Good Bye Billings

[B.M]

I think we just need to understand the role Billings plays

[Zed]

Not our best kick what absolute rot

The “best kick in the team” myth has been busted this year. His recent form will be devaluing his price on the open market. I doubt too many other clubs will stump up the rumoured $700k he is wanting. May get a longer term deal elsewhere which may be enough for him to walk.

Interesting decisions ahead for Billings and the club.

I doubt we will get anything more than a 2nd round selection for him. If there was a player of similar ability on the open market - would we offer a 3 year deal at $500-600k and a 2nd round draft pick ? - yes I think we would .

[Laurie]

Definitely move Billings on has been in our system for 7 years and i do not think we can get more out of him.
If he is not training due to injury then he should not be playing.
As for Hannabery maybe time to part company with him as well np point keeping guys who we cannot get on the park best is behind him.

[SydneySainter]

Agreed.

Been in our system since 2014 and hasn't come of age.

A handy player at the absolute best, but not a match winner and certainly not a star. Debatable if he's even A grade.

If he's being offered superstar money elsewhere, let me him go. The absolute best we would get for him is a late first rounder, but thems the brakes.

[Ghost Like]

Definitely move Billings on has been in our system for 7 years and i do not think we can get more out of him.
If he is not training due to injury then he should not be playing.
As for Hannabery maybe time to part company with him as well np point keeping guys who we cannot get on the park best is behind him.

We have no real choice here in relation to JB, so perhaps he should be the "maybe" as it will come down to money & make Hannebery the "definitely".

[Vortex]

The biggest issue Billings has is the biggest issue our current best 22 has collectively, a lack of competitive beast and inability to play 4 quarters.

[B.M]

Why does Billings have to be a ‘competitive beast’

He is a small/mid size HF

Not a midfield bull

We have Steele, Crouch, Dunstan for that

We need players like Hill and Billings to compliment them

Not every player needs to be a contested ball winner, some need to be complimentary players

Melbourne have Salem, Neal Bullen etc to compliment Petracca, Viney and Oliver

We just need to accept what Billings is, not what we want him to be… he’s a skilled HF who gets around 20
Which are very important players in a teams make up

He’s NOT Bontempelli, Petracca, Martin

[cwrcyn]

He's been playing injured for most of the season. He's a good player that everyone seems to blame for costing us Bontompelli. A good baller user is valuable, and Billings is certainly that.

[SydneySainter]

He's been playing injured for most of the season. He's a good player that everyone seems to blame for costing us Bontompelli. A good baller user is valuable, and Billings is certainly that.

Yes, a handy player, but not worth the reported additional $200k he’s reportedly being offered elsewhere.

If that’s the reality, in no way, shape or form should we be trying to match it.

[The Fireman]

So we are playing injured players ?

[Vortex]

Why does Billings have to be a ‘competitive beast’

He is a small/mid size HF

Not a midfield bull

We have Steele, Crouch, Dunstan for that

We need players like Hill and Billings to compliment them

Not every player needs to be a contested ball winner, some need to be complimentary players

Melbourne have Salem, Neal Bullen etc to compliment Petracca, Viney and Oliver

We just need to accept what Billings is, not what we want him to be… he’s a skilled HF who gets around 20
Which are very important players in a teams make up

He’s NOT Bontempelli, Petracca, Martin

By competitive beast I mean the ability to stay switched on for the whole game and not go missing for big chunks of a game especially when the win is really important like yesterday's. His game was absolutely appalling yesterday and his stats are just plain embarrassing. He just goes missing at the worst possible moments.

Even Connolly after 4 games looks like he cares more and gets to more contests and takes the game on. Byrnes has already gone past him.

[cwrcyn]

If Billings is a free agent and another club is prepared to pay him $200k more per season, our club will have no choice but to let him go. Personally, I don't want him leaving because he's a good player who hits targets and kicks goals, but there's a limit to what you can pay. I hope it doesn't come to that

[Sanctorum]

St Kilda does not have much young talent with real potential waiting in the wings, apart from Clavarino and Allison, so it is really important they go to the draft and find some more. Currently it does not have a 2nd round pick.

