Boom recruit Brad Hill gave St Kilda fans an exciting sample of his electrifying talents during their 21-point win over Hawthorn in an entertaining Marsh Community Series encounter on Thursday night.
Under lights in front of a bumper crowd back at the club’s spiritual home at RSEA Park in Moorabbin, Hill dazzled, showcasing his familiar acceleration and silky skills by foot in the 17.9 (111) to 13.12 (90) triumph.
His first disposal was a beautifully chiseled pass to Tim Membrey before hitting up fellow new boy Paddy Ryder, striking an immediate connection with St Kilda’s tall timber.
The former Docker and three-time premiership Hawk finished with 18 disposals, six inside 50s and 452 metres gained.
Another new Saint that impressed was Dan Butler who joined from Richmond having been starved of opportunities in 2019.
Butler was lively throughout, nabbing an early goal and applying good forward pressure along with Jack Lonie, who ended the night with an equal game-high four majors.
Dan Butler doing what he does best. He slots his first for his new club. #MarshSeries pic.twitter.com/MeKaa4IzBG
— AFL (@AFL) February 20, 2020
Butler and Hill combined for 15 inside 50s and 13 score involvements, underlying their importance to St Kilda’s ball movement and creativity in attack moving forward.
Spearhead Membrey was superb for the winners with 24 touches, 12 marks and four goals, while young gun Max King kicked an early major and competed well both in the air and on the ground.
Hello there, 🤴 #MarshSeries
— SEN 1116 (@1116sen) February 20, 2020
pic.twitter.com/JmeLe3DucK
For Alastair Clarkson's Hawks, 2018 Brownlow Medallist Tom Mitchell looked as though he had barely missed a beat after a year out of the game, picking up 21 possessions and six clearances in three quarters.
While Mitchell himself admitted his game showed signs of rust, he was delighted to get through unscathed particularly after copping a few solid hits. He will undoubtedly form a dangerous midfield triumvirate with James Worpel and Jaeger O'Meara.
New recruit Jon Patton worked himself into proceedings after a sluggish start to finish with three goals from five scoring shots as well as six marks in a promising brown and gold debut while Luke Breust was efficient with three goals and youngster Mitchell Lewis added two majors.
Ben McEvoy started the night at centre half-back but was off early with a badly corked thigh which was a positive result considering it had earlier looked like a hamstring.
The two clubs will face each other again in a bushfire relief match in Morwell next Friday before taking on Collingwood in their final Marsh Community Series hit out also in Morwell on March 8.
