Where is Brisbane forward Eric Hipwood best suited in the Lions' lineup?
The 25-year-old signed a massive six-year contract extension in December that will tie him to the club until the end of 2029.
Hipwood has played 128 games and kicked 189 goals, used only as a forward for coach Chris Fagan, but have they missed a trick in not playing the athletic tall down in defence?
In the weekend’s 54-point loss to Port Adelaide, Hipwood had just four disposals and took two marks from 82 per cent time on ground, which has prompted the discussion.
Classed as one of the premium talls in his draft class of 2015, Hipwood was used as a utility for Queensland’s under-18 side, gaining All-Australian selection at the National Championships as a back pocket.
Champion Data’s Daniel Hoyne believes it's time for Hipwood to head back, drawing comparisons between his brilliant U18 numbers and his poor AFL numbers.
“We’ve had conversations internally about Eric Hipwood for a little while and without potting Eric too much, the last seven years of any player to play 100 games, he’s the lowest-rated player in the competition,” Hoyne told SEN’s Sportsday.
“My question around Eric is that clearly right now and in for last 18 games, Brisbane have got defensive issues, they haven’t got the interceptor behind the ball and Harris Andrews has to play on the number one key forward each week.
“We have seen time and time again the failed forward go back. We saw Esava Ratugolea on the weekend, he went back and looked terrific behind the ball.
“I think its worth the discussion in throwing Hipwood behind the ball. As a kid playing under-18 championships he averaged eight intercepts a game and almost three and a half intercept marks a game, they’re elite numbers at AFL level.
“We haven’t seen him play behind the ball at all throughout his 118-game career and I think the times come to have a potential discussion around this to get Eric going but to also get your defensive system going because you need that interceptor behind the ball that Melbourne, Geelong and Collingwood, who are probably the three best teams in at the moment they all have that player behind the ball.”
Brisbane, on the back of their 54-point loss to the Power, will look to silence some doubters on Friday night against Melbourne.