I don't mind Billings but he is just another average player who has never reached his full potential as pick 3 in 2013 - he is NOT going to play any better whilst at St Kilda, he may do elsewhere, so if another club wants to take him as a RFA then the 2nd round pick St Kilda will earn is a very good option.

The same can be said about Ross and Dunstan.....the way the latter spun the ball like a rookie yesterday before taking a set shot in front of goal that missed was dreadful, not good enough for a 100+ gamer.

[Vortex]

St Kilda does not have much young talent with real potential waiting in the wings, apart from Clavarino and Allison, so it is really important they go to the draft and find some more. Currently it does not have a 2nd round pick.

I don't mind Billings but he is just another average player who has never reached his full potential as pick 3 in 2013 - he is NOT going to play any better whilst at St Kilda, he may do elsewhere, so if another club wants to take him as a RFA then the 2nd round pick St Kilda will earn is a very good option.

The same can be said about Ross and Dunstan.....the way the latter spun the ball like a rookie yesterday before taking a set shot in front of goal that missed was dreadful, not good enough for a 100+ gamer.

Yep Billings and Dunny have to go. Dunny's game looked flashy at times yesterday but was playing selfishly and sitting outside the contests waiting for cheapys for parts of the game. Billings game was putrid and should be dropped but won't.

[Teflon]

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.

That depends on what you replace JB with
I’m not in the “JB is an elite kick” camp I actually think Sinclair with his decision making has him covered

[B.M]

Connolly better than Billings?

Because of two good kicks??

He was out marked in the goal square for a crucial goal and hardly touched it for most of the game

I mean, cmon

[Teflon]

Connolly not better yet but who knows his ceiling
We know Jack’s ceiling this is as good as it gets
Time to move IF compensation makes sense to do so
If not Jack takes a haircut, if as mentioned, he doesn’t want to play for North

[B.M]

What do you call good compensation

Pick 25

I mean seriously. The odds of us picking a good player in the top 10 is sketchy
At pick 25 it’s be a very slim chance we’d even pick a player who would make the grade.l and debut

Look at Allison
What a selection that was

[Teflon]

I wouldn’t do 25
But Jack takes a pay cut
500-550 is all his worth
Is he as good as Crouch on 600???

[Ghost Like]

Connolly, under pressure when the experienced players around him began to choke, pulled off two exceptional kicks in only his fourth game.

He had a dozen disposals, disposals that were like beacons in a hard, scrappy yet pressurised game.

He is someone to get enthused about after a poor result, not try and tear down.

Far, far from our worst, certainly in our Top dozen yesterday.

[Teflon]

Connolly, under pressure when the experienced players around him began to choke, pulled off two exceptional kicks in only his fourth game.

He had a dozen disposals, disposals that were like beacons in hard, scrappy yet pressurised game.

He is someone to get enthused about about a poor result, not try and tear down.

Far, far from our worst, certainly in our Top dozen yesterday.

He’s getting a game cause he’s good abs young
Pray this kid keeps it up cause we may have found a beauty

[B.M]

Didn’t say he can’t kick

But there’s more to footy than kicking well

Hopefully he develops well

[Scollop]

Connolly better than Billings?

Because of two good kicks??

He was out marked in the goal square for a crucial goal and hardly touched it for most of the game

I mean, cmon

I watched the replay and had ticks and crosses for every one of JB’s possessions. Lucky that most of his disposals were handballs

He had a negative ledger in the third and just went into the positive in the last quarter.

[Vortex]

It's got me stuffed how Billlings is considered a leader. He lets the team down in too many important games like yesterday.

Has the very same problem Dunny has, doesn't give 4 quarters on a regular basis.

[B.M]

He lets the team down?

Ridiculous comment