View Full Version : Josh Hill - Soft?
Bulldog1954
21 Apr 2008, 00:08
I hate to say it but based on the last couple of weeks it is hard not to think that Hill is soft. Today he dropped an easy mark where he seemed far more worried about contact from the richmond player then the ball and he did it at least twice last week. I know he's very young and talented but he has to stamp this out of his game, he won't get by purely on talent if he doesn't go when it's his turn
I thought the same after that dropped mark but he then took a pretty gutsy one on the wing in the 3rd or 4th. He's a young player and he's going to make mistakes like that from time to time. He's probably miles ahead in development and progress already. You point it out and move on. I'm not worried about Hill. He's a good one.
ErnieSigley
21 Apr 2008, 00:36
Not soft but young. Needs at least a week in the twos
Unnamed1
21 Apr 2008, 00:39
Only last week people were raving about him? Seems there are short memories. Harbrow has offered much less than Hill.
Bulldog1954
21 Apr 2008, 00:59
Harbrow has offered less then Hill and should be dropped in my opinion. Harbrow's attack on the ball and courage however is much higher then Hills. If Hill learnts to attack the ball like an Addison or Callan he will be a star
Dogs Rule
21 Apr 2008, 02:10
Two weeks ago we were hailing this kid as our saviour. Short memories indeed.
He has played 6 games.
What the last 2 weeks have shown is that we STILL need the hardness West brings to our team.
Hills drop in form was to be fully expected.He is a lighweight talented kid who has come in and done exceptionaly in the first weeks . As the spotlight and pressure was turned up to him, along with expectations he has found things a bit tougher.
Nothing to critisize him for ,it is a natural learning curve and he will go back to Willi at some stage and be better for it.
SOTW 73
21 Apr 2008, 08:57
Yes he is out of form compared to rounds 1-3 (as expected)...but the title oif this thread...are you fair dinkum?
lindsay_bulldogs
21 Apr 2008, 09:34
Sheedy says young players form is up and down. He used to bring young players in and get 3 good games out off them then drop them for two games and rotating between other young players as there form is up and down.
Time to Rotate Hill for the next best young player.
Point on Harbrow. Is under done and will get better perhaps he needs a rest but we don't have other players to come in.
West for Hill
Skipper for Johno
Harbrow one more week.
Fossie 32
21 Apr 2008, 09:37
No.
.
AngeloPetraglia
21 Apr 2008, 09:52
Soft is bit harsh.
Is he hard? No.
Does he like the physical stuff? No.
I thought even when he was playing great that he didn't 100% commit and put his head over the footy.
However he has gone back more than once with the flight into big packs, therefore I don't think he is soft.
But don't expect him to be splitting packs open or showing physical desperation at the contested footy. Every player has their different strengths and weaknesses.
Bodicifer
21 Apr 2008, 11:00
Soft is real harsh...he is a slightly built kid who will learn from the experience (and the Rocket phone bake!)...he will learn that going 100% will protect you more than not.
desipura
21 Apr 2008, 11:08
Did you watch his game against Adelaide & Ess when he took a mark with the flight of the ball in our backline with the opposition approaching? That takes alot of courage.
Yes he dropped his head yesterday, lets not label him "soft", sometimes it has a bit to do with confidence.
It amazes me how quickly some supporters turn on players, especially the young ones.
A few weeks ago, Addison & Wight were being criticised, now Hill.
I was disappointed with Hill's game yesterday, mainly when he missed Aker in the clear 15m out straight in front in the 2nd quarter.
The young blokes are going to be a bit up & down though and will make some basic mistakes, they need support though and for the supporters to show a bit of patience.
stefoid
21 Apr 2008, 13:15
I would like to see him slot into a 'Davey bros' style of defensive forward. He is a decent tackle, pretty quick, and can be very dangerous around goal if the opposition playmaker doesnt grant him respect.
Ray will give us heaps from the wing when he comes back into the side.
kookadog
21 Apr 2008, 14:35
He's not soft, He's pretty good at chasing and tackling, he might be a bit weary of contact, I think he's just young, when he's got a bit more weight behind him he'll be ok, cause he does some courageous things.
stefoid
21 Apr 2008, 14:46
He wins his fair share of contested ball, even though he is not the bash and crash type. So the skill is there. The body and confidence to use it in that way should follow. He tries to keep his feet in contests which I also like.
I think it looks like he is trying to do the speccy things and not so much of the mundane gut-bust run to present or chase type of thing.
gohardorgohome
21 Apr 2008, 17:00
I'll give Josh the benefit of the doubt. I think he may have had the sun in his eyes for the mark in question.
To all those people saying 'last week he was your hero ner ner ner how you guys turn blah blah' - Nobody is putting him down. It's true he's looks very slow to get the contested ball and he does look like he squibbed a tad BUT he is young and he will learn. In the Melbourne game when he got the rising star nomination i saw him stutter when the ball was on the ground and Melbourne player was charging in. It's like saying Scott West can't take contested marks, it's true he doesn't know how but he's still a champion.
desipura
21 Apr 2008, 17:13
If we had won none of this would have even been mentioned.
AngeloPetraglia
21 Apr 2008, 17:26
If we had won none of this would have even been mentioned.
