Premiership Hawk’s advice for ex-teammate Brad Hill

Jordan Lewis has advised St Kilda wingman and ex-Hawthorn teammate Brad Hill to get back to basics to help arrest his indifferent form.

Hill has received criticism after poor performances in the Saints’ two losses to Melbourne and Essendon with his ball-use and work-rate called into question.

Lewis, who played alongside Hill during the Hawks’ premiership three-peat, says the additional pressure is something the former Docker wouldn’t be used to.

“I don’t think he would be dealing with it too well,” he said on SEN Breakfast.

“He’s such a likeable lad and he wants to be liked. He wants to be one of those players that ignites his team and be reliable. He loves that, that’s what fuels his game.

“If you’re talking to Bradley Hill and you’re trying to coach him through this form rut that he’s in, you just need to go back to basics.

“Because when you’re not playing so well, you’ve got that many thoughts going through your head. ‘What’s the media think of me? What do the coaches think? What do the players think of me?’ You need to just get all of that out of your mind.

“If you are playing wing you are relying on what’s happening in the middle of the ground. That hasn’t been great, but he’s not alone.”

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Lewis says Hill must regain focus and lift his overall effort to get back to his best.

“What was damning on the weekend, there was some vision that came out that would suggest that he probably wasn’t working as he has in the past,” he added.

“That could be a range of things. We know he’s got the fitness so that’s not it. His mind, for me, is elsewhere.

“When you’re playing your best football, you are totally engaged in the game. When you’re not playing well and your side’s not playing well, your mind can drift to self-preservation.”

The Saints face a season-defining three-week period starting with a testing encounter against West Coast at Marvel Stadium on Saturday.