Delisted 8: Ben "Goblin" Hobbs - Delisted - 20/10

[VelvetSledge]

Contract Status: Out of contract 2025
My Boy Draft 2024: Pick 12, Schnitzengruben

 

[Old Campaigner]

Did he play?

Kept Acres to 29 touches and a goal

 

[fairbump_playon]

Kept Acres to 29 touches and a goal

While also making a mess of a whole bunch of stuff

 

[ant555]

Been a pretty average last few weeks. Has to be under some pressure to hold his spot but with no small / medium forwards going all that well we would have to shuffle the magnets.
His pressure has dropped off a bit so his spot is questionable.

 

[naraku]

Kept Acres to 29 touches and a goal

I just didn't remember him out there at all

 

[bombersim]

His endeavour is usually pretty good (though down a bit lately), but the biggest problem he has is when he finally gets out in space, or running towards goal he has the Menzie(s) about him - managed to stuff it all up. He gets out, and then stops and hatches it.
Needs to do himself a favour and take some opportunities to score, not only do the defensive stuff - be an offensive threat and make someone worry about you for once.
He needs to play midfield (us or elsewhere) at some point. Small forward does him no favours.

 

[FlyingV]

I don’t know what he brings other than effort. Lacks composure and is one paced. Durham, Caldwell are so much more dynamic. In a bygone era he probably makes it, but today with the emphasis on run, spread and disposal… I think he’s in trouble outside of tagging tbh.

 

[Call Me Cake]

The same amount of disposals as the number on his back...

If he keeps his spot in an area we have depth in then fk me...

 

[ant555]

Looks like a guy who we will not need if some of the younger blokes keep playing with the same competitiveness they have shown. Have stuck up for the fact he has got games out of position because we have lacked guys who have a genuine crack but his form has deteriorated. Gets exposed for pace a lot. Was a bit surprised he was 5th for us as far as pressure acts go and 5th for tackles. Maybe it was the low possessions that made him look down on pressure or the fact that when he was on the wing he gave us crickets. Would be great if ADJ showed a bit of heart and began pushing for his spot.

 

[jdstorm]

Should have been on ball with Parish at HF

 

[ant555]

For the record.
8 disposals
5 kicks (4 effective)
3 handballs (2 effective)
2 turnovers
4 ground ball gets
5 tackles (1 inside 50)
2 clearances
20 pressure acts (5th highest for us)

 

[MiguelM]

For the record.
8 disposals
5 kicks (4 effective)
3 handballs (2 effective)
2 turnovers
4 ground ball gets
5 tackles (1 inside 50)
2 clearances
20 pressure acts (5th highest for us)

I love his hardness but lacks speed to impact. Good 80s footballer but limited for the modern game as he gets run off way too often.

 

[MarkJohnson#1]

I’ve always been a Hobbs man but he is a pretty hard watch. Not enough strings to his bow unfortunately.

 

[ant555]

I love his hardness but lacks speed to impact. Good 80s footballer but limited for the modern game as he gets run off way too often.

If we ran him as just an inside midfielder he would get by. Problem is Durham / Caldwell are better and Setterfield gives us something slightly different as far as size. Throw in Merrett and Parish and there is no real spot in the middle. At some stage someone will come on as a forward and push him out of the side. He is what he was when he was drafted. Hard inside nut with questionable pace and limited outside game. We have used him forward because our small forwards have not been able to step up. Like Tsatas he really has only one position where he could be his best but he has limitations in areas. When we drafted him an inside midfielder looked to be an okay option, although I was more Josh Goater / Mitch Knevitt or Tom Brown. At that stage Caldwell was an injury prone midfielder / forward. Durham was a skinny rookie who was maybe a wing. The few times Hobbs has played midfield he has done well enough. Last time he played VFL he had no issues getting 30 touches and 6 plus clearances. He is just a one trick pony. It is more an indictment of how poor our small forward stocks have been. We are basically using a Toyota Hilux and trying to get Toyota GR Supra performance.
I do find it a bit odd not many are saying just play him in the midfield.

 

[fairbump_playon]

Been a pretty average last few weeks. Has to be under some pressure to hold his spot but with no small / medium forwards going all that well we would have to shuffle the magnets.
His pressure has dropped off a bit so his spot is questionable.

