Autopsy Round 16, 2019: North Melbourne v St.Kilda *BILLINGS' 100TH*

from the horse's mouth, bakes got off lucky with the tribunal over his career, could have been a lot worse but a lot of it was off camera.

He was also loose as hell, used to live with a girl that partied with him during his career, some funny stories

Lenny used to drive him to training all the time, to make sure he got there.
 

Monika72

Team Captain
Apr 30, 2007
577
917
Daylesford
AFL Club
St Kilda
Other Teams
Tottenham Hot Spurs
Billings being called a B+ player is a joke
any guy who averages around 28 kicks in any team is a A grader

todays effort was great , people want to trade him , for what.
35 disps (24 kicks 11 hballs), 5 marks and 6 tackles
Not an A grader until you make the all Australian team, until then a B player
 
Jun 16, 2008
1,025
795
here
AFL Club
St Kilda
Sorry for the rant, it has been waiting for years:

For accountability, surely there needs to be serious, impartial, public analysis of umpires. Players are endlessly analysed and their efforts published minute by minute on the afl website. But no scrutiny for umpires?

Simple, easy to collect data about umpiring. A breakdown of freekicks per zone of ground (D50, DM, FM, F50) for each game, scores from freekicks etc. Why not a breakdown of individual umpire stats per game, team by team? It is not difficult to collect, I expect it already is by the umpires' association but as with everything they do, is veiled in secrecy. If there is resistance from the afl, why not crowdfund for an experienced, respected, impartial ex-umpire to rate games?...scores for 50/50s given/not given each way; higher scores for obvious frees given/not given each way; find an appropriate weighting for location of free on the ground. We know footballers are evaluated impartially by 1000 media organisations every match they play. An individual umpire is likely to have significantly more impact on the result of a reasonably even contest than the average player, so why not have at least one impartial organisation to do the same for the highly paid umpires? 10-20c per afl member per year would easily finance such a service if the afl are belligerently unwilling.

I use the eye test when I watch a game and the count is clearly against us. But I am biased. When I am stuck listening to radio I tally the times that impartial commentators talk about "it must be a freekick!" but no; or "how could that be a freekick?" and it is. It is 4:1 consistently against the saints. That is not even considering the ridiculous positions of the frees. If there is no accountability, there is not a fair competition.

In the first half today 6 goals from frees I50 for Nth, 1 for us (though ours was at 48m and theirs' mostly 20m directly in front). There are always frees deserved and those missed as well, but 6:1 is a pretty significant outcome. Second half 1 free plus 50m penalty to Nth for a goal, 0 for us. 7:1 for the game. Overall stats say we had less frees, 25-16 in the end, though in the first half when the game was to be won we were less than 50% of their frees save for 2 mins and half their frees resulted in goals. So they had more goals from frees than we had frees. Without these stats there is no real appreciation of the impact that umpires have on the game. I had to do that research myself, why not publish it? Just as umpires react at halftime if they hear there is a lopsided count (as they may have done today), if publicised I expect they will think twice about dealing this regular tripe out again. I was an umpire for many years, I know the grudges that umpires have, they are flawed like us all, but need to be accountable like us all. Pay them twice as much but make them accountable.
Mate agree with your rant, but the simple fact is if you have the ball you are more likely to get the free and the opposition cannot score. we don't get the ball....
 

Yawkey way

Norm Smith Medallist
May 8, 2017
8,436
22,441
AFL Club
St Kilda
Other Teams
Red sox
I think have loads of injuries affects selection integrity as you don't have the luxury of not picking players not in form.

That’s true but this is an ongoing problem that extends back over at least the last two years, in fact it’s longer than that.
 
Jan 10, 2011
34,367
57,683
AFL Club
St Kilda
Other Teams
Ormond AFC
That’s true but this is an ongoing problem that extends back over at least the last two years, in fact it’s longer than that.
But that isn’t costing us games. We have been getting well beaten most games in the last 2 years and there are many opinions on the best side every week anyway. Not like everyone picks the same side.
 
Jun 16, 2008
1,025
795
here
AFL Club
St Kilda
Am I the only one that likes Long?

Is a really good lead up and mark guy for his size. Would like it if he had the confidence to just go back and have a shot when he gets it within 50 - always seems to look for a pass - probably a result of getting dropped.

Has aggression, has speed, has class. If we had to pick one small forward to be picked each game, he would be my choice. He has something.
I actually thought they should give him a run as a back pocket as he can tackle, has speed and good disposal. Has some steven baker mongrel as well.
 

Yawkey way

Norm Smith Medallist
May 8, 2017
8,436
22,441
AFL Club
St Kilda
Other Teams
Red sox
But that isn’t costing us games. We have been getting well beaten most games in the last 2 years and there are many opinions on the best side every week anyway. Not like everyone picks the same side.
How would you feel watching long get picked most weeks, do nothing get dropped and earn a recall based on doing nothing in the vfl. I sincerely doubt that kind of selection goes unnoticed or unremarked by others missing out or made to wait despite good form at sandy.
 
Jan 10, 2011
34,367
57,683
AFL Club
St Kilda
Other Teams
Ormond AFC
How would you feel watching long get picked most weeks, do nothing get dropped and earn a recall based on doing nothing in the vfl. I sincerely doubt that kind of selection goes unnoticed or unremarked by others missing out or made to wait despite good form at sandy.
There isn’t many players missing out because of long. There isn’t many players missing out at all.
 

