Why is Hodge rated so highly?

[gadj1976]

It amazes me how so many people criticise Tom Harley for playing on some of the crappest forwards each week so he can help out the other defenders, when Luke Hodge does the exact same thing, yet Luke Hodge is apparently one of the best players in the comp because of this.

There is alot of debate between Hawks & Blue supporters as who is better out of Hodge & Judd. Which is rediculous considering Judd has to win the hardball out of the middle and set up the play, while Hodge just needs to run off his opponent and spoil the ball.

So if Hodge is in the top 5 players in the competition, then I guess Harley is aswell - considering he plays that role just as effectively as Hodge.

Everyone laughed at Jason Cloke when he played the same role. Hawthorn can afford to have someone not man up and good on them. There is no way Hodge is as good as Judd. Not even close.

He's an outstanding reader of the play, but I can't see the Hawks perservering with him roaming around loose if they start losing games. They just can't afford the luxury of having him there if they're not travelling ok.

 

[blackhead&boil]

So he's a midfielder who hides in the backline so he won't cop a tag.
Yep...sounds like Hodge to me.

mate, you really are nasty. you've obviously got a chip on your shoulder and an egg up your a***. go and take your whiney c*** elsewhere...

 

[Judd2Sewell]

So he's a midfielder who hides in the backline so he won't cop a tag.
Yep...sounds like Hodge to me.

lolzapalooza + all other lol related words

 

[macdaddio]

Enright does that as well for Geelong, so I guess he must be one of the best players in the comp.

You handbaggers make laugh so much, Geelong are a bunch of chokers and couldnt beat a team with no Grand Final experiance and with 2 of their best players of the ground.....and you got the nerve to judge Hodge he is the reason why we won our 10th premiership............

 

[Goodwinblues]

we wouldn't trade harley straight up for hodge, you'd need to make us better offer than that! Maybe hodge + sewell for harley?....then we can talk about trading

I'm assuming you're taking the p1ss because I'm laughing so hard. Hodge is light years better than Harley.

For a trade for Hodge you'd need Harley and a very early pick.

 

[Goodwinblues]

Your right, our forward's were crap on GF day and they are our weakest link. On a good day though they would thrash your pathetic defence.

What's it's now...... one flag and 6 GF losses since 1963. Sounds like a side we all love to hate so much. Lucky you got to play only Port Adelaide last year, or that Collingwood didn't beat you in the PF.

Colliwobbles Geelong.

 

[Wells Train]

He is rated so highly because he is a gun. Reminds me so much of Archer the way he attacks the footy. Can play forward and snag goals as arch could. He is also a very talented midfielder and equally good as an attacking one or defensive one. His left foot is so penetrating and accurate he can make something out of nothing. He shows tremendous leadership qualities even at a relatively young age. Next captain of hawthorn in my book. Speaks well in the media and is the first top 2 pick to win a Norm Smith, NEED I GO ON ??

 

[Clean Heels]

Hodge goes alright, dont agree with ppl comparing him to Judd though.
Thats a bit unfair, still, he is ticking a long good and more than servicable
for the Hawks, should have a better yr next yr, had a slow start to
the yr this yr, looked unfit, with a good pre-season, then he might justify
been put in the same sentence as a champion like Judd.

 

[KILLER#1]

While hodge is very good and had great finals campaignhe is not yet in the class of judd, ablett, etc. His courage shown in the prelim may have boosted his reputation but hasn't been playing the standard of footy that other superstars have consistently displayed for a prolonged period of time. There was even talk that hodge displayed after the finals that he was worth that number 1 pick. Yes he is very very good but chris judd has proved to be the better player throughout his career. Harley obviously aint in the same class a hodge because of hodges skills and veratility but it is clear, at leat from an unbias point of view, that hodge still has some way 2 go before truely achieving superstar status.

 

[KILLER#1]

Last year I started a thread (can't remember if it was this user name) but true dinks. I said Hodge brings more than just class to the club. He plays for far less than he's worth (No offence Judd) and he hates referring to "me" in all his interviews. He is our Shinboner of the century but with real skill.

Can Judd go to CHB and change a game? No. Can Judd change a game from the midfield, yes. Hodgey can too, but Juddy is better than him in that position. Can Judd go to the fwd line and break a game open? Rarely. Hodge can basically go anywhere. Name a position he can't play and change the course of a match....

