Crab watch

[Vortex]

Does it make anyone else cranky we are paying for Billings to play in the reserves.

Not really, our team isn't any more deserving of the cap space.

Gee it wasn't that long ago you were full of so much optimism and glowing endorsement for just about everything at the club, look what the club has done to you Otiman, you are a broken man.

I'll be back! Disillusioned but still engaged, usually i'll just switch right off.

It's what it means to be a St Kilda supporter...

[skeptic]

Thought this worth a bump…

Billings despite his incredible form for a HFF remains out of the Melbourne team.

Gresh was so so today… 15 touches, no real impact

Bytel wouldn’t be happy with his performance… 9 touches in a big game vs the Bulldogs.

Acres continues to tear it up for a Carlton with a huge 10 possession last quarter v Port with the game on the line.

Cripps keeps on keeping on with 3 goals against us. 240 games… a career very much to be proud of.

Another under appreciated player from our time… Nick Hind had a decent outing in a losing effort with 24 touches and a goal v Goldcoast

From the same match however comes what is suddenly an emerging superstar… no one would have been surprised if he was delisted last year but Ben Long is tearing it up down there. 4 goals today… and more or less kicking 2 every week

[Scollop]

It's painful watching Longy and the Blake

They were two of my favourite Saints

Blake seems to be really enjoying his footy. Helps when a coach allowed him to settle in one position. He's cemented himself as a very important cog in the Carlton team.

Benny was originally recruited by Stewy Dew to play on a half back flank. They threw him around the same way St Kilda did. I think Longy still has a way to go to convince Hardwick of his consistency, but he's no different to half their players

What I never doubted with both Acres and Long was their ability to hurt opposition. Both with their physicality, but more importantly, with their ability to kick 6 pointers. Majors. Goals goals goals

Shame they're not doing it in Saints colours

[The_Dud]

Yep, out of all those listed, Acres and Long are the 2 that hurt. Both clearly had lots of talent and xfactor, but the coaching groups at the time just didn’t know how to use them or see what was obvious to most of us.

[B.M]

Coaching groups or List Managers?!

Long was inconsistent and underwhelming at StK
Attacked the ball hard, just lacked production

Acres was a tease - BTW he played exactly the same role (wing) it’s all he’s ever played. Even though people on here were proclaiming- play him in the guts

[Scollop]

If you want to encourage a player you don't drop them to the reserve competition every time you suffer losses.

The coaching and the development was inconsistent

A player's improvement isn't always linear. Instead of dropping senior players or pets like Gresh or Billings, it was usually Long or Acres

[B.M]

Because they were playing poorly

[Scollop]

Because they were playing poorly

So was Billings (hardly ever dropped). So was Gresham (was he ever dropped?)

What about Weller and Newnes. I don't think they were ever dropped either...and they had poor games

[The_Dud]

They were playing poorly because they were being played out of position.

How many ruck contests does Acres contest now?

[B.M]

How many ruck contests then?!

He played wing 90% of the time

Long played forward, back and struggled to make consistent impact

Put it this way
Billings was averaging 20ppg
Long was averaging 10ppg

There was always a query on Acres decision making

[The_Dud]

Acres had 45 hitouts for St Kilda, and how many contests would he need to win that many as a smaller player out of position, 250?

It never worked, was a constant gripe by many on here.

Players don’t all of a sudden gain ability when they change clubs. Fact is our coaches didn’t know how to get the most out of him, which isn’t a good sign for them. A waste of a talent.

[B.M]

He got older, matured and got into a better team

It’s always far easier to get a kick when Cripps, Walsh, Cerra, Hewitt are dominating and doing the heavy lifting

[The_Dud]

…and you’re not getting smashed in the ruck every week

[Yorkeys]

Wasn't it going around that BA was annoyingly juvenile and the group were not unhappy to see him off. Had to tidy up his act at Carlton?

