Stephen Hill (Australian footballer)

Hill played for West Perth in the WAFL and represented Western Australian in the 2008 AFL Under 18 Championships and after playing some very impressive games was named in the Under 18 All-Australian Team.{{cite web|url=http://www.afl.com.au/News/NEWSARTICLE/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=69339|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524195705/http://www.afl.com.au/News/NEWSARTICLE/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=69339|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 May 2011|title=Draft countdown: Stephen Hill|last=Broad|first=Ben|publisher=afl.com|date=7 November 2008|access-date=29 November 2008}} He was originally tipped to be drafted later in the draft,{{cite web|url=http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,24622660-5005401,00.html|title=Essendon set to swoop on West Perth quick Stephen Hill|last=Clark|first=Jay|date=8 November 2008|publisher=PerthNow|access-date=29 November 2008}} but in the week leading up to the draft it was widely predicted that Fremantle would select him before Subiaco's Daniel Rich.{{cite web|url=http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=12&ContentID=110272|title=Dockers settle on Hill with a proviso|last=O’Donoghue|first=Craig|date=27 November 2008|publisher=The West Australian|access-date=29 November 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081203093907/http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=12&ContentID=110272|archive-date=3 December 2008}}

Hill was drafted with {{AFL Fre}}'s first pick, the third overall, in the 2008 AFL Draft.{{cite news|title=Stephen Hill Squad|url=https://www.fremantlefc.com.au/nga/stephen-hill-squad|access-date=22 December 2022|work=fremantlefc.com.au|language=en}} He made his debut during Round 1 of the 2009 AFL season against the Western Bulldogs, kicking a goal with his first kick in AFL football, courtesy of a 50-metre penalty.

Washbourne, Michael (29 March 2009) [http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,25260117-5005401,00.html Fremantle slump to 63-point loss to Bulldogs in round one]; PerthNow Hill had some quiet games before playing his best game in the round 6 Western Derby against the Eagles. Hill gathered 21 possessions, 2 goals and a game high 7 inside 50s in Fremantle's come from behind win,

Kim Hagdorn (3 May 2009) [http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,25420219-19742,00.html Fremantle Dockers offload West Coast Eagles]; Herald Sun which saw him earn the AFL Rising Star nomination for round 6.[http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,25431129-23211,00.html Fremantle's Stephen Hill awarded round six Rising Star nomination]; Fox Sports; 5 May 2009 In the same game he also polled the 3 Brownlow votes as best on ground.

Hill improved dramatically over his career at Fremantle, an example being his ability to think quickly and efficiently during games, attributed by his often surges of fast speed when possessing the ball. Hill retired from AFL in August 2021 after an injury plagued season.{{cite web| url = https://thewest.com.au/sport/fremantle-dockers/fremantle-dockers-veteran-stephen-hill-announces-retirement-after-injury-plagued-career--c-3643940| title = Fremantle Dockers veteran Stephen Hill announces retirement after injury-plagued career {{!}} The West Australian}}

Until he was drafted by Fremantle, Hill supported the West Coast Eagles. Hill is the older brother of former teammate Bradley Hill and first cousin of former Giant and 2023 Collingwood premiership player and Norm Smith Medallist Bobby Hill. He is also the second cousin of former Western Bulldogs and West Coast forward Joshua Hill.{{cite web |url=https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sport/afl/a/14447089/hill-v-hill-as-cousins-clash/ |title=Hill v Hill as cousins clash - The West Australian |website=au.news.yahoo.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305134805/https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sport/afl/a/14447089/hill-v-hill-as-cousins-clash/ |archive-date=2016-03-05}}

The 2013 AFL Grand Final saw the Hill brothers become the first siblings to play against each other in a Grand Final since the 1912 VFL Grand Final.{{cite news|title=AFL Grand final: Hawthorn's Brad and Fremantle's Stephen Hill first brothers in century to face off|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-24/hill-brothers-in-race-for-grand-final-glory/4977150|work=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|date=24 September 2013|first=|last=AAP}}

