View Full Version : Hodge's best position
Eel_storm
23 Apr 2008, 21:53
What is the position he is most suited to? The more i see of him this year, the more i think he's a half forward. He's a good lead, great hands, strong, good assist player, accurate, and so on.
cschreuder61
23 Apr 2008, 21:56
I like him forward, but he's just a utility who can play where we need him.
He's too good a player to leave in just one position. He can help out down back, help get on top in the midfield, and has goal scoring ability up forward.
Its good that we are winning without him playing a major part yet. Indicates we have a fair bit of improvement left.
hawks_time
23 Apr 2008, 21:58
CHB to CHF and everything in between.
keefriffhard
23 Apr 2008, 21:59
Anywhere where Clarko plays him.
I read the earlier thread mate and I disagree with you immensely. Luke Hodge is an absolute gun. No ifs, no buts. He has the ability to play in any position bar the ruck. He may not be at the top of his form ATM, but it is only a matter of time before he rediscovers it. Seriously the bloke has gears and he has the ability to break a game open.
People who underestimate Hodgey will end up looking silly.
Eel_storm
23 Apr 2008, 21:59
he has gears? What does that mean? He's not very quick.
Eel_storm
23 Apr 2008, 22:00
I think he's a half-forward, i see him as the hawks version of james hird.
he has gears? What does that mean? He's not very quick.
He was quick enough to burn Judd off a few seasons bak.
can play anywhere the coach puts him but i rekon best suited to the middle. he's hard and tough and delivers the ball well to our forwards. We have good forwards who can kick the goals and take marks for us already.
No surprises here from me....I think he is a fantastic player that can play in just about any position (Ruck would be a challenge though)...
From where I view it, Clarko typically goes to Hodge to recover/shore up an area where we are struggling....(send him down back if we are having a hard time or pop him into the forward line to kick some opportunist goals - a lazy 6 last yr against Bulldogs)....Not really happened to a great extent so far this year.....
I have always been a huge fan, but that game against Adelaide in the final last year was spectacular!:)
Default position - centre, but overall - wherever he can help the team.
keefriffhard
23 Apr 2008, 22:41
he has gears? What does that mean? He's not very quick.
He is a player with the rare ability to be able to lift his performance through sheer willpower and do something extraordinary. If you watch last week's game against the lions there were a couple of centre clearances where you could see he set himself and no-one was going to stop him having a huge influence on the passage of play.
He has inspirational performance gears.
JezzHawk
23 Apr 2008, 22:51
I've noticed this year his position is predominately half forward.
However, every last quarter is played on the ball.
I am assuming he is thrown onto the ball to provide clean disposals while then team fatigues.
IMHO his position is half forward.
Arrian Stubbs
23 Apr 2008, 23:33
IMO Hodge is one of the top 10 players in the competition, even though I am not satisfied with his performance this year, I have seen glimpses of what he is capable of! I believe Hodge will be a better player then Judd in the long-run, and Judd is very injury prone! Hodge has the most longest/accurate/penetrating left kick in the game without a doubt!
JiMaRaS
24 Apr 2008, 00:58
Whatever position he plays i just want Hodgey to get his form back.
Roughie
24 Apr 2008, 01:02
Put him in the guts and rotate him forward through out the match. If he ever returns to the half back flank ill slam my genitals in the fridge door
In the middle for as long as his fitness allows and rotated forward. Which seems to be exactly where he is playing now.
lethalselbow
24 Apr 2008, 08:23
You forgot to put the James Hird position as a selection.
Hodge is smart enough and talented enough to be a roaming general. :thumbsu:
noosa hawk mad
24 Apr 2008, 08:40
I think he's a half-forward, i see him as the hawks version of james hird.Yesterday you said he was a dud tosser!He's best position is In the gut's resting forward!
Lynch takes a mark
24 Apr 2008, 09:00
He doesn't have 'gears'
He just isn't fit enough to routinely play at his highest level despite being in the system for 6 years now.
Hurn is very similar, on occasion he is able to break the lines with rdiculous ease and kick goals from 65+ or have Judd like centre clearances where he can turn and run away from the centre and kick long but he does this 3 or 4 times a game - not 10 or 15.
One thing I do notice about Hodge when playing in the midfield is that he will have an influence on one peice of play and then stop and watch, Judd/Kerr/Bartel/Ablett/Mitchell would run towards the next contest and the only time they stop is when they are benched and it seriously gives me the shits even as an opposition supporter.
