Stephen Hill Biography

Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir is confident Stephen Hill will return to the senior side in 2021.

Hill has been plagued by soft-tissue injuries over the past three years and is sidelined with a long-term hamstring issue and there has been external debate about whether he should retire now so Fremantle can recruit a player in the mid-season draft.

"He's got about six weeks ahead of him of work on the track to be able to get himself ready for matches and we're really confident if he can keep ticking off the boxes he'll play some footy for us this year," Longmuir said.

Stephen Hill signs a new two-year contract with Fremantle to remain at the club until the end of 2021.

"I've been here for 11 years now, and I love the playing group," Hill said.

"I feel like we're a young group and I'm excited to be part of the next couple of years, hopefully we can see some success."

Stephen Hill faces a hugely interrupted pre-season after undergoing surgery on his troublesome right quad.

"Options to rectify the issue were considered by our medical team, with the specialist's advice being that Stephen undergo a procedure to remove the scar tissue on his quad," Dockers football manager Peter Bell said.

"Stephen had the procedure on Monday and the medical advice following his recovery is that he will be able to resume running in six to eight weeks."

Fremantle has placed Stephen Hill onto a modified pre-season training program and will seek specialist advice on persistent soreness in his troublesome quad.

"Options to rectify the issue are being considered by our medical team, with Stephen on a modified program until a preferred solution is decided on," Dockers director of football Peter Bell said.

Stephen Hill could be on ice for the rest of 2018 after suffering another quad setback in the Western Derby.

It will be the fifth time this season the 28-year-old has been sidelined by a soft-tissue problem.

"Stephen had a small quad strain that was a re-strain from an injury earlier this year," Fremantle high performance manager Jason Weber said.

"He's pulled up pretty well this morning and we'll get him back to training as soon as possible."

Top draft prospect Ian Hill's second cousins, Stephen Hill and Bradley Hill, are stars with the Fremantle Dockers.

But it was only recently that Ian had met his famous relatives in person through a dinner was organised through the Hill brothers' manager, a teacher of Ian and some help from the Dockers' recruiting team.

"Our grandfathers are brothers, which makes us second cousins. I was a bit nervous at first when we met, but I got used to seeing them and because Bradley is the loud one he really makes you feel comfortable," Hill said.

"We talk a fair bit of footy and he's told me to play my normal game and go for it. It would be good to make it to the AFL like they have done, and they've achieved a lot through their careers. It would be amazing."

With three premiership medallions in his trophy cabinet, Bradley Hill already enjoyed bragging rights over his brother Stephen.

But after adding the Doig Medal to his collection on Saturday night, the speedy Fremantle wingman joked that his elder brother might expect some more cheeky banter.

"He's been trying, but I got one before him so I reckon he'll be a little bit flat about that," Bradley said with a laugh.

"It's something me and him can have a little banter with.

"Stephen's been a terrific player for this footy club, he's been very consistent, and he could have won one of these easily."

Stephen Hill will be sidelined for up to a month after scans confirmed a right hamstring strain.

"Stephen had scans on Sunday and the subsequent report confirmed the extent of the injury to his right hamstring," general manager of football operations Chris Bond said.

"At this stage the medical advice is that Stephen will be available for selection after a three to four week period of rehabilitation."

Bradley Hill officially joins his brother Stephen at Fremantle on a three-year deal after the Dockers gave up pick No.23 in this year's NAB AFL Draft to Hawthorn.

"Bradley informed the club he had a strong desire to return to Western Australia and play with his brother at Fremantle," Hawks list manager Graham Wright said.

"We have worked closely with his management and Fremantle to facilitate a deal that we feel benefits everyone involved.

"He has been a great servant to this club and leaves a triple-premiership player.

"We would like to thank Bradley for his contribution to the Hawthorn Football Club and wish him all the best in the future."

Lachie Neale claims the Dockers' best and fairest for the first time following an outstanding individual season.

Neale, 23, was the only Docker to make the All Australian 40-man squad in a season where the club managed just four wins.

He led the AFL for total disposals in the home and away season and polled 20 Brownlow votes.

Neale polled 200 votes across 22 games to win his first Doig Medal by 30 votes from runner-up Stephen Hill. Leading goalkicker Michael Walters finished third.

"It hasn't really sunk in yet," Neale said.

"I'm sure it's something I'll reflect on over the next few weeks and be really proud of.

"I definitely improved this year but I have a way to go and there were patches throughout the season that I wasn't happy with."

Stephen Hill expects to spend some time in the backline again in 2016 as the Dockers look to improve their rebound and transition from defence to attack.

"I'll play midfield and at times go back," Hill said.

"I've played a little bit of defence - I feel pretty comfortable playing down there. It's just making sure I can defend as well as attack. Just having a few strings to my bow helps."

Fremantle ruckman Aaron Sandilands has created a massive boilover in Fremantle's best and fairest, becoming the oldest winner of the Doig Medal on Saturday night.

Sandilands, 32, won his second Doig Medal in a thrilling count by just five votes from midfielder David Mundy.

Brownlow medallist and AFL Players' Association MVP Nat Fyfe finished fourth with Stephen Hill claiming third for the second straight season.

The Dockers' voting system made it difficult for Fyfe to claim his third straight medal. Five coaches give each player a vote from zero to five for each game, meaning the maximum votes a player can tally in each game is 25.

Fyfe led the count after round 17 by 45 votes, with Sandilands sitting fourth behind Mundy and Lachie Neale. But Fyfe missed four of the last six games through injury, and played the preliminary final with a broken leg.

Mundy led Sandilands by five votes at the end of the home and away season but the ruckman polled better in the two finals to win the medal.

"I'm in a bit of shock, to be honest," Sandilands said.

"We've had so many players who have had such great years.

