Over the Hill

[Gershwin]

This is from an independent football 'expert' (zerohanger).

"Saints need more from Brad Hill at the coalface.

Throughout Friday night's loss, Saint Brad Hill was fidgety and prone to fumbles whenever a Collingwood player was anywhere near him, and his stat line doesn't emphasise how dramatically underwhelming he was with the quality of his decision-making with the ball in hand. New season but the same story, essentially sums up the Saints' woes."

[Yorkeys]

Hospital passes tend to make you fidgety. One from Wood was a shocker. Forum would not let Seb get away with that.

Being at the Peking Duck Stadium my impression was Hill was hard at it, let down by team mates and smothered by double teaming.

Btw Seb was good. Got a nasty crunch, kept going. Got moved and messaged from the bench incessantly : how the heck are you supposed to focus. Thought- coaches are panicking.

[thejiggingsaint]

Like most folk, I was disappointed with the result but overall, enjoyed the game. As far as I was concerned, it was just SO great to be back at the footy, meeting up for a pre-game drink with my pal Tom and just enjoying the FOOTY! Brad Hill, was far from being the worst player on the field, although I was really disappointed that two skill errors from him, led to Colondud goals. It's only round 1 folks! just enjoy the fact that we're all back at "The Dome we call Home" enjoying each others company at the footy! No need to stress..... well not YET

[bullmarket]

THE IMPORTANCE OF BRAD HILL AND THE IMPORTANCE OF STOPPING HIM

This is a two-fold section, highlighting not only what Hill is able to bring to the table, but also what the Saints lose when the forwards work hard to deny him the clean run from half-back.

At halftime of this contest, Hill had only eight touches to his name. His run and carry were non-existent, and with every touch he managed to pick up, he had to work his arse off to get it. You have to give the Collingwood forwards a huge amount of credit for this. They obviously did their homework on Hill and were prepared to crowd him whenever there was a loose ball, and whenever there was a turnover in the Saints’ favour.

It is no secret that Hill does not like contested footy. That’s not a sleight on the bloke – he has made his name as an elite outside runner, but in order to become involved in this game, Hill was forced to put his nose to the grindstone and tough it out. This was the first game he recorded double-figures in contested disposals since Round 14, 2019. Hell, even when he gave them the run, handballs went behind him or forced him to slow down to accommodate their poor execution. For someone reliant on his pace and continued run, that is a killer.

As the game wore on, the run of Hill came to the fore more, picking up 18 second half touches and aiding the Saints as they threw caution to the wind and staged a gutsy comeback, but the work in the first half to make him earn the footy is the blueprint when it comes to slowing him down.

It wasn’t just one player doing the work on Hill. Beau McCreery, Jack Ginnivan, and Trent Bianco all took their turns in stifling Hill at stages, with McCreery’s tenacity giving Hill problems on several occasions. Yes, Hill was able to work into the game, and that is a credit to him, but the Pies had a job to do when it came to him, and they did the hard work early enough to ensure Hill was not one of the reasons they walked away from this game without four points. Their efforts were huge in capturing the win for the Pies, but I doubt you’ll see it acknowledged in many outlets.

https://themongrelpunt.com/afl-season-2 ... questions/

[saynta]

Hospital passes tend to make you fidgety. One from Wood was a shocker. Forum would not let Seb get away with that.

Being at the Peking Duck Stadium my impression was Hill was hard at it, let down by team mates and smothered by double teaming.

Btw Seb was good. Got a nasty crunch, kept going. Got moved and messaged from the bench incessantly : how the heck are you supposed to focus. Thought- coaches are panicking.

"Btw Seb was good. Got a nasty crunch, kept going."

Finally a comment from someone who actually watches the game and knows a footballer when he sees one.

A rarity on this forum, sadly.

[Saintmatt]

Bloody hell. So - the guy is a 3 time Premiership wingman at Hawks and won a B & F at Freo. He hasn't lost his talent and hasn't been injured. So - has anyone thought that the group of bozos at St Kilda that masquerade as a playing group / coaching group haven't found a game plan that enables us to exploit his talents as his previous two clubs have?

I mean - we're now asking him to play half back as, apart from Sinclair - we get no drive and dash from HB. It's not his natural role - he's never played there before coming to St K and yet, we seem to think he should become All Australian in at position.

