AFL Player # 8: Ben "Goblin" Hobbs

[VelvetSledge]

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

 

[Lore]

Heppell may be the weakest Link for us on the outside of the fence but the consistent word from the players and coach is he is bringing a level of calm to the players on field And under pressure. His form has clearly picked up in the last two weeks as well.
As long as the players are responding to his on field leadership then he is not the weakest link .

There was some comments at a post-match presser either this week or last week from Scott responding to questions about Heppell, which mentioned something about having a chat to him about senior players still need to have good form. Acknowledged a whole heap of leadership aspects like keeping those around him in the zone and all that good stuff, which is absolutely valuable and important, but I suspect Dys knows he needs to perform as well as all that and his improved form is a result of it being something they've made a point of.

 

[Lore]

Hobbs may have to come into the side and then go back to the VFL for now. His situation is a bit different to Voss and the comments Scott made about getting a good run at it and being ready. Hobbs is ready but in the line. Voss has been working on some aspects of his game .

The thing with replacing Merrett is there are half a dozen blokes on the list who can take his CBAs, but replacing his skill by foot and [quality!] i50s is the sticking point.

So with regard to Hobbs if you give him the spot in the 22, and some of the CBAs with some forward line time, that's fine. But I don't think he's known for his skill by foot is he? Like the stat from the VFL is 8 inside 50s last weekend, but are they score involvements or just shallow/low percentage areas that come straight back? and how reliable is it? Or do we move others around as the link in the chain and Hobbs covers them in turn?

 

[Call Me Cake]

Bit sus how his highlights show the possessions but not the disposals.

 

[bombadeer]

Absolutely love what Hobbs brought to the team last year, can’t wait to see how he goes in a squad that has some decent structure and form.

 

[bombadeer]

The thing with replacing Merrett is there are half a dozen blokes on the list who can take his CBAs, but replacing his skill by foot and [quality!] i50s is the sticking point.

So with regard to Hobbs if you give him the spot in the 22, and some of the CBAs with some forward line time, that's fine. But I don't think he's known for his skill by foot is he? Like the stat from the VFL is 8 inside 50s last weekend, but are they score involvements or just shallow/low percentage areas that come straight back? and how reliable is it? Or do we move others around as the link in the chain and Hobbs covers them in turn?

He was pretty reliable by foot last year from my recollection. Not fantastic, but a good decision maker which can make up for lack of precision (e.g. kicking to advantage).

Composed in front of goal too.

 

[P Money]

I think we're in the unfortunate position of losing the one player in the midfield that is irreplaceable. We have (amazingly) a pretty strong contingent of contested ball / clearance mids, with Caldwell and Hobbs not even able to break in at the moment. But a midfield of Parish, Shiel, Setterfield, Hobbs and Caldwell, while very strong from a contested ball point of view, is very very sus by foot. I wonder if they plan to rotate players like Martin through to get some sharper ball use and creativity coming out of the middle?

 

[brain taylor]

we should bring 21 players and a sub so no one feels bad when merrett returns

 

[ghostdog]

The thing with replacing Merrett is there are half a dozen blokes on the list who can take his CBAs, but replacing his skill by foot and [quality!] i50s is the sticking point.

So with regard to Hobbs if you give him the spot in the 22, and some of the CBAs with some forward line time, that's fine. But I don't think he's known for his skill by foot is he? Like the stat from the VFL is 8 inside 50s last weekend, but are they score involvements or just shallow/low percentage areas that come straight back? and how reliable is it? Or do we move others around as the link in the chain and Hobbs covers them in turn?

This is exactly why I raised the prospect of Martin playing closer to the contest as first or second receiver/distributor as I'm not sure who else has the skills or experience.

You can see why Carlton chased Cerra to give them quality depth in the role. Like Setterfield, this is another role for which we need to find that depth.

So Hobbs may come in this week, but I'm not sure how he stays in.
...and we need him to sign on, don't we?

 

[ghostdog]

Heppell may be the weakest Link for us on the outside of the fence but the consistent word from the players and coach is he is bringing a level of calm to the players on field And under pressure. His form has clearly picked up in the last two weeks as well.
As long as the players are responding to his on field leadership then he is not the weakest link .
At this stage Menzie would be the one under the most pressure but he has done nothing all that wrong yet other than being a bit low in the tackling numbers the last few .

Hobbs may have to come into the side and then go back to the VFL for now. His situation is a bit different to Voss and the comments Scott made about getting a good run at it and being ready. Hobbs is ready but in the line. Voss has been working on some aspects of his game .

Yes, that's what I'm saying; I don't see how Hobbs stays in, as much as I'd like hom in the team.

Probs right about Menzie. "Weakest link" was a throw-away line.

 

[hurlygurdy]

Hobbs for Merrett, no other changes. It’s a brave coach who ****s with what this line up delivered last week.

