EXCITING Hawthorn midfielder Bradley Hill hopes to impact the scoreboard more in the second half of this season.
The premiership midfielder is having a breakout season for the Hawks, emerging as one of their prime ball movers.
He is averaging 21.7 disposals, up from 16.1 last year and is ranked number one at the Hawks for inside 50s.
While possessing elite pace and endurance, one knock on Hill’s game last year was in his disposal, something he has worked hard on over the pre-season.
Now, he is just another elite Hawthorn ball user, using it at 74.5 per cent efficiency in his 13 matches this season.
But after booting 18 goals in his 24 game last year, the 21 year old has managed just seven in 2014 and sees that as an area for improvement in the coming weeks.
“I’ve kicked seven or eight goals this year but I haven’t hit the scoreboard as much as I’d like,” Hill told hawthornfc.com.au
“Even when you’re a midfielder who’s resting forward, you need to try and hit the scoreboard when you can because those goals are important.”
Hill kicked a goal in five of the opening seven games before failing to hit the scoreboard in the ensuing month, before kicking a goal in each of the last two matches.
That is one area of his game that he can be forgiven for, however, given the outstanding form he has shown this year in just his third season of footy.
Incredibly, Hill is yet to play 50 games – currently sitting on 42 career matches.
In just that small space of time, he has won a premiership and have bestowed upon him one of the game’s biggest compliments in footy – being tagged by the opposition.
In last Saturday’s 29-point win over Collingwood, Hill was tagged by one of the game’s best defensive midfielders Brent Macaffer and performed well under duress.
Although his disposal count – 14 – was down on his season average, the youngster still managed to have an impact by kicking a goal and setting up another.
“It was different having someone come to me – it was a good challenge,” Hill said.
“It did surprise me at first but I saw it as a good challenge and I backed myself to use my run and my speed.”
If he continues his outstanding form, it could be something the West Australian will need to get used to but for now, he’s focused on helping the Hawks to another win over a top-eight side.
The Hawks take on the Suns at Aurora Stadium on Saturday, the second meeting between the two sides this season.
Hawthorn were comprehensive winners in the Round 4 contest, victorious by 99 points but Hill knows Saturday’s clash will be much different to the season’s earlier contest.
The Suns are coming off their best ever win – a 40-point victory over Geelong – while the Hawks have won their last four in a row.
“They had a good win over a good, they’ve improved a lot this year so we’ll have to play our best footy to get the win,” Hill said.
“We can’t think about what happened last time. They probably didn’t play their best footy – we need to be ready for them to play like they did last week, not like they did in Round 4.”