Senior Eric Hipwood (2015-)

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Every 2017 Rising Star nominee fully profiled
Round five: Eric Hipwood (Brisbane Lions)
The Rafael Nadal lookalike was second in the Lions' goalkicking with 30, a strong result for a 19-year-old beanpole in a side with the AFL's fewest inside 50s and one that finished on the bottom.
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The Alien Rising Star: Eric Hipwood is Out There
Few athletes challenge you to conceive of the possibility of what the offspring of a baby deer and a benevolent extra-terrestrial would look like as much as Eric Hipwood does.

Of this year’s rising star crop, Hipwood is surely the most unique. The other talents are versions of players we’ve seen before. Hipwood is special. Hipwood is strange. His strides are loping but weaponised, his pace subtle but electric. He looks a little uncoordinated until you realise that he’s the most coordinated. His kick, booming but also finessed, is perfect.

His technique is reminiscent of Damien Martyn’s. It looks relaxed in the build-up, almost to the point of casual, but only the uninitiated and forlorn could ever confuse it with indifference. Then the connection comes and the preface is made even more majestic. The strike is so sweet that everything briefly recedes and all you know is that you’re at the football. A high arcing dart through the two big sticks. A back-foot cut shot skimming along the grass.

Dayne Zorko is Brisbane’s best player, Dayne Beams is their most consistent and accomplished, and Rhys Mathieson is their most beloved in this corner of the internet. But the Lions, somehow, already feel like Eric Hipwood’s team.

Brisbane just had the most uplifting five-win wooden spoon season in recent history. It makes total sense yet seems completely unfair that West Coast finished ten spots above them. Hipwood too was underwhelming by metrics that are destined to underwhelm. He kicked 1.5 goals per game as his team’s number one forward. Only twice did he kick more than two goals. Only once did he touch the ball more than 12 times.

But playing almost a full season, only three times did he fail to kick a goal, and only once after round nine. His threat is already ever-present and becomes a reality, however briefly, every weekend. He is no longer flashes, he is a rising star in full ascent.

He is nineteen years old, four years younger than Dakota Fanning. His ceiling, for a career, for a game, for a moment, is undefinable. He will kick goals like Lance Franklin does, the world his Cale Hooker. He will take hangers, outsprint quick midfielders, and kick goals from sixty. And he will be written about.
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Player Review: Eric Hipwood
In only his second season, Brisbane Lions forward Eric Hipwood is fast emerging as one of the AFL’s brightest prospects.

His famous left boot steered Hipwood to second on the Lions goal scoring ladder, booting 30 major this year.

After kicking three goals in the Lions’ Round 5 loss to the Western Bulldogs, Hipwood earned a Rising Star nomination.

Later in the year, the forward kicked a season-high of four goals in Brisbane’s scintillating win over Essendon in Round 15 at Etihad Stadium.

The 20-year-old stands at 202 centimetres and surprisingly is one of the quickest at the Gabba. In Round 16 against Geelong his pace was tracked at reaching 34.6 km/h.

Hipwood played 20 games this year for the Lions but was robbed of playing in round 23 against North Melbourne because of a knee injury.

Hipwood was named the Lions 2017 Rookie of the Year at the recent Club Champion dinner.

Statistics:

Games: 20

Disposals per game: 8.6

Tackles per game: 1.3

Marks per game: 3.0

Kicks per game: 6.2

Total goals: 30

Highlights:

Coach’s Comment – Danny Daly, Strategy Coach

"A terrific 2nd year from Eric, who is an emerging young forward talent for the football club. 30 goals and 59 marks of which 22 were contested whilst having to deal with the best defender each week shows that exciting times are ahead for him and our supporters."

In their own words:

“It just felt like David Noble and Chris Fagan, they’re the right men for the job. I felt like the Club was heading in the right direction and I wanted to be a part of it and it would be silly not to sign on.”

“It was pretty easy for me. It didn’t take too much.

“We’ve had our ups and downs but I feel like we’ve improved a lot since last year.

"You can just look at the quarters won and we’ve nearly won more than double since last year.”

  • Hipwood speaking to Lions TV in August after extending his contract until 2020
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Five talking points: Brisbane v Hawthorn
4. Hipwood leads from the front
In a game when many Lions stood tall, Hipwood’s four-goal effort was the cornerstone of the Lions’ win. The young key forward was a tough match-up for the Hawks’ defenders, winning several free kicks in dangerous positions. After a poor performance in front of goal last week, Hipwood made every shot at the big sticks count. On his heels for man of the match was Hugh McCluggage, who finished with a career-best 27 touches, plus the two Daynes – Zorko (30 disposals, 11 tackles) and Beams (28 disposals, two goals).
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It's a big week for... Eric Hipwood
Brisbane's No.1 key forward Eric Hipwood is yet to turn 21, but is the Lions' third-highest goalkicker this season with 14.

If that's not already a big ask, Hipwood comes up on Sunday against the League's stingiest defence, led by Kangaroos veterans Robbie Tarrant and Scott Thompson. The 203cm forward will be looking to make an impact after a relatively quiet match last weekend against the Swans.
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Realistically should go on to kick 40+ for the season so an improvement from last year's 30. If he can straighten up a little he should get there no problems. Looked a thousand times better leading AT the ball yesterday and another couple of kilos next year should be at minimum a 50 goal season for 2019. To think some of you here want him to play as a CHB.
 
Have the Lions turned the corner?
ERIC Hipwood thrilled Lions fans with his bag of tricks against Carlton on Saturday but it was his selflessness that most excited his coach. Brisbane fans have known it was only a matter of time before the prodigiously talented Queenslander produced a major goal haul. It could have come last week if not for some inaccuracy that saw him finish with 2.4 in the win against Fremantle.

With the radar on song on Saturday he blitzed the Blues with a personal best tally of 6.2. He also had 12 score involvements, took seven marks and laid a few tackles and coach Chris Fagan said the fact he was always looking to bring his teammates into the game and was committed to the team’s defensive principles was just as valuable as the goals.

“It was a good all around game,’’ he said. “The exciting thing about his performance, I know he kicked six goals and everyone will make a fuss about that, but I look at his game and ask, was he selfless or was he selfish? “Because that is the biggest challenge for forwards.

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“I thought he played a really selfless game and still kicked six goals which is good feedback to him that you can do both. “Sometimes when you are on a roll like that you can get a bit on the selfish side but to his credit he didn’t.’’

Hipwood clearly knows what the coach values because you could not get him to talk about his own performance. However, he was happy to discuss what the first back to back wins in over three years would do for the Lions’ confidence and said he believed the bond the players were forming was contributing to improved performances.

“It was a great feeling for the club we haven’t had that for a while,’’ he said. “It is the first time I have been involved in two in a row and it helps build that belief. “It is starting to feel like a real family club, we are all a similar age and are starting to be really close mates and it is starting to pay off on the footy field.’’

Brisbane’s past four wins have been by 50 points or more which gives them the AFL’s second highest average winning margin. Hipwood said when the side felt they were on top the shackles came off and they played on pure instinct. He said the challenge now was to produce that effort from the opening bounce every week.

“That is the luxury of being a really young side, when we get up we get really excited and start to show our best. “We have got to try to build towards more consistent performances and play like that week in and week out.’’
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Senior Eric Hipwood (2015-)

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