[7] In an 1885 post season summary of Kingston, the junior leagues premiership team, a local sports columnist described Phillips football ability as "[He] plays to perfection; takes everything coolly and marks well.

In 1890, Phillips was a member of Port Adelaide's victorious Championship of Australia side who defeated South Melbourne for the national title.

He is not an in-an-out player, but one who is loyal to his club and trains consistently in order that the team he plays for should have the full benefit of his abilities.

He is remarkably clever, very modest in his performances, and quite unselfish Messers E and C Lazarus offered to give a trophy to the best all-round player in the team at the end of last season, and the club selected Tick as the one most deserving of the prize.

"[10] Phillips retired at the end of 1900, with his career total of 198 games being a club record until it was broken by Ted Whelan in 1959, while his feat of winning three consecutive best and fairest awards in 1891–1893 would not be equalled until Robbie Gray did so in 2014–2016, 123 years later.