I really hope he can get his work rate up to a consistent level so he can play 4 quarters in the guts, he is easily the equal of Judd & Ablett when he does but just doen't do it often enough.
His best half of football I have seen him play was the first half against West Coast in 06 at the G, huge impact in the midfield but after half time was non existent.
One of my favourite players to watch
tazhawk
24 Apr 2008, 09:42
Hodgey can play where he damn well wants.:D
He just isn't fit enough to routinely play at his highest level despite being in the system for 6 years now.
I hope people don't dig in to you for this post, because you are dead on the money. Hodge is easily my favourite player in the AFL (which reminds me, I need to order my number 15 jersey) but he doesn't have the fitness to match it with the top players.
My question is, is this just genetics? Some guys aren't going to be able to be as fit as the top midfielders regardless of how much work they do on the track, or does he not do as much work as say Sewell and Mitchell. If he isn't doing the work is it attitude or does his body not allow it? I definitely get the impression he is often playing with injuries, and he made the comment in an interview that he did 90% of the pre-season, and gave the impression that this was pretty good for him.
Still a legend though.
thatswhatimtalkinabout
24 Apr 2008, 10:24
Missionary.
Seriously mate, all of those positions exist in name only in todays footy.
Neville Bartos
24 Apr 2008, 10:40
If Hodge plays on the ball, his position is 'Ruck-Rover', not 'Centre' due to his mobility around the ground and the ability to take grabs in the forward line. Mitchell is 100% centre, just like Greg Williams was
Collins-Langford-Ayres
24 Apr 2008, 10:45
Must say, I like him on a HBF. He still seems unable to break a tag at times and off half back, he marshalls the defence and sets up our forward plays.
Eel_storm
24 Apr 2008, 13:16
i hate the half back flank, and now i see a couple of you are bagging him. i like him kicking goals. He showed in the Brisbane game that he can ruck rove and entire game, and ended up with 34touches2goals, need more of that for us to do well.
Mervyn Beasley
24 Apr 2008, 13:18
The one thing Hodgey has that Judd dont is versatility and the ability to play all over the park.
If he was on a footy card fro mthe 70's it would say Luke Hodge - Utility.
He'd also have a big mop of hair and a beard and look really scary.:)
Eel_storm
24 Apr 2008, 13:23
The one thing Hodgey has that Judd dont is versatility and the ability to play all over the park.
If he was on a footy card fro mthe 70's it would say Luke Hodge - Utility.
He'd also have a big mop of hair and a beard and look really scary.:)
he'd have a mo yeah . . .
he looked pretty scarey in the adelaide game.
Manila_Hawk
24 Apr 2008, 13:27
Over the last few nights, I have been watching the first 5 games again. As mentioned by another poster, Hodgey seems to start forward and then spend time later in the game around the centre circle in a ruck-rover sort of role.
My view is that he is wasted in the forward line. Every time he goes on the ball he instantly makes a difference. He should be running around between half-back and half-forward, using his main weapons (strength, ability to stay on his feet and raking kick) to win the ball and get it to the gut-running mid-fielders.
keefriffhard
24 Apr 2008, 14:02
He doesn't have 'gears'
He just isn't fit enough to routinely play at his highest level despite being in the system for 6 years now.
Sorry. "Gears" was the wrong terminology to use as it is constantly used to refer to leg speed.
It just seems that he is one of those special breed of players that makes conscious mental decisions that nothing will stop them taking the ball at the next contest. And he has a skill level that allows this to occur. He just looks so determined to influence the outcome at these stages.
noosa hawk mad
24 Apr 2008, 14:06
Originally Posted by Eel_storm http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?p=10767303#post10767303)
Anyone have a pic of Hodge not holding a football and looking serious? I need it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eel_storm http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?p=10779709#post10779709)
do you have one with the top of his head? I want to photoshop him into a Terminator.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eel_storm http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?p=10780333#post10780333)
Ok, can somebody turn him into a Terminator and the caption should be "It is time"
Absolute tool mate!! IT IS TIME YOU ____ OFF!!Players read this forum tosser!You only post crap mate really pissing me off!!:thumbsd:
That's deliberate
24 Apr 2008, 14:09
For me Luke Hodge is our "BEST" player.....
He is the Only player that has an influence wherever he is playing and is the only player we can ill afford to lose come finals...