He will go down as one of the greats. He will shake off his bogey tags like Rawlings too. Watch him work over the summer. True Clubman like Buckley - heart and soul stuff.

Judd says last year - quote from Dunstall that he didn't want to come to the Hawks due to our culture problems. Well FU Judd. I don't blame you for wanting the big bucks. But you're not fit to walk in Hodgey's shadow when it comes to self sacrifice. And look at your own backyard re culture. No need to expand on this Bull.

Fancy Judd saying to WC that his shoulders were stuffed because he had to carry them for so long. Enjoy your time at Carlton. I liked his recent interview. It showed he IS a decent man and I admire him. But he isn't the complete package if you look at all of the above.

I got scorned and rediculed last year for posting some of this stuff. It's my opinion and as a 25 year supporter, I think I know a true inspirational bloke on and off the field, with bucket loads of courage and talent along with self sacrifice as his middle name. He wouldn't wear his norm smith medal after the GF unless media pressured him. He's just a top bloke - as Jerry Maguire(Spelling?) film said it he is the "quay" - the complete package.

judd is the more dangerous player around goals. he has proven that over the years. hodge runs forward off his man and kicks goals generally uncontested. if ya really wanna believe hodgey is a more dangerous forward than judd i ask you to go back and watch the 5 goals juddy kicked against reigning premiers brisbane back in the day at what was then known as the house of pain (gabba). hodge is very good but will never win a brownlow, mvp or be an all suatralian captain. judd is the voss of this era. hodge is a more polished glenn archer.

 

[hawks_time]

judd is the more dangerous player around goals. he has proven that over the years. hodge runs forward off his man and kicks goals generally uncontested. if ya really wanna believe hodgey is a more dangerous forward than judd i ask you to go back and watch the 5 goals juddy kicked against reigning premiers brisbane back in the day at what was then known as the house of pain (gabba). hodge is very good but will never win a brownlow, mvp or be an all suatralian captain. judd is the voss of this era. hodge is a more polished glenn archer.

Please, Judd has a long way to go before being anything like Voss.
Brownlow? Well lots of players better than Judd haven't won a Brownlow.
Around the goals? I'd rather Hodge. He kicked 20 goals this year, a goal a game. And Hodge kicked 6 last year against the Bullies.
I'm not saying either player is better just providing a rebuttle.

 

[ad4eva]

who gave the hawthorn supporters the chance to gang up and rant about how good they think they are again?

 

[Hawks to fly]

When the game was there to be won in the 2nd quarter, Geelong had a hell of a lot more scoring shots than Hawthorn, and because they didn't convert any of them it kept Hawthorn in the game.

I just watched the 2nd quarter again and Geelong had only 3 shots they would have expected to kick goals from and one was Chappy under pressure. If you seriously believe it was just Geelong's kicking for goal that cost you you are kidding yourself. The fact is that Geelong's forward line is crap and for that reason your team will never be rated along with the really good sides. Your one class forward Johnson went kick chasing in the backline and I reckon that was a major reason for the loss. You have an outstanding midfield that has covered up the significant holes you have in the forward line AND BACK LINE!

 

[wce4premiership]

Hodge plays a completely different role to judd. I think judds years at the eagles puts him well ahead but currently the gap is very very small.

 

[tarky]

I'm assuming you're taking the p1ss because I'm laughing so hard. Hodge is light years better than Harley.

For a trade for Hodge you'd need Harley and a very early pick.

.....i'm serious

 

[Boris the Contradiction]

because he punishes teams. Harley does jack-all apart from becoming the third man in the air.

hodge will get the ball, then take off on a 50m run before hitting a man dead on the chest, or will unload a 60m handball to a free man.

also, Hodge's man still remains goalless (maybe one goal) harley will have 3 kicked on him. Harley is surviving on the geelong Hype, not his own footballing ability.

Harley is just the third tall. Hodge plays CHB, kills his opponents, provides attack off half-back, a midfield option and a subsititute forward option also.

1 hodge posession can put a team away. one Harley possession is a 2m handball to a teammate in the same position.

I agree Hodge is good but I never knew he was that good..
For the record, the guy is a star but no he's not as good as Judd, not nearly and yes, I think he is slightly overrated.
A star but overrated to an extent..

 

[shawthing09]

On Hodge V Judd I think the difference is pretty small. Judd's probably ahead because his best season was more consistant.

