AFL Player #19: Nick Hind

[Lore]

Contract Status: Out of contract 2024
My Boy Draft 2024: Pick 31, Rick Ross

 

[Blind Turn]

Be it spot on or nit-picking, this is a trend of Hind over the years. For a guy who is lightning quick, he picks and chooses on his chases.

Go back and watch the Josh Daicos Goty (Can't remember if it won?) from last year... I think it was last year. Hind is near him, about 70m, loses the contest and absolutely gives it, while Merrett sprints past him for 20-30m to chase.

Edit: Just rewatched it, and Merrett's chase isn't even that great either, looks like he's lumbering along. But Hind nowhere to be seen.

No doubt. Hind has shown an unwillingness to put in maximum defensive effort at times. I just don’t think it’s fair to isolate this moment on Saturday, in contrast to such a great effort from Merrett.

 

[Happyskeret]

Given he can go forward, back and even wing I think it’s sub or nothing, good depth to have.

If you’re going to be as big a defensive liability as he is you’ve got to be so, so damaging and constructive with ball in hand and I don’t think the pros outweigh the cons.

D’Ambrosio is 9 years younger, better with the ball, harder at the footy and there’s plenty of time for him to improve on the defensive aspects.

I thought D’Ambrosio one of our worst players against the Lions. Kept fumbling the ball and didn’t get a lot of it. Granted he has not hit his ceiling but he deserved to be dropped on that effort.

 

[bombreys]

I still think there's a spot for him on the list, especially if Hep retires this year. Especially given all the injuries to our defenders this year, nothing wrong with a bit of quality depth - which he is.

 

[bombreys]

I want it to work, I love the story of a player drafted from our vfl team coming back to us at first opportunity. It’s cool that his gf plays for us too.

But as a footballer he’s limited… has some nice tricks but he’s in the same basket as Snelling and probably Guelfi in that I don’t see us getting much more out of them than what we’ve already seen. Still a role player though and you need those

Great point - there's no such thing as a completely healthy AFL team. We could do a lot worst than having the likes of Snell/Guelfi/Hind at least applying selection pressure.

 

[Ambrosia]

I thought D’Ambrosio one of our worst players against the Lions. Kept fumbling the ball and didn’t get a lot of it. Granted he has not hit his ceiling but he deserved to be dropped on that effort.

He also just seems poor winning contests against any forwards.

Obviously Hind isn't a star in that are either but he at least has his pace to fall back on that gets him easy wins.

 

[Nifft]

I still think there's a spot for him on the list, especially if Hep retires this year. Especially given all the injuries to our defenders this year, nothing wrong with a bit of quality depth - which he is.

He's got another year till his contract runs out so he's not going anywhere you'd think. Not sure he'll make it passed next year though.

 

[windyhill]

Hind is a mystery. He is a player who will back himself in time and again. I like this, he has supporters leaving their heads in their hands. Yes , he *s up, but next contest, next chain, he’s fully involved, he’s creating. You’ve gotta back him in,he backs himself, clearly. If you curtailed the man, you would be curtailing his natural instincts.
His run will win us a final. Just don’t send him on a food run.

 

[Blind Turn]

He’s the sort of risk I’d be willing to take. Specialist sub in a finals campaign works well for me. Throw him in to replace a plodder like Kelly or Lav when your team is down by 3 goals in the last qtr.

 

[Vindicater]

I want it to work, I love the story of a player drafted from our vfl team coming back to us at first opportunity. It’s cool that his gf plays for us too.

But as a footballer he’s limited… has some nice tricks but he’s in the same basket as Snelling and probably Guelfi in that I don’t see us getting much more out of them than what we’ve already seen. Still a role player though and you need those

Guelfi is a limited footballer but every premiership team has players like him on it.

Guelfi to me would be the perfect sub. Can be brought on to play multiple roles and is hard as a cats head. When the game is on the line and people are tired you bring on a wrecking ball like Guelfi to re-set the tone.