Hill is a cream on the cake player. A serious weapon in a good team who's got the players around to support him. We have a group of C grade players with a couple of B's and 2 A's. Our list is miles off - you can blame injuries but every side will have them but the basic composition and balance of it is trash.

Funnily enough - us and a lot of footy pundits thought he'd be amazing at Marvel on a fast track under the roof. I'd argue the wide open spaces of the MCG, Optus and Subi suited his attributes much better than the narrower Marvel

[Vortex]

Bloody hell. So - the guy is a 3 time Premiership wingman at Hawks and won a B & F at Freo. He hasn't lost his talent and hasn't been injured. So - has anyone thought that the group of bozos at St Kilda that masquerade as a playing group / coaching group haven't found a game plan that enables us to exploit his talents as his previous two clubs have?

I mean - we're now asking him to play half back as, apart from Sinclair - we get no drive and dash from HB. It's not his natural role - he's never played there before coming to St K and yet, we seem to think he should become All Australian in at position.

Hill is a cream on the cake player. A serious weapon in a good team who's got the players around to support him. We have a group of C grade players with a couple of B's and 2 A's. Our list is miles off - you can blame injuries but every side will have them but the basic composition and balance of it is trash.

Funnily enough - us and a lot of footy pundits thought he'd be amazing at Marvel on a fast track under the roof. I'd argue the wide open spaces of the MCG, Optus and Subi suited his attributes much better than the narrower Marvel

I tend to agree with most of this however there is another way of looking at his contribution to the team thus far. The Hawthorn team he was part of was a once in a generation team chock full of stars playing through a dynasty period -- so plenty of other players for opposition teams to keep mind of. Hill wouldn't be the first player to be considered a genuine star in such a team and then cross to play with our pea hearted outfit and be reduced to atomised excretement.

What puzzles me though is he was able to cross to another battling club before ours and pick up their B&F in his first season. Scratches head...

The more we think about it, the common denominator is our club at present. Plenty of proven talent, we just can't seem to extract it when it's wearing a RW&B jumper.

[Saintmatt]

Bloody hell. So - the guy is a 3 time Premiership wingman at Hawks and won a B & F at Freo. He hasn't lost his talent and hasn't been injured. So - has anyone thought that the group of bozos at St Kilda that masquerade as a playing group / coaching group haven't found a game plan that enables us to exploit his talents as his previous two clubs have?

I mean - we're now asking him to play half back as, apart from Sinclair - we get no drive and dash from HB. It's not his natural role - he's never played there before coming to St K and yet, we seem to think he should become All Australian in at position.

Hill is a cream on the cake player. A serious weapon in a good team who's got the players around to support him. We have a group of C grade players with a couple of B's and 2 A's. Our list is miles off - you can blame injuries but every side will have them but the basic composition and balance of it is trash.

Funnily enough - us and a lot of footy pundits thought he'd be amazing at Marvel on a fast track under the roof. I'd argue the wide open spaces of the MCG, Optus and Subi suited his attributes much better than the narrower Marvel

I tend to agree with most of this however there is another way of looking at his contribution to the team thus far. The Hawthorn team he was part of was a once in a generation team chock full of stars playing through a dynasty period -- so plenty of other players for opposition teams to keep mind of. Hill wouldn't be the first player to be considered a genuine star in such a team and then cross to play with our pea hearted outfit and be reduced to atomised excretement.

What puzzles me though is he was able to cross to another battling club before ours and pick up their B&F in his first season. Scratches head...

The more we think about it, the common denominator is our club at present. Plenty of proven talent, we just can't seem to extract it when it's wearing a RW&B jumper.

I’d argue that Freo was a much better team when he crossed there than we are now. Or were last year.

The common denominator in any good team is midfield depth. Freo certainly had that with Fyfe, Mundy, Walters, Cerra, S Hill,

Our midfield outside of Jack Steele is pedestrian and non-dynamic

[Vortex]

Bloody hell. So - the guy is a 3 time Premiership wingman at Hawks and won a B & F at Freo. He hasn't lost his talent and hasn't been injured. So - has anyone thought that the group of bozos at St Kilda that masquerade as a playing group / coaching group haven't found a game plan that enables us to exploit his talents as his previous two clubs have?

