Andrew Phillips

Recruited from Melbourne High School Old Boys, Andrew Phillips was a lightly-built but pacy rover and small forward who showed immense promise during his time at Princes Park. After scouts pursued him aggressively, Phillips broke into the senior side in 1989, quickly earning a reputation for his "road runner" speed and natural goal sense. He enjoyed a breakout period in 1990 and 1991, playing 30 games across two seasons and becoming a key contributor. His 1990 campaign was particularly notable for his dominance at the lower level, where he played a pivotal role in the Blues' Reserves premiership and won the Reserves Best and Fairest despite managing ten senior appearances that same year. However, his career was cruelly cut short by a severe back injury that kept him out of the senior side for the entirety of the 1992 and 1993 seasons, leaving him as a "what could have been" talent for the Blues faithful.