Keep Hickey in the team!

[Moods]

Has to play as far as I'm concerned. We looked so much better balanced with 2 genuine ruckmen. He needs game time and Ben needs help rucking. Thought it went a long way toward our mids playing much better last night.

[bigcarl]

Agree. He's going to be a good player.

You go with your strengths. If you've got two good ruckmen then play two rucks.

[ozrulestrace]

I'm very impressed with Hickey and I hope he stays in the team giving both Ben McEvoy a chance to share the rucking and whilst Ben can go done back, Hickey can go into the forward line.

[St Chris]

McEvoy would have been shot by 3 quarter time if there was no Hickey last night (given the way he's closed out games in recent times). It would have almost certainly meant a loss given his output in the last. Hickey stays for mine, he just needs to be more dangerous inside 50, we cant rely on Nick to keep this form up for another 16 weeks...

[SainterK]

Great last quarter.

Depends on who we come up against, like the Crows...are they just playing Jacobs at the moment?

[bigcarl]

Great last quarter.

Depends on who we come up against, like the Crows...are they just playing Jacobs at the moment?

Why should it depend on who we are playing? I reckon we should maximise our strengths and that is (or will be once Hickey matures) a star ruck combination. Make them match up on us. Just my opinion.

[Stillwaiting]

Agree Hickey must stay in, I think he will continue to improve and McEvoy needs the help

[dragit]

Won't be dropped if he continues like that.

[st_Trav_ofWA]

Hickey was serviceable .. but thats all we really need him to be honestly late in the game Hickey was able to hold his own in the ruck that allowed Ben to be the differance and make the moves in the last to help us hold onto that game ...
it proves 3 things to me .
1 McEvoy can lead this team to victory
2 Scotty is not afraid to put faith in Hickey to get the job done
3 Hickey will become a better player for that faith being shown in him

it would have been very easy for Scotty to go with Big Ben in those last mins as the "safe" option but he trusted Hickey to hold his own so we could use Ben as the rock down back ....

[st_Trav_ofWA]

Won't be dropped if he continues like that.

has he been dropped though ?
he played round one and got injured and Scotty has taken time to get him back into the team ...

[SainterK]

Great last quarter.

Depends on who we come up against, like the Crows...are they just playing Jacobs at the moment?

Why should it depend on who we are playing? I reckon we should maximise our strengths and that is (or will be once Hickey matures) a star ruck combination. Make them match up on us. Just my opinion.

Because we could potentially be too top heavy against a side with one key ruck playing, not every week....just sometimes.

[dragit]

Won't be dropped if he continues like that.

has he been dropped though ?
he played round one and got injured and Scotty has taken time to get him back into the team ...

No he hasn't, but Kosi was picked ahead of him 3 weeks ago… don't think that will happen again unless Hickey plays some really ordinary games. His output was at least equal to Kosi's recent form last night.

[SaintWodonga]

Can't see any reason to keep playing Kosi. We need to keep playing Hickey, looked very promising tonight.

[st_Trav_ofWA]

Hickey is a younge player coming off an injury i reckon Scotty was being a bit more conservitive with him and not wanting to rush him back hence why Kosi got the game over him ... i dont really think that Kosi was the preferance if all things were equal

[bigcarl]

Because we could potentially be too top heavy against a side with one key ruck playing, not every week....just sometimes.

Footy's played in the air as well as on the ground so there are big advantages to having height.

In any case, I feel that down the track Hickey is going to be a good enough player that you have no choice but to play both he and McEvoy.

[Zed]

Can't see any reason to keep playing Kosi. We need to keep playing Hickey, looked very promising tonight.

I agree with the sentiment, but I would still like the club to give Kosi 3 more games to get to his 200. This will be his last year and he has been one of the most serviceable and loyal players we have had over the past 15 years. His body has been through hell for the Saints, and it would be a wonderful send off if the club could organise for his 200th to be a home game and give him a wonderful send off.

[LTN16]

Great last quarter.

Depends on who we come up against, like the Crows...are they just playing Jacobs at the moment?

Why should it depend on who we are playing? I reckon we should maximise our strengths and that is (or will be once Hickey matures) a star ruck combination. Make them match up on us. Just my opinion.

Agree bigcarl. Keep Hickey in the team for the rest of the year. You don't trade your first round draft pick away for a player if your just going to play them in the 2's. He's only going to get better and better with the more games he plays and I reckon McEvoy plays better with him in the team as well..

[Moods]

Can't see any reason to keep playing Kosi. We need to keep playing Hickey, looked very promising tonight.

I agree with the sentiment, but I would still like the club to give Kosi 3 more games to get to his 200. This will be his last year and he has been one of the most serviceable and loyal players we have had over the past 15 years. His body has been through hell for the Saints, and it would be a wonderful send off if the club could organise for his 200th to be a home game and give him a wonderful send off.

Don't disagree with this Zed. I would absolutely love Kos to play his 200th. He deserves it. Read a stat the other day that said only 3 players from that draft that were picked in the top 10 are still playing. Riewoldt, Kos and Didak. For all his knockers and his deficiencies, just reckon he's been a great club man. For mine there is still room for sentiment in the game (within reason)

Walking around the ground at half time last night Jason Blake walked past me and my mate - we were both a little tipsy and we called out to him as he walked past. He looked a little startled at first, but I think he realised after a split second that we were genuine saints fans and his face just split with a grin and he said 'G'day boys, go saints.' Made me think that some of these guys who have been true warriors at our club deserve to be acknowledged with a 200th - if we get the chance to do it.

[mad saint guy]

What Hickey impressed me most with was his agility and second efforts. Usually rucks are very slow to pounce on a loose ball or get the handball out under pressure, but Hickey was beating midfielders to it.

He's at least three years away from having the strength to match it with quality AFL ruckmen but he's a bloody good prospect. If he can make himself serviceable up forward then we've got ourselves a very handy ruck combo for the next 7-8 years.

[Bernard Shakey]

Jason Blake said at the Hall of Fame Dinner that Hickey will be a gun.

[fugazi]

What Hickey impressed me most with was his agility and second efforts. Usually rucks are very slow to pounce on a loose ball or get the handball out under pressure, but Hickey was beating midfielders to it.

He's at least three years away from having the strength to match it with quality AFL ruckmen but he's a bloody good prospect. If he can make himself serviceable up forward then we've got ourselves a very handy ruck combo for the next 7-8 years.

And he actually gets taps to advantage (5 out of 9 of his taps this week)...he nearly always gets his hand to the ball.

[SainterK]

Jason Blake said at the Hall of Fame Dinner that Hickey will be a gun.

He did, and that he needed to get a few things out of his game first

[Saint wagga]

Agree with the positive feedback on hickey 100%. Hopefully he can string some games together and develop some rynthm. He was shocking in round 1, hard to know how much injury hampered him, and he wasn't alone in those oppressive conditions up in qld. Last night he showed some great touch, laid some really important tackles in the last quarter and seemed to get around the ground ok. The team balance looked good with the two big mobile boys...it's an exciting prospect, but I don't want to get too excited, he'll probably still have the odd stinker. Hope he can stay injury free. Ross and newnes really going well and I think are the standout young mids, wright not far behind, and Murdoch, Saunders and Webster look very promising. Throw in dunell and the mid/flanker stocks look exciting.

[bigcarl]

I don't want to get too excited, he'll probably still have the odd stinker.

Of course he will. Same goes for virtually all young players, particularly big ruckmen.

[BigMart]

Thought he was average....

Needs to get better in the air