 

[The Devils Advocate]

I much prefer having an elite kick like Massimo in.
They are both defensive liabilities, but I'll take foot skills and smarts over a bloke who tries to run out of packs and gets caught like a chicken on a wire fence.

 

[maskmcgee]

* off please

 

[Yoda_]

Old Hind back tonight looking for cheap kicks and poor defensively


certainly his position is one I would be keen on wanting to upgrade in the seniors at the end of the year

 

[Happyskeret]

If you think Mass is going to punch out better numbers at this point then Hind you are just delusional.

 

[Happyskeret]

I much prefer having an elite kick like Massimo in.
They are both defensive liabilities, but I'll take foot skills and smarts over a bloke who tries to run out of packs and gets caught like a chicken on a wire fence.

Problem is Mass doesn’t get the ball enough at this stage. I rather someone who will try and make some mistakes and accumulate the ball and take some chances against someone who is timid.

 

[Happyskeret]

Old Hind back tonight looking for cheap kicks and poor defensively


certainly his position is one I would be keen on wanting to upgrade in the seniors at the end of the year

Who is the candidate that you are thinking of to replace him?

 

[Ambrosia]

Unsure why people hate on this guy so much. You’re going to make mistakes taking the game on but overall his offensive play is definitely a positive imo.

 

[maskmcgee]

Taking what game on? He just stands around, dosen't run, dosen't bounce, just waits to be tackled or fumbles lose uncontested balls.

 

[Yoda_]

Unsure why people hate on this guy so much. You’re going to make mistakes taking the game on but overall his offensive play is definitely a positive imo.

it was the cheap kick chasing that bothers me

 

[Ambrosia]

it was the cheap kick chasing that bothers me

Isn’t that modern footy though. He’s a running half back flanker who can break a line. He should be always presenting for handball receive or short pass.

 

[Yoda_]

Isn’t that modern footy though. He’s a running half back flanker who can break a line. He should be always presenting for handball receive or short pass.

jog to position, put his palms out downward motion to suggest "im open" when he is in a 50:50 spot


I like Hindy, can see his positivity to the game plan when "on" but it's efforts like last night that make me wonder when can we upgrade his spot in the 22.

He could have had a field day last night

 

[boncer34]

Isn’t that modern footy though. He’s a running half back flanker who can break a line. He should be always presenting for handball receive or short pass.

His lack of metres gained worried me last night. For a running, line breaking half back flanker he should be up the top for metres gained

Yet last night he had 309 metres sitting mid team. Suggests to me he wasn't that effective.

 

[ghostdog]

Back to limited runs out of defence and he looks slower these days when he does anyway. I wonder if the coach has demanded him to play more defensively and he's still figuring it out.

On the other hand, how good did Andy look when he got on his bike and burned off Bazzo. I mean, I know it was Bazzo and there was a turn over, but I want to see more of that followed by the 25 metre dart kicks.

 

[Ambrosia]

His lack of metres gained worried me last night. For a running, line breaking half back flanker he should be up the top for metres gained

Yet last night he had 309 metres sitting mid team. Suggests to me he wasn't that effective.

Definitely a fair criticism and he’s clearly not close to his best form from his first years at the club.

Maybe I’m being overly optimistic but I think he could still play some very good footy.

 

[ant555]

Unsure why people hate on this guy so much. You’re going to make mistakes taking the game on but overall his offensive play is definitely a positive imo.

And he does not actually make more mistakes than anyone else. He is one of those players who can make a couple of mistakes that everyone notices so he gets flayed for them. Going by the champion data stats he is actually one of the most reliable kicks in the comp over the last 5 years.

 

[Ambrosia]

And he does not actually make more mistakes than anyone else. He is one of those players who can make a couple of mistakes that everyone notices so he gets flayed for them. Going by the champion data stats he is actually one of the most reliable kicks in the comp over the last 5 years.

He had a period where he was near best in the comp at finding a mark i50 as well.

Also imagine this place if he had the couple of howler turnovers McGrath had against Richmond.