Drop Stephen Hill

[GordonGecko]

Im sorry, I cannot excuse Stephen Hill any longer.

He should have been dropped after his round one non effort which resulted in a Banfield goal.

He has continually taken the soft road in a number of games.

Back then I championed the idea that it would set an example of what is acceptable and what is not.

Clearly, Hill still believes one handed efforts at the ball when traffic is coming is acceptable. It isnt, it's soft and sets the tone for our attack at the contest.

Again on the weekend when Hill had the option of going in low and hard to meet Mckenzie for a contested ball he blinked and attempted to paddle the ball into space with one hand.

He lost the contest, outright, Mckenzie gain possession and Melbourne goaled from Hill's non effort.

Couldnt care less how good he looks getting a handball receive and dashing into space, we all know he can do that.

What remains to be seen is whether he has the belly to cop a hit and halve a contest.

On the evidence thus far, it would appear not.

A lesson needs to be taught.

 

[Clay Davis]

Something certainly has to be done, although I'm hesitant to suggest dropping is the only answer.

He can coast around expecting a best 22 position for the rest of his career and comfortably sit in the B grade category, and have a long career achieving nothing.

Or he can start doing some of the physical things that AFL quality players are expected to do, and reach an A grade level in the competition and achieve something quite substantial.

The former will probably result in sporadic finals appearances for Freo, achieving nothing for a decade, while the latter could help us become premiers.

He's the cornerstone of our rebuild and doing little to help us this season. He needs to lift his game, and the coaches need to force him to do so.

I expect the usual accusations of trolling and excuses made because of his limited preseason (which, by the way, doesn't seem to have hurt Tom Scully making an impact).

 

[GordonGecko]

No doubt his limited pre-season would be hurting his impact toward the tail end of matches, and he is still suffering from the effects of shin splints, but that doesnt excuse ducking contests.

He needs to commit his body, the top half more often and begin halving contests.

It is efforts like Hill that generate confidence in the opposition side.

For those who have played the game it's an intagible feeling, you almost know that you will win any contest against him, you draw confidence from that and take it into every contest following.

It cannot be tolerated anymore.

 

[Clay Davis]

No doubt his limited pre-season would be hurting his impact toward the tail end of matches, and he is still suffering from the effects of shin splints, but that doesnt excuse ducking contests.

Oh, I agree.

He also did some Brett Peake style circle work whenever he was in space but had a Melbourne player in front of him. Take the game on, move the ball forward, and don't be afraid to take contact in a tackle. Don't shuffle around trying to avoid any physicality at all costs.

He can either play like Brett Peake or Dale Thomas. There's too much of the former at this stage.

 

[GordonGecko]

On the flip side of the opposition gaining confidence from his efforts, or non efforts, it can only be disheartening to his fellow teammates.

Stephen Hill, whether he likes it or not, is amongst the new leaders of the club, when he doesnt demonstrate leadership and hardness it could be taken as a green light for others to pick and choose which contests they commit to.

His actions breed a poor onfield culture.

Their is no louder signal than having a week for the Falcons.

 

[electricfeel]

I don't think this would be a bad thing to do. However, we have no one else to come in for him and to be honest I'd rather drop Crichton and Van Berlo first before we drop Hill.

 

[GordonGecko]

I don't think this would be a bad thing to do. However, we have no one else to come in for him and to be honest I'd rather drop Crichton and Van Berlo first before we drop Hill.

That would achieve nothing.

We all know Van Berlo and Crichton are fringe dwellers, Stephen Hill is one we can build a club around, but he needs some strong signals that his meek efforts will not be tolerated.

It's a hard decison, but the right one.

 

[electricfeel]

Yeah but Crichton and JVB contributed to many, many errors on the weekend resulting in Melbourne goals. They can't keep playing on next week and the week after that.

 

[cornbread]

Hill definitely had his squib-like moments on the weekend. I do wonder whether it's worthwhile singling one person out, though. When a team is down and there's no pressure, it gets harder for anyone to stick a tackle. The opposition player has a mile of space to dodge around in and the result is plenty of insipid, one-armed tackles.

 

[GordonGecko]

Yeah but Crichton and JVB contributed to many, many errors on the weekend resulting in Melbourne goals. They can't keep playing on next week and the week after that.

I agree, which is why I called for those two to be dropped as well in the changes thread.

You cant carry players who are soft at the contest, and those with poor skills.

I couldnt fault JVB's attack on the footy nor Crichton, their skills are poor.

Hill's skills are exquisite, his attack on the ball poor.

 

[Lach72]

Anyone got any vision of the McKenzie contest?

 

[GordonGecko]

Hill definitely had his squib-like moments on the weekend. I do wonder whether it's worthwhile singling one person out, though. When a team is down and there's no pressure, it gets harder for anyone to stick a tackle. The opposition player has a mile of space to dodge around in and the result is plenty of insipid, one-armed tackles.

Thanks for that, but the issue with Hill is not based on one week.

It's been a consistent trend this year.

Surprising because he never demonstrated a soft edge at under age level nor senior footy for the Falcons.

