How did Billy Longer go?

[skeptic]

Haven’t seen the game yet but I’ve noted that we were smashed in the hit outs.

Was he fit?

Did he manage to get to some contests?

What happened here

[Raph Goat Clarke]

Haven’t seen the game yet but I’ve noted that we were smashed in the hit outs.

Was he fit?

Did he manage to get to some contests?

What happened here

He was average at best.
Shouldn't expect too much really but to be honest he was s**t.

[saintsRrising]

Was poor in the ruck.

Was even worse around the ground.

[kosifantutti]

Billy smashed Martin in marks.

[saintspremiers]

Great trade.

Lots of downside to his game

[ausfatcat]

S.Martin almost BOG for Brisbane

[Sainternist]

Billy was there as ballast. If he wasn't big and tall, he'd struggle to get a game for the Dimboola reserves.

[jonesy]

Haven’t seen the game yet but I’ve noted that we were smashed in the hit outs.

Was he fit?

Did he manage to get to some contests?

What happened here

[Crossy66]

Timing looked off and not fully fit, symptomatic of an interrupted pre season due to hip injury
Will be better for the run

[bigcarl]

Haven’t seen the game yet but I’ve noted that we were smashed in the hit outs.

Was he fit?

Did he manage to get to some contests?

What happened here

Gold

[DJ Higgins]

I always thought hickey was number one and longer was number two. And based on that game number two sums up his performance

[stonecold]

Haven’t seen the game yet but I’ve noted that we were smashed in the hit outs.

Was he fit?

Did he manage to get to some contests?



What happened here

Struggled, not fit, limited preseason, which the fact that he played ahead of Hickledik says a lot about where Tom is at!!!!!

[samoht]

Pierce and Marshall would surely do better - they can't be any worse.
At least we'll get some metres gained from them.
I've given up on Longer and Hickey - get some games and confidence into the kids; and see what happens.

[stonecold]

Pierce and Marshall would surely do better - they can't be any worse.
At least we'll get some metres gained from them.
I've given up on Longer and Hickey.

Don't give up on Billy yet!!!!?

[samoht]

Pierce and Marshall would surely do better - they can't be any worse.
At least we'll get some metres gained from them.
I've given up on Longer and Hickey.

Don't give up on Billy yet!!!!?

The problem is we've given up on Pierce before he's even started; and we're putting up with inconsistency (1 good game in 10) and underperformance from the usual suspects. Why?

[saintkev]

The bottom three, statistically, for the Saints also included: McCartin 7 possessions 6 kicks 1 handball 3 marks 0 tackles 0 spoils 3 critical unforced errors & 69 minutes game time
Brown 7 possessions 5 Kicks 2 handballs 5 marks 2 tackles 6 spoils 1 critical unforced error & 91 minutes game time
Added to Longer's stats from kosi's post were: 0 tackles 1 spoil 3 critical unforced errors & 80 minutes game time

Against top-class teams, can we afford to play 3 plodding dinosaurs who seem to be where the ball isn't? At least Brown holds his own in spoils.

We play McCartin in the forward line at our own peril. If he can't clunk a mark and he looks too timid to fly for pack marks, can't grab a ground ball and he's ordinary defensively, the question that needs to be asked, is why is he picked? As a decoy perhaps?

Sinclair was marginally better with: 12 possessions 1 kick 11 handballs 3 marks 2 tackles 4 spoils 2 critical unforced errors & 78 minutes game time

[stonecold]

Pierce and Marshall would surely do better - they can't be any worse.
At least we'll get some metres gained from them.
I've given up on Longer and Hickey.

Don't give up on Billy yet!!!!?

The problem is we've given up on Pierce before he's even started; and we're putting up with inconsistency (1 good game in 10) and underperformance from the usual suspects. Why?

Pierce and Hickey are worse than Billy, that's the problem, Marshall not ready for bash and crash of AFL tucking fulltime, needs to develop and be given bits and pieces exposer at this point.

Billy had a pretty decent year last year and still only 24yrs old, talk to our mids and get their opinion and what he provides for them, end of story!!!!!

[saintsRrising]

, end of story!!!!!

There are lots of stories.

What about the one where if Billy gets a free kick, or more rarely a mark, that he will stand their and wait till a team mates runs up to him whereupon he will handball backwards 10m to a player that has no where to run meaning that effectively we have two players taking the kick meaning that we are out numbered by one player in disposing of the ball.


Quite simply if Billy gets slaughtered in the ruck, the team cannot also afford his lack of contribution around the ground.

[saintsRrising]

still only 24yrs old,

Problem is while yes ruckman certainly seem to improve their rucking as they get towards 28, I cannot recall a ruckman not being handy around the ground at 24 becoming so at 28.

