Brad Hodge

[Tyberious Funk]

*shrug*

I may live in Victoria, but I'm certainly not a Victorian. And I think Hodge was hard done by. Partly he was unlucky. And partly, I think there must be something going on behind the scenes. Put aside his Test/FC career for moment. His one-day form in the past few years has been sensational. He has almost certainly been one the best one day batsman in Australia for a number of years now, and yet somehow missed out on the World Cup.

Somewhere, sometime, Hodge must have taken a big crap in someone's cornflakes.

 

[2222 Richie B]

This thread is going to continue for years until Victoria produce a top class batsman that is playing test match cricket

 

[Heisenberg_]

Not sure whether Kram/Smokey are trolling or not. In the unlikely situation where they are stating their earnest opinions; you're both dim-witted.

Just take a look at Brad Hodge's international record before making such preposterous comments.

They just don't know anything about cricket. Unbeaten double century in one of his handful of Test matches. What a failure
The best thing about this thread is it let's you know posters to just scroll over and not read anything they post

 

[Kram]

Not sure whether Kram/Smokey are trolling or not. In the unlikely situation where they are stating their earnest opinions; you're both dim-witted.

Just take a look at Brad Hodge's international record before making such preposterous comments.

Did you actually see him playing for Australia? He was rubbish.

Sure a bit unlucky with not getting as many chances as others but it's a massive myth that he was some 'superstar' playing for the country. Very funny stuff.

 

[courtjester]

Did you actually see him playing for Australia? He was rubbish.

Sure a bit unlucky with not getting as many chances as others but it's a massive myth that he was some 'superstar' playing for the country. Very funny stuff.

Why do you say he was "rubbish"? The guy averaged 55 in test cricket, made a double century, yet only got 6 tests. Admittedly he was in his prime in Australia's era of dominance, which explains why he didn't get many tests, but to say he was "rubbish" is clearly ridiculous.

Had he been given more ODIs, he would have shown his skill there too. One of the cleanest strikers of the ball going around. That he only played 25 ODIs is probably the biggest shame. Gun fielder too.

I have no problem with him having a bit of a crack at the selectors. He was shafted a lot. In any other country, he would have played 100+ tests.

You can be unlucky with the era you play in. We'd have killed for Brad Hodge in the mid 1980s.

 

[ManWithNoName]

Hodge looked like a poor mans Damien Martyn.

 

[2222 Richie B]

Do you reckon this thread can beat the Bad Hands thread?

 

[King Elvis]

Hayden doesn't know what he is talking about. It is "common knowledge" (tm) that Hodge is a plonker.

Shaun Tait reckons Hodgey is a great bloke, and generally well liked.

It was pretty simple why Hodge wasn't in the team during our peak - we had an incredible batting lineup, and, like Lehman, as good as he was, the guys in the side were incredible.

It's when they started to decline that he has a genuine right to be filthy - Marcus North over Hodge?

 

[Kram]

Had he been given more ODIs, he would have shown his skill there too. One of the cleanest strikers of the ball going around. That he only played 25 ODIs is probably the biggest shame. Gun fielder too.

The evil selectors gave him an entire one day series in India, 7 games straight. You know what happened?

 

[King Elvis]

Pretty sure if there was an issue with Hodge he would have been flushed from the state system as well. Blokes that are no good generally move around a fair bit. Hodge has been a one club, one state man and has been shafted for being Brad Hodge, a quality cricketer that backs himself.

Chris Rogers.

 

[Carbine Chaos]

Shaun Tait reckons Hodgey is a great bloke, and generally well liked.

It was pretty simple why Hodge wasn't in the team during our peak - we had an incredible batting lineup, and, like Lehman, as good as he was, the guys in the side were incredible.

It's when they started to decline that he has a genuine right to be filthy - Marcus North over Hodge?

I'm not sure a reference from Shaun "I'm too mentally fragile to play cricket...unless there is money in it for me" Tait is a accurate assessment of one's character. Jks

Raise a fair point, it was almost impossible to break into that middle order for most of Hodge's career. As for North's selection, he was picked on the basis that he was adept at making runs on seaming/green pitches; and promptly did a good job in South Africa and in England. It's a shame that he couldn't cash in when he played in easier conditions!

 

[mediumsizered]

You look at the selection of Forrest in the latest ODI squad & then you know the Australian selectors love to take the piss.

Poor Hodgey. He definitely must have shit in someone's cornflakes.

