Senior Eric Hipwood (2015-)

Remove this Banner Ad

UPDATE: Lions might rush gun back to fill forward hole

BRISBANE coach Chris Fagan is weighing up whether to bring Eric Hipwood straight back into the AFL next week as the Lions prepare to be without key forward Dan McStay.
Click to expand...

The good news is Hipwood is available to return next week, just 10 months after rupturing his ACL against St Kilda last July.

Brisbane's VFL team will play a practice match against Gold Coast next weekend, while the seniors will travel to Adelaide Oval to play the Crows.

So, where will Hipwood play?

"I'll be guided by our medical people," Fagan said.

"The medical people do such a great job now with rehabbing players from injury.

"If they're really high-quality players you don't necessarily have to bring them back through the reserves.

"We'll see how we go.

"He’s been doing match practice at training for a month now. He's been doing competitive work for the same period of time and been running big kilometres, so we’ve got a decision to make there, but he’s in great nick."
Click to expand...
 
308 Days in The Making

It'll be 308 days in the making, but Eric Hipwood will make his highly anticipated return to the Lions line-up when he runs out against Adelaide this Saturday night.

Hipwood will play his first AFL game since he was sidelined with a season-ending ACL injury back in Round 10 last year.

The rangey left-footer will bolster a Lions’ forward line who will be looking to continue their impressive form as the most potent forward line in the competition.

Hipwood’s ability to bring the ball to ground will no doubt provide plenty of opportunities for the small forwards to crumb goals on an expected wet deck in Adelaide.
Click to expand...
 

Log in to remove this ad.

Hipwood: "We'll Create Some Havoc"

Eric Hipwood believes Brisbane's tall forwards can cause "havoc" for the competition once Joe Daniher and Dan McStay return from injury.

Hipwood played his first game in 10 months on Saturday night after overcoming a ruptured ACL, gathering 11 disposals, including four goal assists, against Adelaide.

Now the 24-year-old is awaiting the return of Daniher (shoulder) and McStay (ankle) – a trio that helped Brisbane to a 10-1 win-loss record when they took the field together in 2021.

"I'm certainly excited and I'm sure we'll cause some havoc in the back half of the year if we can get back and play together," Hipwood said on Tuesday morning.

"I'm excited to play with them, they're both quality players, so it'll be good when we're all up and going."

Daniher was enjoying his best run of form since his All-Australian season in 2017 before hurting his shoulder against Sydney in round six, while McStay joined him on the sidelines a week later following a mishap against West Coast.

Daniher ran strongly at the Gabba during a light training session on Tuesday, while McStay jogged laps and then did some kicking on his right foot.

Neither joined in for any of the Lions' light drills, but both are expected to be available for selection in the next month.

Brisbane faces a selection dilemma when they're all available, with Oscar McInerney and Darcy Fort proving a terrific ruck combination – giving the Lions five tall options to choose from as forwards and rucks.

"I'm glad I'm not selecting the team," Hipwood said.

"It's going to be competitive for spots, and you need that as a top-four team.

"You need some other boys pushing you to get better to create a competitive environment.

"It's going to be good when everyone's fit."
Click to expand...
 
Match Review: Lion sent to Tribunal over umpire collision

BRISBANE forward Eric Hipwood has been referred directly to the Tribunal for a bizarre incident involving an opponent and an umpire.

Match Review Officer Michael Christian has sent Hipwood straight to the Tribunal after a perplexing chain of events in the Lions' important 41-point victory over the Western Bulldogs at the Gabba on Thursday night.

The 24-year-old appeared to push Ryan Gardner during the third quarter of the round 16 game, with the Bulldogs defender then crashing into umpire Jacob Mollison.

Gardner and Mollison collided, and Hipwood was able to run inside 50 to take an easy mark before slotting a goal for the Lions.

Hipwood is not able to accept an early plea for the incident.
Click to expand...
 
Lions go back to their roots

Speaking to the media after training, Lions forward and proud Queensland pathway player Eric Hipwood, who hails from the Sunshine Coast, echoed the sentiment of Rayner’s comments.

“It’s good to learn the backgrounds of players but also the coaches,” he said.

“And (it was nice) to wear the Caloundra Panthers colours as well.”
Click to expand...
 
Lions Remaining Optimistic Despite Sunday Heartbreaker

IT'S a glass half full outlook from Brisbane following Sunday's heartbreaking loss to Richmond, says tall forward Eric Hipwood.

Hipwood played his best game since returning from a knee reconstruction, kicking four goals, but was part of a team that watched a 42-point lead disappear against the Tigers.

Speaking to reporters following a light training session at the Gabba on Tuesday morning, the 24-year-old the Lions were "still positive", believing Richmond had not got enough credit for the comeback.

"There was a lot of positives to take out of the game," Hipwood said.

"It was disappointing that we did lose, but we're still optimistic. We had a lot of opportunities to win the game and we just couldn't ice it.

"What hasn't been spoken about enough is that Richmond are a bloody good team.

"They're certainly up there with the best and they brought that on the weekend. I don't think the ladder position represents where they're at."

