Billings

[Impatient Sainter]

There has been some absolute rubbish posted in this thread.

Guess time will tell Chook - but when a club spends their 3rd pick on a kid, I think supporters are entitled to see something that looks like they are capable of repaying the club against the top teams!

[sainters85]

There has been some absolute rubbish posted in this thread.

Guess time will tell Chook - but when a club spends their 3rd pick on a kid, I think supporters are entitled to see something that looks like they are capable of repaying the club against the top teams!

He is our equivalent to jack watts. He'll eventually shine. It I'd trade him along with a pick for a gun or potentially gun mid. Billings is not a gun. Playing 1 good match in 3 years doesn't match it

[Con Gorozidis]

Well I was roundly abused on here when I said it was crazy using a top 3 pick on a rich white kid from Kew who went to Scotch.
But I stand by this. I'd have gone that kid from the remote wa farm who loves shootin pigs - Patrick Cripps - any day of the week. And Id make the same decision now.

Actually, in a 2013 pre draft thread on Scharenburg you said;

"Billings looks awesome.
Looks like a marc murphy to me (not as big or tough as stevie j)
I think billings is a mid who played fwd in 2013 only because he had bursitis

Still reckon Scharenberg slightly ahead though....

Ill be happy with either but if Scharenberg slips to pick 5 or 6 someone will get a gun. He could easily be number 1."

Out of dozens of posts at the time u pluck this one.

I had obviously just watched a video at that time. Someone had claimed Billings was like Stevie J which I pooh poohed immediately. And Billings is kind of like a slow version of Marc Murphy.
There was a period where I was in to Sharenberg. I think that was very early on.
Scharenberg has simply been unlucky with injury. He isnt cooked yet.

There were lengthy arguments on the city v country thing.
Either way I would never use a top ten pick on a rich kid from kew who went to scotch. Simple as that.
They dont need footy and have plenty to fall back on.
U want someone who is hungry for footy.

Pointless re hashing it. We need to deal with what is in front of us.
If Hurley is avalilable we shoild get seriously consider it.
Hurley = Sam Fisher 8 years ago imo.

[bigcarl]

A mistake, I think, to try to turn him into something he is not ... a tackling machine, grunt type of player.

Sure, work on his weaknesses, but get him to play to his strengths. Good vision and good reader of the play and creative. Maybe a run and carry out of defence role?

Anyway, nowhere near ready to give up on him yet. They take time and the kid has ability. Just in a slump and devoid of confidence at the moment.

[busso mick]

Next years second and billings for hurley

Just get it done.

Billings has a nice kick but is from Kew will never be tough enough for a flag. Besides I reckon he wants to go to bombers. Let him go.
Get gulluci or taranto a kid with more balls to take his place.
Get fyfe or dusty next year and we'll be a great team.

Dan Hannebery says hello.

[skeptic]

If that's the case then why play him. Can't carry players anymore or you will be found out.

I'm not sure that that's the coaches view though...

It seems to me that often, playing an injured is seen as preferable to playing a developing player
I known players often tend to play with niggles anyway, but the prospect of resting a player with a persistent injury for a week or 2 and giving someone else a chance does not appear to be a practice our club follows

[Bluthy]

If that's the case then why play him. Can't carry players anymore or you will be found out.

I'm not sure that that's the coaches view though...

It seems to me that often, playing an injured is seen as preferable to playing a developing player
I known players often tend to play with niggles anyway, but the prospect of resting a player with a persistent injury for a week or 2 and giving someone else a chance does not appear to be a practice our club follows

Richo gets very fixated on certain players and ignores others. The club need to sit down and question why Dunstan has had two shoulder surgeries, McCartin multiple concussions, Billings is struggling, Lonie and Sincs who looked liked brilliantly skilled little players aren't able to use those skills in the ones, Armo is looking knackered, whether we should be pumping games into a player like Wright who lacks AFL decision making abilities. We should be focused on the long game and developing skilled players who are encouraged to use their skills, not just be tackling machines.

