He looks slow, struggles with his skills from time to time, doesn’t defend too well and doesn’t find the goal nearly enough. Unless it’s the Hawks game and he kicks amazing goals to win games for some reason.
Having said this, he was the rising star in 2011 and AA in 2014. Only 3 years ago, he was one of the best mids in the game. Still wasn’t quick but he found space. Could find the goals on the odd occasion, was using the ball incredibly well and found a lot of it!
A year off is a long time and coming back as captain with high expectations probably takes it toll at times. I reckon he will get there. Have faith, he is a young captain in his first year. Imagine how Hird looked after his first year as captain on the sidelines for most of the season. Hep is coming along well.
Not bad for a guy who isn’t playing well. But then again stats don’t mean anything. No he doesn’t have the same impact that Selwood does but he is not the same player either. His stats are good and in fact they show an improvement on 2014 and 2015 after a year off.
I think the problem lies in people’s expectations of him not the reality of how he is going.
I think our expectations of him are pretty fair, and I really don’t think he is living up to them completely.
As a slower, less skillful mid you NEED to be getting 8+ clearances a game and 15+ contested possessions a game. I think this is what we probably expected from him at the beginning of the season.
I do think he can really impact and control games in the Hodge HBF role - not too disimillar to Hurley really. He is great overhead, courageous - the perfect fit for a HBF.
I think when he has been good, he has been very good at times. Seen him have a huge 10 odd possession quarter. Then the very next one he is hardly sighted. He seems to be fading in and out of games, like a lot of our players especially the returning ones. Hopefully consistency will come.
His kicking and lack of pace would be a liability as a half back regular. I for one would like to minimise the opportunity for hepp to kick his little floaters into the corridor at half back.
I think he is paying his present role - inside mid resting forward - quite well though he has been a bit wasteful at times inside 50.
He’s been better than people are saying and for a returning player who hasn’t touched a footy for a year is doing a pretty good job, especially as he was made captain when he probably wasn’t ready for it.
I didn’t say they were, I was just showing that his stats are actually better than they are giving him credit for. Things like kicking goals and his disposal efficiency. They are up on the years when people raved about him yet for some reason they say he is worse.
I may get shot down for this but I’ve always thought Hep has been a tad overrated by the afl community.
Yes he was an AA previously but I’ve always thought his lack of pace, and kicking penetration would hold him back from becoming an A grade mid. So often he struggles to kick 45m, and does too many loopy kicks that often result in turnovers.
I hope he proves me wrong and takes his game to the next level.
Wasn’t everyone saying in the pre season and training that he seemed to be quicker? I personally don’t think he’s been as bad as people are saying. Possibly magnified because he seems to have been quiet when we’ve needed him most?
I don’t reckon you’ll find ONE person who will agree with you he’s having a better year this year than 2014 or 15. His footy in 2014 was Brownlow form.
I don’t think he’s had a BAD year by any terms, he’s had some very good games, but it only takes a quick look through this thread to see most people agree he’s had, by his standards, a bit of a down year. I don’t know why, or how you cannot see he has been less influential this year than previous
Stats are relevant mate, but sometimes their is a bit more to things than just stats. You’ve potted me in threads today for this mentality because you refuse to accept Heppell has maybe not been as great as you think this year simply because his stats are better than his previous two years