Brisbane has slid into fifth position ahead of games against Carlton, St Kilda and Melbourne to round out the home and away season.

Zac Bailey did some light running after spending Sunday night in hospital after coughing up blood during the game, while Jarrod Berry (ankle) and Brandon Starcevich (quad) also trained.

Hipwood said the tough stretch of games coming up was the perfect way to prepare for September, whether that was finishing inside the top four or not.

"We've got some really, really good opposition … we're looking forward to it," he said.

"That's what you strive for at the start of the season, to get that double chance, but you've seen teams win the Grand Final from outside the top four.

"We'd like it, but we just want to be competitive come the end of the season."
Click to expand...
 
Great to see Hippy slowly rediscovering his mojo. I still think from next year onwards we'll start to see him back to his best.

Such an important player to our team. IMO one of the few big game players that we have, who's not afraid to stand up in big moments.
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

Hipwood’s “Coming-Of-Age” Performance Against the Demons

Collingwood great Nathan Buckley believes Eric Hipwood’s performance against Melbourne was a “coming-of-age” game for the young forward.

The 24-year-old Lion booted four goals and was pivotal in Brisbane upsetting the reigning premiers at the MCG, a finals performance that was clearly the best of his career.

With Hipwood matched up against one of the game’s premier defenders in Steven May, Buckley was blown away by his ability to rise to the occasion.

0 seconds of 55 secondsVolume 0%
x close
“This is a game, a final, win or you’re out, Joe Daniher pulls out at the start of the day, you know you’ve got Steven May, you get smashed in the first 15 (minutes), and then (Hipwood) finds a way,” he said on SEN Breakfast.

“To kick four against a guy, Steven May smashed what I considered as the best key forward in the competition for a long time in Tom Hawkins… then he comes out and this kid does the job on him.

For Buckley, this performance was the first real occasion where Hipwood reached the lofty expectations set for him after he was taken with pick 15 in the 2015 draft.

“He’s been like a prodigy, came in expecting to do it and he probably hasn’t reached the heights,” he said.

“He’s had some really good games but he hasn’t reached the heights of the hype that was expected initially.

“Was that a coming-of-age moment?”

Garry Lyon was equally impressed with the young Lion, crediting Hipwood’s ability to bounce back after Steven May dominated the contest in the game’s opening stages.

“I thought Hipwood was enormous, particularly after the first 20 minutes, again Hipwood was symptomatic of the whole Brisbane team,” he said.

“First three or four times he manhandled him, we all looked at each other, this has got to be more competitive, he’s got to stand up.”

With Hipwood looking dangerous in both of Brisbane’s finals, having already kicked three goals in the Elimination Final win over Richmond, Lyon stated that the forward has won his respect.

“I’ve never picked Brisbane as a chance to win the premiership all year, I’ll put my hand up, because I couldn’t trust Daniher and Hipwood and (Dan) McStay,” he said.

“On the back of that (game) he wins your trust, he wins your respect and he’s had really good games against Melbourne in the past Eric Hipwood.

“But not when you’ve had to lead a forward half, he had to take it all on his shoulders and said ‘I will lead,’ and he kicked goals when he had to kick goals, he contested when he had to contest.

“I thought it was one of the really, really good finals performances from a key forward.”

With the Lions successfully squeezing past the Demons, Brisbane will look to pull off another upset against the minor premiers in Friday’s Preliminary Final, taking on Geelong at the MCG.
Click to expand...
 
Five talking points: Lions say hooroo to MCG hoodoo

Hippy Hippy Hooray

With Joe Daniher a game-day scratching to be with his partner for the birth of their first child, even more onus fell on Eric Hipwood – and the lanky forward delivered in spades. After being outmarked three times in the first quarter, Hipwood found his stride in the second, kicking a goal from 50m to bring the Lions back into the contest. He then became the most influential player on the ground in the third term, kicking three goals as the Lions roared to the lead. After rupturing his ACL last July, Hipwood returned to senior footy in round nine this year, and after some slow periods through the season, has more than justified the faith of Brisbane's coaching staff with seven goals in two finals.
Click to expand...
 
Simbatheking21 said:
But I did see Kane Kornes compared it to Jared Polec 🤣🤣🤣 although he was fine JHF getting a 6 year deal
Click to expand...
Absolute Joke!
But slightly in his defence he does not like long contracts full stop except the JHF one because it involves Port.

 
Dalions said:
Absolute Joke!
But slightly in his defence he does not like long contracts full stop except the JHF one because it involves Port.

Click to expand...

I generally dont mind Kane Cornes b/c he speaks his mind, but that is utter tripe. On what evidence is there, aside from his ACL, that he has had a poor season where he goes missing?
 
iBeng said:
Man social media was an absolute mixed bag on this news.
Click to expand...

He's been given the McStay contract on top and happy to extend with us for another 6 years. And based on his ACL + year back, I'm sure he's not demanding a Harry McKay type 700-800k salary either. One key forward locked away for next 7 years - great decision by the club.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Remove this Banner Ad

Back
Top