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Would Dan Butler be our most experienced finals player?
6 finals!
2017 with Richmaond , QF, PF, GF!
‘20 with us, EF, SF
‘23 EF
Well he wasn’t really switched on this year in the EF. Dismal kicking for goal. Something was off. I guess experience is no guarantee you can bring out your best. Just human beings and all that ..
I wonder if he had ankle troubles at Richmond too? He seemed to go off the radar late in his second season over there. Then only played 7 games in his third before being cut.
EDIT
Answer YES
2018 Round 16
partial syndesmosis sprain in his ankle WITH operation
B.M wrote: ↑Sun 24 Dec 2023 6:31pm
Billings was a very good player when fit
If you argue otherwise you have no idea
Let’s see how he goes in a decent team This year
I’ve seen Billings kick bags of 3 and 4 in the AFL and seen him average 20ppg as a HF
Seen him play midfield in the VFL and get 54 possessions
There is zero doubt he can play
Clear memories/impression of JB in that diabolical 2018 Good Friday match against North where we had more possessions and lost by 50+ points. 39% forward efficiency. Jack was named half forward. No score. Had 2 kicked on him but. My impression was that Jack was timid in contests; dropped a chest mark right in front of us to cap off one of the worst pieces of play professionals could possibly produce. Have just looked at the stats and JB had 10 kicks 13 handballs and 71 fantasy points beating a young Davies-Uniake (70 points); J. Steele playing off the IC (69); and a young Sinclair (61). Of that team 6 are still on our roster. So perhaps seeing Jack as skillful but wanting in the hand to hand stuff and defending was unfair - he obviously racked up possessions and was as good as a few notable contemporaries that day.
B.M wrote: ↑Sun 24 Dec 2023 6:31pm
Billings was a very good player when fit
If you argue otherwise you have no idea
Let’s see how he goes in a decent team This year
I’ve seen Billings kick bags of 3 and 4 in the AFL and seen him average 20ppg as a HF
Seen him play midfield in the VFL and get 54 possessions
There is zero doubt he can play
Clear memories/impression of JB in that diabolical 2018 Good Friday match against North where we had more possessions and lost by 50+ points. 39% forward efficiency. Jack was named half forward. No score. Had 2 kicked on him but. My impression was that Jack was timid in contests; dropped a chest mark right in front of us to cap off one of the worst pieces of play professionals could possibly produce. Have just looked at the stats and JB had 10 kicks 13 handballs and 71 fantasy points beating a young Davies-Uniake (70 points); J. Steele playing off the IC (69); and a young Sinclair (61). Of that team 6 are still on our roster. So perhaps seeing Jack as skillful but wanting in the hand to hand stuff and defending was unfair - he obviously racked up possessions and was as good as a few notable contemporaries that day.
Melbourne made Ben Brown looked good a couple of times.
I suggest Jack is going to have a tough time getting up the pecking order of Melbourne's similar sized players. They are fast, tough, seem skilled and have played finals. I think only injuries are going to give Jack a look in.
Melbourne really need a big forward or a mid to develop to allow Petracca to play FF.
And remember Jack was not pursued he was taken as a subsidised bargain/charity case.
He’s played 160 games
Has a top 5 B&F
2 x top 10
29 Brownlow votes
Has kicked 4 in a game a few times
Has picked up 30 touches a number of times (averages 20)
There is a whole lot wrong with everything you said!
Billings was rated top 3 in his draft year by nearly all experts, top 5 by all recruiters! That is known!
Bont wasn’t even in some top 10s
He was a bolter - everyone knows that!
I wasn’t talking about his draft position- I was talking about his very reasonable career to date.
Maybe stop thinking about how good he should of been and instead look at what he actually achieved
I bet you were cheering when he kicked 4 in the last quarter to win a game vs the dogs!
BTW
GT did not recruit 1 player in his time!
He has told me that to my face. He let JB take care of that. He believed that his job wasn’t to identify talent but rather develop talent he was given.
He did admit the recruiting dept was under resourced which ultimately cost premierships
B.M wrote: ↑Wed 27 Dec 2023 7:14pm
There is a whole lot wrong with everything you said!
Billings was rated top 3 in his draft year by nearly all experts, top 5 by all recruiters! That is known!
Bont wasn’t even in some top 10s
He was a bolter - everyone knows that!
I wasn’t talking about his draft position- I was talking about his very reasonable career to date.
Maybe stop thinking about how good he should of been and instead look at what he actually achieved
I bet you were cheering when he kicked 4 in the last quarter to win a game vs the dogs!
BTW
GT did not recruit 1 player in his time!
He has told me that to my face. He let JB take care of that. He believed that his job wasn’t to identify talent but rather develop talent he was given.
He did admit the recruiting dept was under resourced which ultimately cost premierships
I am thinking of what he achieved, it's in his profile. He left with two years running while we were entering his first ever finals run at the peak of his career.
Boyd was rated 1. The Bulldogs got him a year later for 6 for 6. He played in a grandfinal and gave half the money back when he retired shortly after. Certified Champion.