WELCOME TO THE MELBOURNE FOOTBALL CLUB - MICHAEL HIBBERD

[Lord Ivanhoe 311]

Moment before OMac gets the ball. A tackle would have been too late.

The guy is a gun and we're worried about tackles????

 

[In Harmes Way 7,823]

10 hours ago, Nasher said:

To answer my own question a bit, looking at the numbers closely, our defenders are nearly all in the bottom few players for tackles.  Hibberd and the McDonald bros regularly feature at the bottom end of the ladder.  The inside mids (Viney, Oliver etc) sit at the top.  The ladder for 1%ers - of which spoils is a key feature - almost looks like the tackles ladder in reverse, with Hibberd, McDonald bros, Frost and Jetta often featuring at the top.

I'd have to say Nash in support of this that I recall relatively few stoppages deep in defence. Most stoppages are, IIRC, across the half back line and our mids are generally back in support and tackling. Backs generally hang off the the contest where possible and try to get quick ball movement via handball chains to a player in space (often Hibbo) to clear. When I think of the Mac brothers, its intercept marking that's their strength. Frosty is our rebound ace.

Gresham from St Kilda just ran T Mac around in circles in R1, danced around him and kicked goals. I don't think of our backline as tackling grunt, with the exception of the oft underrated (but not here) Jetta.

[monoccular 17,575]

10 hours ago, stevethemanjordan said:

 

Haha.

A clearing kick that happened to find a Melbourne jumper?

I guess some might say that's clever.

 

steve - did you enjoy the moment and enjoy the win, or are you more concerned that it, in your view, happened by accident?

Enjoy the win. 

8 hours ago, Akum said:

This is really interesting. I haven't quite connected all the dots yet but I think it has something to do with what's expected of a zone defence. Corralling, intercepting & spoiling & smothering are much more important than tackling, contested marking and kicking long down the line.

Tackling an opponent gives you a ball-up. Corralling them and covering all their teammates means that you force them into attempting a pinpoint disposal by hand or foot, which will most often lead to an intercept and possible scoring opportunity.

Likewise, it used to be that defenders were to stop their immediate opponent from scoring, and if they won the ball, get it to the mids to take it out of defence. Now, the defenders are supposed to run it out with quick breakaways, while the mids are making position in the corridor or running forward to get to the drop of the ball in the f50.

Buckley & Treloar have said repeatedly in interviews since that they knew we were the No. 1 "pressure acts" team in the AFL, as if this was the outstanding thing about our game style, and that they were expecting to have to perform under immense pressure. If they're right, this is no accident, but part of what Goody's trying to achieve. I also think this is the style that Buckley's trying to emulate.

Again, this is not the total thing, but I think the "low-tackles high-1%ers" is a part of this in some way.

Neeld said we would be the hardest team to play against, though I think he meant under his reign, not half a decade later. 

[Pates 9,660]

I was happy but cautious about us getting Hibberd, there was always that unknown after the year off as to how he would go. 

He would have to be up the pointy end of our B&F count, he hasn't put a foot wrong and again was a calm head down back. As many have said, Watts gets the plaudits (rightfully so it was a clutch goal) but it would never had happened without Hibberds desperate spoil. 

One of the recruits of the year for any team. 

[beelzebub 23,383]

There's no I in team...but there's 'mate'

I think Michael is among mates.

We're slowly starting to play like a team of mates.

Reminds me a little bit of a 'flying carpet' . Not glamorous but effective.

[Skuit 10,031]

I haven't once checked Hibberd's tackle-stats. Not sure why anyone would feel the need to.

[Nasher 33,617]

8 hours ago, Lord Ivanhoe said:

Moment before OMac gets the ball. A tackle would have been too late.

The guy is a gun and we're worried about tackles????

 

Who is worried about tackles?

[rpfc 28,779]

I am going to stand up for tackles here, tackles are great.

Leaves tackles alone!

[Adam The God 30,421]

13 hours ago, Lord Ivanhoe said:

Moment before OMac gets the ball. A tackle would have been too late.

The guy is a gun and we're worried about tackles????

 

Please tell me where you got this from LT. I want to bait a few Collingwood and Essendon mates on Instagram.

[Nasher 33,617]

9 hours ago, Skuit said:

I haven't once checked Hibberd's tackle-stats. Not sure why anyone would feel the need to.

Because it's interesting?

[jnrmac 20,189]

Champion Data provide an easy-to-digest tackle count for every match. Prowess Sports split them up into Tackle Attempts and Effective Tackles. The clubs, on the other hand, often break them down even further, preferring to have dedicated statisticians keeping an eye on held tackles, broken tackles, missed tackles and the like.

The most common myth about tackling is that if you have more tackles than the opposition then you’ve probably been chasing backsides all day. Not so, particularly when you look at the fact that almost 60% of teams that have won the tackle count in 2016 actually won the game.

Pressure acts are just as important and Hibberd is first class in this area.

But when it is all said and done he gets the ball and is a magnificent kick - something we havent had as a defender for many years.

Recruit of the year.

 

[Bluey's Dad 3,419]

2 hours ago, A F said:

Please tell me where you got this from LT. I want to bait a few Collingwood and Essendon mates on Instagram.

Please provide links if you do

 

[What 18,810]

He is 1st at the club in total Rebound 50's despite missing the first four games of the season. Averages almost twice as many as second placed Christian Salem.

He is a weapon off half back and must be in AA calculations.  Cant believe we got him for pick 25 or so.  People say it makes up for the Mellksham trade, no, we have officially robbed Essendrug blind.

Even Melksham has been handy lately and gives us an extra veteran body as we get to the business end of the season and push for finals.

[What 18,810]

If hes not All Australian the MFC should sue the selectors and AFL.

[Forest Demon 4,681]

But, but...he didn't even make Rohan Connolly's top 10 recruits of the year? 

No wonder he got the flick.

[Pates 9,660]

Hasn't put a foot wrong all year, one of the best recruits I've seen since following the Dees. 

[Deestroy All 14,266]

[Biffen 12,947]

He has the one thing that separates the a graders and the b graders.

Time.

Class act.

[Lord Ivanhoe 311]

On 6/15/2017 at 11:50 AM, A F said:

Please tell me where you got this from LT. I want to bait a few Collingwood and Essendon mates on Instagram.

Sorry for the late reply AF, hope this link works

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10154365178746580&set=gm.10155848264773797&type=3&theater

 

[Moonshadow 17,677]

I'm calling it...

Hibberd will win the bluey.

[Devil is in the Detail 883]

2 hours ago, Moonshadow said:

I'm calling it...

Hibberd will win the bluey.

Put your money where your mouth is.

[Moonshadow 17,677]

4 minutes ago, Devil is in the Detail said:

Put your money where your mouth is.

Not a betting man. Do you doubt he would be a fitting winner?

[Devil is in the Detail 883]

1 hour ago, Moonshadow said:

Not a betting man. Do you doubt he would be a fitting winner?

Bit of jest Moon. If he keeps his form he will win the bluey, make the AA team and will be recruit of the year. No doubt.

[PaulRB 6,411]

1 hour ago, Moonshadow said:

Not a betting man. Do you doubt he would be a fitting winner?

With Maxy back giving silver service to our mids, their dominance of the Bluey may resume...?

[Jaded No More 68,974]

Will definitely finish top 5

Other contenders at this stage: Oliver, Jetta, Jones, Watts