 

[muckypup]

Hill definitely had his squib-like moments on the weekend. I do wonder whether it's worthwhile singling one person out, though. When a team is down and there's no pressure, it gets harder for anyone to stick a tackle. The opposition player has a mile of space to dodge around in and the result is plenty of insipid, one-armed tackles.

When Freo are off they look like a bunch of headless chooks flapping their wings as opposition players go crashing through packs.

I am a bit off Pav at the moment. He looks to soft and plays for free kicks. Hill is still a skinny guy. I think he still needs work to get some weight into him.

 

[Clay Davis]

Yeah but Crichton and JVB contributed to many, many errors on the weekend resulting in Melbourne goals. They can't keep playing on next week and the week after that.

They certainly should be out of the team, but let's say Hill gets a few more hard ball gets in the first half. What does the game look like then? What does the team begin to resemble if he starts playing to his true potential?

Barlow threw himself at every contest he was near. In fact, Hill and a few other players could do worse than heed the words of the great man:

"That injury that I went through, it's something that I'll never see again, hopefully. If you go out with the mindset that it's going to happen, or worrying where your leg's going to land ... you're really behind the the eight-ball from the start and you're not going to give yourself the best chance."

Time to harden up, Hill.

 

[GordonGecko]

Anyone got any vision of the McKenzie contest?

Either in the second or the last.

I threw my phone at my assistant. Called Russell for some advice, appearing on Letterman tomorrow.

 

[Nickos66]

Nah you guys are ****ing idiots ey.

- This just in: I agree with the OP.

Something needs to be done a rocket & dropping, maybe put him in the ring to have a few sparring sessions with someone like Matty deBoer or even Ballas.

 

[prattsta]

Ultimately it's up to Hill to commit 100% to contests. However, with young guys I think leadership plays its part as well.

Coming from a basketball background, when young guys and/or new players at the club don't give it their all and live up to what is the expected standard, I always think of guys like Tim Duncan at San Antonio, Michael Jordan at Chicago and so-on and so-on. Think of any of the successful alpha-dog superstars from the NBA and that's who I am talking about. Basically, they just don't stand for any less effort, than that which they put in themselves.

Basketball is very different to Australian Rules, but the principle is the same. If you rocked up at the Chicago Bulls in 1997 and half arsed something - even at training - you would quickly find out that MJ didn't stand for that shit. The guy kept Rodman in line FFS. Great leaders set the standard, great teams live up to that standard.

 

[freocynic]

I couldn't agree more. His season has been very disappointing. I thought he would get better this season and really take games on but he is just a down hill skier (no pun intended) at the moment in the Des Headland mould.

A spa session with Matty de Boer sounds good too!

 

[Lach72]

Ultimately it's up to Hill to commit 100% to contests. However, with young guys I think leadership plays its part as well.

Coming from a basketball background, when young guys and/or new players at the club don't give it their all and live up to what is the expected standard, I always think of guys like Tim Duncan at San Antonio, Michael Jordan at Chicago and so-on and so-on. Think of any of the successful alpha-dog superstars from the NBA and that's who I am talking about. Basically, they just don't stand for any less effort, than that which they put in themselves.

Basketball is very different to Australian Rules, but the principle is the same. If you rocked up at the Chicago Bulls in 1997 and half arsed something - even at training - you would quickly find out that MJ didn't stand for that shit. The guy kept Rodman in line FFS. Great leaders set the standard, great teams live up to that standard.

Luc Longley copped a bit of that I recall

 

[Silent Alarm]

Worth a dropping. Even with this depleted side, we should take him out. He's been unbelievably quiet in the past few rounds. When there's no key ball winner, no strong blokes handing out handballs, Hill does nothing.

Give him an absolute rocket. He can become a wonderful footballer, he just needs to add that dimension.

 

[prattsta]

Luc Longley copped a bit of that I recall

LOL they all did, Pippen included. They copped a lot of awards along the way as well though.

 

[duncs]

A spa session with Matty de Boer sounds good too!

A spar I may be able to understand but not sure what this would do for him

 

[Nickos66]

Heck, the sparring sessions idea seems to have worked for Jack Watts. Bloody well do it! Someone tell the club. Maybe we can get Brad Hardie to suggest it to Harves.

 

[Higs]

Worth a dropping. Even with this depleted side, we should take him out. He's been unbelievably quiet in the past few rounds. When there's no key ball winner, no strong blokes handing out handballs, Hill does nothing.

Give him an absolute rocket. He can become a wonderful footballer, he just needs to add that dimension.

He can, but he's showing signs that without the right development could see him turn into a Wells type: Flashy, but inherently soft and lazy.

How much of it is a confidence thing though? His form with ball in hand has been down a bit as well, he hasn't backed himself in as often as he used to, it's more like take a bounce in space; hesitate; turn around and give it off/dispose under pressure.

 

[Forey Johnson]

5 weeks ago i would have called you crazy

Now i think you're spot on

steve needs to learn that his spot in the team isn't a given and that he needs to work hard to retain it

He needs to be dropped to send a message to him and the rest of the team.

He is a great talent and could be one of the best players in the league, but his work ethic has question marks over it