AFL Player # 8: Ben "Goblin" Hobbs - Back against Sydney - 23/3

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08 - hobbs.jpg

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

Team Captain
Oct 9, 2016
415
432
Melbourne
AFL Club
Essendon
Great pickup by the club. Classy depth in the midfield. Finally a big bodied mid.
I wonder, does he play round 1 and we get game time in him now? Or do we wait for him to mature further?
 
Oct 6, 2020
1,645
2,338
Narre Warren South
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Essendon
Great pickup by the club. Classy depth in the midfield. Finally a big bodied mid.
I wonder, does he play round 1 and we get game time in him now? Or do we wait for him to mature further?
If he has a good pre-season, he'll play Round 1.

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BrunoV

Brownlow Medallist
May 5, 2009
21,620
28,992
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Essendon
I don't see any rush to get him into the side.

That he could contribute does not mean that he should play. The idea that he is ready to go next year is relative, relative to the reality that first year players rarely positively impact on midfield output. They're usually D grade - see Buckenhara's analysis of North's list which I think is much closer to the mark than the criticism which missed the point.

We have our dedicated wingmen and with everyone fit we're arguably squeezing Smith out of a spot forward to play Caldwell, Perkins and Cox (which assumes Langford also plays from the EF team).

Attrition will get him an opportunity. 10 game or 20 next year won't make a difference. We played Cox and Perkins this year primarily because we had no one else.
 
Jun 9, 2007
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Awareness
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Whilst he looks the most ready for Round 1 than all of the recent draftees we've taken, the increase in demand for physicality and endurance at the elite level will cause his efficiency to drop regardless and that should be expected. But in my mind he is the most likely to adapt to that demand the quickest closer to the back end of the season so it is imperative he starts asap.
 
Aug 15, 2011
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I don't see any rush to get him into the side.

That he could contribute does not mean that he should play. The idea that he is ready to go next year is relative, relative to the reality that first year players rarely positively impact on midfield output. They're usually D grade - see Buckenhara's analysis of North's list which I think is much closer to the mark than the criticism which missed the point.

We have our dedicated wingmen and with everyone fit we're arguably squeezing Smith out of a spot forward to play Caldwell, Perkins and Cox (which assumes Langford also plays from the EF team).

Attrition will get him an opportunity. 10 game or 20 next year won't make a difference. We played Cox and Perkins this year primarily because we had no one else.
See if hes ready physically and not missed a decent chunk of PS due to injury then i dont see why we wouldnt pick for round 1

He will start with limited game time on field i suspect similar to Serong did in his first year as a pure onballer

The best ready made inside mids can have an impact year 1 but there the best of the best. Selwood, D.Rich, Beams, Serong, Oliver, Rowell

Hes hard to compare because there arent many one dimensional mids like him and theyre not that common these days. Rowell and Serong the most recent, then your probably going back to the Andy Brayshaw, Dow, LDU 2017 draft

Id say 10-16 games at AFL level should be the aim and depending on injury if picked round 1

I previously included in round 1 side but now happy for him to start VFL and be basically next cab in which will naturally see plenty of games. Id want atleast 10+ games into him its more about what he can do in year 2 abd the 10+ games will be crucial for that. We saw the step up Neale, Macrae, Oliver, Walsh, B.Smith, Worpel, Andy Brayshaw ect got in year 2

Needs to probably develop his forward game which will be a pathway to more games like Dev Robertson, A.Brayshaw, Worpel and Bazlenka did
 
Jun 12, 2009
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I know I'm late to this but some of the disappointment at this choice was honestly shocking to see. We picked up the best pure inside mid in the draft - something we desperately need - and people are tilted because he isn't 4cm taller.

He's 18-years-old. It'll likely be 3-5 years before he's (hopefully) developing into a consistent, star midfielder. By then Shiel and Stringer will be in their 30s and Merrett and Parish in their late 20s. Who knows what type of players we'll have picked up between now and then. Our midfield may look completely different to how it is now. Hobbs may not be exactly what we need at the moment body/height wise, but we don't really need him to be. He's a player for the future, not the present.
 
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Aug 15, 2011
23,780
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I know I'm late to this but some of the disappointment at this choice was honestly shocking to see. We picked up the best pure inside mid in the draft, something we desperately need, and people are tilted because he isn't 4cm taller.

He's 18-years-old. It'll likely be 3-5 years before he's (hopefully) developing into a consistent, star midfielder. By then Shiel and Stringer will be in their 30s and Merrett and Parish in their late 20s. Who knows what type of players we'll have picked up between now and then. Our midfield may look completely different to how it is now. Hobbs may not be exactly what we need at the moment body/height wise, but we don't really need him to be. He's a player for the future, not the present.
You want a ready made guy like him to be fairly well involved in his 2nd year though and its hard to see how that works (Although i think Langford and Stringer forward)
 
Played senior footy at 15. Bottom ager.

Wimmera boys are tough. He'll be fierce.

Great hands and vision. Can clearly find the footy. Good tackler too.

To quote the late Bert Newton "I like the boy"
 
Join the Big footy Essendon sponsorship group I wanna add this kid to Walla and Perks whom we already sponsor in 2022
I think we were short a few hundred dollars for a third player last year and it's gone up again this year. Get less and less for our money :( Beerfish would know
 

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I think we were short a few hundred dollars for a third player last year and it's gone up again this year. Get less and less for our money :( Beerfish would know
Testify.

This ******* club. Etc.
 
So "a club official" at the London Tavern last night has been identified with Covid. No announcement on who it was, but there was Hobbsy and the players who met with him there. Hopefully no exposure. What a way to start.
Apparently the person was only there briefly and had minimal contact with anyone else. 🤞
 
So "a club official" at the London Tavern last night has been identified with Covid. No announcement on who it was, but there was Hobbsy and the players who met with him there. Hopefully no exposure. What a way to start.
Apparently the person was only there briefly and had minimal contact with anyone else. 🤞

They were also out in the beer garden, which helps mitigate the chance of infection.
 
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