Don't agree. This has been brought up many times, even on threads when the general consensous was that Hill will be a star. It is a weaknees in his game that he needs to adress. Everyone has something they need to concentrate on and improve at. His ferocity at the contest needs to improve.
charlie54
21 Apr 2008, 18:06
If Josh Hill has a problem with being soft what about gia the last two weeks.
what an absolute joke:mad:
itchyrichie
21 Apr 2008, 19:19
Harbrow has offered less then Hill and should be dropped in my opinion. Harbrow's attack on the ball and courage however is much higher then Hills. If Hill learnts to attack the ball like an Addison or Callan he will be a star
if hill attacks the ball like addison or callan with his current physique he WILL die.
needs to be smarter and hav greater awareness about him, which will come with experience.
Josh Hill is no Mitch Hahn. All teams have different styles of players. Craig Bradley was considered a champ but never exactly let the tackle and contested possession count in any of his 370 games. Josh is not soft. He is inexperienced and a touch player. He CAN go in hard, Gia HAS gone in hard - I even remember Jordan McMahon laying some tackles in 2006. Hill can tackle - he set up a couple of goals in the first 3 games by doing exactly that. He dropped a sitter against the Tiges but took another tough one in the same match. He was our leading contested mark in the first 3 rounds. He's had a couple of bad ones but aint Robinson Crusoe ( Rocket's given Gilbee an absolute payout). May need a rest soon in an easier comp to give him a break - Cooney needed one in his first year. Maybe against the Swans. But let's not get carried away and call the kid soft.
#1 Dogs Fan
21 Apr 2008, 19:58
He is soft but that is due to young age hopefully he outgrows it early. My only concern is he is always trying to avoid contact to do the special things such as tap on's to players or getting the ball and getting it moving. Yes both very good advantages but I hope he learns when he can go and when he cant.
A good example is Basketball their are players who try to look special/ show pony's by doing tricks, showing their tricks etc before they pass or score just to make them self stand out.
In every sport no matter what the sport the greatest players ever are those who play the basics but play them to perfection.
ClaudeGriffin
21 Apr 2008, 20:29
I think everyone agrees it is a ridiculous comment.
Notwithstanding the previous points about him being young, he is an "outside" player meaning that he is never going to be the guy giving the ball back to the umpire at each stoppage. There are a tonne of great players who were the same, particularly aboriginal players due to their body type; Nicky Winmar, Michael Long, McLeod etc, etc. If he is half the player that these guys were/are then we've got a 100+ game player.
I've seen him take a few telling marks where he knew he was going to get crunched, including one on the Footscray-side of the wing on Sunday.
Give him a break. What were Boyd/Hahn/Gilbee/Hargrave/Cross/Lake's first 6 games like?
I think everyone agrees it is a ridiculous comment.
Notwithstanding the previous points about him being young, he is an "outside" player meaning that he is never going to be the guy giving the ball back to the umpire at each stoppage. There are a tonne of great players who were the same, particularly aboriginal players due to their body type; Nicky Winmar, Michael Long, McLeod etc, etc. If he is half the player that these guys were/are then we've got a 100+ game player.
I've seen him take a few telling marks where he knew he was going to get crunched, including one on the Footscray-side of the wing on Sunday.
Give him a break. What were Boyd/Hahn/Gilbee/Hargrave/Cross/Lake's first 6 games like?
Well said.
#1 Dogs Fan
21 Apr 2008, 20:54
I think everyone agrees it is a ridiculous comment.
Notwithstanding the previous points about him being young, he is an "outside" player meaning that he is never going to be the guy giving the ball back to the umpire at each stoppage. There are a tonne of great players who were the same, particularly aboriginal players due to their body type; Nicky Winmar, Michael Long, McLeod etc, etc. If he is half the player that these guys were/are then we've got a 100+ game player.
I've seen him take a few telling marks where he knew he was going to get crunched, including one on the Footscray-side of the wing on Sunday.
Give him a break. What were Boyd/Hahn/Gilbee/Hargrave/Cross/Lake's first 6 games like?
Of the top of my head :confused:
Boyd first played in 03 against Carlton or Richmond :confused:
he was ok but I honestly said to myself this kid will be a player.
Cross I remember his first game. It was against the bombers in that Draw I think and he actually picked up plenty of the footy but his disposal was absolutely shocking I mean terrible. It has improved heaps but he still has along way to go for it to be elite.
Lake I remember it was against the Pies the following week of 02 when Wallace walked out on us. He actually played very well and was very courageous. I remember saying to my self why on earth were we not playing this kid last week.
What? And Giansirasura's effort in the 3rd quarter, when the ball was kicked straight to him in the defensive 50 from the Richmond player, and he didn't even try to mark it and let Schultz takes the easiest of marks. Then hangs his head in shame so another player has to take stand the mark so Schultz can kick it to another Richmond player 20 m out uncontested.
That was far softer than what Josh Hill did (at least Josh Hill got his hands on the pill when he tried to mark it) and all this from someone who is talked about as the next captain of the dogs, please everyone how many games has Josh Hill played? Not to mention Gia in the 1st Quarter kicking a 40 m pass and missing the target when he was 45 m out from goal, was just as bad a decision and execution as Josh Hill's poor kick to Aka in the 2nd quarter.
Maybe the caller on SEN mentioned in this thread can see into the future?http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?t=434553