The fact is Judd get's over rated because what he does is so exciting to watch. It's a commonly occuring trend with fans in football. For some reason fans think players mistake being more exciting to watch as being a better footballer.

It's the reason guys like Lovett get so over rated and KPB have to put 5 seasons of barely conceding a goal to be noticed. I think in most aspects both players are about equal. Judd is better at running and carrying because he has more pace. Hodge however makes up for that by being able to pin point a pass over a much longer distance meaning he doesn't need to run and carry the ball as far as Judd to gain those meters to advantage for his team. People see Judd stream away from a pack and think wow how good is he because it is good to watch. Hodge can break a from the pack with strength and then hit up the pass but it doesn't look as daring and hence people don't notice it as much.

I'd say in pretty much most aspect's strength, leadership, ability to win their own ball. etc etc they are pretty even.

 

[cartman48]

It amazes me how so many people criticise Tom Harley for playing on some of the crappest forwards each week so he can help out the other defenders, when Luke Hodge does the exact same thing, yet Luke Hodge is apparently one of the best players in the comp because of this.

I would say Tom Harley is a poor player at all - if left unchecked he can destroy teams from the back by turning the ball over. Luke Hodge is a better kick than Harley but Harley has the option to play as a small of tall defender when needed.

Tom Harley is not in the games top 5 but he's solid contributor in a good side.

 

[mb0y]

Tom Harley = Good Player

Judd, G-Ablett and Buddy = Superstars

Hodge = Overrated, Media Focused Gun

Getting carried into the starting line of the AA team off the back of half a decent season, why? Because of his name.

Gun player, still hasn't done enough in his career to warrant pure superstar status. As for people comparing Judd to Hodge. Partially dominating half a season compared to 3 years of utter obliteration - Judd still has credits in the bank, Hodge just opened his account.

 

[Simon_Nesbit]

I'd argue the opposite mb0y.

Judd, Ablett and Buddy = Overated in the Media (Superstars...literally).

Hodge = until recently Underrated in the Media.

All four are guns, you could put various arguments forward about all four, but 3 are (until recently) pumped up WAY more than the fourth.

Shawthing is absolutely correct when he notes the "flashy" players (run with the ball, high mark, etc) get noticed more than other, better players. Croad has been amongst the best KPD in the league for the last four seasons, but because he doesn't get much of the ball, many still view him as the inconsistent "utility" he was back in 2001, when he WAS overrated in the media. (What did he do then? Run fast, jump high, kick long goals).

Judd was always a good in-close ball-winner, but his escape velocity was so high that the midfield was built around this aspect - with 3-4 teammates blocking for him, he was able to run through and into space with his acceleration - if he had great disposal, he would have been heading towards being one of the best players of all time. As it is he'd be in the top 50 alltime, maybe higher.

 

[Hawks to fly]

Not entirely relevant but in 34 years of barracking for the Hawks, I rate Hodge in the top 4 in terms of sheer pleasure in watching him play alongside in no particular order Leigh Matthews, Buddy and Darren Jarman. He is an absolute natural in the way he plays which is one of many reasons I love watching Hodge. Harley is just a little more exciting to watch than grass growing

 

[tazhawk]

Hodge plays a completely different role to judd. I think judds years at the eagles puts him well ahead but currently the gap is very very small.

Spot on............................ but please don't tell Carltank Noobs this.

 

[Gumbleton4Life]

hodge is a freeeeak. best kick in the AFL, and can play anywhere on the ground, which is why hawthorn took him at #1 over judd in the first place. Tom Harley is a one trick pony - and is doesnt hurt teams on the rebound, rather he nullifies attacks.

 

[koutamarto]

while I think hodge is great off the HB line and is 1 of my fave players to play outside of carlton, his best 2 seasons have probably come from playing in the backline. I feel when he goes into the middle he gets a little bit more attention and has trouble with the tag, hence why the coach has moved him back. Good coaching, and a great versatile talent hodge is.

 

[toomanysquibs]

I feel when he goes into the middle he gets a little bit more attention and has trouble with the tag, hence why the coach has moved him back. Good coaching, and a great versatile talent hodge is.

Nah, that's not the reason. He goes fine in the middle, the odd tag gets on top of him, but it's the same with all our midfielders.

Hodge's just more value in defence right now, an area we're deficient in.