[Ned Stark]

A few things.

Billings, one good game in his career? Off the top of my head, 30 possessions and 2 goals against Collingwood. 3 goals and 24 possessions at 100% efficiency v WCE. Last week for heaven's sake. There are plenty more. It's why he averages 20 possessions playing on a half forward flank! Brett Heady, best pure flanker I've seen averaged 14 over his career. If he had kicked straight, his stats would look better this year.

Jack hasn't completed a pre season yet. Let that sink in before posting rubbish about him. Have a modicum of patience! He is playing at 65% of his potential. Bont et al are playing at about 90%. Trading JB because he's not yet dominating would be the dumbest trade since Ian Stewart.

What were people posting about BJ after his first 30 odd games? I seem to recall his nickname was Brenda!

[SteveStevens66]

Well I was roundly abused on here when I said it was crazy using a top 3 pick on a rich white kid from Kew who went to Scotch.
But I stand by this. I'd have gone that kid from the remote wa farm who loves shootin pigs - Patrick Cripps - any day of the week. And Id make the same decision now.

And the prize for the stupidest post ever goes to......CON.

Over the years I thought I'd seen everything stupid there is to see on this forum but now we have a Marxist analysis of why Billings is a poor player. Well done Comrade Con. Mad Dog is right. Congrats.

[Johnny Member]

If that's the case then why play him. Can't carry players anymore or you will be found out.

I'm not sure that that's the coaches view though...

It seems to me that often, playing an injured is seen as preferable to playing a developing player
I known players often tend to play with niggles anyway, but the prospect of resting a player with a persistent injury for a week or 2 and giving someone else a chance does not appear to be a practice our club follows

Richo gets very fixated on certain players and ignores others. The club need to sit down and question why Dunstan has had two shoulder surgeries, McCartin multiple concussions, Billings is struggling, Lonie and Sincs who looked liked brilliantly skilled little players aren't able to use those skills in the ones, Armo is looking knackered, whether we should be pumping games into a player like Wright who lacks AFL decision making abilities. We should be focused on the long game and developing skilled players who are encouraged to use their skills, not just be tackling machines.

Name one player in a top 4 club who isn't expected to be elite in their pressure every week and at every contest...

[Linton Lodger]

Geez, give the kid a break. For a start he doesn't look like he yet has the tank for AFL level, that'll come and another pre
season will see significant progress.

The Billings knockers will be eating their words, I have no doubt about it.

[shrodes]

A mistake, I think, to try to turn him into something he is not ... a tackling machine, grunt type of player.

Sure, work on his weaknesses, but get him to play to his strengths. Good vision and good reader of the play and creative. Maybe a run and carry out of defence role?

Anyway, nowhere near ready to give up on him yet. They take time and the kid has ability. Just in a slump and devoid of confidence at the moment.

+1, good post. I envisage him in a similar role to Newnes, that link from half back that can go forward and kick goals like Newnes does on occasion. No one would accuse Newnes of being soft but he is hardly a tackling machine. It's just not his role. Be fair on Billings, I think he will definitely pay us dividends. Just needs to rebuild his confidence again.

[Johnny Member]

A mistake, I think, to try to turn him into something he is not ... a tackling machine, grunt type of player.

Sure, work on his weaknesses, but get him to play to his strengths. Good vision and good reader of the play and creative. Maybe a run and carry out of defence role?

Anyway, nowhere near ready to give up on him yet. They take time and the kid has ability. Just in a slump and devoid of confidence at the moment.

+1, good post. I envisage him in a similar role to Newnes, that link from half back that can go forward and kick goals like Newnes does on occasion. No one would accuse Newnes of being soft but he is hardly a tackling machine. It's just not his role. Be fair on Billings, I think he will definitely pay us dividends. Just needs to rebuild his confidence again.

What??

Newnes is as hard as they come!


