Good Bye Billings

[Gershwin]

Get the best we can for the lad and move on.

Has no influence on the game whatsoever.

[happy feet]

Yes, I’m sure he will play great at Essendon.

[Banger9798]

Was good last week

[B.M]

Whipping boy now

[Trev from the Bush]

Whipping boy now

Yep, Geary is really being missed by some keyboard warriors. Great to see Jack step up into a leadership role. He might still be a contender for the Xavier Clarke medal!

[Crossy66]

Good player, should keep, but on a reduced contract. Clearly not 100% fit most of this season

[CURLY]

Hasn’t trained for months. Playing due to our horrific injury list. Still our best kick.

[Teflon]

Not our best kick what absolute rot

[bangaulegend]

I have posted similar before but have had no response . If he is injured that badly that he can't train why the f--k would you play him .

[shanegrambeau]

It shows us how desperate we really are selection wise.

Obviously, they don't just pick the best 22 based on general attributes in a ranking order top to bottom..They pick for position, team structure, match-ups and the like..

That we are in such a space where a player like Kent gets picked, it shows us how, why potentially, a player like Billings, laboring from injury, lack of training, out of contract, trade bait rumoureque numero uno, still gets asked to play... Maybe it explains why Ross still plays. Who knows? Even Hill? Maybe Marshall is borderline? Sinclair, has been brilliant this year, had a quiet arvo. Last year, Webster wasn't good enough, was he? He is consistently now in our best 10 players.

What is my point?

I can't fathom how Kent is picked. Never could after his first four games. Sure he is a great fella and massive respect for making the grade to even be considered for an AFL club. Yet, I just have to assume the team is picked horses for courses, regardless of reputation and pay packet.. So Billings of 2017 vintage is no longer relevant. The guy in Billings's jumper now is simply the set (a+b+c) = xy and if xy is deemed to be better than yz, which might be say, 'Let's keep Hind, or let's play Hanners as a HFF' then I suppose we just accept it.

But our emotional reactions are all legit. Fair enough.

Come on Saints. Can we do something useful for ourselves and the future with the remaining games?

Is it time for 'Thomas the Tank Engine'?

Where is Grant by the way?

[B.M]

Who should play HF instead of him

Of course you know who the best performed small forward at Sandy was

[Teflon]

Bloody hell pisses me off
Lose Hind
Keep Kent
**** me

[bangaulegend]

Who should play HF instead of him

Of course you know who the best performed small forward at Sandy was

I don't rate Lonie as a player that is going to be a long term solution to our future development as a finals contender but in the same breath I don't see the point of playing an injured player that can't play to his potential because of his injury

[shanegrambeau]

Who should play HF instead of him

Of course you know who the best performed small forward at Sandy was

Nobody I assume.

Ironically, it may just be Hanners in, Kent out!

hanners, at half-forward flank.

Hill back to wing.

Long?
Sorry, 'Longy', is another one you wonder why and how. Not so much, perhaps.

Perhaps Lonie could have played today? Easy to take pot shots from here, isn't it.

Well, it's a pretty anti-climactic and dismal end to the season. The season that wasn't.

Funnily, I saw Ratts in the pre-match presser and I have never seen him look more healthy. (not that that is saying much TBH..bless him)

[CURLY]

Unavailable for Billing’s to rest.

Higgins
Gresham
Clarke

All out even Hannebery can start across there. The blokes playing getting a good player on him and still going ok with a restriction.

[B.M]

Hannebery will not be considered for a few weeks

[CURLY]

Hannebery will not be considered for a few weeks

I know just saying he isn’t available to allow Billing’s a break.

[The Recruit]

Use Billings to get the pick we need for Bing

[carn_sainter]

Billings is fine. He's okay. Starting 18 player. This year he has been playing hurt/not training to make matters worse.

People who have a problem with Billings just have their expectations too high. He's not a star. But you can't have a team of 22 stars. Get over the fact he was drafted at number 3 and just look at what he does.

He's worth about 500K/year as a decent contributor. (Which is unfortunate since he's already paid more than that and probably wouldn't tolerate a pay cut).

If you expect him to win games off his own boot, you'll be disappointed 22 times a year.

The problem is the club has already overpaid him in an attempt to market him as a star which he just isn't. You can't really have a crack at him - he plays up to what he is capable of which, like 95% of the guys in the comp, is only so much.

[Teflon]

Billings is fine. He's okay. Starting 18 player. This year he has been playing hurt/not training to make matters worse.

People who have a problem with Billings just have their expectations too high. He's not a star. But you can't have a team of 22 stars. Get over the fact he was drafted at number 3 and just look at what he does.

He's worth about 500K/year as a decent contributor. (Which is unfortunate since he's already paid more than that and probably wouldn't tolerate a pay cut).

If you expect him to win games off his own boot, you'll be disappointed 22 times a year.

The problem is the club has already overpaid him in an attempt to market him as a star which he just isn't. You can't really have a crack at him - he plays up to what he is capable of which, like 95% of the guys in the comp, is only so much.

All lovely then he takes a pay cut
Simple

[carn_sainter]

Good point. It is a problem. He's overpaid. But that's not his fault. Absolutely not his fault.

Maybe we try to work in some kind of bonus based on B&F finishes but a lower base salary? His earnings to B&F finish ratio is one of the more incongruent going, surely.

As much as he's overpaid, I'm still don't think you trade him. Worth keeping. Again, not a star but a contributing starting 18 player in the prime of his career who, as far as can be inferred, is diligent, hard working and professional.

[Scollop]

If he is injured that badly that he can't train why the f--k would you play him

They want to play him into form for the runup to finals. Just you wait. He'll be awesome. He's a ripper in big games

[Yorkeys]

Moving JB out does not improve team skills overall. Need to concentrate on those far less skilled and ineffective in possession. Obviously Butler and Kent and we need additional large forward and Sharman to come good. Need another large defender. When that is in place JB comes into his own. Several of the "promising" younger players are not as good as JB but get a pass because of potential, rightly so, but perspective/relativity should be applied. An issue is team dynamics, mental and physical. Ratts noted Port went tall we went fast. Tall won because while we might be fast we are not furious in the forwards.

[Vortex]

Competive beasts that play for 4 quarters.

It's not rocket surgery.

[Ghost Like]

Moving JB out does not improve team skills overall. Need to concentrate on those far less skilled and ineffective in possession. Obviously Butler and Kent and we need additional large forward and Sharman to come good. Need another large defender. When that is in place JB comes into his own. Several of the "promising" younger players are not as good as JB but get a pass because of potential, rightly so, but perspective/relativity should be applied. An issue is team dynamics, mental and physical. Ratts noted Port went tall we went fast. Tall won because while we might be fast we are not furious in the forwards.

Good post Yorkeys but can I add, fast will always lose to tall if fast has poor disposal. It is so costly as the whole side is out of position upon a turnover.