AFL Player # 8: Ben "Goblin" Hobbs

[VelvetSledge]

Contract Status: Out of contract 2025
My Boy Draft 2024: Pick 12, Schnitzengruben

 

[faible]

Play this chicken nugget in the 1s for the rest of the year.

He had an interrupted pre-season, played one VFL game, rolled his ankle at training and missed the next VFL game...

 

[FlyingV]

He had an interrupted pre-season, played one VFL game, rolled his ankle at training and missed the next VFL game...

Don’t care. Play him.

 

[faible]

Don’t care. Play him.

I'd rather him get a couple of weeks on continuity then come in personally.

 

[eth-dog]

Don’t care. Play him.

Just curious, what role would you play him in?

 

[FlyingV]

Just curious, what role would you play him in?

Pressure half forward/forward pocket with stints on the inside. He can tackle and harass and can kick a goal. Good for his development.

Heppell comes out, Perkins & Langford spend more time up the ground on wing to cover/leverage their athleticism.

 

[Old Campaigner]

The Age is reporting other clubs are starting to come sniffing around since he's out of contract and hasn't been offered a new deal.

 

[TheGrizz]

The Age is reporting other clubs are starting to come sniffing around since he's out of contract and hasn't been offered a new deal.

That was reported on AFL.com about a fortnight ago?

 

[Shanghaistu]

Pretty excited that we’re still gifting games to Heppell while we let Oppo clubs circle a first round pick with future leadership potential….

 

[BomberManU]

I'd rather him get a couple of weeks on continuity then come in personally.

Then at least get a contract in front of him.

 

[faible]

Then at least get a contract in front of him.

Do we actually know there hasn't been a contract offered and that it's not Hobbs' side saying they want time to show form to push up his value?

 

[FlyingV]

Do we actually know there hasn't been a contract offered and that it's not Hobbs' side saying they want time to show form to push up his value?

It’s the blind leading the blind over here Owen.

 

[BomberManU]

Do we actually know there hasn't been a contract offered and that it's not Hobbs' side saying they want time to show form to push up his value?

That would be fine, but the wording I read, for what it's worth, was that one hadn't been offered. But yeah, who knows.

 

['51 Bewick]

It’s the blind leading the blind over here Owen.

That's very apt given the handful of posters on here who think they know everything.

 

[brain taylor]

Pretty excited that we’re still gifting games to Heppell while we let Oppo clubs circle a first round pick with future leadership potential….

hobbs has had an interrupted preseason and doesn't even play the same position. hepp is an issue but let's not pin everything on him.

 

[Schnitzengruben]

Hobbs' manager said on Twombstone's Gettable podcast that they're "talking" about a new deal. Both parties want to continue at Essendon. He's 100% keen to stay etc.

Cal: Has there been an offer for an extra couple of years?

Manager: We've had a discussion...

 

[Saintsone]

Hobbs' manager said on Twombstone's Gettable podcast that they're "talking" about a new deal. Both parties want to continue at Essendon. He's 100% keen to stay etc.

Cal: Has there been an offer for an extra couple of years?

Manager: We've had a discussion...

 

[Saintsone]

Get it done Adrian, will be our next captain

 

[windyhill]

Very hard for him to captain us at another club. Going nowhere Benny.

 

[bombreys]

for the love of god start playing him and hand him a blank cheque

 

[Lore]

Nothing we don’t already know, but a nice summary of the last few pages of this thread.

NO OFFER FOR PROMISING BOMBER
Essendon are in no rush to extend the contract of first-round draftee Ben Hobbs, having not tabled a contract offer to the tough second-year midfielder.

Opposition clubs are monitoring Hobbs’ situation – including the fact he has not played at AFL level this season, after 17 games last year – and starting to inquire about his potential availability.

The 19-year-old, the No. 13 pick in the 2021 draft, is one of only three first-round selections from that year not to ink an extension, along with Sydney’s Angus Sheldrick and Brisbane’s Kai Lohmann, as The Age reported in February.

St Kilda’s Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera is the latest player off the market on a fresh two-year deal, while Money Talks understands Sheldrick will soon agree to his own two-year extension.

Lohmann’s agent, Tom Seccull, of Hemisphere Management Group, will meet Lions list manager Dom Ambrogio next week to discuss his future – and that of hard-running teammate Harry Sharp.