[Scollop]

FoxFooty show 'On the Coach' just highlighted the top 4 rated wingers in the game...this year

Big Surprises

#1. Massimo D'Ambrosio

No. 2 obvious Errol Gulden

No 3 ..Sam Clohesy

And Blake Acres at number 4

[Scollop]

Wasn't it going around that BA was annoyingly juvenile and the group were not unhappy to see him off. Had to tidy up his act at Carlton?

They paid him an adult wage. That helps

[B.M]

Both subs in todays game former saints

Billings
Subbed on in the third
9 possessions

Bytel
Subbed on in the last
2 possessions

Gresham
18 possessions 0 goals

[Vortex]

Both subs in todays game former saints

Billings
Subbed on in the third
9 possessions

Bytel
Subbed on in the last
2 possessions

Gresham
18 possessions 0 goals

Crab salad

[Scollop]

[skeptic]

A few posts on FB really panning Billings

[loris]

A few posts on FB really panning Billings

I used to get upset when Saint supporters would say Billings was ‘soft’ when playing for the Saints, plus that he never lived up to his draft # selection.
I did occasionally see Billings have ‘short steps’ when a contest was on. Id argue he was an outside player not one to do the heavy stuff in a contest. We needed his skills went the ball was delivered out to him.
Then I’d argue injuries over the years robbed him of the chance to show his skills. Kept making excuses for Billings for years, as he did appear at times to be doing a lot of gut running & took the occasional saving mark in the defensive half when on his own. Gut running , sure, however he never really impacted on the play, no matter how much he ran from half forward along the wing. It looked impressive but often achieve nought!! Over the years his kicking became less reliable (maybe injuries were the reason??). However I always defended him from the relentless criticism some supporters said of him.

I’ve watch a few games with Melbourne & I must admit he won’t put himself in harms way when a strong contest is needed.
Comparing him with Langford (? name - winger at Melbourne from Freo) today. Langford(? name) is prepared to wear a tackle, if it means holding the ball in & not letting Collingwood get away. Billings just doesn’t put himself in that position to really wear a heavy tackle for the team, or go for a contested mark in a pack.
I noticed his effective kicks today were when he was not under pressure - when he was, it was a dump kick to get it away before he was tackled & each dump kick (3 I saw in the match) went straight to an opponent in Collingwood’s defensive unit & they rebounded straight back.
So maybe I’m seeing in Jack Billings now, the criticisms so many Sainters have had of him for years. He’s very average in his skills, plus his attitude towards competing for a contested possession leaves a lot to be desired.

[B.M]

I don’t think players get to AFL if they take short steps or consistently shirk contests

In fact I take umbrage at the thought any elite footballer is soft. There are degrees of hardness, that’s positional. But no one who’s got to the elite level is soft. Only people who haven’t played the game at any level would think such a thing.

Nearly everyone has occasionally has a look or pulled out but soft mean you wouldn’t win the footy. He does.

You don’t dominated TAC Cup to the point where you are an AA u18 play for Vic Metro and then get drafted as one of the best 3 juniors in the country if you’re soft.
You don’t get 54 possessions playing in the midfield at State League level if you’re soft
You certainly don’t play 165 AFL games if you’re soft
You don’t finish top 5 in a club B&F if you’re soft
You dont get 11 Brownlow votes in 2 separate seasons.

I think it is a ridiculous thought!

[B.M]

Billings has 993 contested possessions at the highest level

As a HFF/Winger

Has taken 50 contested marks at the highest level

I’d say that’s 993 and 50 more than any hero supporter.

I’m surprised about that because apparently he can’t win a contested ball or tak a contested mark.

[skeptic]

Commentary on BF RE Billings is very intense…
Everything from him going out of his way to avoid contests, slowing down before he gets to them so avoid competing, refusing to spoil in addition to calls of terrible decision making and poor disposal.

Some are suggesting that his re-selection off poor form on the back of his continued selection prior to being dropped is evidence that Goodwin is playing favourites and has lost the plot.

Seems that the Melbourne faithful haven’t seen the positives echoed in this thread at times

[B.M]

Unhappy supporters looking for scapegoats

Hmm

Never seen that before?!