I don't see anything to suggest that the club is trying to turn Billings into a tackling machine (whatever that is).

But there isn't a single player in a top 4 club that holds their spot if their defensive effort and intensity isn't 100%. So to think that Billings can be a good AFL without working on what is a clear deficiency, is wrong.

[bigcarl]

A mistake, I think, to try to turn him into something he is not ... a tackling machine, grunt type of player.

Sure, work on his weaknesses, but get him to play to his strengths. Good vision and good reader of the play and creative. Maybe a run and carry out of defence role?

Anyway, nowhere near ready to give up on him yet. They take time and the kid has ability. Just in a slump and devoid of confidence at the moment.

+1, good post. I envisage him in a similar role to Newnes, that link from half back that can go forward and kick goals like Newnes does on occasion. No one would accuse Newnes of being soft but he is hardly a tackling machine. It's just not his role. Be fair on Billings, I think he will definitely pay us dividends. Just needs to rebuild his confidence again.

What??

Newnes is as hard as they come!


I don't see anything to suggest that the club is trying to turn Billings into a tackling machine (whatever that is).

But there isn't a single player in a top 4 club that holds their spot if their defensive effort and intensity isn't 100%. So to think that Billings can be a good AFL without working on what is a clear deficiency, is wrong.

No ones suggesting he doesn't work on that part of his game. Just that he take advantage of his strengths and don't try to make him something he's not

[Johnny Member]

A mistake, I think, to try to turn him into something he is not ... a tackling machine, grunt type of player.

Sure, work on his weaknesses, but get him to play to his strengths. Good vision and good reader of the play and creative. Maybe a run and carry out of defence role?

Anyway, nowhere near ready to give up on him yet. They take time and the kid has ability. Just in a slump and devoid of confidence at the moment.

+1, good post. I envisage him in a similar role to Newnes, that link from half back that can go forward and kick goals like Newnes does on occasion. No one would accuse Newnes of being soft but he is hardly a tackling machine. It's just not his role. Be fair on Billings, I think he will definitely pay us dividends. Just needs to rebuild his confidence again.

What??

Newnes is as hard as they come!


I don't see anything to suggest that the club is trying to turn Billings into a tackling machine (whatever that is).

But there isn't a single player in a top 4 club that holds their spot if their defensive effort and intensity isn't 100%. So to think that Billings can be a good AFL without working on what is a clear deficiency, is wrong.

No ones suggesting he doesn't work on that part of his game. Just that he take advantage of his strengths and don't try to make him something he's not

But I don't see any evidence that the club is trying to turn him into somethings he's not. It appears they're merely trying to turn him into something he must be in order to be a good AFL footballer.

[Saint wagga]

He's s classy young gun who is already a solid afl player...could be a gun afl player in another year or two. Looks like a good team man also. No qualms with Jb from me, he's coming on nicely!

[takeaway]

A mistake, I think, to try to turn him into something he is not ... a tackling machine, grunt type of player.

Sure, work on his weaknesses, but get him to play to his strengths. Good vision and good reader of the play and creative. Maybe a run and carry out of defence role?

Anyway, nowhere near ready to give up on him yet. They take time and the kid has ability. Just in a slump and devoid of confidence at the moment.

+1
He does not have a strong build and will never be an powerhouse extractor. He is being educated in AFL all over the ground, not just as a roaming forward. When he does go forward, teams watch him very closely - it has taken a lot of players quite a bit of time to overcome closer attention. He has played plenty of solid games this year.
Trading him as part of a Hurley deal is ridiculous - over the long term Billings will be more value to Saints than 5 or so years of Hurley. We do not need Hurley, he has been a year out of the game, and will cost too much.

[SydneySainter]

What concerns me about Billings is that while he has trade currency for now, another mediocre season and he won't be worth nearly as much.

I still think we've far from seen his best footy and he could be a star yet, but if the right trade was on offer, we'd be mad not to at least consider it.