Billings another week

[chook23]

Gain more fitness?

[B.M]

Poor move

He’s a class above VFL

If he right to play, should be in the seniors

[chook23]

Poor move

He’s a class above VFL

If he right to play, should be in the seniors

Fully agree

[Vortex]

Poor move

He’s a class above VFL

If he right to play, should be in the seniors

Doesn't look like the Tiges think Dusty needs a few games at VFL level before coming back from the kidney injury. Is that 1 game in 10 months?

There's class, and then there is class.

I really hope Billings comes in and tears tbe rest of the season apart. His team needs his class more than ever.

[SaintJohno]

I'd absolutely love him to come back and go bang, but another week might be the right call. Is 21 possessions in VFL enough to break into the current side? I can't think of anyone that deserves to be omitted in his likely position. Maybe he could jump in for Butler and change things up.

[ace]

I'd absolutely love him to come back and go bang, but another week might be the right call. Is 21 possessions in VFL enough to break into the current side? I can't think of anyone that deserves to be omitted in his likely position. Maybe he could jump in for Butler and change things up.

It is not the 21 possessions I am interested in.
It is the 10 tackles that are not listed.
Those 10 tackles will tell me he is committed to winning not just earning his pay cheque.

[B.M]

21 possessions and a load of tackles for a HF are elite numbers

He did go through the middle in the second half, but had 11 and 5 tackles and 3 shots on goal in the first half playing forward

Last time I said you don’t drive a Ferrari in a paddock wax when X Clarke was playing VFL in 2009 at Frankston

Did his knee

Never played for StK again

[Banger9798]

Maybe we're conceding this match and he will come up for the week after.
He looked tired in the last Q of Sandringham match as did Jones

[nostalgicsaint]

Our game plan requires seriously elite running and conditioning. I reckon it is great that they're making sure he is 100% and match fit before bringing him in.

Plenty of players like Butler will be aware he is almost certain to start next week and keeps the pressure on them all.

[axcellence]

21 possessions and a load of tackles for a HF are elite numbers

He did go through the middle in the second half, but had 11 and 5 tackles and 3 shots on goal in the first half playing forward

Last time I said you don’t drive a Ferrari in a paddock wax when X Clarke was playing VFL in 2009 at Frankston

Did his knee

Never played for StK again

Fergus Watts is another example.

X Clarke was so fragile. Didn’t play much and spent 2 years on Brisbane’s list doing the injury routine forever.

[D.B.Cooper]

Poor move

He’s a class above VFL

If he right to play, should be in the seniors

Doesn't look like the Tiges think Dusty needs a few games at VFL level before coming back from the kidney injury. Is that 1 game in 10 months?

There's class, and then there is class.

I really hope Billings comes in and tears tbe rest of the season apart. His team needs his class more than ever.

But Dusty is not coming off soft tissue injuries.
His situation is more aligned to Jones.

I’m a Billings fan and as soon as he is match fit walks straight back into the side, but think that the fitness staff obviously think he needs another run at a less intense level.

[D.B.Cooper]

21 possessions and a load of tackles for a HF are elite numbers

He did go through the middle in the second half, but had 11 and 5 tackles and 3 shots on goal in the first half playing forward

Last time I said you don’t drive a Ferrari in a paddock wax when X Clarke was playing VFL in 2009 at Frankston

Did his knee

Never played for StK again

I agree with your comments, however you cannot be making risk based decisions on hypothetical impact or situational injuries.

If the fitness staff believes he needs another run at a less intense level then so be it. What would be the outcry if he comes back in this week and immediately does another hammy?

[longtimesaint]

I think it could be that bringing back both Billings and Jones the.same week has influenced the decision.
Also Jones had played two VFL matches, and Billings was coming back from a hamstring injury.

[SaintWiki]

Poor move

He’s a class above VFL

If he right to play, should be in the seniors

Doesn't look like the Tiges think Dusty needs a few games at VFL level before coming back from the kidney injury. Is that 1 game in 10 months?

There's class, and then there is class.

I really hope Billings comes in and tears tbe rest of the season apart. His team needs his class more than ever.

Hardwick said this week that he doesn't care if Dusty can only play 50% because that will be a plus. Are you saying that Billings at 50% is enough?

[meher baba]

It seems to me that the coaching staff is determined to retain the current structure at all costs. On that basis, the only players whom Billings could easily replace are Wood and NWM. They both were among our better performers last Saturday. In the near future, one of them will need to make way for Billings, which will be a shame. But I can understand why the club feels that giving Billings another week in the twos to get properly back into AFL form is a reasonable idea.

Also, Billings will need to be nursed back into AFL to a certain extent, with plenty of time on the pine. This week, a number of other other key players possibly are going to need a little more bench time than usual after the heat, difficult surface and fierce contest at Cairns.

Billings coming back against Geelong will be perfect. They are a team that has always been a little more vulnerable than most to rapid counter-attacks around the wings.

[Moods]

My view is, have we really missed Billings? My personal view is no, we haven’t. The team is doing really well and save for some terrible goal kicking, should be 6-1.

NWM has been great or was very good last week at least. His field kicking is a breath of fresh air and tbh is what I always thought Billings field kicking would be like after we drafted him but has never eventuated.

I think many of us are obsessed with the ‘idea’ of Billings. But if we’re tbh, he hasn’t delivered anything much since first half of 2020. I reckon he needs to produce at VFL level and wait his turn. For mine, he’s no where near as high in the pecking order as many infer. I hope that selectors see it the same way.

Also he’s barely played a game since March.

I hope like hell, that now that the team is performing more cohesively that Jack will find his feet and will be that finisher we desperately lacked last week. But too often in the past he’s been part of the problem when we desperately need goals. Good decision by selectors to not play him this week

[B.M]

Billings is a good AFL footballer

That puts him in front of many to begin with

Nasiah has been handy but is not a Billings level… doesn’t get it enough

[Ghost Like]

It seems prudent that JB coming off a twice tweaked hamstring should test it out one more week in the VFL, especially when the AFL side is playing the current benchmark of two way running. Smart, mature, non-reactive decision selection.

Fingers crossed both he & Clark play well for Sandy as both are aotomatic best 22 when AFL fit.

[B.M]

Do you go easier in the VFL?

[nostalgicsaint]

Do you go easier in the VFL?

The game isn't a fast paced and they can give him more bench time.

[Ghost Like]

It's not about going easier, it's about being able to run the minutes you'll be expected to run in the AFL. Reports suggested JB was blowing pretty hard, that's good. Put his hammies under match stress again but in the VFL. I can't wait to see him back in the seniors but with genuine match fitness and full confidence in his hamstrings.

[B.M]

He could redo his hammy first contest, minute 1

Not sure he would play at a different velocity in the AFL or VFL or even at training in match sim.

You just commit to the footy no matter the situation

People get injured in the VFL and at training (which Billings did so)

The only reason I could see Billings in the VFL is to get some touch back under match conditions
IMO 1 week is enough for that

[D.B.Cooper]

Do you go easier in the VFL?

Not at the contest, but you can manage his game time and workload when 4 AFL points are not on the line.

You don’t have that luxury in the seniors.

[B.M]

4 vfl points are on the line, it’s a senior game of footy, isn’t it?

Or is that Mickey Mouse?

[Ghost Like]

The Club made the right call. Look forward to him playing AFL again next week & he may be joined by Hunter Clark.

It is important to have such strong competition. Lienert was possibly our best today, Highmore a strong game & Bytel solid. Add Owens who was very good & then look at Connolly & Sharman, there's plenty of pressure on those given the honour of wearing the St Kilda guernsey.