Tim O'Brien

[caseman2]

Having been somewhat of a critic and skeptical of whether TOB had the ability to make it as an AFL footballer, I want to congratulate him on his performance against the Dees. Reading his stats doesn't tell the full story as his competitiveness and will to give a contest was exceptional especially so given the conditions and our dearth of key forward stocks.
This coming on the back of a dreadful first half against the Lions last week showed a lot of character.
This isnt to say he has "made' it, however, he has certainly shown he can compete at this level and for him to maintain his place in the side, he has to bring that level of effort week in and week out.
It was also wonderful to see him get reward for effort in kicking the sealer from a difficult angle, close to 50 with a wet ball.

He is certainly still going to have up and downs as a young player however, he certainly showed some signs.

Congrats TOB, keep up the effort!

 

[madhawksfan]

Good post. I had my doubts also but he is positive showing signs most weeks.

Key forward is still the toughest position on the ground and Timmy is continuing to improve. Has very clean hands at ground level and is usually a nice kick for goal.

Assuming he plays most games for the rest of the year he will be sitting around 20-25 games which gives him a good base to launch into next year.

 

[bris tarangau]

Watched TOB and Sicily closely at Gabba last week and they showed enough for me to say we keep playing them to grow that confidence. TOB did not get a touch in Q1 of that game but he was still hassling and playing a role. Spangher going down early and reshuffling structure did not help him.

 

[threesixpio]

Said it last week - the Brissy game was actually a good game for him. He turned it around after a terrible first half. Might also prove he is far better in the fwd line as well. He was in defence in the first half in Brissy.

I like TOB a lot. Wasn't sure he could deal with pace and pressure well but have seen enough of him desperately trying to keep the ball in on the boundary line and disposing of it to a team mate (for example) to think he's fine with this.

With no Hale and Roughy we need a guy who can clunk a view. He and Sicily have done the job on more one occasion and I DO NOT understand the overly critical postings on both of them. This is their first proper AFL year (yes they've played one or two games before). Give them a go or at least a tentative thumb up for developing as players this year

 

[Threadkilla]

Watched TOB and Sicily closely at Gabba last week and they showed enough for me to say we keep playing them to grow that confidence. TOB did not get a touch in Q1 of that game but he was still hassling and playing a role. Spangher going down early and reshuffling structure did not help him.

Agree with this. It is really starting to annoy me how everyone is regurgitating the not so special comments of big nose Basil Zempilas. Yes he didn't trouble the statistician possession wise, but he was very good defensively when moved down back at about the 4 min mark. He is coming along nicely.

 

[Bedi]

TOB and Siciliy starting their careers at the same time reminds me of a Franklin-Roughead, Mitchell-Hodge, Matthew-Knights pairing - so let's hope they reach those kinds of heights.

 

[H2F]

#bandwagoners

 

[HomerJayS]

TOB and Siciliy starting their careers at the same time reminds me of a Franklin-Roughead, Mitchell-Hodge, Matthew-Knights pairing - so let's hope they reach those kinds of heights.

By the time Leigh Matthews was as old as TOB today he had already kicked nearly 200 goals for us, won a B&F and played for Victoria. A bit different I reckon.
!

 

[MC_9]

By the time Leigh Matthews was as old as TOB today he had already kicked nearly 200 goals for us, won a B&F and played for Victoria. A bit different I reckon.
!

By the time Buddy Franklin was TOB age, he had just come off the back of a 100 goal season.

I'm glad people are seeing the positives in TOB, but he still has a very long way to go. He just needs to put on weight. He is the skinniest guy on the field, and gets bounced off in contests so easily.

I'm still yet to be convinced. We have had plenty of players show signs, and never make it.

 

[heh]

#bandwagoners

Young player ho!

Just how many of them have you claimed now??

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

[Davo23]

By the time Leigh Matthews was as old as TOB today he had already kicked nearly 200 goals for us, won a B&F and played for Victoria. A bit different I reckon.
!

Leigh Matthews had already been suspended twice by that time.

TOB has a long way to go!

 

[heh]

You can't compare them to players who were playing in main team for longer at the same age.
Bud and rough had to be fast tracked. Bud also a complete freak, so unfair.
Barney a completely different player in a completely different era/game.

Tob was also full twig when he first came to us. He has developed since and yes hopefully will develop more..

Whether tob will be a star is up in the air, but there is a lot to like about his development so far. He has come a long way, even from last year imo.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

[Gralin]

By the time Buddy Franklin was TOB age, he had just come off the back of a 100 goal season.

I'm glad people are seeing the positives in TOB, but he still has a very long way to go. He just needs to put on weight. He is the skinniest guy on the field, and gets bounced off in contests so easily.

I'm still yet to be convinced. We have had plenty of players show signs, and never make it.

Bulking up players is not how we do it anymore. We've mostly slimmed down our boys to increase endurance and agility.
Our boys our some of the best in the league when it hits the deck and have to be very fit for our game plan
Some players need a bit more weight than others but our players programs seem to be tailored to the role the club has them playing not what the media says they are playing.