: Statistics are correct to the end of the 2021 season[http://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/S/Stephen_Hill.html Stephen Hill's player profile at AFL Tables]

{{AFL player statistics legend}}

{{AFL player statistics start}}

|-

|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2009

|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Fre}}

| 32 || 22 || 9 || 7 || 155 || 170 || 325 || 69 || 60 || 0.6 || 0.5 || 7.0 || 7.7 || 14.8 || 3.1 || 2.7

|-

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2010

|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Fre}}

| 32 || 23 || 19 || 15 || 206 || 193 || 399 || 61 || 61 || 0.8 || 0.6 || 9.0 || 8.4 || 17.4 || 2.6 || 2.6

|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2011

|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Fre}}

| 32 || 22 || 15 || 13 || 213 || 172 || 385 || 67 || 53 || 0.7 || 0.6 || 9.7 || 7.8 || 17.5 || 3.0 || 2.4

|-

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2012

|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Fre}}

| 32 || 22 || 10 || 13 || 230 || 160 || 390 || 53 || 70 || 0.4 || 0.6 || 10.4 || 7.3 || 17.7 || 2.4 || 3.2

|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2013

|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Fre}}

| 32 || 19 || 12 || 7 || 206 || 158 || 364 || 52 || 49 || 0.6 || 0.4 || 10.8 || 8.3 || 19.2 || 2.7 || 2.6

|-

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2014

|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Fre}}

| 32 || 20 || 18 || 11 || 303 || 140 || 443 || 53 || 56 || 0.9 || 0.6 || 15.2 || 7.0 || 22.2 || 2.6 || 2.8

|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2015

|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Fre}}

| 32 || 23 || 17 || 10 || 362 || 190 || 552 || 88 || 67 || 0.7 || 0.4 || 15.7 || 8.3 || 24.0 || 3.8 || 2.9

|-

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2016

|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Fre}}

| 32 || 21 || 4 || 7 || 332 || 190 || 522 || 63 || 81 || 0.2 || 0.3 || 15.8 || 9.0 || 24.9 || 3.0 || 3.9

|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2017

|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Fre}}

| 32 || 18 || 4 || 3 || 245 || 139 || 384 || 48 || 67 || 0.2 || 0.2 || 13.6 || 7.7 || 21.3 || 2.7 || 3.7

|-

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2018

|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Fre}}

| 32 || 13 || 3 || 2 || 153 || 86 || 239 || 52 || 40 || 0.2 || 0.2 || 11.8 || 6.6 || 18.4 || 4.0 || 3.1

|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2019

|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Fre}}

| 32 || 3 || 1 || 0 || 17 || 18 || 35 || 4 || 5 || 0.3 || 0.0 || 5.7 || 6.0 || 11.7 || 1.3 || 1.7

|-

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2020

|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Fre}}

| 32 || 12 || 0 || 0 || 96 || 61 || 157 || 40 || 21 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 8.0 || 5.1 || 13.1 || 3.3 || 1.8

|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2021

|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Fre}}

| 32 || 0 ||–||–||–||–|| – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || –

|- class="sortbottom"

! colspan=3| Career

! 218

! 112

! 88

! 2518

! 1677

! 4195

! 650

! 630

! 0.5

! 0.4

! 11.6

! 7.7

! 19.2

! 3.0

! 2.9

|}

{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

{{Commons category}}

• {{AFL Tables}}
• {{AustralianFootball}}
• {{WAFL FootyFacts}}

{{AFLCA best young player of the year}}

{{2009 AFL Rising Star nominees}}

{{Ross Glendinning Medal}}

{{2015 Indigenous All-Stars squad}}

{{2008 AFL national draft}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hill, Stephen}}

Category:1990 births

Category:Living people

Category:Fremantle Football Club players

Category:West Perth Football Club players

Category:Peel Thunder Football Club players

Category:Indigenous Australian players of Australian rules football

Category:21st-century Indigenous Australian people

Category:Australian rules footballers from Western Australia

Category:21st-century Australian sportsmen