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Bobby Hill has decided to return to Victoria - should we pounce?

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News has dropped on Saturday afternoon that Greater Western Sydney Giant - Bobby Hill, has requested a trade back home to Victoria.

The request has been made so that Hill and his partner (who is pregnant) can be closer to family, including cousin and former Hawk Brad Hill.

It means the 21-year old who was taken with pick 24 in the 2018 national draft is now on the market - which begs the question: is he a ready made replacement for the possible loss of Ollie Hanrahan?

Ample replacement?

Daniel Prins and Simon Morawetz look at both angles.

The case for - Daniel Prins

In making a case for Hawthorn to chase Bobby Hill, I can’t help thinking back to when the Hawks were interested in Jarman Impey. There was a lot of scepticism at the time of the trade but when we look back now, there probably isn’t a single Hawk fan who would not have made that trade.

The reality is Bobby Hill can do things that no one on Hawthorn’s list can do. He’s inconsistent and definitely not the finished product, but that’s part of the reason why the Hawks should be chasing him.

Hill is capable of producing the freakish, the kind of thing that brings people through the turnstiles, or as was the case for the past couple of seasons, the kind of thing that makes people switch on the tele. The Hawks have a number of voids in their list at the moment, and a player like Hill is certainly one of them.

We miss Cyril, and while I am in no ways suggesting Hill is the heir to the Rioli throne (no one is), I am suggesting he can replicate some of the genius that gets people off their seats (or couches).

We miss you Cyrilclaus.

If you’re mounting a case for Hill by using his stats, your case is going to come up short. Hill’s game is built around the intangibles. The smart knock-ons, the one percenters, but also the hangers and the check-side snags. He does things that inspire his team-mates and the fans.

Hill is also at the perfect age to come in and grow with this Hawthorn playing group. At 21, with 30 games under his belt, and going in to his fourth year in the AFL, Hill is primed to break out and become the next gun small forward of the competition.

It is for these reasons that the Hawks should look to acquire Hill, and a future second round pick should be enough to get it done.

So Mr McKenzie, if you’re reading this, please make sure we see an image of Bobby holding up a Hawthorn jersey in front of the Sir Kenneth Luke stand at Waverley by midweek next week.

The case against - Simon Morawetz

The case against Bobby is pretty simple: he’s just not that good a player. Certainly not as good as the reputation that precedes him. While he could have an impact in a team that’s already good, I think he's a liability in a developing team. 

He has played 30 games so far, mostly in the forward pocket, kicking 25 goals. I’d expect at least a goal a game from a forward in a good team like GWS. He’s had 10+ disposals just thirteen times and 4+ tackles nine times.  

I know stats don’t tell the whole story, especially for a player in that role. But he doesn’t find the ball, he doesn’t hit the scoreboard, and he doesn’t tackle. I’m sure he can do some spectacular things, but he doesn’t do enough of the basics.  

Is Bobby Hill too much of a ghost?

Consider this: despite having made the finals in two of his three seasons, GWS wins less than 50% of the time when he plays (14 wins from 30 games).  

We got a good microcosm of his game when we played GWS earlier this year. He torched us for a quarter, booting two goals and having a hand in another. But although the game was there for him to tear apart, he completely disappeared after the first break. I know the Giants didn’t get it forward as much after that but he might as well have already hit the showers.  

Of course, this entire discussion is predicated on Hill deciding that Hawthorn is the right place for him. For a player who seems to need a lot of inside-50s to have an impact, I don’t see how joining a developing side is the best thing for his career.   

I would love him to become a great player, especially if he becomes a Hawk! I’m just not holding my breath.

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