Is Billings gone?

[Ghost Like]

Sadly it seems that way B.M.. In all our rebuilds we do not appear to have a plan or if we do, we fail to stick with it or change it at the first sign it may not work.

This is where an overhaul of the whole club needs to occur. The President can then steer the club, along with his CEO, as one. Not the fragmented, dysfunctional, hotchspotch of an organisation it appears to be.

Simple example, our Marketing Dept can truly only rely on Jack Steele, they need more to work on that. They need a quality big name recruit (Kelly or Grundy), they need quality young kids, the future (Rozee / Butters). At this point our recruits are injury prone or shadows of their former selves, our kids are stagnating, certainly not developing.

This is an example of coaching (developing), fitness, recruiting and drafting not working together and letting another department down and ultimately the club.

[WellardSaint]

If we get a first round pick I’d personally pick him up and drop at the club of his choice.
Very definition of a “good ordinary player”

Yep
Latest Bigfooty whisper (good site - if you ever get banned for no reason on here worth a look) is he has 3 very big offers on the table 1 from a club contending finals 2 not (my bet is North who need to spend cap are one of those).

Let’s pray he gets a ripping offer
Tony74 has indicated club wants 3 picks inside 20....I can’t see where a third comes from tbh (unless we start offering package deals ...)
Who else is worth anything ??? Battle ? Long? gets thin quick...

I can't see any club offering 3 picks at ANY level, let alone top 20, for JB.

He's never proved himself to be a linebreaker, nor a consistent high performer.
Whether that's becsuse the oppo sometimes tags him, who knows.
But the only games in which he seems to do reasonably well (in my memory) are the games in which the entire team is singing from the same hymn book.
'Downhill skier'?

I don't see him taking a game on, arresting a slide, kicking a clutch goal at an important moment when someone steps up...
For me to value him, he needs to be a shorter version of Membrey, but he is not and never will be.

In a top 4 side, i think he will do well, as he'll be surrounded by talent and the other guys will do lots of heavy lifting.

In our team, Skunk, Steele, and now Crouch, are setting the standard but JB isn't playing like them.

Let him go, for whatever we get.
If he ain't part of the solution, then he's part of the problem

[Ghost Like]

Let him go, for whatever we get.
If he ain't part of the solution, then he's part of the problem

Teflon and I have had different opinions on the worth of JB and his value but even he'd agree this statement is silly. In fact it smacks of all that has been wrong with our trading and recruiting over the past *decade*.

Did Essendon let Carlisle go for whatever they could get?

Did Sydney let Hannebery go for whatever they could get?

Did Freo let Hill go for whatever they could get?

Unfortunately there's only one club like St Kilda and we don't get to deal with them.

[older saint]

Need to be careful of the list demographic . You also need to ask if someone at pick 10 will be better than Billings - crystal ball i know . Dont overpayd by any stretch , but dont let walk just because he isnt a superstar. Many good sides need foot soliders ( and draft position irreleavnt all this time later - doesnt make you play any better or any worse)

[skeptic]

I just don’t get the logic
Trade Billings out for a pick that if we’re lucky will get us a player that is as good as Billings

Unless they have a ready made upgrade set to come in... it just feels like a loser strategy

[spert]

I just don’t get the logic
Trade Billings out for a pick that if we’re lucky will get us a player that is as good as Billings

Unless they have a ready made upgrade set to come in... it just feels like a loser strategy

Was Billings playing last week? Seemed to do the big disappearing act.

[Impatient Sainter]

I just don’t get the logic
Trade Billings out for a pick that if we’re lucky will get us a player that is as good as Billings

Unless they have a ready made upgrade set to come in... it just feels like a loser strategy

Was Billings playing last week? Seemed to do the big disappearing act.

Agreed he is one player who should be leading from the front in those games, but instead becomes more introverted. I keep reading he is a good over head mark for his size, well he IMO he is a horrible mark. He gets pushed aside far too easily, gets his hands to balls and drops marks he should be taking. Then he hasnt got the smarts or aggression to get himself separation on a lead. He plays the game like a 17 yo not an adult with years experience.