The delay in Lohmann’s negotiations owes only to the injury-riddled start to his career, and he was keen to get some matches under his belt first.

The Bombers traditionally take their time to lock away first-round draftees, and did not re-sign 2020 top-10 picks Archie Perkins, Nik Cox and Zach Reid until several months into last year.

Players rarely leave after their first contract, particularly from one Victorian club to another, but Ollie Henry’s move from Collingwood to Geelong was an example of how the industry is changing.

A minor calf strain in February set Hobbs back, but he resumed in a VFL practice match before dominating with 36 disposals, 19 contested possessions and seven centre clearances in round one of the second-tier competition.

He has recovered from the ankle injury that sidelined him last weekend and hopes to break into Brad Scott’s side, which is giving the lion’s share of centre attendances to captain Zach Merrett, Dylan Shiel

9

Dylan Shiel

Age

31

Ht

182cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

24.6

5star

K

12.3

5star

HB

12.2

5star

M

3.1

3star

T

3.9

5star

CL

4.9

5star

D

23.4

5star

K

13.6

5star

HB

9.8

5star

M

2.2

2star

T

3.4

4star

CL

6.4

5star

D

19.8

5star

K

8.4

4star

HB

11.4

5star

M

2.4

3star

T

2.6

4star

CL

3.8

5star

, free agent Darcy Parish

3

Darcy Parish

Age

27

Ht

180cm

Wt

81kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

20.4

5star

K

9.2

4star

HB

11.2

5star

M

3.2

3star

T

3.3

5star

CL

3.2

5star

D

16.6

4star

K

7.4

3star

HB

9.1

5star

M

1.4

2star

T

2.0

3star

CL

3.1

4star

D

22.2

5star

K

7.6

3star

HB

14.6

5star

M

3.2

4star

T

4.4

5star

CL

3.6

5star

and recruit Will Setterfield

12

Will Setterfield

Age

26

Ht

192cm

Wt

87kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.3

4star

K

9.5

4star

HB

5.8

4star

M

2.8

3star

T

3.6

5star

CL

1.8

4star

D

14.0

3star

K

8.9

4star

HB

5.1

3star

M

1.9

2star

T

4.4

5star

CL

2.9

4star

D

13.4

4star

K

8.0

3star

HB

5.4

4star

M

1.8

2star

T

3.8

5star

CL

1.4

4star

.

Rival clubs monitoring first-round Bomber; change for Roo; Dee hits pause

The Age’s new player movement column, Money Talks, will provide weekly updates on contract news, re-signings, trade developments and prospective draftees.

www.theage.com.au

 

[citizen-erased]

Nothing we don’t already know, but a nice summary of the last few pages of this thread.

Rival clubs monitoring first-round Bomber; change for Roo; Dee hits pause

The Age’s new player movement column, Money Talks, will provide weekly updates on contract news, re-signings, trade developments and prospective draftees.

www.theage.com.au

I dont think henry is a sign of the industry changing.
I wonder how happy he is now with fortunes of both clubs

 

[jdstorm]

Wouldn’t mind seeing Hobbs play Half Back.

There’s minutes to be had there. He’s got enough run and footy smarts to give it a real crack

 

[faible]

Wouldn’t mind seeing Hobbs play Half Back.

There’s minutes to be had there. He’s got enough run and footy smarts to give it a real crack

His strengths aren't his kicking or aerobic running power, not sure he lends himself to a HBF.

 

[Lore]

Just curious, what role would you play him in?

Pressure half forward/forward pocket with stints on the inside. He can tackle and harass and can kick a goal. Good for his development.

Heppell comes out, Perkins & Langford spend more time up the ground on wing to cover/leverage their athleticism.

If Caldwell and Shiel can push forward I don't see why Hobbs can't. He's been focusing on adding some forward craft to his game so that he has versatility as part of a midfield where everyone has a second string to their bow. He said as much in an interview like 2 months ago.

I love being at the club: Hobbs primed for season two

Ben Hobbs is ready to elevate his game in 2023.

www.essendonfc.com.au

 

[andleanback]

I dont think henry is a sign of the industry changing.
I wonder how happy he is now with fortunes of both clubs

I think he’d be happy playing afl every week