Toast Stephen Hill

[Mockcockpit]

I think you're a few years late with this observation. His contested ball has become a real strength over the last few years. This year however, his clearances and contested ball stats are lower than they have been in 3 years. The real difference is that he's finding more space.

Probably right, wouldn't be the first time I've been a day late and a buck short! Maybe this year he's gone from not getting knocked off the ball/his run himself to knocking other blokes off the ball/their run and this is helping him to get more space. Love to know his weight from when he was drafted to now, 82kgs, I seem to remember a figure of 69kgs from 2008. Sound right?

 

[pavsbootlace]

Probably right, wouldn't be the first time I've been a day late and a buck short! Maybe this year he's gone from not getting knocked off the ball/his run himself to knocking other blokes off the ball/their run and this is helping him to get more space. Love to know his weight from when he was drafted to now, 82kgs, I seem to remember a figure of 69kgs from 2008. Sound right?

I reckon you're spot on. 69kgs sounds very familiar. The kid was a rake!

 

[Sully90]

I like to think that the opposition are trying their hardest to tag him each week, he's just that good.

 

[Banker]

I like to think that the opposition are trying their hardest to tag him each week, he's just that good.

Unfortunately thats not the only reason, rather he is a player that can be tagged to reduce his influence significantly. Fyfe should be tagged but the problem is that he can break it, so makes no sense to tag him.

 

[Sully90]

Unfortunately thats not the only reason, rather he is a player that can be tagged to reduce his influence significantly. Fyfe should be tagged but the problem is that he can break it, so makes no sense to tag him.

My post was more tongue-in-cheek than anything else.

 

[democritus]

With the whole tag thing, I do agree that he's easier to restrict the influence of than Fyfe. I've always felt like Hilly is a real confidence player. The gap between those confident games and quieter games is closing though.

Does any else feel that the team has been trying to get Hill involved early in the match? A couple of blistering runs and brutally accurate passes in the opening term and he generally goes on to play a pretty excellent match. I don't know if it's a by-product of our midfield dominance or a coaching instruction; Hill's game has gone to another level as a result.

 

[Sultan]

Does any else feel that the team has been trying to get Hill involved early in the match? A couple of blistering runs and brutally accurate passes in the opening term and he generally goes on to play a pretty excellent match. I don't know if it's a by-product of our midfield dominance or a coaching instruction; Hill's game has gone to another level as a result.

Quote from Barlow yesterday:

"It's basically a team rule that if you've got the ball and Hill's close by, you like to give him the ball," Barlow said.

 

[freoextra]

Quote from Barlow yesterday:

"It's basically a team rule that if you've got the ball and Hill's close by, you like to give him the ball," Barlow said.

I reckon Hill and Lyon gave Barlow a slap after that comment!!! Even if it is obvious.

 

[yoong]

I reckon Hill and Lyon gave Barlow a slap after that comment!!! Even if it is obvious.

It's ok, he haven't given away the most important one.

The "kick it to Pav if he is alone in the forward 50" rule.

 

[Steinfreo]

I wonder if teams may start trying a bernie vince style tag on Hill and maybe Neale. Try and rattle them. See thats why its good to have a slightly psychopathic person in the middle like suban. He can go have jumper punch battles with the taggers and leave hill and co win the contest. Clanger also gets into those sorts of things.

If i was a coach of a mid table club and i knew it was basically a lost cause in the center i think id try it. Made Dangerfield have a sad

 

[mike91]

He's kicked three goals in each of the last two games.

I think they were both in the first half too, very impressive.

 

[Taylor]

With the whole tag thing, I do agree that he's easier to restrict the influence of than Fyfe. I've always felt like Hilly is a real confidence player. The gap between those confident games and quieter games is closing though.

Does any else feel that the team has been trying to get Hill involved early in the match? A couple of blistering runs and brutally accurate passes in the opening term and he generally goes on to play a pretty excellent match. I don't know if it's a by-product of our midfield dominance or a coaching instruction; Hill's game has gone to another level as a result.

Ross went off his whistle in the preseason when Hill was open and not used.
It makes sense, he is our most damaging player. Fyfe can win it, gives to Hill, Freo win. That's the whole game plan right there.

 

[pavsbootlace]

I wonder if teams may start trying a bernie vince style tag on Hill and maybe Neale. Try and rattle them. See thats why its good to have a slightly psychopathic person in the middle like suban. He can go have jumper punch battles with the taggers and leave hill and co win the contest. Clanger also gets into those sorts of things.

If i was a coach of a mid table club and i knew it was basically a lost cause in the center i think id try it. Made Dangerfield have a sad

Hilly has been receiving that kind of treatment since 2009.

 

[george2]

This weeks game against Sydney is a big test for Hill. If he can put in a great performance against arguably the best team in the AFL then we know that he has really turned the corner in his development. Sydney are a hard hitting stoppage kind of team, and he usually struggles against them. Its all well and good to dominate against bottom teams but these are the sort of games that he really needs to take by the scruff of the neck.

 

[pavsbootlace]

This weeks game against Sydney is a big test for Hill. If he can put in a great performance against arguably the best team in the AFL then we know that he has really turned the corner in his development. Sydney are a hard hitting stoppage kind of team, and he usually struggles against them. Its all well and good to dominate against bottom teams but these are the sort of games that he really needs to take by the scruff of the neck.

