Crab watch

[freely]

He got older, matured and got into a better team

It’s always far easier to get a kick when Cripps, Walsh, Cerra, Hewitt are dominating and doing the heavy lifting

Shame we can't get Cripps back.

[B.M]

Unhappy supporters looking for scapegoats

Hmm

Never seen that before?!

[SaintPav]

Letting Billings go is the least of our concerns.

I’ll be pissed if Josh Battle goes.

[skeptic]

Unhappy supporters looking for scapegoats

Hmm

Never seen that before?!

I guess no one has a credible opinion but you

[Moods]

Unhappy supporters looking for scapegoats

Hmm

Never seen that before?!

I guess no one has a credible opinion but you

It appears that B.M. is the lone voice defending Billings. Despite our poor season to date, not too many supporters miss him tbh. At 10 years in the system and at a very good salary he adds very little. After that period of time you expect players to have bedded down a position in the team. If they haven't and are finding themselves playing VFL the warning bells are sounding very loudly that his career is coming to a close once this current contract concludes.

Billings simply played a typical Billings game today in a big pressure game where 10 year players are desperately needed to stand up. Wasn't awful in my view just wasn't very impactful. Missed targets despite these mythical elite skills he possesses. Got some handballs during chains of play, and of course his old favourite, took a mark, went back off the mark without moving the ball on, kicked long down the line to no one in particular.

[B.M]

I don’t miss Billings

I just acknowledge his achievements- which are by no means champion status - but also not disgraceful

People want him to fail or refuse to accept he is ok to somehow justify getting rid of him?

I am filthy we are paying him 250 000 to play at Melbourne

[skeptic]

It appears that Melbourne fans are filthy that their club is paying anything at all

[Moods]

I don’t miss Billings

I just acknowledge his achievements- which are by no means champion status - but also not disgraceful

People want him to fail or refuse to accept he is ok to somehow justify getting rid of him?

I am filthy we are paying him 250 000 to play at Melbourne

Well I'd argue that they're two different issues. Should we have kept Billings? Was that fair on Billings? He obviously didn't want to take a pay cut and he also wanted a different environment. Both fair enough. It was an error by us to have him signed to a long term deal on big money. RL couldn't see him getting a regular game (not too much different to what is happening at Dees, and was prepared, like most clubs in that situation, to move him on.)

Not sure anyone is pleased we're paying him at another club. Do you think the Pies are happy about paying Grundy to play well at their biggest threat to take the flag off them this year? It was a list management mistake. The only thing worse than making a mistake is doubling down on it. It's why we got rid of Ratten. Was a mistake to re-sign him, allowing him to see out 3 years after the review was completed would have been doubling down on it. I'm also not happy that we had to pay Ratts any money out and that a bloke who did nothing but try his hardest at the Saints (despite in my opinion not being very good) was left humiliated by our club. But to keep him would have been worse. To keep Billings also would have been worse and he's proving as such at the Dees.

[Yorkeys]

I don’t miss Billings

I just acknowledge his achievements- which are by no means champion status - but also not disgraceful

People want him to fail or refuse to accept he is ok to somehow justify getting rid of him?

I am filthy we are paying him 250 000 to play at Melbourne

Why?

Anyway, most grieving processes should be into the acceptance stage by now.

More fun exercise: will Dees recontract him?

[B.M]

Why

Because that’s an extra 250k that could be spent elsewhere

To Battle for instance

[skeptic]

Not paying him was never an option - Melbourne wouldn’t take him at full price. We’ve pbly already spent that $250k elsewhere…

[Mr Magic]

How is paying Melbourne for Billing’s affecting any of our list payments this year?
Battle is under contract for this year at a contracted rate that is not affected by any other payment we make.
My understanding is that the payment to Melbourne will cease next year so it will have no effect on any negotiations with anybody, including Battle.
Besides, I thought the issue with Battle re-signing is one of length of contract rather than money?

[B.M]

Because you could have restructured payments this year. And front ended

[Mr Magic]

I don’t believe that we are paying out our maximum salary cap so that we are unable to do what you suggest.
It’s fanciful to suggest it when we were making big money offers to entice DeGoey et al and when he/they didn’t come they obviously used/banked that cash however they saw fit to.
Suggesting that payment to Melbourne for taking Billings is impacting our ability to keep players, IMHO, is just plain wrong.
There’s no way our List Management team are that bad.

[loris]

I don’t think players get to AFL if they take short steps or consistently shirk contests

In fact I take umbrage at the thought any elite footballer is soft. There are degrees of hardness, that’s positional. But no one who’s got to the elite level is soft. Only people who haven’t played the game at any level would think such a thing.

Nearly everyone has occasionally has a look or pulled out but soft mean you wouldn’t win the footy. He does.

You don’t dominated TAC Cup to the point where you are an AA u18 play for Vic Metro and then get drafted as one of the best 3 juniors in the country if you’re soft.
You don’t get 54 possessions playing in the midfield at State League level if you’re soft
You certainly don’t play 165 AFL games if you’re soft
You don’t finish top 5 in a club B&F if you’re soft
You dont get 11 Brownlow votes in 2 separate seasons.

I think it is a ridiculous thought!

Jamie Cripps says hi Big Mart, Marto or what ever reincarnation you prefer.

