Hille article.

[tom9779]

Sheedy masterstroke? I dunno Hille had some good moments prior to round 20 last year.




Particularly when he won us the 2004 elim final.


http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/ ... 42,00.html

Cop this, Sheeds
Jon Ralph | June 28, 2008 12:00am



MAYBE dropping David Hille was Kevin Sheedy's last coaching masterstroke.
Eight years after Sheedy plucked the athletic young Peninsula Grammar student from junior volleyball ranks, Hille's career at Essendon had seemingly plateaued.

Sheedy had tried giving him on-field mentors in John Barnes and Paul Salmon, yet that didn't work.

He had given him the captaincy in Matthew Lloyd's forced absence, a responsibility that at times seemed more a burden than an honour.

He had given him time - eight seasons of treacle-slow improvement.

Finally, in the dying days of his coaching career at Windy Hill, Sheedy gave Hille a point to prove.

Hille, who turned 27 this month, is in the richest form of a career full of individual highlights but consistently inconsistent form.

Two weeks ago he systematically dismantled West Coast's Dean Cox, then last weekend did a number on Carlton duo Matthew Kreuzer and Cameron Cloke.

Blues coach Brett Ratten had him best on ground, with daylight second.

While those duels have grabbed the public imagination, all season Hille has been playing the type of football Essendon fans have hoped for all these years.

You can put Hille's improvement down to patience, or fitness, or the realisation that his time has come.

Or you can chart it back to Round 20 last year, when Sheedy dropped Hille for a petulant boundary-line display when he was benched once too often for his liking.

Sheedy has never cared about the method, as long as he achieved the desired result.

And maybe Hille has him to thank for providing the motivation to lift his career to a much higher plane.

Essendon midfield coach and former teammate Scott Camporeale has seen the impact and career-best numbers - an average of 15.9 disposals, 7.8 contested possessions and 21 hitouts and a total of 12 goals - and said the change had been dramatic.

"Last year, by his own admission, he didn't have the best year, and he came out this pre-season really fired up and determined to prove a lot of people wrong. It was just a change in attitude that has made him a great player for us this year," Camporeale said.

"There was a lot of media and a lot of things said about Hilley towards the end of the year, and Hilley has a lot of pride, and this year is the result of that.

"What happened last year gave him a spur on, but having Matty (Knights) get the job as well has given him a new lease on life."

Hille's impact this year has been so telling that some are touting him as the most improved player in the competition.

Certainly, he provides the kind of platform Essendon can build its midfield around.

Camporeale said Hille had always had the complete package to become an elite ruckman.

He weighs 110kg, yet still gets around Princes Park (3.2km) in 11min 10sec, an outlandish time for someone of his size.

He throws weights around, has good skills, can win the ball in close, and can go forward and be an attacking weapon.

The problem was he rarely did it in successive games. Camporeale said the change had come about through the opportunity Knights had given him, but also because of an attacking mindset.

"I rate Dean Cox right up there, but Hilley was pretty confident going into that game, I must admit," he said.

"He had done the job on him early in the pre-season, so he was relatively confident going into the game, and he is just enjoying the challenge week after week."

Hille recently conceded plenty had to change after a poor 2007 season.

"I wasn't fit enough last year and I don't think I was intense enough. And when there are a lot of little things not working, you get into a spiral of non-confidence and it feeds on your form," he said.

"I was on the edge for a couple of weeks before Sheeds rang me and said, 'You trained well this week but it just wasn't enough'.

"I was very, very lucky to come in for the last game (after Paddy Ryder was injured). My performance in the twos certainly didn't warrant it, but I thought I finished on a fairly strong note, and that sent me straight into pre-season for this year. I started this year then, in a sense."

Salmon is thrilled with Hille's form.

"He looks like a player who has found himself in so many ways. He has found out where he sits in the mix of things, and knows where he can be most dangerous as a ruckman," Salmon said.

"Sometimes it takes a couple of years, or it can take seven or eight years, and it's been great to see him play like this."

Salmon said the fact Hille was an understudy to himself and Barnes might ultimately help his career.

"If he is a normal human being, he would have been a little frustrated by the notion of having to wait another year or two to get the mantle," he said.

"I can understand that. I served a 12-13 year apprenticeship under Simon Madden and waited until I was 31 until I became first ruck of a football team.

"He would have been bemused when Sheeds got older buggers back to play, but he is a good learner who took it well, and we got along well.

"Dean Cox found out early how he was going to ruck, and Hille might have found out late. He is certainly playing like a guy who has worked out his game."

Essendon's premiership ruckman of 2000, Steve Alessio, said the penny had finally dropped this year.

"There is that moment when you realise, 'I am good enough to be in this competition and be a really good player'. He has had that moment," he said.

Tomorrow Hille will come up against Fremantle giant Aaron Sandilands at Subiaco Oval.

"Yeah, it will be an interesting proposition, but Hilley is in the right head space," Camporeale said. "Sandilands has the height advantage, but Hilley has the running power and strength. It will be a pretty even duel."

If he keeps it up, Hille might find himself on the bench in the All-Australian side

[Boyler_Room]

If he keeps it up, Hille might find himself on the bench in the All-Australian side

On the bench? Who is ahead of him at the moment on form?

[sconsey]

Lade = Out of form
Cox = Smashed by Hille

How has Brogan been going? Jolly has been doing pretty good I think, and to early to think of the rest.

[hop]

Most improved player in the comp - IMHO - and should be selected as an All Australian ruck-man.

Holds the key to our performance today - and practically for the rest of the season.

[billyduckworth]

Badly beaten in the hitouts today but still did a few things around the ground.

[Boyler_Room]

Crikey, Hille gave away a 10cm height advantage. I fully expected Sandilands to dominate the hitouts. Who wouldn't? But Hille was damaging around the ground. The good news was our midfield was reading the Sandilands tap pretty well.

[onzman]

Most improved player in the comp - IMHO - and should be selected as an All Australian ruck-man.

Holds the key to our performance today - and practically for the rest of the season.

Spot on - by a mile.

[MH_Bomber]

Badly beaten in the hitouts today but still did a few things around the ground.

I've noticed when Sandilands dominates the ruck in the way he did against us yesterday and Geelong earlier this year, Freo rarely win. Its all very well getting the hit out but its of little use if it doesnt go to your own teams advantage. Hille on the other had, when he did win it, did find our rovers and even roved a goal from Sandilands.

[Ossie]

Badly beaten in the hitouts today but still did a few things around the ground.

I've noticed when Sandilands dominates the ruck in the way he did against us yesterday and Geelong earlier this year, Freo rarely win. Its all very well getting the hit out but its of little use if it doesnt go to your own teams advantage. Hille on the other had, when he did win it, did find our rovers and even roved a goal from Sandilands.

That's it with Sandilands, all you need Hille to do is make a contest and our blokes (Watson, McVeigh etc) can just rove the footy off Sandilands' taps. I thought he did very well all things considered yesterday.

[j-mac31]

Badly beaten in the hitouts today but still did a few things around the ground.

I've noticed when Sandilands dominates the ruck in the way he did against us yesterday and Geelong earlier this year, Freo rarely win. Its all very well getting the hit out but its of little use if it doesnt go to your own teams advantage. Hille on the other had, when he did win it, did find our rovers and even roved a goal from Sandilands.

They won the hitouts 59-12 yet we won first possessions & clearances 41-40 & 41-34 respectably.

Sandilands doesn't tap to advantage enough (yesterday at 18%, beaten by Warnock at 50% and Laycock at 33%) and his midfielders aren't hard enough. Our midfielders however are tough nuts who go in and win the ball and Hille is usually a very good tapper these days.