AFL Player # 8: Ben "Goblin" Hobbs

[VelvetSledge]

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

 

[Bunk Moreland]

We should be trading others first to allow him to play midfield

Such as…

 

[eth-dog]

Such as…

Based on age profile and relative skillsets the only one would be Parish tbh. Shiel has shifted away from the midfield, Duz and Caldwell are 23/24 and are currently better than him. He's getting games ahead of Tsatas (who has a more explosive skillset) and Setterfield.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Based on age profile and relative skillsets the only one would be Parish tbh. Shiel has shifted away from the midfield, Duz and Caldwell are 23/24 and are currently better than him. He's getting games ahead of Tsatas (who has a more explosive skillset) and Setterfield.

Agree - Parish would’ve been better utilised as trade capital given our current bunch of mids.

Give to get…

 

[eth-dog]

Agree - Parish would’ve been better utilised as trade capital given our current bunch of mids.

Give to get…

It's like when we traded Carlisle. He was the perfect guy to trade because he was high quality but not super important and we could afford to lose him

 

[faible]

It's like when we traded Carlisle. He was the perfect guy to trade because he was high quality but not super important and we could afford to lose him

Alternatively, we move Hooker forward instead, end up with Carlisle as an AA KPD alongside Hurley, and Hooker up forward going at 2 goals / game for a few years.

 

[Chief Hopper]

It's like when we traded Carlisle. He was the perfect guy to trade because he was high quality but not super important and we could afford to lose him

Carlisle trade got us pick 5 for the 2015 draft, but he was only 23 and extremely important to our defence. We didn't have any other 198cm key defender replacement and made our downward spiral to the bottom of the ladder in 2016 more pronounced.

On topic, Hobbs prob should be traded. Surplus to requirements, young and loads of potential to holding the ball. Parish I think has been too injury prone and likely lower trade value.

 

[eth-dog]

Carlisle trade got us pick 5 for the 2015 draft, but he was only 23 and extremely important to our defence. We didn't have any other 198cm key defender replacement and made our downward spiral to the bottom of the ladder in 2016 more pronounced.

On topic, Hobbs prob should be traded. Surplus to requirements, young and loads of potential to holding the ball. Parish I think has been too injury prone and likely lower trade value.

I mean it wouldn't have since he also got suspended, plus we did draft a replacement in Hartley (who obviously didn't work out).

 

[ant555]

Such as…

I want to say that Hobbs does have to prove himself in the midfield at the top level. The sample size is not huge and has been okay when he has played there at AFL level but he has to show he has the level. So far he has been a victim of playing the high half forward / link role which exposes the weakness in his outside game. If he does have an AFL level then we have a clearance player who tackles and likes the contest so it will take a bit of pressure off Caldwell and Durham going forward.

As for who. Parish has been mentioned. I would say despite his late season form Shiel is another. Both can play for sure but are both part of any premiership success ?

Of course then you have a different set up. Perkins does not look like a midfielder. Stringer is gone so does Perkins play more half forward with a few midfield bursts. Does Parish play a bit more high half forward / link and play some specialist center clearance where he is really good. Hobbs could start off the flank and then push into the midfield around the ground.
Merrett looks like he will be playing a bit of half back.

Seems we have some options for Hobbs with positional changes.

As a general comment and not a reply to you but I feel there is a bit of disappointment from fans towards Hobbs because of the errors he makes in his outside game in a role that he has been learning at AFL level.

 

[ant555]

Carlisle trade got us pick 5 for the 2015 draft, but he was only 23 and extremely important to our defence. We didn't have any other 198cm key defender replacement and made our downward spiral to the bottom of the ladder in 2016 more pronounced.

On topic, Hobbs prob should be traded. Surplus to requirements, young and loads of potential to holding the ball. Parish I think has been too injury prone and likely lower trade value.

Is he surplus ? Not like we are flush with blokes who love the contest and have no issues tackling. I think that this year showed that Caldwell and Durham could use an extra hard nut over the course of the season to carry a bit of the work load.
Tsatas is not going to that guy. Different player with a different skill set. We have basically had to have Merrett run himself into the ground playing the third hard nut midfielder. Merret would be better having a bit more of an outside role.
Personally I think if Hobbs plays to his potential and the form he showed in the few midfield VFL games he is not surplus.
He can allow Caldwell / Durham / Merrett to all be used a small percentage forward and in Merretts case forward / back or wing if need be so he can play more outside with ball in hand.

 

[DERO]

Alternatively, we move Hooker forward instead, end up with Carlisle as an AA KPD alongside Hurley, and Hooker up forward going at 2 goals / game for a few years.

Yeah but we got Francis!

 

[faible]

Yeah but we got Francis!

The great red hope

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Is he surplus ? Not like we are flush with blokes who love the contest and have no issues tackling. I think that this year showed that Caldwell and Durham could use an extra hard nut over the course of the season to carry a bit of the work load.
Tsatas is not going to that guy. Different player with a different skill set. We have basically had to have Merrett run himself into the ground playing the third hard nut midfielder. Merret would be better having a bit more of an outside role.
Personally I think if Hobbs plays to his potential and the form he showed in the few midfield VFL games he is not surplus.
He can allow Caldwell / Durham / Merrett to all be used a small percentage forward and in Merretts case forward / back or wing if need be so he can play more outside with ball in hand.

So rotating mids -

Merrett
Caldwell
Durham
Hobbs
Tsatas
Parish

?

Looks okay… does that work?