Who dumped on an 18 year old kid, in his first season, miles away from home, learnt he had Type 2 diabetes a few weeks after he started pre-season training at the Saints? Who called him out for taking ‘short steps’ and soft, a skinny 18 year old kid? Reading such posts all those years ago, was the first time I’d heard the term ‘taking short steps’

And if I recollect correctly a ‘sook’ for wanting to return home to the West because of his medical condition. May not have been one of the above nomenclatures for word ‘sook’ but definitely lead the vigilante group on Jamie Crisp, without knowing the behind the scenes story of inept medical staff at the Saints at the time. Saints prepared to let him go for zilch or his parents were taking action.

IMHO even though I haven’t played AFL at a high level as is obviously a pre-requisite for having an opinion on a fan site, I think Jamie Crisp has turned out a more effective & skillful player for his team than Jack Billings has for the Saints over the years.

Just sayin…………..!!!!

[B.M]

Why are we discussing Jamie Cripps? Not Crisp?!

He’s a small forward who has averaged 13poss 1.2 goals per game.

He’s no world beater - just a wasted first round draft pick who walked on StK after his initial 2 year contract.

His medical condition- diabetes - not exactly career ending

Perhaps ask Rooey what he thinks of Cripps?!

[Scollop]

Nick Riewoldt:

Recruiting agent. List manager and Player development expert

[magnifisaint]

I don’t think players get to AFL if they take short steps or consistently shirk contests

In fact I take umbrage at the thought any elite footballer is soft. There are degrees of hardness, that’s positional. But no one who’s got to the elite level is soft. Only people who haven’t played the game at any level would think such a thing.

Nearly everyone has occasionally has a look or pulled out but soft mean you wouldn’t win the footy. He does.

You don’t dominated TAC Cup to the point where you are an AA u18 play for Vic Metro and then get drafted as one of the best 3 juniors in the country if you’re soft.
You don’t get 54 possessions playing in the midfield at State League level if you’re soft
You certainly don’t play 165 AFL games if you’re soft
You don’t finish top 5 in a club B&F if you’re soft
You dont get 11 Brownlow votes in 2 separate seasons.

I think it is a ridiculous thought!

Jamie Cripps says hi Big Mart, Marto or what ever reincarnation you prefer.

Who dumped on an 18 year old kid, in his first season, miles away from home, learnt he had Type 2 diabetes a few weeks after he started pre-season training at the Saints? Who called him out for taking ‘short steps’ and soft, a skinny 18 year old kid? Reading such posts all those years ago, was the first time I’d heard the term ‘taking short steps’

And if I recollect correctly a ‘sook’ for wanting to return home to the West because of his medical condition. May not have been one of the above nomenclatures for word ‘sook’ but definitely lead the vigilante group on Jamie Crisp, without knowing the behind the scenes story of inept medical staff at the Saints at the time. Saints prepared to let him go for zilch or his parents were taking action.

IMHO even though I haven’t played AFL at a high level as is obviously a pre-requisite for having an opinion on a fan site, I think Jamie Crisp has turned out a more effective & skillful player for his team than Jack Billings has for the Saints over the years.

Just sayin…………..!!!!

He really did St Kilda to a crisp. I wonder what they saw in to draft him. Cripps would have struggled at St Kilda if he stayed longer. He needs good players feeding him because he's the polar opposite of his cousin. He's a good finisher, an opportunist, but not a great player. Probably should have gone 2nd round in the draft.

[saynta]

Letting Billings go is the least of our concerns.

I’ll be pissed if Josh Battle goes.

I see that both Billings and Bytel filled the sub role at their respective clubs last weekend.

[SaintPav]

Both not we need at this point.

[Scollop]

That information about Billings and Bytel is over 48 hours old.

This is where I come for up to the minute late breaking news

[SaintPav]

How is paying Melbourne for Billing’s affecting any of our list payments this year?
Battle is under contract for this year at a contracted rate that is not affected by any other payment we make.
My understanding is that the payment to Melbourne will cease next year so it will have no effect on any negotiations with anybody, including Battle.
Besides, I thought the issue with Battle re-signing is one of length of contract rather than money?

Good intel, Philip (?)

[SaintPav]

That information about Billings and Bytel is over 48 hours old.

This is where I come for up to the minute late breaking news

Ha ha.

Gold Scollop. Pure gold..

[Mr Magic]

How is paying Melbourne for Billing’s affecting any of our list payments this year?
Battle is under contract for this year at a contracted rate that is not affected by any other payment we make.
My understanding is that the payment to Melbourne will cease next year so it will have no effect on any negotiations with anybody, including Battle.
Besides, I thought the issue with Battle re-signing is one of length of contract rather than money?

Good intel, Philip (?)

Who’s Philip?

[SaintPav]

How is paying Melbourne for Billing’s affecting any of our list payments this year?
Battle is under contract for this year at a contracted rate that is not affected by any other payment we make.
My understanding is that the payment to Melbourne will cease next year so it will have no effect on any negotiations with anybody, including Battle.
Besides, I thought the issue with Battle re-signing is one of length of contract rather than money?

Good intel, Philip (?)

Who’s Philip?

You remind me of someone I used to work with.

It was a Hail Mary.