[SaintJohno]

FFS no one is TRADING him out. As a RFA, he is the one who gets to field offers from other clubs, he gets to decide which offer he likes the look of (ours included). The only choice we get is if we want to match it and that will be based on the $/length of contract. The AFL get the choice as to what sort of compensation pick we get and that is based on the $ offered.

[skeptic]

FFS no one is TRADING him out. As a RFA, he is the one who gets to field offers from other clubs, he gets to decide which offer he likes the look of (ours included). The only choice we get is if we want to match it and that will be based on the $/length of contract. The AFL get the choice as to what sort of compensation pick we get and that is based on the $ offered.

Point taken Johno

I’m just saying there’s no point in not doing what we can to keep him unless the plan is to get something better.

[SaintJohno]

FFS no one is TRADING him out. As a RFA, he is the one who gets to field offers from other clubs, he gets to decide which offer he likes the look of (ours included). The only choice we get is if we want to match it and that will be based on the $/length of contract. The AFL get the choice as to what sort of compensation pick we get and that is based on the $ offered.

Point taken Johno

I’m just saying there’s no point in not doing what we can to keep him unless the plan is to get something better.

Absolutely agree

[Teflon]

Let him go, for whatever we get.
If he ain't part of the solution, then he's part of the problem

Teflon and I have had different opinions on the worth of JB and his value but even he'd agree this statement is silly. In fact it smacks of all that has been wrong with our trading and recruiting over the past *decade*.

Did Essendon let Carlisle go for whatever they could get?

Did Sydney let Hannebery go for whatever they could get?

Did Freo let Hill go for whatever they could get?

Unfortunately there's only one club like St Kilda and we don't get to deal with them.

I agreed I wouldn’t just let him go....he’s a good player the problem is he just doesn’t play a role that this team desperately needs and imo that’s midfield run/carry with sharp foot skills/decision making (and if you can go forward and jag a goal we’ll take that too).
When is the last time this club had a genuine ball winning, can break from congestion goal kicking mid?????
I know we won’t get Judd....but geez ...,someone who can provide that spark when the sides up against it...Billings definitely ain’t that
Supposedly some good mid talent top end this draft ....I’m just praying they don’t go stupid again, split picks in the hope of getting some miracle athlete later on..

[Impatient Sainter]

Damian Barrett reporting Nth Melbourne are very confident they will pick up Josh Kelly as a FA at seasons end. I doubt Billings goes there if that is correct.

[B.M]

So if we go for a run and carry mid (which we have 2 of)

Who will be our High Half Forward who gets 20 and a goal a game

His position will need to be filled.

[Vortex]

Damian Barrett reporting Nth Melbourne are very confident they will pick up Josh Kelly as a FA at seasons end. I doubt Billings goes there if that is correct.

It's an interesting subplot that will playout. We all know the failed attempts by our club and North to lure marquee players in the years leading up to our recent and very brief period as a "destination" club. Against the backdrop of the Pandemic and prolonged economic restrictions, will clubs like ours and North be capable of manufacturing the illusion of "destination".

[The_Dud]

Damian Barrett reporting Nth Melbourne are very confident they will pick up Josh Kelly as a FA at seasons end. I doubt Billings goes there if that is correct.

I wouldn’t mind having Josh Kelly, surely we have a spare $800k+ to throw his way??

[Yorkeys]

The assumption being another club will pay more; or that he is disillusioned?

[Teflon]

Damian Barrett reporting Nth Melbourne are very confident they will pick up Josh Kelly as a FA at seasons end. I doubt Billings goes there if that is correct.

I wouldn’t mind having Josh Kelly, surely we have a spare $800k+ to throw his way??

Kelly this year is back to 2017 best
He’d be ideal on current form but has had injury concerns and I’d be nervous offering stupid money for another Hanners scenario again

[Ghost Like]

Damian Barrett reporting Nth Melbourne are very confident they will pick up Josh Kelly as a FA at seasons end. I doubt Billings goes there if that is correct.