 

[FlyingV]

I think Hobbs needs to prove that he offers a point of difference if he’s going to played as a midfielder. He’s not going to be quicker then the opposition, he’s not going to be bigger then them, so he really needs to have excellent craft at the stoppage. I think that’s why the lack of spatial awareness, composure when under pressure is concerning. He needs to not just be good in that area, he’s needs to be elite…. And atm I’d say he’s a long way off that.

 

[faible]

I think Hobbs needs to prove that he offers a point of difference if he’s going to played as a midfielder. He’s not going to be quicker then the opposition, he’s not going to be bigger then them, so he really needs to have excellent craft at the stoppage. I think that’s why the lack of spatial awareness, composure when under pressure is concerning. He needs to not just be good in that area, he’s needs to be elite…. And atm I’d say he’s a long way off that.

I'd argue his spatial awareness on the inside is quite good, it's when he's out in space that it's a problem.

 

[joey_jo_jo]

Not to be contrarian but I dont actually think Hobbs needs to provide a POD. As someone above said he should add to the defensive grunt and clearance work that Durham/Caldwell provided last year. They were excellent but needed support as they looked pretty banged up by end of season. Setterfield and/or Hobbs should provide the additional rotation.
The POD will hopefully be tsatas with his explosive speed, Zach with his excellent kicking and potentially martin with his evasiveness and foot skills.

 

[faible]

Not to be contrarian but I dont actually think Hobbs needs to provide a POD. As someone above said he should add to the defensive grunt and clearance work that Durham/Caldwell provided last year. They were excellent but needed support as they looked pretty banged up by end of season. Setterfield and/or Hobbs should provide the additional rotation.
The POD will hopefully be tsatas with his explosive speed, Zach with his excellent kicking and potentially martin with his evasiveness and foot skills.

If he can grind out stoppages in close like a Tom Liberatore does, that's going to be a big help for freeing up guys like Durham, Caldwell, Merrett or Tsatas with better movement out of stoppages.

 

[dank420_]

Wouldn't mind him becoming a Heath Hocking type

 

[TheFrenchCut]

Alternatively, we move Hooker forward instead, end up with Carlisle as an AA KPD alongside Hurley, and Hooker up forward going at 2 goals / game for a few years.

Not really the thread for it but the fact that in 2014 we had a spine with Hooker, Hurley, Carlisle, Ryder, Daniher and we stuffed it lives rent free in my head.

 

[Old Campaigner]

Not really the thread for it but the fact that in 2014 we had a spine with Hooker, Hurley, Carlisle, Ryder, Daniher and we stuffed it lives rent free in my head.

Just couldn’t build the midfield to make it work (plus some drugs and stuff might’ve got in the way)

 

[DERO]

The great red hope

something shiny to distract the amateur list-managers for a bit.

 

[Keystone agony]

Wouldn't mind him becoming a Heath Hocking type

Could be utilised as a tagger which could help him find his way into more midfield time aswell

Caldwell and esepcailly Durham have very good/solid outside games and Durhams is fast progressing to being something special. Caldwell can mark, goal and kick

Hobbs must be circa 85kg now, so hes no small guy

 

[ant555]

So rotating mids -

Merrett
Caldwell
Durham
Hobbs
Tsatas
Parish

?

Looks okay… does that work?

Most sides run with a 5 or 6 midfield rotation with a couple of extra spare part types if needed. I think there is enough versatility in Merrett / Caldwell / Durham and even Parish as a forward for us to be running 2 of Caldwell / Durham / Hobbs and 1 of Parish / Merrett / Tsatas most of the time.

 

[ant555]

Not to be contrarian but I dont actually think Hobbs needs to provide a POD. As someone above said he should add to the defensive grunt and clearance work that Durham/Caldwell provided last year. They were excellent but needed support as they looked pretty banged up by end of season. Setterfield and/or Hobbs should provide the additional rotation.
The POD will hopefully be tsatas with his explosive speed, Zach with his excellent kicking and potentially martin with his evasiveness and foot skills.

Agree. His point of difference is hard at the contest. Tackle all day. Win or nullify clearance and as you say give Caldwell and Durham some relief. Would also say free up Merrett so he does not have to be smashing in every week.

 

[ant555]

I think Hobbs needs to prove that he offers a point of difference if he’s going to played as a midfielder. He’s not going to be quicker then the opposition, he’s not going to be bigger then them, so he really needs to have excellent craft at the stoppage. I think that’s why the lack of spatial awareness, composure when under pressure is concerning. He needs to not just be good in that area, he’s needs to be elite…. And atm I’d say he’s a long way off that.

His clearance numbers in the VFL when he came back from injury equate to the elite rating. He was not getting the big disposal numbers that Lij was getting but in the 5 games he averaged 26 disposals , 5.8 clearances and 8 tackles. We have not seen much at AFL level simply because he has not played full games as an inside midfielder. 75% of the sample has been as a half forward or sub.
The composure under pressure issue has been when he has had to play link half forward and he over thinks the options trying to find the perfect option rather than the first good option.
He has to improve his outside game for sure. I think he has improved since his under 18 days but it still has its issues. The problem is like Perkins / Langford / McGrath / Cox and co before him he is being asked to play a new role and learn it at AFL level.
He is a long way off having an outside link game but from what I saw in the VFL last year he had his inside game in order.

I also think a few poor holding the ball decisions stick in peoples minds.

Last season he played 12 games and had a total of 11 free kicks against.
2023 he averaged 1.8 free kicks against.
2022 he averaged 1.2 free kicks against.