Brock Hamill. (Updated) He is a young local red headed backrower originally from the Southport Tigers rugby league club and also played for Keebra Park in relation to his schoolboy football and for Burleigh in the MM Cup competition. At the U13 level a number of seasons ago Brock Hamill also played a game or two for the Titans Development Squads at Redlands.
In 2019 Brock Hamill played nine matches for the Bulldogs in the Jersey Flegg competition starting in the front row in Round two against the Parramatta Eels. Brock Hamill also started in Rounds Three and Four when he started at lock against the Wests Tigers and North Sydney Bears respectively. Brock Hamill’s remaining matches were from the bench including the Bulldogs two 2019 finals which were against the Knights and Roosters.
Also in 2019 Brock Hamill played fourteen matches for the Moorebank Rams in the Sydney Shield competition coming into the side in Round Six when he started at hooker against the Bulls. Brock Hamill started his first three 2019 Sydney Shield matches at hooker before starting at lock in Round Eleven against the BR Eagles.
In total Brock Hamill started four in his eleven matches at hooker, nine at lock, including Week Two of the Finals against the Saints and one being Round Nineteen against the Bulls from the bench.
Brock Hamill had a great start to the 2019 Sydney Shield competition scoring in his first four matches including a Round Eleven double against the BR Eagles. His Round Six, Seven and Eight tries were against the Bulls, Owls and Magpies.
In 2018 Brock Hamill was diagnosed with cancer but before his treatment started Brock Hamill made his debut off the bench for the Bulldogs Jersey Flegg side scoring a double against Manly.
From Keebra Park Brock Hamill represented South Coast at the U18 level in 2016 and 2017and in 2017 was selected in the Queensland School boy’s side for the Australian School boys Championships. South Coast won every match by more than 40 points including beating Met North 74 – 4 in the final.
Brock Hamill has also been a key part of the Keebra Park Open side that won the GIO Cup in 2017 including being part of the Keebra Park side that won their Queensland semi-final over the The Cathedral College 74 – 0.
For the Burleigh Bears MM Cup side in 2017, Brock Hamill started in all six of their matches starting Rounds One and Two in the second row, Round Three in the front row and Rounds Four to Six at lock.
Brock Hamill played his club rugby league for the Southport Tigers primarily at the U19 level in 2017 but also played two matches in the Doug Lipp Cup competition, making his debut in that competition in April against Burleigh with his other Doug Lipp Cup match coming in June against Bilambil. In the U19 competition, Brock Hamill to date has played in seven matches, scoring doubles against Runaway Bay and Burleigh and in his first match of the season in that age group scored against Mudgeeraba.
Over the course of his junior career, he has made a number of junior representative sides including U13 and U14 Gold Coast Vikings squads and represented South Coast at the U15 level. He has been named in the U18 South Coast squad for the upcoming QSSRL championships, along with five other Keebra Park team mates.
Running with the football, Brock Hamill has good footwork prior to the line and does not often just put his head down and run straight, but uses his solid footwork to try to work the gaps between defenders rather than trying to simply run over them.
Brock Hamill does not have great speed off the mark or necessary great high end speed, but he will work hard and make the most of his ability. He actually does have a decent off load usually with his right hand when he has impacted the defensive line and regularly showcases this in game situations.
Defensively Brock Hamill can certainly hit very hard, usually aiming for just under the ribs and first intention is to lock up the ball to prevent offloads. He has above average lateral mobility for a forward and due to the fact that he bends his hips when looking to make a tackle he is usually is able to wrap up the smaller attackers without his tackles slipping up to around the head or neck, and thus giving away penalties. His ability to successfully defend against these types of attackers as well as having the technique to defend against larger forwards is one of a number of reasons that I consider that Brock Hamill is a plus defender.
After two seasons with the Canterbury Bulldogs in Sydney playing for their junior representative sides Brock Hamill will be back playing on the Gold Coast in 2020.
From a position perspective even though he spent some time playing in the front row earlier in his junior career, he has spent the last couple of seasons playing in the back row and to a lesser extent hooker, and that is where I would envisage he will stay for the remainder of his rugby league career.
From a player comparison perspective, someone along the lines of former Brisbane Broncos, Queensland State of Origin and Australian International backrower Cory Parker may be a good comparison from a style perspective as a solid back rower who plays the game hard and with all-out effort.
Brock Hamill has overcome a significant health scare already in his life got back on the field so it would be difficult not to cheer for the red headed backrower in the next season or two as he looks to break into the Queensland Cup.