Hipwood: An eye to the future. By Peter Blucher.
Eric Hipwood gave Brisbane Lions fans were a sneak preview of what they’ll hope is an exciting future when he made a memorable MCG debut on Saturday.
Playing only is second game against Richmond at ‘headquarters’, the 18-year-old left footer kicked three goals in his side’s 42-point loss.
He was his side’s leading goal-kicker and looked right at home on the biggest stage.
Indeed, he could easily have had five goals, pulling two long range set shots narrowly to the right.
Even with three goals the 203cm Sunshine Coaster joins some exclusive company on the Lions history books.
Hipwood is the 23rd teenager to kick three or more goals for the club in an AFL game, and the 12th player aged 18 or younger.
Among the 23 teenagers to kick three or more goals, only Steve McLuckie, Luke Power, Justin Sherman and Marco Paparone did so more quickly.
McLuckie kicked four goals on debut in 1992 aged 19, Power kicked three on debut in 1998 aged 18, Sherman kicked three on debut in 2005 aged 18, and Paparone kicked three on debut in 2013 aged 18.
Michael Voss was the youngest player to kick three or more goals in a game. He was 17 when he booted four in his 7th game.
The full list of players aged 18 or younger to kick three or more goals in a game for the Bears/Lions is:-
17 years 263 days – Michael Voss – 7th game
18 years 81 days – Justin Sherman – debut
18 years 86 days – Damien Cupido – 3rd game
18 years 87 days – Luke Power – debut
18 years 178 days – Daniel Bradshaw – 4th game
18 years 202 days – Rhan Hooper – 7th game
18 years 207 days – Des Headland – 3rd game
18 years 230 days – Marco Paparone – 1st game
18 years 286 days – Eric Hipwood – 2nd game
18 years 293 days – Marcus Ashcroft – 16th game
18 years 317 days – Justin Leppitsch – 6th game
18 years 334 days – Nigel Lappin – 24th game
Nineteen-year-olds to kick three or more goals in a game for the club have been McLuckie, Darryl White, Jason Akermanis, Jonathan Brown, Mitch Clark, Chris Scott, Todd Banfield, Josh Green, Sam Mayes, Lewis Taylor and Dan McStay.
Hipwood, who kicked one goal on debut against West Coast at the Gabba in Round 13, played 89% of game time against Richmond and had three marks, two marks inside 50, three contested possessions and two tackles.
While it is only a small sample, it was enough for his enormous promise and the forward line partnership he may share with fellow 18-year-old Josh Schache moving forward to be a hot talking part at the Lions sell-out Hall of Fame dinner in Melbourne on Saturday night.
In other Queensland highlights from the weekend:-
- Nick Riewoldt, returning from injury, had a season-high 26 possessions and 10 marks to lead St.Kilda to an upset three-point win over Geelong at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night. His 116 Champion Data points was his eighth ‘century’ of the season.
- Tom Hickey had 25 hit-outs, 12 possessions, seven clearances and three goals assists for the Saints in the same game.
- Jarrod Harbrow had a season-high 25 possessions and kicked a goal in Gold Coast’s loss to Hawthorn in Launceston on Sunday. He had 91 Champion Data points.
- Alex Sexton earned 90 Champion Data points for his 22 possessions (10 contested possessions) in the same game. It was his second-highest CD score of the year.
- Josh Smith had 25 possessions, four tackles, a goal and 93 Champion Data points in Collingwood’s Friday night win over Fremantle at the MCG.
- Corey Wagner had nine possessions and an equal team-high nine tackles in North Melbourne’s Thursday night loss to Adelaide at Adelaide Oval
- Matthew Hammelmann had 10 disposals and two contested marks on debut for the Lions against Richmond – eight in an encouraging second half.
