Billings as a midfielder

[Bluthy]

We keep scratching out heads and wondering how we can get our hands on a superstar good-kicking mid to give our engine room some real class. We keep talking about trades and FA. But maybe the answer is right in front of us.

Billings was the no. 3 pick. Maybe its time to chuck him in the middle and see what he can do in there. Maybe his best value is onball. He is almost too valuable to just use as half-forward. We desperately need a player who can use the footy well in the midfield and start hitting targets around the ground and particularly inside 50.

I've had doubts whether Billings could be a midfielder as he's not huge and I don' know if he has the tank to run all day (with some resting up forward). But yesterday he got 36 possies in the ressies. He's a kid who knows the footy field and knows how to find the footy. And when he has the ball he is IMO our most damaging player with his kicking and vision. Maybe we have to make sure he can get the ball as much as possible by playing midfield and let him chase the ball as much as he can.

Dal Santo was never huge but stacked on enough muscle to be able to compete enough inside. Billings still looks a bit undersized compared to other AFL players but he has the smarts and footy sense to win footy with some unconventional means the way Rioli uses his wiles and tappy tappy stuff to win disuputed footy. If Billings can win his own footy on ball, then it becomes much harder for the oppo to shut him down which I think they are already focusing on as he can be so damaging when he has it.

His tank and/or leg problems are maybe a concern. I've always thought he seemed more a burst player than a run-all-day player but he's had an injury interrupted career so far where he hasn't been able to do the bulk fitness work they club would have liked.

We may not get a pick higher than 8 (taking into account all the acamedy rippoff picks) for quite a while and there is no guarantee we will a classy midfielder from another club, they are in high demand. Maybe we need to make the most of our pick 3 by trying to make him an out and out midfielder. We have some pretty good options for others to be that goal scoring small forwards - Sinclair, Lonie, Weller, NOK, Minch...even Wright showed a bit in his game.

Agree, disagree....what the hell you been smoking man, he's clearly a goal kicking half forward?

[saintspremiers]

CJ averaged about 30 possies a game in the ressies last year as a geriatric.

Let's just get The Method back in the ones for a few weeks of consistent good footy even as an outside runner before considering him as an inside mid IMO

[Jacks Back]

People keep saying that you need 10-12 players rotating through the midfield (seems a bit high) but, anyway, if that is a requirement of a good side then players like Billings and Sinclair, Minchington, Weller, Webster, 8cres, et al, all need to be getting goes in there and then rotating through the forward line.

[Bluthy]

People keep saying that you need 10-12 players rotating through the midfield (seems a bit high) but, anyway, if that is a requirement of a good side then players like Billings and Sinclair, Minchington, Weller, Webster, 8cres, et al, all need to be getting goes in there and then rotating through the forward line.

I would have liked to see more of that rotation too. Dunstan is one I reckon could have been given more of a break in the hottest part of the kitchen where he's been played for almost 3 years straight against huge bodied midfields. Dunny is actually pretty good up forward and could have played there a bit. Acres is one I'd love to start to see being genuinely played on ball. He seems to know his way around the field really well and has a knack for getting in the right spots and his bigger body and line breaking would be really handy. Might need more fitness but going on ball in an AFL game will get you fit. Richo seems a bit too conservative in his rotations on the field and also with the squad in general for my liking. This is the time for us to really be experimenting.

[Spinner]

Played wing all game and went into the guys for a small bit of the last quarter.

All three jacks dominated - Sinclair the most impressive with some run and carry I hadn't seen much of before.

[bigcarl]

Sinclair the most impressive with some run and carry I hadn't seen much of before.

Good player. Bit on the small side but a potential A-grade mid imo

[BigMart]

Do you have to be huge to be a midfielder?

A lot is made of Jack Billings size... I think you'd be very surprised if you stood right next to him in when he's in his footy gear.

But size is only good if you use your bulk to win the footy.

Of course there is Boomer and Caleb Daniel who are tiny but many other mids are not that big are Selwood, Mitchell, Steven and many others

Most mids have stripped off a lot of bulk as it is far less necessary than endurance

Jacks biggest issue at AFL level would be tank.

[bigcarl]

Do you have to be huge to be a midfielder? etc etc

No, you don't have to be huge, but size is an advantage as there is an aerial component to the game. Also, some of the guys they come up against are fairly robust ... the Dangerfield types.

But small size It isn't necessarily a disadvantage if they are good footballers.

As for Sinclair's endurance, well he seemed to get through yesterday ok. It's something he can work on

[BigMart]

We are talking Billings aren't we?

Yes there is an aerial component. However there is not a midfielder in the Comp who averages more than one contested mark per game...

Big doesn't always translate into being good in the air... Billings would was rated the best CM midfielder in his draft year.

Plus of course when the ball is on the deck, it's a lot easier to vacuum the lower you are...

Of course a midfielders main priority is stoppage and general play... And the ability to win both contested ball and just as important uncontested ball on the spread.
Jack Steven has a perfect balance which makes him a dominant mid... If he was a polished finisher he would be close to the best player in the Comp such is his ball winning ability, run and carry and defensive pressure
And he's 180cm and 80kg

I think you n

[st.rick]

I think Billings will be one of our top players in a year or two and will be our main outside mid capable
of winning games for us.