I wouldn’t mind having Josh Kelly, surely we have a spare $800k+ to throw his way??

Kelly this year is back to 2017 best
He’d be ideal on current form but has had injury concerns and I’d be nervous offering stupid money for another Hanners scenario again

He's exactly who we need in the centre to complement Crouch and Steele. He's a long way from being a Hannebery scenario. Kelly is approaching, if not in, his prime. Hanners prime was a dot in the rear view mirror & he seemingly signed his contract with us from a hospital bed.

Sadly I cannot see us getting him, a pity because I like a midfield group of Ryder / Marshall, Steele, Crouch, Kelly, Hill, Billings, Jones and Gresham.

[lewdogs]

Damian Barrett reporting Nth Melbourne are very confident they will pick up Josh Kelly as a FA at seasons end. I doubt Billings goes there if that is correct.

I wouldn’t mind having Josh Kelly, surely we have a spare $800k+ to throw his way??

Kelly this year is back to 2017 best
He’d be ideal on current form but has had injury concerns and I’d be nervous offering stupid money for another Hanners scenario again

He's exactly who we need in the centre to complement Crouch and Steele. He's a long way from being a Hannebery scenario. Kelly is approaching, if not in, his prime. Hanners prime was a dot in the rear view mirror & he seemingly signed his contract with us from a hospital bed.

Sadly I cannot see us getting him, a pity because I like a midfield group of Ryder / Marshall, Steele, Crouch, Kelly, Hill, Billings, Jones and Gresham.

If Kelly is really interested in North then surely he'd be interested in us too.

[Yorkeys]

Well North are showing signs of improvement, Hawthorn have Clarkson, Collingwood is going through dramatic change and only way is up, so we and the Suns are going toe to toe for biggest basket case title. Not sure why any ambitious player would come to us. May have the perverse benefit effect of stopping SL making any more expensive recruiting errors though. Or not, what if he tries to double down on the Hs follies. Surely checks and balances have been put in place.

[SAINT-LEE]

Oh yes, Kelly is the Saviour.
He's had 2 avg seasons and now is back equal to the form from 5 seasons ago....but yes, next season he will be hot sh1t and we should throw it at him.

He hasn't finished in the top 5 at GWS since 2017.

Let that sink in......

[Ghost Like]

Hang on SAINT-LEE, let's actually be accurate here...

2016 - 4th
2017 - 1st
2018 - 9th
2019 - outside Top 10
2020 - 4th
2021 - Favourite to win it

Not bad for a midfielder that plays inside & out, kicks goals and has played 90% of games (nearly 90% each season).

If Hannebery was worth $850K for 4 seasons + 1, a player like Kelly is a "$5 million a season" player.

Don't worry though, we won't get him. Our mismanagement of our recruiting, our contracts and the lack of a plan has ensured that.

But, at least we are spending our full salary cap now - wasn't that one of the so called reasons we brought DH in?

[Wayne42]

Damian Barrett reporting Nth Melbourne are very confident they will pick up Josh Kelly as a FA at seasons end. I doubt Billings goes there if that is correct.

I wouldn’t mind having Josh Kelly, surely we have a spare $800k+ to throw his way??

We've already thrown that $800k away.

[Yorkeys]

You have to wonder now it is obvious the Hannebery contract is a disaster how its going to be treated at the Club and if there is to be any accountability, mea culpas and assurances that such a thing won't happen again.

Recruiting/contact guys must be going nuts trying to reconcile personnel needs with a severely handicapped salary cap (suddenly saying "Dunstan's not so bad you know"). If Pies can pay out Beams outside the cap there must be a loophole for us.

[devil saint]

Not sure what to make of this and David King is certainly not a fan of the Saints in broad terms, but he made a curious comment on First Crack last night: that the relationship between Billings and the Saints is "broken" and we should let him go for what we can get.
If this is the case, I can't see us landing Kelly.