Retired #18: Michael Hurley 🐻 - Staying on in a coaching and player welfare role! - 3/10

[Lore]

Contract Status: Retired
Last Game Played: Currently in the side
Injury Status: Comes back from injury to play his final game for the club this weekend - 18/8

Spoiler

2022
He's back! Playing a half in the VFL this weekend - 15/7
Joins main training in the next couple of weeks! - 15/6
Had a calf setback, now running again - 28/4
Wants to play a half in the VFL in the next couple of weeks - 30/3
Joined main training? - 3/3
Ahead of schedule, doing some big running loads - 16/2
Progressing well, R1 'too soon' to return, no time frame - 11/1
On track for playing return around Round 6 - 12/3

2021
Ahead of schedule, running soon - 15/12
Hip replacement surgery - 10/10
Placed on the inactive list, will not play in 2021 - 31/5
Hopes to play the last 6 weeks of the season if not sooner - 26/4
At the club daily doing 1-2 hours of exercise for recovery - 23/3
On the mend - 19/3
Apparently using the hot/cold pools at the club, progress? - 5/3
Limping on crutches with an IV at the preseason game - 25/2
Discharged, recuperating at home... again. No time frame on return - 17/2
Apparently back in hospital - 15/2
Discharged from hospital, recuperating at home. No timeframe - 9/2
In hospital with an infected leg - 4/2

My Boy Draft 2022: Claim here

 

[Summer Nights]

you were saying the opposite all year yaco55

 

[yaco55]

you were saying the opposite all year yaco55

What - Posted at the beginning of the season that Hurley appeared too light ( and more than one posted the same ) and I believed it affected his one-on-one work - Hurley's offensive work was at another level, but unfortunately he's defensive work undone some of this good work - His 2015 was a more dominant year.

 

[Summer Nights]

What - Posted at the beginning of the season that Hurley appeared too light ( and more than one posted the same ) and I believed it affected his one-on-one work - Hurley's offensive work was at another level, but unfortunately he's defensive work undone some of this good work - His 2015 was a more dominant year.

Hehe just messing with you buddy

 

[Godzke]

He looked sober and responsible today at Oaks.

On SM-G920I using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[DERO]

Nailed it - Does need to play 3 or 4 kgs heavier in 2018 - He played too light in 2017 - A lucky selection as AA - He's 2015 was a class above his 2017.

I agree with you to a point, especially regarding his lack of one on one work but can't agree that he was a "lucky" selection for AA. At times he was sublime and played a very similar role to Rance who also got towelled occasionally when made accountable.

 

[yaco55]

I agree with you to a point, especially regarding his lack of one on one work but can't agree that he was a "lucky" selection for AA. At times he was sublime and played a very similar role to Rance who also got towelled occasionally when made accountable.

There is no comparison between Rance and Hurley when it comes to one on one contests - Rance is one or two for one-one contests and Hurley is outside the top 20.

 

[DERO]

There is no comparison between Rance and Hurley when it comes to one on one contests - Rance is one or two for one-one contests and Hurley is outside the top 20.

You might be right about the one on one stuff as Hurley was soundly beaten at times this year but it did appear (from what I saw anyway) that both were playing a bit more loose, plugging gaps or coming in to help out a teammate, rather than being directly opposed to an opponent.
Rance was amazing and thoroughly deserves the plaudits as the best defender going around in that he was able to read the play and intercept the ball coming in or back his judgement to leave his man to help out other teammates. When he was forced to play one on one, he wasn’t as effective. Harry Taylor gave him an absolute bath in one game.
Just out of curiosity, who would
You have put in the team before Hurley?

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

There is no comparison between Rance and Hurley when it comes to one on one contests - Rance is one or two for one-one contests and Hurley is outside the top 20.

Hurley was a way better defender before his ban the fact he still made the AA sqaud after a year off shows he's just as good as Rance imo.

 

[astrowizzle]

Hurley also doesnt have the lets just hang all over the man and not get penalised rule applied to his defensive work. Rance gets away with as much in the modern game as Sylvani did 20 years ago

 

[Summer Nights]

Rance is a cheating scrag so isn't eligible for conversation about the best defender.