I mean - we're now asking him to play half back as, apart from Sinclair - we get no drive and dash from HB. It's not his natural role - he's never played there before coming to St K and yet, we seem to think he should become All Australian in at position.

Hill is a cream on the cake player. A serious weapon in a good team who's got the players around to support him. We have a group of C grade players with a couple of B's and 2 A's. Our list is miles off - you can blame injuries but every side will have them but the basic composition and balance of it is trash.

Funnily enough - us and a lot of footy pundits thought he'd be amazing at Marvel on a fast track under the roof. I'd argue the wide open spaces of the MCG, Optus and Subi suited his attributes much better than the narrower Marvel

I tend to agree with most of this however there is another way of looking at his contribution to the team thus far. The Hawthorn team he was part of was a once in a generation team chock full of stars playing through a dynasty period -- so plenty of other players for opposition teams to keep mind of. Hill wouldn't be the first player to be considered a genuine star in such a team and then cross to play with our pea hearted outfit and be reduced to atomised excretement.

What puzzles me though is he was able to cross to another battling club before ours and pick up their B&F in his first season. Scratches head...

The more we think about it, the common denominator is our club at present. Plenty of proven talent, we just can't seem to extract it when it's wearing a RW&B jumper.

I’d argue that Freo was a much better team when he crossed there than we are now. Or were last year.

The common denominator in any good team is midfield depth. Freo certainly had that with Fyfe, Mundy, Walters, Cerra, S Hill,

Our midfield outside of Jack Steele is pedestrian and non-dynamic

I think Freo didn't finish higher than 14th for the 3 seasons Hill was there and Lyon was on the record as saying his coaching strategy was "just give it to Hill".

[The Fireman]

If I had the ball I’d be giving it to Hill he’s one of the best kicks I’ve ever seen

[Vortex]

If I had the ball I’d be giving it to Hill he’s one of the best kicks I’ve ever seen

I would be too but I think our players might need a few more years training and development on how to give a ball to someone. Maybe they should get Hill to wear a bright pink jumper with neon flashing lights.

[Banger9798]

I had him in the votes.
Always creative with the footy and yes, sometimes bites off too much.
Constantly attacks the corridor to open up defences rather than chipping up the wing. Runs super hard to give options.
Thought he had a good game.

[Sainternist]

Hill is one of the few in the side with real skill

I agree, but his talent simply hasn’t been put to proper use.

[Sainternist]

If I had the ball I’d be giving it to Hill he’s one of the best kicks I’ve ever seen

Right? But what’s the plan? How do you get the most of when he has possession? The opposition teams seem to have him all figured out and have been playing him like a bass fiddle ever since he put on a St.Kilda guernsey.

[repta]

Saints struggle to use him properly. He needs to be fed the ball. He will never go and find it himself.

Saying that he now seems to have lost the ability to lose the tag. I know taggers are supposedly a thing of the past. However when they make Hill accountable and make him work for his possessions he is pretty ordinary.
Left alone he excels.
Either StkIlda or Hill (or combination) need to find him more space.

[Impatient Sainter]

Saints struggle to use him properly. He needs to be fed the ball. He will never go and find it himself.

Saying that he now seems to have lost the ability to lose the tag. I know taggers are supposedly a thing of the past. However when they make Hill accountable and make him work for his possessions he is pretty ordinary.
Left alone he excels.
Either StkIlda or Hill (or combination) need to find him more space.

Collingwood coralled him and waited for his team mates to give him the ball then pressured him from all sides, which resulted in turnovers. It was like watching a car crash on repeat.

[saintkev]

THE IMPORTANCE OF BRAD HILL AND THE IMPORTANCE OF STOPPING HIM

This is a two-fold section, highlighting not only what Hill is able to bring to the table, but also what the Saints lose when the forwards work hard to deny him the clean run from half-back.

At halftime of this contest, Hill had only eight touches to his name. His run and carry were non-existent, and with every touch he managed to pick up, he had to work his arse off to get it. You have to give the Collingwood forwards a huge amount of credit for this. They obviously did their homework on Hill and were prepared to crowd him whenever there was a loose ball, and whenever there was a turnover in the Saints’ favour.

