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skeptic wrote: ↑Thu 23 Jul 2020 2:29pm
Am I the only one that gets genuinely shocked every time I see the stat charts indicating a lower possession count?
With exceptions... as he has had quiet patches as most have, Hill always seems to be around the contest either chasing or spreading.
Hard to tell from the TV but it feels like he seems to be working very hard
Another comparison might be Brad's first year with Freo however you would need to adjust for Freo's mid field that year vs ours now. Also how might a person be going having moved from Perth, which is nice, to Melbourne which at the moment is not so nice (deliberate understatement). I imagine everyone that has moved to Melbourne in 2020 would be at a special level of despair. That might impact on form, possibly.
Yorkeys wrote: ↑Fri 24 Jul 2020 9:49am
Another comparison might be Brad's first year with Freo however you would need to adjust for Freo's mid field that year vs ours now. Also how might a person be going having moved from Perth, which is nice, to Melbourne which at the moment is not so nice (deliberate understatement). I imagine everyone that has moved to Melbourne in 2020 would be at a special level of despair. That might impact on form, possibly.
takeaway wrote: ↑Thu 23 Jul 2020 2:27pm
I have no concerns re Hill. You can't compare this year to last year, or to any other year. The main issue is the condensed quarters & longer breaks, which takes out fatigue. Maybe it is a natural evolution of the game, but I suspect the shorter quarters have played a large part in making the game seem like, as one other poster put it, " a combination of keepings off and British Bulldog". Doesn't suit Hill, who can keep running in the full games when most others struggle, whereas now most can run the quarters out.
The other issue is Hill is in a new team, and the team itself has many new faces, and it will take time to gel. In the Freo game, a few times when the TV showed the wide angle, I noticed when we were coming out of the backline, Hill was pretty clear around 40-50 metres away, but on all occasions the player with the ball took the dinky 20m kick option. In that regard, Hill was giving them a better option than they took - in time, they will learn how he plays. We don't want him in the scrums getting half possessions, we want him for outside run. I think that will improve over time, especially when we get back to proper football in 2021.
Supporters are limited this year because the TV only gives a snapshot of the play, you mostly can't tell how hard a player is running, what opportunities he creates downfield, etc. So whether Hill is fully motivated it is hard to say, I think it would hard for any player to be fully motivated at all times this year. The numerous lapses from teams in most games seem to indicate lapses in concentration and or motivation.
If Hill is not more effective halfway though next year, I would be concerned.
Great post "takeaway", exactly my view of Bradley Hill's game this year.
We can't ignore how life in the hub affects individual players - irrespective of modern communications technologies players are physically separated from their loved ones back in Melbourne and some will struggle with this, especially if partners, kids, parents etc are unwell or find it difficult coping with life without their man being beside them every day.
To this extent I agree with the view expressed by others that this season is unlike any other and supporters should exercise caution when criticising their team's performance.
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His numbers might be down but his ball use is still probably better than anyone else we’ve got. I’d rather 15 possessions from him than 25 from a lot of others. I’m sure that next year, once he’s settled in and we are back to normal, he’ll be a better player
Hope Hill turns it around but if I had the choice between Toby Greene and Hill, it would be Greene in a heartbeat. Like him or not, he is as skilled as he is a hard nut. He was brilliant last night.
We need some more players with both skill and hardness like Steele.
saintkid wrote: ↑Sat 25 Jul 2020 1:13pm
Hope Hill turns it around but if I had the choice between Toby Greene and Hill, it would be Greene in a heartbeat. Like him or not, he is as skilled as he is a hard nut. He was brilliant last night.
We need some more players with both skill and hardness like Steele.
I really believe Hunter Clark is going to be that player. He seems to have all the attributes you want. In a year or two he’ll be a starting mid.
saintkid wrote: ↑Sat 25 Jul 2020 1:13pm
Hope Hill turns it around but if I had the choice between Toby Greene and Hill, it would be Greene in a heartbeat. Like him or not, he is as skilled as he is a hard nut. He was brilliant last night.
We need some more players with both skill and hardness like Steele.
I really believe Hunter Clark is going to be that player. He seems to have all the attributes you want. In a year or two he’ll be a starting mid.
I agree. He was great last year given his short career to date and will get better for sure. The Clark and Coffield picks were very good, emphasizing the importance of getting the best available talent in your early picks.
Petracca would have been great for us too now, if only they chose on that basis also in the 2014 draft.
remboy wrote: ↑Sat 25 Jul 2020 12:50pm
His numbers might be down but his ball use is still probably better than anyone else we’ve got. I’d rather 15 possessions from him than 25 from a lot of others.
Agree his 15 possessions are better than most others, his kicking skills are very, very good ... but I wouldn't mind if his "metres gained" improved even with his 15 possessions per game - we need more run (gut running) from him. Let's say 25% more (metres gained).
Whitfield is probably only averaging another 5 or 6 possessions, but his metres gained would probably be close to double Hill's this year (without even looking at the stats).
Am i the only one who though Hill played his best game as a saint last night? It certainly wasnt a great game, but he was much more involved and was a part of some key winning plays.
shadrock wrote: ↑Sun 26 Jul 2020 4:06pm
Am i the only one who though Hill played his best game as a saint last night? It certainly wasnt a great game, but he was much more involved and was a part of some key winning plays.
shadrock wrote: ↑Sun 26 Jul 2020 4:06pm
Am i the only one who though Hill played his best game as a saint last night? It certainly wasnt a great game, but he was much more involved and was a part of some key winning plays.
I think the game style we're currently playing is bypassing him a fair amount of the time.
He seems to be (from what I can see on tv) doing a lot of filling space in the backline whilst we are attacking through the other side?
His delivery by foot was exquisite (like it has been for most games for us). Ratts had him doing Longy's job off the back flank. It suits him and helps shake off the tag
12th highest paid player in the league.
Normal salary $875-925k
Covid reduced to $630-666k
Not quite living up to his pay at the moment.
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