 

[yaco55]

You might be right about the one on one stuff as Hurley was soundly beaten at times this year but it did appear (from what I saw anyway) that both were playing a bit more loose, plugging gaps or coming in to help out a teammate, rather than being directly opposed to an opponent.
Rance was amazing and thoroughly deserves the plaudits as the best defender going around in that he was able to read the play and intercept the ball coming in or back his judgement to leave his man to help out other teammates. When he was forced to play one on one, he wasn’t as effective. Harry Taylor gave him an absolute bath in one game.
Just out of curiosity, who would
You have put in the team before Hurley?

What a strange post - My post highlighted Hurley's deficiencies in one-on-one defending in 2017 and that IMO he was lucky to be AA - Rance is number one or two in one-on-contests which by definition means no help from third parties,while Hurley was outside the top 20 - That's my baseline assessment - I also posted during the year that Hurley's 2015 was a better year, and in the pre-season posted, I thought Hurley was playing too light - My posting history is I prefer players to be on the light side, though I doubt it suited Hurley - We'll wait until the pre-season to see if he plays heavier - Anyway he needs to do better in a pure defensive setting - Finally, though Merrett was lucky to be AA, though unlucky to miss out in 2016.

 

[Towno78]

Hurley also doesnt have the lets just hang all over the man and not get penalised rule applied to his defensive work. Rance gets away with as much in the modern game as Sylvani did 20 years ago

Or get away with as much as Fletcher did? The best know how to get away with it. And Rance is the best atm.

 

[DERO]

What a strange post - My post highlighted Hurley's deficiencies in one-on-one defending in 2017 and that IMO he was lucky to be AA - Rance is number one or two in one-on-contests which by definition means no help from third parties,while Hurley was outside the top 20 - That's my baseline assessment - I also posted during the year that Hurley's 2015 was a better year, and in the pre-season posted, I thought Hurley was playing too light - My posting history is I prefer players to be on the light side, though I doubt it suited Hurley - We'll wait until the pre-season to see if he plays heavier - Anyway he needs to do better in a pure defensive setting - Finally, though Merrett was lucky to be AA, though unlucky to miss out in 2016.

I didn't agree with what you were posting, Yaco. Nothing strange about that. It is strange that I did it though as normally I can't be bothered.

 

[Zach Package]

There is no comparison between Rance and Hurley when it comes to one on one contests - Rance is one or two for one-one contests and Hurley is outside the top 20.

And Hurley is an elite kick on both sides which Rance absolutely isn’t, they’re different players

 

[Andronicus]

Hurley is outside the top 20.

Pretty keen to hear the 20 (at least) players you think are better than Hurley one on one.

 

[eth-dog]

Whilst I disagree that there are 20 defenders who are better than Hurley one-on-one, he was poor at that role this year in comparison to previous ones.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Rance is a cheating scrag so isn't eligible for conversation about the best defender.

I scoff at media experts putting him in the same class at SOS,Fletcher,Langford etc some of those blokes a multiple premiership players and have played on the best forwards the game has ever seen.

 

[carnthedons]

Whilst I disagree that there are 20 defenders who are better than Hurley one-on-one, he was poor at that role this year in comparison to previous ones.

Yep I’m with you on this one. I love the big bear but he was out marked regularly. Don’t think he was helped by matchups against much taller opponents (Jenkins, Sinclair etc), but he was definitely much better offensively than defensively for me this year

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Seems the coaching staff wanted Hurls to be more attacking but his 1v1 work suffered because of it needs to back to on what made him a good 1v1 defender.

 

[doug85]

Hurley definitely struggled on the 200cm+ forwards one on one.

 

[yaco55]

And Hurley is an elite kick on both sides which Rance absolutely isn’t, they’re different players

You still need to be at certain standard in one on one defending. Anyway hoping to see an improvement in 2018

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[yaco55]

Pretty keen to hear the 20 (at least) players you think are better than Hurley one on one.

I am merely quoting champion data statistics.

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[DERO]

I am merely quoting champion data statistics.

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OH NO YOU DIDN'T

 

[yaco55]

OH NO YOU DIDN'T

I am quoting champion data statistics for defensive one on one contests. My eyes showed me Hurley struggled in this aspect of the game which is supported by statistics. Hoping for improvement in 2018.

Sent from my SM-G9250 using Tapatalk

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Hurley was injured for probably half the season and of course when into the season lighter. Reckon next 2-3 years he’ll be even better.

Height issue will always make it hard for him against the real talls. Didn’t Astbury have that job at the Tigers?