 

[Bomber Bears]

Well done to Hodgey for retiring with his side in contention for the final of the one day comp. Those extra 2-3 matches that could've helped his side to a title just too much effort obviously

 

[Ill Chicken]

Chris Rogers.

That's a tough one, is that the same with Simon Katich? I've got a mate who is close friends with Rogers and played with him South Perth and can't say a bad word about him. Also played some cricket with a couple of guys from the Vic squad and they've said the same thing. I'd personally say Rogers decision to move was based on believing there was more opportunity for him Victoria to progress to the national side.

 

[dan warna]

Rogers is another outstanding individual and player.

I thought he moved to vic because he was cut from the WA 50/50 side?

At Vic he was certainly an outstanding performer in 50/50 and the long form.

The sadness in victoria is that we continually raid interstate rather than developing our own. There is something tragically wrong with cricket victoria in the way we use our bowlers and treat our batsmen.

There are some young kids coming through who are getting thoroughly disillusioned with cricket.

And I would suggest are coaching as gone awry since hookes untimely departure, and the the subsequent regimes have added nothing except shuffling the deckchairs.

I would also suggest that some of our players (Finch, hanscomb, keith, yes even cameron white) could do with some coaching away from the current admin.

They assemble the team, and drag them backwards.

Lets face it, there is not one performing batsman under 28 in the side (rogers, Quiney, mcdonald, hussey atm).

Wade is performing with the bat, but could do with some darren berry time keeping.

That said, I have a friend who knows hodge and has played with and against him, and tells me on good authority he murders kittens in the night.

 

[Wicked Lester]

It was pretty simple why Hodge wasn't in the team during our peak - we had an incredible batting lineup, and, like Lehman, as good as he was, the guys in the side were incredible.

It's when they started to decline that he has a genuine right to be filthy - Marcus North over Hodge?

I agree with your first paragraph. I don't believe the North over Hodge selection is as clear cut.

IMO, Hodge's biggest problem has always been that he's part of the same age cohort as Ponting, Hussey and Katich.

North made his debut in 2009, age 29. Hodge by this stage was 34 and remember, in the history of test cricket, generally only the very best, have continued into their late 30's.

North was an attempt at injecting a seasoned first class cricketer into the batting line up who had the potential to play at the top level for another 5 years (another Michael Hussey if you like). He wasn't exactly a left field selection, though clearly it didn't work.

If anyone believes that a selection panel doesn't (and shouldn't) keep at least one eye on the age spread of the test team, they are IMO deluded. Selection is a balancing act where you need to put the best side possible on the ground, while at the same time building for the future. In that respect it is no different to football.

You can argue at length as to whether the selection panel at the time got the mix right and whether the right players were selected, but it is useful to note that at the time Hodge debuted (age 30 in 2005) and in the following few years one of the middle order batsmen he was competing with for a spot was Michael Clarke who was then 23/4 and debuted in 2004.

There is little doubt Hodge has been unlucky. But, as I pointed out in a previous post, every generation has some unlucky players, and IMHO if you want to look for someone more unlucky than Hodge, look no further than David Hussey.

Hodge, and D Hussey for that matter, have made some seriously big money out of cricket and good luck to them. 'Unlucky' players from earlier eras such as Jamie Siddons weren't so fortunate.

 

[King Elvis]

^ Solid post mate.

That's a tough one, is that the same with Simon Katich? I've got a mate who is close friends with Rogers and played with him South Perth and can't say a bad word about him. Also played some cricket with a couple of guys from the Vic squad and they've said the same thing. I'd personally say Rogers decision to move was based on believing there was more opportunity for him Victoria to progress to the national side.

I know a couple of people in WA and they told me the opposite.

Not sure whether he was a bad bloke though, or just quite self-centered and introverted - meaning he didn't really fit in?

 

[Tulip]

Well done to Hodgey for retiring with his side in contention for the final of the one day comp. Those extra 2-3 matches that could've helped his side to a title just too much effort obviously

He's played for that side for 19 years, you think he didn't have his reasons?

 

[FRUMPY]

He's played for that side for 19 years, you think he didn't have his reasons?

Pretty sure he said he comitted to the Bangladesh T20 tournament and therefor wasnt available to play for Victoria. Ive got no problem with that. He has given great service to the Vics and now opens a space for a youngster to make his mark.

Amazing the money they make these days playing T20 in Aust/India/South Africa/Zimbabwe/Bangladesh/England and so forth. Can play all year round a make a Million+ if good enough.