 

[DallasCrane316]

 

[Gabe251]

Social media department messing with us?

 

[The Devils Advocate]

Hobbs for Merrett, no other changes. It’s a brave coach who *s with what this line up delivered last week.

I am all for a coach that makes changes based on what the opposition are going to do.
Truck was more perplexed by magnets than ICP.

 

[ant555]

The thing with replacing Merrett is there are half a dozen blokes on the list who can take his CBAs, but replacing his skill by foot and [quality!] i50s is the sticking point.

So with regard to Hobbs if you give him the spot in the 22, and some of the CBAs with some forward line time, that's fine. But I don't think he's known for his skill by foot is he? Like the stat from the VFL is 8 inside 50s last weekend, but are they score involvements or just shallow/low percentage areas that come straight back? and how reliable is it? Or do we move others around as the link in the chain and Hobbs covers them in turn?

You do not really replace what Merrett does exactly but you shuffle the roles a bit. Shiel and Parish get more of the Zack role while Hobbs does a bit more clearance stuff. The issue with Hobbs and his kicking is he still has not worked out his exact limits. He sees the game really well but some of what he sees is beyond his natural kicking ability. He is actually a pretty reliable kick if he sticks to the 30 to 40 meter kicks and does not try and thread the needle with bullet passes not many can pull off. He will hit a number of really good kicks but misfire on 2 or 3 . It will come down to experience. I remember Hocking had the same issue. He was generally a good kick but in the first 30 or so games he turned a few over by pushing the limits a bit too much. After a few years he had learnt not to take the real high risk stuff.

 

[bombreys]

You do not really replace what Merrett does exactly but you shuffle the roles a bit. Shiel and Parish get more of the Zack role while Hobbs does a bit more clearance stuff. The issue with Hobbs and his kicking is he still has not worked out his exact limits. He sees the game really well but some of what he sees is beyond his natural kicking ability. He is actually a pretty reliable kick if he sticks to the 30 to 40 meter kicks and does not try and thread the needle with bullet passes not many can pull off. He will hit a number of really good kicks but misfire on 2 or 3 . It will come down to experience. I remember Hocking had the same issue. He was generally a good kick but in the first 30 or so games he turned a few over by pushing the limits a bit too much. After a few years he had learnt not to take the real high risk stuff.

Good point re Hobbs’ kicking - his short to medium range kicking seems solid (or did last year) and I rarely recall him biting off more than he could chew. Which is a bloody big compliment for a teenager - he plays to his strengths and knows his limitations. There’s a few 30 year olds running around in the league who still don’t do that.

And agree with the stuff on Merrett, I think his kicking is simply irreplaceable. To be fair, there aren’t many better kicks in the league for mine

 

[The Devils Advocate]

Cannot blame him if he wants to leave. Gun player, should be playing this week.

 

[eDPS]

Cannot blame him if he wants to leave. Gun player, should be playing this week.

He is still behind Caldwell anyway, just gotta keep perfecting his craft and he will force his way in

 

[Lore]

There’s nothing to indicate he wants to leave

I’ll worry when there’s a contract in front of him and he doesn’t sign it, not a minute sooner

 

[ant555]

As I said in the match thread. If he wants to leave because he is still behind a few midfielders in his second year then he is not the guy we want going forward . If he is indeed a future leader he will just suck it up and do what he can. The club has been dictated by a selfish culture for too long. I doubt very much it is in his nature to sulk and want to leave anyway.

 

[The Devils Advocate]

He is still behind Caldwell anyway, just gotta keep perfecting his craft and he will force his way in

Should be in the team over Dyson Heppell, in any position.

 

[Megabattimus]

Should be in the team over Dyson Heppell, in any position.

No he shouldn't. His best bet to become a permanent fixture in our AFL midfield is what they've already been doing with him: playing full-time midfield in the VFL.

He only played so many games last year because we literally had no good small forwards. Now we do, so he can focus on his midfield craft in the proper place for that.

 

[ant555]

Should be in the team over Dyson Heppell, in any position.

Except all the players rate Heppell and his leadership and he does not play half back.

 

[The Devils Advocate]

Except all the players rate Heppell and his leadership and he does not play half back.

Hobbs is also an exceptional leader, Heppell doesn't play half-back either.
Heppell is cooked, Hobbs is a future gun. Play your guns.

 

[Megabattimus]

Hobbs is also an exceptional leader, Heppell doesn't play half-back either.
Heppell is cooked, Hobbs is a future gun. Play your guns.

Heppell was great against Melbourne and didn't go too bad against GWS either.

The person who probably pushes him out is Guelfi...who's not gonna be back from a hamstring for another five-seven weeks.

 

[Albertross]

Not...Going...Anywhere!!!