Hill needs a defensive side.

[Enrico_Misso]

Yes we got him for his elite running and kicking ability (which we need to exploit more).

But when there is a 1 on 1 contest, he needs to give us SOMETHING!

No-one expects him to actually win contested ball.
(Indeed against Port where he was a great contributor he was our only player to fail to win a contested ball).

BUT
Hill has to put in enough effort to spoil his opponent or hold the ball up enough for support to come.

Too often he just gives up and concedes possession without ANY defensive effort.
That is unprofessional and disheartening for teammates who are trying their guts out!

Ratts needs to have a long talk with Hill and lay down some ground rules.

[Russman]

Couldn't agree more.
I don't want him to become a leading tackler as that is not his strength , but still has to apply some sort of pressure.

[The_Dud]

Every AFL player has to go when it’s there turn, big or small, young or old.

Don’t think I ever saw Rooey or Lenny shirk a contest, that’s the standard.

[CURLY]

Just give the footy to him FFS. He runs that hard and we just burn him. Then he has to double back to defend. No way he gets either of those spoils.

[Saint_Singapore]

Maybe the reason why he is such a good runner is because he's got no body strength.. essentially an umpires build

Ive been watching freo for years and the hill boys have never been any good at contested ball.. our recruiters must have known this so we need to use him better for whatever they recruited him for.

[whiskers3614]

Maybe the reason why he is such a good runner is because he's got no body strength.. essentially an umpires build

Ive been watching freo for years and the hill boys have never been any good at contested ball.. our recruiters must have known this so we need to use him better for whatever they recruited him for.

Got sold a pup
15 Brownlow votes in 8 years for a bloke that is under the umpies nose...
Billings plays a similar position and has more than double that number (and used to be thought of as soft!)

[Peanut Farm]

He's a dud. Like I keep mentioning, those premierships were right place, right time. I haven't called a player a squib for a long time & Brad Hill is exactly that.

[whiskers3614]

I'd like someone with more brains than me to explain how he was worth so much more than what Freo paid Hawks for him (trade wise). Did master-coach Lyon improve him so much?

[Teflon]

Just give the footy to him FFS. He runs that hard and we just burn him. Then he has to double back to defend. No way he gets either of those spoils.

This it’s also what the coach said
Yes I’d like Hill to get a fist in for a spoil if there’s no one back
But when he’s goal side , 5 meters clear and can roost from 50 give him the bloody ball.....don’t stop, prop, go for handball no 28 do he has to double back again and again!
Ratts said in his presser he’s covering more ground than anyone his 500m sprints are ahead of most but we don’t use him ???

[saintkev]

The opposition have worked him out. Classy, but soft. Just hem him in. Great player in the hard Hawks of yesteryear, but this Saints team is marshmallow soft.

[carn_sainter]

I always thought he was an excellent two-way runner - meaning he chased, harassed and disrupted the opposition. I haven't been paying much attention to him this season...he is the sort of player appreciated best live, not on tv. Having said that you can of course see his contested work on tv.

1 on 1 is a different beast, but I think it's important he doesn't get sucked in towards the footy and holds his position.

Our forwards can learn a lesson from that...the last couple weeks as we have gone back to bombing it in long, all the forwards are converging on a point and making life hard for one another. We've gotten complacent like that because it worked against 2 of the bottom 4 sides in the comp.

[ace]

Hill is not quite as bad overhead as Gilbert McAdam but don't expect Hill to take a contested overhead mark.
Memo to Mr Carlisle.
Don't chip it to him, stab it at him.

For those who don't know, McAdam was so ineffective overhead he would try to shepherd his opponent from marking and then go to work with ball on the ground.
Pinged by the umpires frequently.
He would not even try to catch the ball overhead if he was on his own.
Great player but one horrendously embarrassing weakness.

[supersaints2]

Bit harsh on Gilbert was nominated for mark of the year ...

[supersaints2]

Was 1995 (Mark3) when he played for Brisbane ... not sure why the video played it then seems to move on?

[spert]

I think McKenzie would do better in Hill's role- at least he would put his body into contests unlike Hill and probably has more speed.

[Saintmatt]

I think McKenzie would do better in Hill's role- at least he would put his body into contests unlike Hill and probably has more speed.

Except if DMac ended up getting it, he'd (a) kick it straight to the opposition; (b) kick it over our leading player's head to an out-number; and/or (c) kick it over the fence

[SaintPav]

Can we get a refund?

[The_Dud]

Just saw this posted...

Brad Hill's averages last year:
25 disposals
4.2 inside 50s
478 metres

This year's averages (normalised):
17 disposals
2.9 inside 50s
272 metres

Really needs to lift his game.

[johnearljames]

Shorter games this year. Barely any player will replicate high stats like a normal year.

[The_Dud]

Shorter games this year. Barely any player will replicate high stats like a normal year.

Maybe try read the stats again.

[shanegrambeau]

McAdams Bros were amazing talents, weren’t they? How about Gilbert’s brother? Geez.. Kicked 20 odd goals in his first three games! Career over less than 50 games later. Had they come along in 2020, Imagine.

I don’t know what to make of this. Did you see Hills body language at the beginning of the second half when the cameras were on him preboince? Geez! He looked like he was twiddling his thumbs. Maybe it is the equivalent of a nervous yawn when going out to bat? Boy he seemed nochalant.but that maybe his way? And so be it...

I heard the commentator say that St Kilda are not exploiting him. Could he be used ( naive question warning) as an outside running midfielder instead of a winger? Could he used as an gazelle version of an old fashioned centreman, light on his feet, and ready to sprint away? Or has he already been used like that? What was the outcome? Must he be started at the beams of the game?

[spert]

No team has the luxury of having an outside runner with no defensive side who doesn't get much of the ball- Hill needs to go and get the ball sometimes, or at least force a contest to his team's advantage. Looks to me like he is in his comfort zone and is not busting a gut. I would rather give a young guy a run rather than carry a bludger

[minneapolis]

I think McKenzie would do better in Hill's role- at least he would put his body into contests unlike Hill and probably has more speed.

Except if DMac ended up getting it, he'd (a) kick it straight to the opposition; (b) kick it over our leading player's head to an out-number; and/or (c) kick it over the fence

DMac would absolutely bust a gut to get the pill then having done his job would just kick it anywhere forward.

[Secret Kiel]

Just saw this posted...

Brad Hill's averages last year:
25 disposals
4.2 inside 50s
478 metres

This year's averages (normalised):
17 disposals
2.9 inside 50s
272 metres

Really needs to lift his game.

Hill is also down 450k this year.

[whiskers3614]

Just saw this posted...

Brad Hill's averages last year:
25 disposals
4.2 inside 50s
478 metres

This year's averages (normalised):
17 disposals
2.9 inside 50s
272 metres

Really needs to lift his game.

Hill is also down 450k this year.

So Is he on piece work?
No the problem us with no crowds he can hear the footsteps from further away!