Returneess - What did you make of.....

[shanegrambeau]

Billings?
Jones?


..and well, Cordy, it's kind of a mute point. He was muted.

[skeptic]

Funny… I was just about to start this thread.

Jones - 20 touches, 4 tackles, seemed prominent without being great. Decent first hit out. Hope that he will build on this performance.

Billings - 18 touches - 2 tackles, 1.1 on the score. Disposal decent to dangerous but his missed goal was at a critical time and was one that quality mids kick again and again.
Bummed me out a bit. There’s a conversation we have to have at some point about where we’re going to add class to the list. Billings is striking me as one that pbly needs to be upgraded. Early call I know. Again, hopefully he can build on that performance.

Cordy - obviously no grade. I was miffed by the decision to move him forward and swing Coops back. I get it in terms of needing a tall forward to bring the ball to ground but it doesn’t work IMO. Reality is once King went, we needed to play smaller and smarter.

[B.M]

Billings did what he normally does

Which is around 20 and a goal - career avg

Which for a HF is very good - he probably should have kicked 2


Jones gave us a bit of power from stoppage - thought he was pretty good

At their best - both are very good AFL players

[shanegrambeau]

Funny… I was just about to start this thread.

Jones - 20 touches, 4 tackles, seemed prominent without being great. Decent first hit out. Hope that he will build on this performance.

Billings - 18 touches - 2 tackles, 1.1 on the score. Disposal decent to dangerous but his missed goal was at a critical time and was one that quality mids kick again and again.
Bummed me out a bit. There’s a conversation we have to have at some point about where we’re going to add class to the list. Billings is striking me as one that pbly needs to be upgraded. Early call I know. Again, hopefully he can build on that performance.

Cordy - obviously no grade. I was miffed by the decision to move him forward and swing Coops back. I get it in terms of needing a tall forward to bring the ball to ground but it doesn’t work IMO. Reality is once King went, we needed to play smaller and smarter.

Good points

re Cordy going forward
My guess.,,he was used as a 'dummy' big forward to lure the Melbourne defenders...didn't work. they didn't fall for it..Super unlucky to get that knee. He'll get another chance. I think RTB will like that, if it makes sense.

re Billings
Yes, his miss was a major bummer, but he was available to take the shot...I didn't mind him playing. Is he a keeper? Seeming DMac is on his way to Hanneberrytown, I would be reluctant to push eject yet. So many other bad misses during the night...oh Gosh...don't we know...

re Jones
I didn't realise he had 20! It didn't look like it. I loved one or two bull efforts where he just charged that towball into the scrum. With Ross gone now, he'll stay. I think Gold Coast should be favorites next week, but Jones may have something to say about that.

[Banger9798]

Both played well.
Understandably gassed by the first game back, but both add something.
Billings is a keeper, just oozes class. Needs fitness

[Sainter_Dad]

Both played well.
Understandably gassed by the first game back, but both add something.
Billings is a keeper, just oozes class. Needs fitness

And what a game to return to - down 3 rotations

[older saint]

Funny how Billings misses a goal and gets criticism, yet should never had been given the ball there off balance and Steele should have taken responsibility and kicked it as running straight at goal. Solid return for first game for a very long time. Not a superstar and never will be but a HF who averages say 15 goals a game and around 15-20 touches is pretty handy I would think

[Sainter_Dad]

Funny how Billings misses a goal and gets criticism, yet should never had been given the ball there off balance and Steele should have taken responsibility and kicked it as running straight at goal. Solid return for first game for a very long time. Not a superstar and never will be but a HF who averages say 15 goals a game and around 15-20 touches is pretty handy I would think

LOL - I know you meant 1.5 - but I will take 15 goals a game from the HF

[The_Dud]

Billings looked good, belongs in the seniors.

Glad Jones got through the game, tho of his 20 disposals only 3 were kicks, maybe he didn’t want to reinjure himself stretching the legs too much?

[nostalgicsaint]

Billings being criticised for his finishing/class is absurd.

He stood out as the extra polish we've lacked imo.

[nostalgicsaint]

Jones fwiw added important depth to our midfield. Excited to also have Clark in there and have genuine midfield depth for the first time this year.

[skeptic]

Billings being criticised for his finishing/class is absurd.

He stood out as the extra polish we've lacked imo.

I would argue that as a once off yes it’s absurd but he has form in this regard (referring to his goal accuracy).

Like I said above, it was a good return and both he and Jones had a heck of a reorientation to senior footy as essentially neither got breaks so yeah, they both did well.

Both are in the age/experience/talent bracket where the expectations for them are say higher then Windy, Stocker, Byrnes.
If you’re going to improve the list, you need to add class to it and that means players that finish more often than not.

Billings and Jones have struggled with fitness and consistency for a long time

[Otiman]

Both played like they haven't played AFL in a year.

On par for expectations.

[Trev from the Bush]

Billings looked good, belongs in the seniors.

Glad Jones got through the game, tho of his 20 disposals only 3 were kicks, maybe he didn’t want to reinjure himself stretching the legs too much?

Jones added a lot of speed and grunt to the contest, which has been sorely missed. Did the tough things that do not show up on the stats and can only improve.

[Teflon]

Billibgs needs to stay in the game
No AWOL
Expect that to be better as game time increases

[shanegrambeau]

Billibgs needs to stay in the game
No AWOL
Expect that to be better as game time increases

Do you say, suggest, hint (whatever)....
that JB loses focus and 'intent' during games?