Michael Hibberd used to be a fantasy premium in his time at Essendon, then he joined Melbourne where he was asked more often than not to play as a tall defender, which tends to kill his fantasy output as he either hasn't got the energy or chooses not to run to receive on the rebound. Melbourne recruiting has now delivered a workable spine in Steven May, Jake Lever and one of Hore, Smith or Oscar McDonald, and the recent move of James Harmes back to midfield opens up the possibility of Hibberd reverting to a more lucrative role running off smalls. Is he still good enough to grab it?
Michael Hibberd used to be a fantasy premium in his time at Essendon, then he joined Melbourne where he was asked more often than not to play as a tall defender, which tends to kill his fantasy output as he either hasn't got the energy or chooses not to run to receive on the rebound. Melbourne recruiting has now delivered a workable spine in Steven May, Jake Lever and one of Hore, Smith or Oscar McDonald, and the recent move of James Harmes back to midfield opens up the possibility of Hibberd reverting to a more lucrative role running off smalls. Is he still good enough to grab it?
Pig, but not our kind
A member of the 2017 All-Australian side, Michael Hibberd has struggled to replicate that form since his stunning debut year at Melbourne as defensive duties have crowded out his creative side. Following a disappointing prior twelve months, his stat line slipped further with a decline in disposal and tackle averages. Now the wrong side of thirty with two seasons of quiet form in a defensive structure that is not conducive to maximising his rebound work, Hibberd has fallen from lofty fantasy stardom. The former Bomber has shown little evidence that this is simply a form trough. Take him very late as a fanciful diamond in the rough punt.
Blunt edge on Hibberd
You would have been dismayed if you drafted Michael Hibberd last season and looked at the round 1 team sheet, because only two 190cm+ players were named in Oscar McDonald and Jake Lever. Sure enough, his fantasy output dropped like a stone by a massive 24 points as he played the third tall defender role for the entire season, not helped when Lever was injured after the bye. His average ended up barely above the back baseline, with one score above 70 from his last seven. The recruitment of Steven May in the off season should rectify this horrific situation for Hibberd's future owners. The sword of Damocles will still be hanging over him, as an injury to either of his three tall teammates would mean less creativity and a reversion to the execrable scoring of 2018. The other negative possibility is that he stays in that awful role while Lever and/or May enjoy themselves as the plus one looking for intercepts. Those who remember past glories may reach for him in middle rounds.
Like the cut of his Hibberd
Melbourne couldn't have hoped for any more out of their new recruit Michael Hibberd last season, earning All-Australian honours with a year much like his previous peak in 2014. He marked a little less and received more handballs, enjoying the lack of hard tags (apart from two games against the Magpies) and the freedom not to have to play on talls as he had at Essendon. Michael Hurley was the only player to rebound more often. Hibberd was named in a back pocket in the AA team, though he's really a HBF and one of the best at that. The Demon defence will change a little bit next year with Jake Lever arriving to play seventh man, which should not change Hibberd's game as he will probably enjoy being released by Lever after the latter's trademark interceptions. He should be drafted very early, as he is in the peak of his powers.