He sets us up everywhere, controls the mood/tempo of our game and is our onfield leader....all of our boys look to Hodge on field to lift us including Mitch & Franko.
No Hodge...No FLAG.
reference: Adelaide final last year....NO HODGE = Thumping loss..battered bruised and on one leg Hodge = Sensational Memorable performance and win....Just watch that game again and you tell me who's the best player at the club...and who we can ill afford to lose.
reference 2: Semi Final - Hodge no influence (admits it himself - worst game he's played) = bad loss.
I'd have 22 Hodgey's opposed to any other combination of player and the Hodgey's would win by 20+ goals each and every week....He can play everywhere and is a Star.
Just think about when we are down in a game even last week and need a lift who does the coach turn to ........number 15 - L. Hodge.
Buddy finished off again last week and was sensational but once again Hodgey was let loose in the guts and got the ball going our way with his attack on the ball and the game breaking run and goal....he is our go to man...
When Hodge is on we simply do not lose...it is that simple.
B&GBlood
24 Apr 2008, 14:24
Hodge & Mitch have both been a little below their best so far this year. I think that is why we all beleive there is considerable improvement to come over what we have seen already.
No disrespect to Sewell and the other mid's but if our two best mid's get going we will be better than what we have been so far, very scary!
noosa hawk mad
24 Apr 2008, 14:37
For me Luke Hodge is our "BEST" player.....
He is the Only player that has an influence wherever he is playing and is the only player we can ill afford to lose come finals...
He sets us up everywhere, controls the mood/tempo of our game and is our onfield leader....all of our boys look to Hodge on field to lift us including Mitch & Franko.
No Hodge...No FLAG.
reference: Adelaide final last year....NO HODGE = Thumping loss..battered bruised and on one leg Hodge = Sensational Memorable performance and win....Just watch that game again and you tell me who's the best player at the club...and who we can ill afford to lose.
reference 2: Semi Final - Hodge no influence (admits it himself - worst game he's played) = bad loss.
I'd have 22 Hodgey's opposed to any other combination of player and the Hodgey's would win by 20+ goals each and every week....He can play everywhere and is a Star.
Just think about when we are down in a game even last week and need a lift who does the coach turn to ........number 15 - L. Hodge.
Buddy finished off again last week and was sensational but once again Hodgey was let loose in the guts and got the ball going our way with his attack on the ball and the game breaking run and goal....he is our go to man...
When Hodge is on we simply do not lose...it is that simple.From Inside Footy!
The Hawk's Luke Hodge is in my mind the epitome of the olden day utility player.Whan playing in defence he set's up attack after attack while also stopping goals,he can rack up 30 possessions as easy as you like in the middle and push forward when ever the game is on the line. You may think Buddy Franklins name would be the first magnet put on the team bourd at the Hawk selection meetings. I reckon just prior to him would be the Luke Hodge magnet,the only conundrum for Clarko would be where to put the damn thing!!!:thumbsu:
Carn Hawkas
24 Apr 2008, 14:44
In the middle, then rest up forward.
Eel_storm
24 Apr 2008, 14:51
the james hird position for mine.
That's deliberate
24 Apr 2008, 14:54
From Inside Footy!
The Hawk's Luke Hodge is in my mind the epitome of the olden day utility player.Whan playing in defence he set's up attack after attack while also stopping goals,he can rack up 30 possessions as easy as you like in the middle and push forward when ever the game is on the line. You may think Buddy Franklins name would be the first magnet put on the team bourd at the Hawk selection meetings. I reckon just prior to him would be the Luke Hodge magnet,the only conundrum for Clarko would be where to put the damn thing!!!:thumbsu:
Spot on.... i go to most of our games and every bloody single time the opposition have a run on and we need to just gather some momentum back or fix a "black spot" in our structure Clarko sends the runner out to Hodgey and you can just imagine what is said during the exchange, something along the lines of ..
"Kid get us out of this righto mess we've got ourselves into will ya" ..
Hodgey smiles and winks at the trainer and replies..'you should've saved your legs buddy im already onto it'
Hodgey roles up the sleeves (ok there arn't any sleeves but you get the picture) goes into the centre bounce and sais to the lads.."boy's gather around....this is what's about to unfold"
and then
........BOOM .....CRASH ....BANG .....away we go...
Spine tingling stuff i tells ya...:thumbsu: