Player Watch #22 Jacob Hopper

[tora tora tora]

Graham and Prestia are much more balanced mids than JH, JH is the main culprit in making us slow and bad on transition, but he also has been terrible on the inside over the last two years so we're getting beaten at all phases in the midfield thanks to him.

Realistically Ross, TT and Prestia are all better clearance players than JH on current form. So if you try to fix the balance by taking them away from the centre, we're going to become uncompetitive there again. Prestia going into the midfield was one major reason we came back against the Hawks.

Honestly if he wasn't 2 years into a 7 year deal would he even be playing next week? With MRJ and Baker to come in? McAuliffe is one good pre-season from probably overtaking JH, and we're going to have a half-dozen top picks in a draft stacked full of midfielders. We don't need complements to JH, we need a much better replacement.

Prestia, Bolton, Hopper was the first 2 CBAs
3rd CB Taranto IN for Prestia, Bolton mistimes the Nank palm down. Hawks win the CC

Jesus !! Balta completely mistiming kick from Hugo. Then 50m penalty.
All the hard work by the mids. Concede soft goals & hopeless without Lynch.
Blight good mark, crap kick

CBounce 4: Ross, Taranto, Hopper: CC to HFC

Blight yuck ~
Prestia rubbish kick turnover.

Jason Dunstall lead out chest mark kick another goal.

Kosi back up ruck, Ross, Hopper, Taranto we win although Hopper turns over a kick. Hawks goal crap play from Vlas.



FMD the midfield works hard. Clearances have improved with TT & JH but the mix ain't quite right. 18th in fact means, hopefully, no senior player is guaranteed selection

 

[tora tora tora]

Hopper & Prestia 22% & 40% kicking efficiency for that game. I think I'd let Prestia retire. No way Hopper is tradeable. Just get a KMac2 in, & draft Langford.
Sack Meehan and get Lynch/Gibcus on the park more than 4 games be a huge plus.

 

[Danog]

Hopper & Prestia 22% & 40% kicking efficiency for that game. I think I'd let Prestia retire. No way Hopper is tradeable. Just get a KMac2 in, & draft Langford.
Sack Meehan and get Lynch/Gibcus on the park more than 4 games be a huge plus.

Need for 1 more year IMO

 

[Wooden Robot]

Need for 1 more year IMO

While he is sometimes good and even very good, Prestia has declined and is a liability injury-wise as he seems to miss more than he plays, but I'd love to see him hang it up while he's still competitive.
I hate another Edwards or Grime who went on two years too long and how they were at the end sticks in the memory.
Always much respect for Astbury for knowing exactly when was the right time.

 

[Coach_Required]

While he is sometimes good and even very good, Prestia has declined and is a liability injury-wise as he seems to miss more than he plays, but I'd love to see him hang it up while he's still competitive.
I hate another Edwards or Grime who went on two years too long and how they were at the end sticks in the memory.
Always much respect for Astbury for knowing exactly when was the right time.

If we are losing Bolton, Rioli, Baker and possibly Graham, plus with Martin & Grimes retirements.

I'm happy to give Prestia another year even if injury comes.

 

[TheOptimum18]

I wonder if he could drop some weight and become a shut down/lock down player. Would only work on players without a lot of speed.

This would be the starting point for me with Hopper next season. I don't expect him to tag the likes of Naicos or Sheezel (too dynamic for Hopper even if he does slim down, I would look to a Campbell for those players), but looking at pure midfielders like Cripps, Libba, Oliver (at his best), Steele who do their best work in terms of clearance and contest.

Give Hopper the role to go head to head with these kind of midfielders, and if he can't win the first possession, make sure his opposition doesn't get the ball to the outside cleanly.

 

[TheOptimum18]

Graham and Prestia are much more balanced mids than JH, JH is the main culprit in making us slow and bad on transition, but he also has been terrible on the inside over the last two years so we're getting beaten at all phases in the midfield thanks to him.

Realistically Ross, TT and Prestia are all better clearance players than JH on current form. So if you try to fix the balance by taking them away from the centre, we're going to become uncompetitive there again. Prestia going into the midfield was one major reason we came back against the Hawks.

It's the chicken and the egg here. Are we bad at clearances because the midfielders we have traded in can't do it, or are those supposed gun midfielders we have not getting clearances because the system and the personnel restrict their ability to do so?

Let's not forget that Hopper was as vital as anyone in breaking-even in terms of the midfield battle vs Melbourne this season (up until he got injured again) when we went up against Oliver - Petracca - Viney with Hopper - Dow - Graham as our only recognised midfielders (Baker, Bolton, Dusty, Pickett all rotating through).

I agree that Ross, TT, and Prestia all are in better form than JH, but I don't think either TT or Prestia ever reached the pure numbers that JH did a couple seasons ago in an uninterrupted season. Prestia only looks good the past month or so of games (in my opinion) is because he looks like he's playing as injury-free as he has been able to in recent history. I'm willing to give JH the chance to show us what he looks like when he is playing with full confidence that his body won't break down, but the prerogative will be on himself to get his body there in the first place.

If JH can show the commitment and desire to getting his body to 110% for next season, then I'm willing to stick by him and see how he plays in his best role injury-free.

 

[Tackle Bag]

Solid preseason and a decent run with injury and we will see some very good footy from him. He has shown glimpses of what he can bring.

 

[tiger_tough]

24 disposals, (16 contested) and 13 clearances today. 5 more clearances than the next best on ground.

The guy can play.

 

[db26]

How often he does that ? Or his kicking efficency.

 

[sante]

I’m willing to give him the start of next year assuming he’s injury free. But he’s walking a fine line

 

[TheOptimum18]

How often he does that ? Or his kicking efficency.

How often is he our most used midfielder at centre bounces? I think you'll find it rare to find too many games where he is our most used midfielder at centre bounces.

Considering he was the main clearance and contest player on the field today, I don't think his KE really matters.

 

[tiger_tough]

That side step and baulk showed what he is capable of. Just haven't seen it this year for whatever reason. Big pre season coming up.

 

[The_Kraken]

24 disposals, (16 contested) and 13 clearances today. 5 more clearances than the next best on ground.

The guy can play.

How many of his possies were turnovers or wasted? The stats hide how truly awful he was today.

 

[db26]

To many excuses for him and Taranto simple as that at times they can't even do the basics. Where not talking kids here.

 

[Wooden Robot]

24 disposals, (16 contested) and 13 clearances today. 5 more clearances than the next best on ground.

The guy can play.

Yeah, every seven weeks.

 

[Drunken Wookie]

How many of his possies were turnovers or wasted? The stats hide how truly awful he was today.

Reckon if we can get some classy mids in the draft with elite outside game we'll see players like Hopper and Tim reach their full potential. They don't have breakaway speed to move to the outside and they have no one to distribute the ball to atm.

 

[Mr Unbelievable]

Reckon if we can get some classy mids in the draft with elite outside game we'll see players like Hopper and Tim reach their full potential. They don't have breakaway speed to move to the outside and they have no one to distribute the ball to atm.

I agree, they are both contested bulls, but we need outside acceleration and speed. We don't have that now, we should after the draft!!

 

[tiger_tough]

How many of his possies were turnovers or wasted? The stats hide how truly awful he was today.

3 turnovers.

 

[The_Kraken]

Reckon if we can get some classy mids in the draft with elite outside game we'll see players like Hopper and Tim reach their full potential. They don't have breakaway speed to move to the outside and they have no one to distribute the ball to atm.

Outside speed and class would help. Let’s see what happens.

 

[The_Kraken]

3 turnovers.

He was hot garbage today.

 

["The Roar Is Back"]

I agree, they are both contested bulls, but we need outside acceleration and speed. We don't have that now, we should after the draft!!

Outside speed will assist offensively won’t assist their lack of speed or willingness defensively.
They are 25 + years after their time .

 

[tiger_tough]

Outside speed will assist offensively won’t assist their lack of speed or willingness defensively.
They are 25 + years after their time .

Tenacious Tiger leading the way as League's best two-way midfielder

Tim Taranto has made his mark since arriving at Richmond

www.google.com

Some people will only see what they want to

 

[GhostofJimJess]

He was hot garbage today.

Give it a rest mate.

 

[TigerImposter]

Five more years.