It is no secret that Hill does not like contested footy. That’s not a sleight on the bloke – he has made his name as an elite outside runner, but in order to become involved in this game, Hill was forced to put his nose to the grindstone and tough it out. This was the first game he recorded double-figures in contested disposals since Round 14, 2019. Hell, even when he gave them the run, handballs went behind him or forced him to slow down to accommodate their poor execution. For someone reliant on his pace and continued run, that is a killer.

As the game wore on, the run of Hill came to the fore more, picking up 18 second half touches and aiding the Saints as they threw caution to the wind and staged a gutsy comeback, but the work in the first half to make him earn the footy is the blueprint when it comes to slowing him down.

It wasn’t just one player doing the work on Hill. Beau McCreery, Jack Ginnivan, and Trent Bianco all took their turns in stifling Hill at stages, with McCreery’s tenacity giving Hill problems on several occasions. Yes, Hill was able to work into the game, and that is a credit to him, but the Pies had a job to do when it came to him, and they did the hard work early enough to ensure Hill was not one of the reasons they walked away from this game without four points. Their efforts were huge in capturing the win for the Pies, but I doubt you’ll see it acknowledged in many outlets.

https://themongrelpunt.com/afl-season-2 ... questions/

Great appraisal! It highlights how underprepared and one dimensional the Saints’ hierarchy is. There’s a distinct lack of flexibility when things go awry. Paddy McCartin being played in the backline for Sydney last night is a prime example. Switch things around, get players out of their comfort zone and build team spirit and hunger for success.

[shanegrambeau]

THE IMPORTANCE OF BRAD HILL AND THE IMPORTANCE OF STOPPING HIM

This is a two-fold section, highlighting not only what Hill is able to bring to the table, but also what the Saints lose when the forwards work hard to deny him the clean run from half-back.

At halftime of this contest, Hill had only eight touches to his name. His run and carry were non-existent, and with every touch he managed to pick up, he had to work his arse off to get it. You have to give the Collingwood forwards a huge amount of credit for this. They obviously did their homework on Hill and were prepared to crowd him whenever there was a loose ball, and whenever there was a turnover in the Saints’ favour.

It is no secret that Hill does not like contested footy. That’s not a sleight on the bloke – he has made his name as an elite outside runner, but in order to become involved in this game, Hill was forced to put his nose to the grindstone and tough it out. This was the first game he recorded double-figures in contested disposals since Round 14, 2019. Hell, even when he gave them the run, handballs went behind him or forced him to slow down to accommodate their poor execution. For someone reliant on his pace and continued run, that is a killer.

As the game wore on, the run of Hill came to the fore more, picking up 18 second half touches and aiding the Saints as they threw caution to the wind and staged a gutsy comeback, but the work in the first half to make him earn the footy is the blueprint when it comes to slowing him down.

It wasn’t just one player doing the work on Hill. Beau McCreery, Jack Ginnivan, and Trent Bianco all took their turns in stifling Hill at stages, with McCreery’s tenacity giving Hill problems on several occasions. Yes, Hill was able to work into the game, and that is a credit to him, but the Pies had a job to do when it came to him, and they did the hard work early enough to ensure Hill was not one of the reasons they walked away from this game without four points. Their efforts were huge in capturing the win for the Pies, but I doubt you’ll see it acknowledged in many outlets.

https://themongrelpunt.com/afl-season-2 ... questions/

Great appraisal! It highlights how underprepared and one dimensional the Saints’ hierarchy is. There’s a distinct lack of flexibility when things go awry. Paddy McCartin being played in the backline for Sydney last night is a prime example. Switch things around, get players out of their comfort zone and build team spirit and hunger for success.

We are a hard judging lot.
Mr. Battle has been tried here and there and everywhere.
McKenzie, Sinclair, Gresham, Hill, Billings have been moved..
But with Hind and now McCartin, it looks odd. Why didn’t we try it too?
I suggested McCartin be tried as a backman on this forum. You can guess the response.
I still think Marshall should be our CHB until we find someone better, but we ain’t go the ruck down yet either.
Did you see the game last night? How many of those taps went to advantage…a lot!

[Yorkeys]

Perhaps it shows we have some players that cannot think on their feet and no onfield generals? What the obvious thing to do if double teaming is going on an one player attracts a crowd?