I know why he is getting games

I’m more concerned about what his long term future looks like, whether with us or elsewhere

He’s not convinced me yet that he’s ever going to get up to that “good B grader” level and have a long career.

He cracks in but lacks class. Maybe would need to add another string to his bow.. maybe spend a couple of summers with a running coach and add some Ben Keays like running power.

 

[ant555]

I know why he is getting games

I’m more concerned about what his long term future looks like, whether with us or elsewhere

He’s not convinced me yet that he’s ever going to get up to that “good B grader” level and have a long career.

He cracks in but lacks class. Maybe would need to add another string to his bow.. maybe spend a couple of summers with a running coach and add some Ben Keays like running power.

He is yet to convince because he has played around half his games out of position. When he has played inside midfielder he has been good b grade level. What he has done in the last two seasons has been limited C grade as a forward. There are a lot of inside midfielders that lack spread and outside game. I am not sure what his future is with us as we have a few better than him. His numbers in 2023 where pretty good. His VFL numbers last year as a midfielder where very good.
He is the number 5 or 6 midfielder. He is probably surplus for us.
His ratings / numbers as a forward this year
Disposals - Above Average
Kicks- Average
Handballs - elite
Marks - Below Average
Tackles - Above average
Goals - Below average.
We drafted him wanting an inside midfielder but a couple others have moved past him. Someone will have a look at him. Collingwood made some enquiries last year as someone who could replace Mitchell.

 

[MarkJohnson#1]

He needs to be unrelenting with his attack on the footy given his flaws. Unfortunately he squibbed a contest last night and he has done it before. Simply cannot afford to do when you have meat cleavers for feet…

 

[Zyzz]

Times up, happy to move him on end of year

 

[BrunoV]

Same story with as with Tsatas, what's the source of attachment?

Why do you want Hobbs to get better at running? So he can get more of the ball to use poorly?

Just recruit players with AFL transferrable characteristics.

There is already no way that the player is capable of vindicating the selection. I'm still waiting to see him absorb body contact AND do something with the ball.

 

[fairbump_playon]

He is yet to convince because he has played around half his games out of position. When he has played inside midfielder he has been good b grade level. What he has done in the last two seasons has been limited C grade as a forward. There are a lot of inside midfielders that lack spread and outside game. I am not sure what his future is with us as we have a few better than him. His numbers in 2023 where pretty good. His VFL numbers last year as a midfielder where very good.
He is the number 5 or 6 midfielder. He is probably surplus for us.
His ratings / numbers as a forward this year
Disposals - Above Average
Kicks- Average
Handballs - elite
Marks - Below Average
Tackles - Above average
Goals - Below average.
We drafted him wanting an inside midfielder but a couple others have moved past him. Someone will have a look at him. Collingwood made some enquiries last year as someone who could replace Mitchell.

Yep, he could play that role for someone. Given age demographic of Caldwell, Durham, it feels like Hobbs won’t get much space to shine outside of injury

What do you think the quality of his peak years will be compared to Mitchell’s?

 

[Runk]

I’ve always viewed Ben’s work over the ball as a positive indicator, it’s been a consistent part of his game. More notably, his overhead marking has often stood out as one of his key strengths.

That said, when he opted out of that overhead contest the other night, it was genuinely surprising. It’s not something I expected from a player whose aerial presence has typically been reliable.

Right now, I’m just not sure where he fits in the broader structure of the squad

 

[ant555]

Yep, he could play that role for someone. Given age demographic of Caldwell, Durham, it feels like Hobbs won’t get much space to shine outside of injury

What do you think the quality of his peak years will be compared to Mitchell’s?

Not the Brownlow level. Maybe 90% as good.

 

[dank420_]

The shaved head is the only positive this year.

 

[Westlo]

Should be dropped for that contest

 

[dalecooper]

just cant see any role for him in the team opening up in the next couple of years out side of a good backup midfielder to cover for injury, especially with the likes of kako, smartt, ADW, Unwin and al acktar and sweid next year vying for half forward and small forward roles, and duz martin caldwell merrett and bewick hopefully in a few years in the middle, not to mention tsatas probably being a better pure midfielder despite his flaws

 

[ant555]

Have to say not going in that contest was really bad for a guy who generally plays hard.