Brad Hill to play on the wing

[King Max]

[The Fireman]

This new coach sounds like he knows what he is doing

What does the salty Ratten fanboy think about this?

[WellardSaint]

RTB has gotten on the front foot.
In response to the whipping-boy status of Hill, he's gone very early indeed
He may have been pulling his hair out last yr at the way Ratts was playing Hill.
Media will naturally jump on this and say RTB is trying to appease the fans, he's gone early on this, etc etc

[cwrcyn]

Hill at halfback gave us something but it also took something away. His delivery to forwards is elite. On a wing he can do that more. Expect a far better season from him in 2023.

It'll be great to see Hill on one wing and Wanganeen-Milera on the other.

Now the question is, who takes his spot at halfback? Do Paton and Webster both play? Is Coffield or Clark in the mix?. Does Leo Connolly get a chance to use his run and foot skills?

One thing for sure. Ross Lyon will assess the players and he'll reward the hardest runners

[B.M]

Coffield will play HB with Sincs

[Yorkeys]

Ok selectors, the other wing, NWM or Danny McK? and you know the follow up question.

[Trev from the Bush]

Playing a top wingman on the wing. Hey, that's not a bad idea. Why hasn't that been done before?

[sks023]

No brainer !

[saynta]

Ok selectors, the other wing, NWM or Danny McK? and you know the follow up question.

2 on the wing the 3rd on the bench.

[Saintmike65]

We can have the luxury of rotating our wingmen..NWM, Hill, DMac and Wood are all viable options, particularly if the 5 on the bench comes in.

[shanegrambeau]

On the wing….

….at the Beach Oval?

lol

Yeah
I am a Hill fan so I hope he gets in shape…
Not that I figured he lost any speed I. The slightly Rolly-Polly form..

[shanegrambeau]

NWM looks a little bit more muscular too..
I wonder if NWM is a potential wingman in Lyons vision?

And then we have DMac, potentially even Gresh and Jones, as well as Wood, even Battle, and those other guys ..ya know the usual ones.

[B.M]

I reckon NWM looked as skinny as a rake - not that it matters in his position

Last time Hill played wing for a period he was poor

Hopefully he’s got a bit fitter

And we have a gameplan that suits wingmen

[Banger9798]

Wood and DMac seem to be the fittest and hardest running pair , who are committed to running and defending as well as attack.
NWM and Hill have very little defensive game and get shown up in the D50 , but are very good at delivering in F50.

Can we use all 4 in the same side?

[Josh Battle]

Wood and DMac seem to be the fittest and hardest running pair , who are committed to running and defending as well as attack.
NWM and Hill have very little defensive game and get shown up in the D50 , but are very good at delivering in F50.

Can we use all 4 in the same side?

Good points raised.

If NWM can show a little more poise with his field kicking maybe he is one of the longer term options for the position. He is a talented kid and I’m glad he was given the opportunity for games experience in his first year, but atm I don’t think NWM has shown that he deserves a spot on the team ahead of Wood or DMac

Wood and DMac offer more defensively at the moment than Hill but it’s our delivery inside 50 which is key. It probably cost Ratten his job. And it wasn’t just Hill who was poor. No one has mentioned JB but before DMac’s recent good form and before we recruited Mason Wood, it was Billings who was trying to be the guy who owned that wing

Where does JB fit if Gresham, and Higgins and Butler play forward and Hill, Wood, DMac and NWM play wing? He’s not going to replace Steele or Crouch as inside mid is he? He hasn’t got the zip of Jones and he’s not a tagger like Ross or Windhager

[Impatient Sainter]

We can have the luxury of rotating our wingmen..NWM, Hill, DMac and Wood are all viable options, particularly if the 5 on the bench comes in.

Might be a squeeze on spots but if Billings makes it back in time he might be in the rotations also?

Also I thought NMW was working back into defence well last season and did some of his best work dropping back.

[Teflon]

Gee it’s just nice to see common sense from a coach ..play players where they excel and do most damage…
Hills defensive traits when caught 1 out were deplorable

[Saintmike65]

Wouldn’t be surprised if Ross plays Billings off half back.

[Josh Battle]

Wouldn’t be surprised if JB spends more time in the magoos. If Hill has a really bad game and if Ross the Boss is looking for scapegoats, don’t discount Hill getting dropped too

Wouldn’t be surprised if RTB is calling for drastic list changes at the end of his first year

[Gershwin]

Only position he can play.

If he can’t hold down wing then he plays in the two’s, then out the door.

Personally, I think he won’t hold his spot but will be happy to be proved wrong.

[D.B.Cooper]

B&F winner at Freo under RTB on a wing.

I'm guessing Brad is smart enough to show up in good shape this year and use his elite running to his advantage.

I suspect he was not in peak condition over the past couple of seasons.

[Teflon]

B&F winner at Freo under RTB on a wing.

I'm guessing Brad is smart enough to show up in good shape this year and use his elite running to his advantage.

I suspect he was not in peak condition over the past couple of seasons.

I think that’s right
New standards in place now

[shanegrambeau]

Calling early bulls*** in Ross saying Hill is a definite for the wing.

Let’s just see about that.

Obviously a lot of mutual respect. As someone pointed out, Hill had a stint in the wing that wasn’t great, but our players seemed to regularly ignore him. Even in that last game against Sydney I see Ross blatantly ignoring Hill in an advantageous position and imminently more well equipped than Ross to deliver into f50, which Ross tries.

[spert]

Hill's best is behind him- still has silky skills, but never played with the same intensity with us he did in his Hawks and Dockers days. I don't think RL is going to try and get blood from a stone.

[magnifisaint]

Hill's best is behind him- still has silky skills, but never played with the same intensity with us he did in his Hawks and Dockers days. I don't think RL is going to try and get blood from a stone.

Geez that's a generalisation. I think Ratten got it wrong playing him in the backline. He has no defensive skills and it stood out a mile.