[samoht]

I'd sooner play Acres in the ruck who's ready for the bash and crash (in fact he relishes it) - where you know you're going to get his 25 possessions and run and carry around the ground; and this way you can also have Dunstan in the team with his 25 or so possessions, instead of the 1 kick and 6 backward handballs and zero metreage from Longer.

[St_Cave]

still only 24yrs old,

Problem is while yes ruckman certainly seem to improve their rucking as they get towards 28, I cannot recall a ruckman not being handy around the ground at 24 becoming so at 28.

You are right, you don't often see players who can't get a kick (or in Billy's case a backwards handball to a player under pressure) start to suddenly find the footy regularly after 6 years in the system. A nose for the football seems to be something that's hard to learn, you either have it or you don't and unfortunately Billy doesn't have it.

[BringBackMadDog]

The bottom three, statistically, for the Saints also included: McCartin 7 possessions 6 kicks 1 handball 3 marks 0 tackles 0 spoils 3 critical unforced errors & 69 minutes game time
Brown 7 possessions 5 Kicks 2 handballs 5 marks 2 tackles 6 spoils 1 critical unforced error & 91 minutes game time
Added to Longer's stats from kosi's post were: 0 tackles 1 spoil 3 critical unforced errors & 80 minutes game time

Against top-class teams, can we afford to play 3 plodding dinosaurs who seem to be where the ball isn't? At least Brown holds his own in spoils.

We play McCartin in the forward line at our own peril. If he can't clunk a mark and he looks too timid to fly for pack marks, can't grab a ground ball and he's ordinary defensively, the question that needs to be asked, is why is he picked? As a decoy perhaps?

Sinclair was marginally better with: 12 possessions 1 kick 11 handballs 3 marks 2 tackles 4 spoils 2 critical unforced errors & 78 minutes game time

Stats don't tell the whole truth. Nathan Brown was fantastic for us this week, him and Carlisle completely destroyed Brisbanes tall forwards.

[BringBackMadDog]

The bottom three, statistically, for the Saints also included: McCartin 7 possessions 6 kicks 1 handball 3 marks 0 tackles 0 spoils 3 critical unforced errors & 69 minutes game time
Brown 7 possessions 5 Kicks 2 handballs 5 marks 2 tackles 6 spoils 1 critical unforced error & 91 minutes game time
Added to Longer's stats from kosi's post were: 0 tackles 1 spoil 3 critical unforced errors & 80 minutes game time

Against top-class teams, can we afford to play 3 plodding dinosaurs who seem to be where the ball isn't? At least Brown holds his own in spoils.

We play McCartin in the forward line at our own peril. If he can't clunk a mark and he looks too timid to fly for pack marks, can't grab a ground ball and he's ordinary defensively, the question that needs to be asked, is why is he picked? As a decoy perhaps?

Sinclair was marginally better with: 12 possessions 1 kick 11 handballs 3 marks 2 tackles 4 spoils 2 critical unforced errors & 78 minutes game time

Stats don't tell the whole truth. Nathan Brown was fantastic for us this week, him and Carlisle completely destroyed Brisbanes tall forwards.

[Drake Huggins]

The bottom three, statistically, for the Saints also included: McCartin 7 possessions 6 kicks 1 handball 3 marks 0 tackles 0 spoils 3 critical unforced errors & 69 minutes game time
Brown 7 possessions 5 Kicks 2 handballs 5 marks 2 tackles 6 spoils 1 critical unforced error & 91 minutes game time
Added to Longer's stats from kosi's post were: 0 tackles 1 spoil 3 critical unforced errors & 80 minutes game time

Against top-class teams, can we afford to play 3 plodding dinosaurs who seem to be where the ball isn't? At least Brown holds his own in spoils.

We play McCartin in the forward line at our own peril. If he can't clunk a mark and he looks too timid to fly for pack marks, can't grab a ground ball and he's ordinary defensively, the question that needs to be asked, is why is he picked? As a decoy perhaps?

Sinclair was marginally better with: 12 possessions 1 kick 11 handballs 3 marks 2 tackles 4 spoils 2 critical unforced errors & 78 minutes game time

I posted something similar before round one. With Longer, Brown and Paddy in the same side puts us three runners down, a huge disadvantage in the modern game. At the very best, there's room for only one. On Saturday's evidence, Brown can at least play a specialist role in stopping an opposition forward. Billy and Paddy are as useful as cigar store Indians.

[sunsaint]

If Longer was "not fit, limited preseason" as stonecold says why did AR select him?
And that is exactly why we see the problem with Hickey - he knows the coach prefers another and thats that ( i pray it doesnt inhibit Marshalls progress to no.1 spot and he either gives it away or looks elsewhere)
Hickeys average is better than longers best - he adds to the midfield and forward line - sorry stonecold players dont really ever change their game style over the course

Remember hickey getting thrown to the wolves last year in that game against Port - how much leeway was he given by the coaching staff ( and most fans)
Lets see if the coach realises that Longer is not ready and selects another???