Harley Reid makes the team look better, I think there will be some gains with Ginbey & Hewett, maybe short a forward, Darling looks toast to me, if I'm West Coast I'd be reserving next year's first for a key forward.
-
IMPORTANT // Please look after your loved ones, yourself and be kind to others. If you are feeling that the world is too hard to handle there is always help - I implore you not to hesitate in contacting one of these wonderful organisations Lifeline and Beyond Blue ... and I'm sure reaching out to our PRE community we will find a way to help. T.
Welcome to the Tigers Jacob Hopper
- Thread starter tigerman
- Start date
The list is way too shallow for quality and the 3 you mentioned are all kids with less than 20 games between them
I really cannot see them winning more than 4 games in 2024
The question then beckons, why did GWS accept Adelaide's offer of pick 17 & and a future first? Wouldn't they be more interested in a top 4 pick next year? Or even Curtin? Of all the scenarios I reckon that stands out as odd, Adelaide are getting better, their pick likely to be in the teens. The only explanation is they rated Leake as top 10 and they feel West Coast might make some inroads this year.
Harsh mate. Remember he choose us in front of Geelong, he gets a pass on the back of that.
He is a quality ball winning midfielder.
He couldn't get his body right last yr.
Came with a knee issue, injured his ankle in round 2 and then carried leg niggles all year.
He has started the preseason with the others and hopefully he can completed it and gets a good lead up into 2024.
Otherwise we will have both Prestia and him filling the team sheet.
But always remember his recruitment was on the back of Hardwicks desperation/ hunger to win last year's flag after we were shafted in the elimination final.
I said it when we recruited him.
He's done nothing to disprove that yet.
I don't think he'll be best 22 by mid year.
I don't see what he gives us this year. Maybe after Dusty and Dion retire we'll need him.
Midfielders in the best 22 would be:
Dusty Prestia Bolton Taranto Graham Sonsie
Also, I reckon we'll see lots of: Ross, Dow, Campbell.
Also think Baker is a chance to play mid given the number of small running backs.
I don't see a need for Hopper.
Bold move to replace a 26 yo midfielder that averages 21.6 disposals across their career for a group of players like Sonsie, Dow, Ross, Graham that collectively, don’t come close to that kind of output.
At his best Hopper is a better performer than Graham, the only question is the PCL and the extent to which that has affected his mobility. His game against Adelaide was top shelf, that's a good sign, it just becomes a question of getting back to 100% fitness and returning to 2021 form. No guarantees of course but a fit Hopper could bring something extra to the table.
I noticed that too. Particularly at stoppage. Second efforts too often just weren't there.
Particularly troubling given he was recruited to help primarily in that area.
I really hope he gets a good run with that knee. Otherwise 6 years is going to feel like a long time.
Took the words our of my mouth.
Sony or Dow over Hopper give me a break.
Has Sony turned into Bompmytelly over the summer and Dow the next Cripps??
Thank you Dr DoLittke.
With 1 knee he is better then Dow
And who's Sony all of sudden??
He was damn lucky not to do his knee in that game, that looked nasty. Whose to say he didn't have issue's he struggled with on the back of that for the rest of the yr?
I'm in the camp of, he just needs to get his body right, he's easily best 22 when fit & offers something we don't have in the midfield which is why we got him in the 1st place. ultimately he can't be judged till his contract is up. He'll spike if he's fit next yr. Ppl seem to forget that all season he only did 1 main session every week & missed the other, doing both next yr will be a main help for him.
Sony is starting to look like a pro footballer, just needs to improve his consistency and ball winning ability. If I'm to nominate a player for a breakout year he's my man.
I feel for Hopper, everything that could go wrong did in 2023. He looked slow, proppy and had no burst from stoppage. Didn't look unfit, looked like his body wouldn't allow him to do the things he wanted. And he looked horribly frustrated. Annoyed at the entire situation. Wiping the year out. Hoping for vast improvement over this year.