"Fyfey obviously won the Brownlow and David Mundy has had a stellar year and I thought those two would fight it out."

Stephen Hill admits he can't help but feel a tiny bit jealous about his brother Bradley's two AFL premierships.

"My brother's won a couple of premierships, and seeing him have them just drives me even more," Hill said.

"Maybe a little bit (jealous). But I'm proud of him as well. It just really drives me to hopefully be able to get there and have a premiership one day."

Bradley and Stephen Hill will play together in the same side for the first time since the juniors when they headline the Indigenous All Stars squad's clash with West Coast at Leederville Oval.

"Obviously I thought about it when I was younger. Growing up I always wanted to play with my brother," Bradley said.

"I was little compared to everyone else. I remember I was running around on the field and couldn't get the footy.

"Stephen was the best player in his team growing up. It was good to run out there with him."

Stephen Hill signs a new deal with Fremantle that will keep him at the club until the end of 2019.

"I just love the club and it's really grown over the past few years," he said.

"The future looks really good and I want to be a part of it. The club's been great to me and I'm happy to sign on for a couple more years."

Stephen Hill says he has been receiving advice from teammate Ryan Crowley on how to beat taggers.

"It's not what they will do. He's just given me advice on how to beat them," Hill said.

"Just finding out about things that opponents do that he finds hard. Things like getting lots of blocks from other teammates.

"So I try to get teammates to help me out and also just doing little things like running around and finding space, finding my own footy."

After a post-season shoulder clean up, Stephen Hill is set to feature in the club's opening NAB Cup matches.

"I had a bit of a clean-up with my shoulder, just to get it right, but everything went well and I'm training fully now," Hill said.

Stephen Hill says he is now beating opposition taggers due to improving the contested side of his game.

"I've learnt to be a better clearance player and really get in there and win my own ball a bit more," Hill said.

"I think that's helped to get them off me a little bit, and I've also been working to run hard and try and wear them off that way. I try and use my speed and endurance as much as I can.

"I'm working with our midfield coach Mark Stone on ways to work my body and read the ball."

Fremantle has re-signed three of its young guns, including speedster Stephen Hill, Matt de Boer and Lachie Neale.

"We regard all three players highly, and we are very pleased that they have committed to the club," general manager of player management Brad Lloyd said.

"We see Stephen, Matt and Lachie as being very much a part of the long-term future of the club."

Leigh Matthews launches a scathing attack on the work ethic of young Docker Stephen Hill while being tagged by Kangaroo Brady Rawlings.

"Confronted with Rawlings as his direct opponent, it appeared that Hill fell for the trap of wanting to get space from his opponent, even when the Kangaroos had the footy," Matthews wrote in his column on the AFL website.

"The result was the most lopsided differential in contribution that I can recall seeing in a one-on-one duel - Rawlings stopped Hill, limiting the Dockers' linkman to a paltry seven disposals, a great result even if Rawlings did not touch the footy.

"That the Kangaroos vice-captain accumulated a game-high 39 disposals, including 30 uncontested gets, was a savage indictment on Hill's competitive mindset."

Stephen Hill and his second-year teammates have hit the gym with the aim to be bigger and stronger in 2010.

"Over the break they came back earlier and part of the plan was to put a bit of weight on most of those first-year [players] last year," assistant coach Dean Wallis said.

"They did that over a period of probably six to eight weeks and then we got a lot of running into them."

Stephen Hill and Greg Broughton will stay with Fremantle until 2012 and 2011 respectively after signing new contracts.

"They both impressed with the way they went about their football in their debut seasons," General manager of player management Brad Lloyd said.

"We see Stephen and Greg as being long-term players for the club."

Fremantle youngster Stephen Hill has added an inside component to complement his running game.

"I've been working on winning the hard ball, because it hasn't really been a strength of mine. I try not to think too much and just go for the ball, and want to get it," Hill said.

"I was probably more of an outside player coming through the juniors, so I've been working on it a lot lately with ground balls at training with the coaches' holding the bag. I hit them and work on getting in low.

"I've found that as soon as I do it, I want to keep doing it and get in hard. It always looks good when you do your review and see that. I've also been working on being able to play more than one position and being an inside and outside player."

Fremantle could rest prized recruit Stephen Hill from matches in a bid to protect the 19-year-old's rangy body.

"If we have to give 'Hilly' a break before the end of the year because our fitness and medical people came to us and said he needed a break, we wouldn't hesitate in giving him a rest," Dockers football boss Chris Bond said.

"That wouldn't matter who we were playing because we see our first-year players as especially being looked after for more long-term availability views."

If Ben Cousins succeeds in his race to recover from a broken hand, he may find himself in a race against Fremantle speedster Stephen Hill.

Dockers coach Mark Harvey indicated this afternoon 19-year-old Hill was likely to get the job on Cousins should the 2005 Brownlow Medallist front up for his Perth homecoming in Saturday night's clash at Subiaco Oval.

"If we are going to come of age as a team we have to challenge our younger players and sometimes put them on the best players of the opposition," Harvey said.

"I just fleetingly mentioned it on the way here and he just smiled and kept walking, like he always does.

"I think he plays with experience, even though he's only nine games down the track he doesn't get flustered and he backs himself in."

Stephen Hill played a key part in his side's win over the team he idolised as a kid with 21 disposals against the Eagles.

His performance earned him a rising star nomination along the way.

"The build-up is pretty big and the game was quite physical and intense. It was very enjoyable to play in," Hill said.

"The Eagles fans were pretty loud and it was good to get a win over them."

Stephen Hill and Nic Suban have made the cut to be in Fremantle's side as the final teams are announced for Sunday's matches.

It took just one intra-club hit-out for Fremantle's coach Mark Harvey to compare 18-year-old Stephen Hill to Essendon great Michael Long.