The old positions and body types have very little to do with how the Hawks are playing these days.

TOB obviously has strength, you don't take overhead contested marks in the wet at full stretch without strength. He could maybe put on a couple more kilos without compromising what the club wants him to do but he's never going to be built like Hogan.

The problem at the moment is he is still learning his craft and coming up against defenders that are bigger than him and he needs to learn how to use his talents to his advantage to beat them with movement.

Helps when the mids deliver the ball to his advantage too.

 

[Bedi]

By the time Leigh Matthews was as old as TOB today he had already kicked nearly 200 goals for us, won a B&F and played for Victoria. A bit different I reckon.
!

yeah coz the whole point of my post was comparing him as a player to Leigh Matthews, wasn't it?

 

[Davo23]

yeah coz the whole point of my post was comparing him as a player to Leigh Matthews, wasn't it?

Yes, I think you've been taken out of context!

But, if you think about it, TOB has 8 B&F's to go.
When he gets his 9th, he'll be our greatest player ever.

 

[H2F]

Young player ho!

Just how many of them have you claimed now??

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Hartung
Howe
Toby
Sicily
Lovell
Stewart

That's about all of them I think ...

 

[Bardo State]

I'll admit he's definitely grown on me after I was very skeptical of his potential.

Something I didn't understand was that he seems to be a very intelligent player. More so than I gave him credit for.

 

[moginie]

Hartung
Howe
Toby
Sicily
Lovell
Stewart

That's about all of them I think ...

Ah, so you're leaving Brand for savagelunchbox are you? How generous!

 

[Bedi]

Yes, I think you've been taken out of context!

But, if you think about it, TOB has 8 B&F's to go.
When he gets his 9th, he'll be our greatest player ever.

ha ha. Poor bugger. First he had the pressure of living up to wearing #23 jumper, and now he's got to chase a mere 8 B&Fs.

 

[H2F]

Ah, so you're leaving Brand for savagelunchbox are you? How generous!

Hahahaha noooooooooooooooo!!!

He's mine too

 

[PhatHQ]

Bulking up players is not how we do it anymore. We've mostly slimmed down our boys to increase endurance and agility.
Our boys our some of the best in the league when it hits the deck and have to be very fit for our game plan
Some players need a bit more weight than others but our players programs seem to be tailored to the role the club has them playing not what the media says they are playing.

The old positions and body types have very little to do with how the Hawks are playing these days.

TOB obviously has strength, you don't take overhead contested marks in the wet at full stretch without strength. He could maybe put on a couple more kilos without compromising what the club wants him to do but he's never going to be built like Hogan.

The problem at the moment is he is still learning his craft and coming up against defenders that are bigger than him and he needs to learn how to use his talents to his advantage to beat them with movement.

Helps when the mids deliver the ball to his advantage too.

I think that if the focus has been on endurance that it would be hard to put weight on him anyway other that a couple of kg a year to not impede his running capacity.
Personally I would like to see another 5gk on him (somewhere close to 90kg) to really hold his own deep forward but it is realistically another couple of preseasons away if he is to play the same role next season.

 

[Brant]

TO'B appears to be getting up & around the ground a fair bit, as well as playing genuine minutes in defence (not just drifting down there).

For those who get to see BHH play regularly: Is this role harder to do at BHH than at AFL level? Not so much the switching between Forward/Defender bit, but the forward who floats/roams from FP to Wing?

With the skill level a little lower, support from team mates a little less & the kicking of team-mates perhaps a little less likely to be to advantage, is it actually harder for a TO'B type to learn the roaming role at BHH than it is at HFC, or are the negatives countered by playing against lesser opposition?

 

[savagelunchbox]

Hahahaha noooooooooooooooo!!!

He's mine too

Get ****ed, thief.

 

[PhatHQ]

TO'B appears to be getting up & around the ground a fair bit, as well as playing genuine minutes in defence (not just drifting down there).

For those who get to see BHH play regularly: Is this role harder to do at BHH than at AFL level? Not so much the switching between Forward/Defender bit, but the forward who floats/roams from FP to Wing?

With the skill level a little lower, support from team mates a little less & the kicking of team-mates perhaps a little less likely to be to advantage, is it actually harder for a TO'B type to learn the roaming role at BHH than it is at HFC, or are the negatives countered by playing against lesser opposition?

I would have thought that the requirements at BH would be quite a bit different as the structures aren't as flexible as the seniors.
Sure he has had chunks in defence & a roaming CHF but the actual learning curve that you get from first hand experience at AFL level can not be replicated at a lower level.
For all of the "kids", learning on the job is far more productive than BH because they are adapting to the actual requirements expected of them rather than a projected outcome from a lower level.

 

[Brant]

I would have thought that the requirements at BH would be quite a bit different as the structures aren't as flexible as the seniors.
Sure he has had chunks in defence & a roaming CHF but the actual learning curve that you get from first hand experience at AFL level can not be replicated at a lower level.
For all of the "kids", learning on the job is far more productive than BH because they are adapting to the actual requirements expected of them rather than a projected outcome from a lower level.

Yeah, that's what I meant. You're good at this!