tom Phillips and Ed Phillips squared off against each other when Collingwood took on St Kilda at Etihad Stadium this week.

"It was really weird, but pretty special," Tom said after the match.

"We actually went down to the park and had a bit of a kick today. So, I was having a kick with him about six hours ago and then I was up against him on the wing on the ground tonight.

"When you think back 18 or 20 years, all the footy we've played together as young kids, we won a premiership in junior footy together, we played a game at (under-18 TAC Cup side) Oakleigh Chargers together, but I haven't played against him before."

Tom Phillips is named the round 9 NAB AFL Rising Star nominee after tallying 24 disposals in the Magpies' stirring 18-point win against Hawthorn.

Parts of his game required work as a 16-year-old who failed to make the Eastern Ranges' cut. The Oakleigh Chargers gave him a chance after a year of playing for Caulfield Grammar.

Phillips spent a second year at TAC Cup level as an overage player before Collingwood selected him with the No.58 pick in 2015.

"I wasn't too physically developed or ready at that stage, in their opinion, to be what they wanted and it's almost done a service to me," Phillips said.

"It pushed me harder to want to achieve what I always set out to achieve – to play at the top level.

"Finally getting the opportunity at Oakleigh was really great for me to be able to showcase my talents … everything that's come towards me I've tried to take with open arms."

Phillips won a bronze medal at the national championships in the under-17 2km steeplechase in 2011 and represented Victoria three times in cross-country running.

"That nervous energy, adrenaline and anxiety when you're running is not too dissimilar to when you step out in front of 50,000 to 100,000 people on the MCG," he said.

"There is still that fire in the belly and energy to compete and beat the guy next to you … it's a contest, whether it be running or whether it be hunting the football – it doesn't matter.

"I have that ultimate belief in myself I can outrun anyone."

Tom Phillips makes his AFL debut for Collingwood at the MCG with 15 disposals (7 kicks and 8 handballs), 3 marks and 5 tackles in a 46-point loss to Melbourne.

First-year Collingwood draftee Tom Phillips makes a big first impression by taking out the club's 2km time trial.

After he was drafted, Phillips revealed his enthusiasm to make the most of his opportunity at Collingwood.

"I'm a leader on the field," he said.

"I love to chat and communicate and that seems to really bring my fierce competitiveness out.

"I'm a pretty versatile player and I’m able to play in all positions. I think that's the skill set that I have and that I can keep developing at Collingwood."

Collingwood select Tom Phillips with pick No.58 in the 2015 NAB AFL Draft.