I see your point. But, no footballer will be in the best every week. And that's the beauty of our restructured midfield. If Sydney tag Hill and put plenty of work into stopping Fyfe, then there's every chance Barlow, Mundy Fyfe and Neale will step up and dominate. If Hill wasn't in the team, that tagger goes straight to another player.

 

[Mr Peabody]

This weeks game against Sydney is a big test for Hill. If he can put in a great performance against arguably the best team in the AFL then we know that he has really turned the corner in his development. Sydney are a hard hitting stoppage kind of team, and he usually struggles against them. Its all well and good to dominate against bottom teams but these are the sort of games that he really needs to take by the scruff of the neck.

He's already won me over. I have every confidence that he has motored past that corner some time ago. Strong games against Geelong & West Coast, more than serviceable for the Port game too. Guys like Suban & Walters are due for a lift I believe.

 

[Mighty Guybrush]

Not sure if anyone has gone into this in discussion, but does Hill get fair treatment from his taggers and umpires? What I mean by this, and I dont know because its hard to see it all on the TV, but is he getting illegally held a lot, blocked etc. at stoppages? Does he get the same kind of attention from umpires that the Gablet's and Judd's etc. get in terms of ensuring that the best players are not getting unfairly treated?

Hope this makes sense, would just be genuinely interested to hear thought on this?

 

[pavsbootlace]

Not sure if anyone has gone into this in discussion, but does Hill get fair treatment from his taggers and umpires? What I mean by this, and I dont know because its hard to see it all on the TV, but is he getting illegally held a lot, blocked etc. at stoppages? Does he get the same kind of attention from umpires that the Gablet's and Judd's etc. get in terms of ensuring that the best players are not getting unfairly treated?

Hope this makes sense, would just be genuinely interested to hear thought on this?

Hill is very frequently held illegally around stoppages and very seldom awarded a free kick for it. But in the umpires defence there is a lot of illegal holding that goes on and it would be difficult to police.

 

[Mighty Guybrush]

Hill is very frequently held illegally around stoppages and very seldom awarded a free kick for it. But in the umpires defence there is a lot of illegal holding that goes on and it would be difficult to police.

Yeah that was my impression too - certainly notice it more when someone like Kane Cornes is playing on him.

 

[E Shed]

Hilly has been receiving that kind of treatment since 2009.

Indeed, was just going to say that myself. He's been getting hammered since about the 3rd game he played.

I see your point. But, no footballer will be in the best every week. And that's the beauty of our restructured midfield. If Sydney tag Hill and put plenty of work into stopping Fyfe, then there's every chance Barlow, Mundy Fyfe and Neale will step up and dominate. If Hill wasn't in the team, that tagger goes straight to another player.

And more good sense. Thing is we always expected Crowley to take his opponent out of the game and if the other team goes a hard tag with someone who's very good it its not reasonable to expect Hill to do what some of the best in the game can't against Crowley.

 

[ImperialPurple]

Not sure if anyone has gone into this in discussion, but does Hill get fair treatment from his taggers and umpires? What I mean by this, and I dont know because its hard to see it all on the TV, but is he getting illegally held a lot, blocked etc. at stoppages? Does he get the same kind of attention from umpires that the Gablet's and Judd's etc. get in terms of ensuring that the best players are not getting unfairly treated?

Hope this makes sense, would just be genuinely interested to hear thought on this?

Not Hill, but Fyfe. I noticed the other day, and in previous games, Fyfe is now given that extra half a second to dispose of the ball, like GAJ, Judd etc in their heyday (probably still GAJ actually) - the sort of thing that used to make me almost froth at the mouth with frustration - so it appears that in the umpire's eyes, he's now on that level, and so the rules are slightly different for him. Glad he's on our side.

 

[Kram]

Not Hill, but Fyfe. I noticed the other day, and in previous games, Fyfe is now given that extra half a second to dispose of the ball, like GAJ, Judd etc in their heyday (probably still GAJ actually) - the sort of thing that used to make me almost froth at the mouth with frustration - so it appears that in the umpire's eyes, he's now on that level, and so the rules are slightly different for him. Glad he's on our side.

Ha, I remember you had a sig that Hill and Suban were your love children or something after they were drafted, boy how time flies by..

 

[ImperialPurple]

Ha, I remember you had a sig that Hill and Suban were your love children or something after they were drafted, boy how time flies by..

I know scary isn't it? My youngest was 9 and cute back then, and at the Kids' Christmas party had a photo taken with Suban - I think I had it as my profile pic for a while. She's now almost 16, 5'8", gorgeous and gets way too much attention from boys for my liking.

I really should retire from this site.

 

[Purple Suit]

I wonder if teams may start trying a bernie vince style tag on Hill and maybe Neale. Try and rattle them. See thats why its good to have a slightly psychopathic person in the middle like suban. He can go have jumper punch battles with the taggers and leave hill and co win the contest. Clanger also gets into those sorts of things.

If i was a coach of a mid table club and i knew it was basically a lost cause in the center i think id try it. Made Dangerfield have a sad

Poor Crowley. He misses three games and already his own supporters are using other would be taggers names as descriptions. I hope no-one pinches anybody soon, he can at least hold onto that.

 

[Snuffaluphagus]

A toast to Hilly, forever a legend of the club

Favourite son hangs up the boots

Stephen Hill has called time on his 218-game career

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