[carn_sainter]

Do you have to be huge to be a midfielder?

Jacks biggest issue at AFL level would be tank.

Tank is still an issue for Billings, no doubt. But his biggest issue that I see is intensity. I don't think he has demonstrated the intensity at the contest to win a lot of the ball himself. Compare the way he works at a contest to how Jack Steven does, it's day and night.

He is young and developing of course...but I think of pretty much all the similar size and position players on the list at the moment, Billings is at the bottom for showing a real killer desire to get his hands dirty, offensively or defensively.

Maybe he doesn't need to...a criticism I often have of our play, both ground and aerial balls, is that we all go up and try to win it then there is nobody to give it to, let alone the two quick possessions needed to then be in space. But, as already mentioned, Jack Steven is the model for capacity to hurt teams inside and out. To be a very good midfielder now you need to be able to do both. Billings is far away from being able to hurt teams inside.

What he is very good at is reading the play and being a second or two ahead of his opponent. I like him as a half forward and I don't think he necessarily needs to start at the centre bounce at any point in his career if he can be damaging otherwise. Plenty of excellent match-winning wingmen and half forwards throughout the history of the game that he could join.

[supersaints]

I think Billings will be one of our top players in a year or two and will be our main outside mid capable
of winning games for us.

I think you are on the ball and that's why we recruited him...

[supersaints]

I think Billings will be one of our top players in a year or two and will be our main outside mid capable
of winning games for us.

I think you are on the ball and that's why we recruited him...

[bigcarl]

We are talking Billings aren't we?

Yes there is an aerial component. However there is not a midfielder in the Comp who averages more than one contested mark per game...

Big doesn't always translate into being good in the air... Billings would was rated the best CM midfielder in his draft year.

Plus of course when the ball is on the deck, it's a lot easier to vacuum the lower you are...

Of course a midfielders main priority is stoppage and general play... And the ability to win both contested ball and just as important uncontested ball on the spread.
Jack Steven has a perfect balance which makes him a dominant mid... If he was a polished finisher he would be close to the best player in the Comp such is his ball winning ability, run and carry and defensive pressure
And he's 180cm and 80kg

I think you n

I was talking about Sinclair Marto.

But to address the OP, Billings is obviously better than a small forward and you'd expect him to get more midfield time as he develops.

He's not really a contested ball winner or tackling machine and nor should we try to turn him into one. He's got good vision and is an excellent decision maker and capable of being very damaging with his disposal.

[saintsRrising]

Billings was always picked up to be a mid.


He just needs to build his tank first.


He was never picked to only play as a small forward.

This weeks game was his first as a mid. As his tank builds you will see more

[Wombat15]

wouldnt mind seeing him play in joeys role off half back just to see if there's versatility in his game. i think end of the day he will develop into a Brett Deledio type so...lets see what he can do.

[Impatient Sainter]

He obviously showed plenty on the weekend and deserves his spot back in the side. A spell and reality check in the VFL will be the making of this kid and we wont look back now, no matter what position he plays.

[lintonstreet]

JB is an outside player akin to dal santo.
He's never going to be an inside mid

[WellardSaint]

45 possies (20 contested) 7 tackles

I predict some robust chat on Thursday at selection time...
Jack Sinclair got over 30 as well...
Jus sayin

[CURLY]

Spoke to Coburgs ruckman on Monday and asked him about our boys. He said that Billings was basically taking the piss against them and he is a absolute jet.

[St DAC]

Spoke to Coburgs ruckman on Monday and asked him about our boys. He said that Billings was basically taking the piss against them and he is a absolute jet.

Then he should feel free to roll out said jetness a bit more often in the senior side, instead of running around at half ratpower with no air of urgency at all.

[borderbarry]

Forget this "Mid" crap for a second. Jack Steven is our No.1 rover, and I believe Jade Gresham will be a good rover too. Maybe Sinclair as well. Now our ruck-rover types, Seb Ross, David Armatage, Luke Dunstan, Blake Acres, look pretty set. Now our centremen, who do we have? I can imagine Jack Billing playing in that position.

[BigMart]

Mate

They're just called

'Inside' or 'outside'

These days

[Bernard Shakey]

Forget this "Mid" crap for a second. Jack Steven is our No.1 rover, and I believe Jade Gresham will be a good rover too. Maybe Sinclair as well. Now our ruck-rover types, Seb Ross, David Armatage, Luke Dunstan, Blake Acres, look pretty set. Now our centremen, who do we have? I can imagine Jack Billing playing in that position.

Love this post mate.
You are spot on. There is too much crap about calling everyone mids.

There is much more flexibility in where players lineup these days, but there are still backs, halfbacks, centre, halforwards, forwards and rucks. If not why don't the AFL just name 22 players each week?

[BigMart]

because a lot of those positions don't exist anymore...

there are 3 basic forward structures... none of them involve 3 forwards and 3 half forwards....

positions such as
6th and 7th
Extra
defensive wing cover
link
High
Tall/Small
Inside/Outside