Nick Hind is sub today, which is a bit of a surprise given how important he was last year to the way Essendon played. His form has been poor so far this campaign, though of course he in not Robinson Crusoe in that regard in a team that has started like a house on fire... in the sense that everything is burning down quickly. He has to watch on from the start of today's blockbuster and will hope for a chance to show his best game, which combines defensive duties with some searing runs from the back half.
Nick Hind is sub today, which is a bit of a surprise given how important he was last year to the way Essendon played. His form has been poor so far this campaign, though of course he in not Robinson Crusoe in that regard in a team that has started like a house on fire... in the sense that everything is burning down quickly. He has to watch on from the start of today's blockbuster and will hope for a chance to show his best game, which combines defensive duties with some searing runs from the back half.
Nick Hind has been a key player in a lot of fantasy forward lines this season, enjoying a breakout year after an off-season move from St Kilda and a shift in position from half forward to half back. He combines the line-breaking runs of the departed Adam Saad with a pleasing amount of participation in uncontested ball on the rebound, something Saad tended to miss out on as he stayed deep. Most fantasy coaches have carnage-related spotfires elsewhere in their team to put out in the short term, but soon a decision has to be made whether Hind is a keeper.
Hind to step back?
A mature-aged selection from the 2018 national draft, forward Nick Hind added dash for the Saints in the second half of the season, averaging 11 touches and a goal per outing including three majors and 13 touches against the Lions in round 14. Selection pressure for the small forward position rises with the arrival of Daniel Butler. Hind established himself in the AFL side and will battle hard to maintain that role. Nevertheless, small forwards lack desirability as fantasy assets.
Nick Hind is one of a number of Saints who have been missing for much if not all of the year, leading to the poor performance of the team overall. He returns today and speculation is mounting that he will play forward, where he spent some time during his stint at Essendon. His fantasy output was always much better in attack, so while he is coming off a long layoff he makes an interesting choice in daily fantasy competitions if the rumours are true.
Hind comes from way back
Mature-aged and blessed with pace, Nick Hind should see senior action in 2019. A good, but not great, ball winner in the VFL with 22 disposals per game for Essendon last season, he registered ten in both JLT games his preseason on less than 60% time on ground. Defenders, more than any position, can surprise based on their lower level stats, so it's possible we'll see career-best numbers at the highest level. If Hind looks like he'll be in St Kilda's best 22, he's worth selecting late in drafts.