Yawkey way

Norm Smith Medallist
May 8, 2017
8,436
22,441
AFL Club
St Kilda
Other Teams
Red sox
There isn’t many players missing out because of long. There isn’t many players missing out at all.
You have a short memory, as I said it’s not just this year and he’s only one example.

We dropped billing, Sinclair, lonie, acres, newnes just to name a few and one of your favourite players hickey, others have played well at sandy for weeks and nether got a look in. What’s going on with white is a joke imo.
 
Jan 10, 2011
34,367
57,683
AFL Club
St Kilda
Other Teams
Ormond AFC
You have a short memory, as I said it’s not just this year and he’s only one example.

We dropped billing, Sinclair, lonie, acres, newnes just to name a few and one of your favourite players hickey, others have played well at sandy for weeks and nether got a look in. What’s going on with white is a joke imo.
It maybe in your opinion but others might not think so. My point is when you are getting well beaten it has little effect. I’m not even sure I get the players you named as being dropped Most probably deserved to be dropped at the time and it seems that’s over a long period so of course there will be the occasional weird dropping. I mean if the best you have is white lately I’m going to say it has had no effect.
 

Yawkey way

Norm Smith Medallist
May 8, 2017
8,436
22,441
AFL Club
St Kilda
Other Teams
Red sox
It maybe in your opinion but others might not think so. My point is when you are getting well beaten it has little effect. I’m not even sure I get the players you named as being dropped Most probably deserved to be dropped at the time and it seems that’s over a long period so of course there will be the occasional weird dropping. I mean if the best you have is white lately I’m going to say it has had no effect.
Your argument is that it makes no difference because we’re just a lousy side and have no depth anyway.

I’m saying you can’t have two sets of rules for players you as a coach may like or rate and another for those you don’t. I’m making the point that it’s part of the dysfunction that is the St Kilda FC. White has been treated poorly and he would have every right to walk, that’s a lousy result for a kid the club rated and who has shown a bit when selected. In fact he showed more than a bit playing injured yet despite that and good form at sandy since where is he, contrast that to long. I want them all to be stars but has he really played a good game for us at any level? Yet he’s a fixture and in the leadership group I believe.

That’s the sort of rubbish that leads to poor morale and little respect, show me teams who play well with that going on. Didn’t geary and Richardson have a frank exchange about negativity, again what’s changed?. In a game that’s 90% above the shoulders all this rubbish hurts the team imo. I’m not a fan of richo in fact I never have been, I couldn’t understand his appointment and I’ll be glad to see the back of him. I just hope the club has the sense to run a genuine search for a new senior coach not some rubber stamp appointment for a mate.

Who gets five years at the helm of an AFL club after refusing to be interviewed and delivering the results he has? Yep nothing to see at the saints we’ve got everything covered.
 
Jan 10, 2011
34,367
57,683
AFL Club
St Kilda
Other Teams
Ormond AFC
Your argument is that it makes no difference because we’re just a lousy side and have no depth anyway.

I’m saying you can’t have two sets of rules for players you as a coach may like or rate and another for those you don’t. I’m making the point that it’s part of the dysfunction that is the St Kilda FC. White has been treated poorly and he would have every right to walk, that’s a lousy result for a kid the club rated and who has shown a bit when selected. In fact he showed more than a bit playing injured yet despite that and good form at sandy since where is he, contrast that to long. I want them all to be stars but has he really played a good game for us at any level? Yet he’s a fixture and in the leadership group I believe.

That’s the sort of rubbish that leads to poor morale and little respect, show me teams who play well with that going on. Didn’t geary and Richardson have a frank exchange about negativity, again what’s changed?. In a game that’s 90% above the shoulders all this rubbish hurts the team imo. I’m not a fan of richo in fact I never have been, I couldn’t understand his appointment and I’ll be glad to see the back of him. I just hope the club has the sense to run a genuine search for a new senior coach not some rubber stamp appointment for a mate.

Who gets five years at the helm of an AFL club after refusing to be interviewed and delivering the results he has? Yep nothing to see at the saints we’ve got everything covered.
So let’s face it there is bias. That’s fine. Anyway he is going. I’m not sure I see the point of going over all the issues. I’m betting it won’t change the past.

I must say I find selection as the least reason of bagging any coach. Every Thursday many people have different sides so the coach can never be right. I bet the Geelong board is whinging about selection especially in the last 2 weeks.
 
Not an A grader until you make the all Australian team, until then a B player

ohh the fake team that a group of people who like stirring up controversy contrive.

i'd suggest that a-graders are picked for the squad, not those in the squad become a graders.
 
ohh the fake team that a group of people who like stirring up controversy contrive.

i'd suggest that a-graders are picked for the squad, not those in the squad become a graders.

I’ll probably get lambasted for this because I always think...
An All Australian squad...to play who, exactly?
And then they don’t even pick players necessarily in their positions.
One year they even picked a player as captain who wasn’t even his team’s captain, if I recall correctly.

All very odd. IMO, of course.
 
Jan 10, 2011
34,367
57,683
AFL Club
St Kilda
Other Teams
Ormond AFC
I’ll probably get lambasted for this because I always think...
An All Australian squad...to play who, exactly?
And then they don’t even pick players necessarily in their positions.
One year they even picked a player as captain who wasn’t even his team’s captain, if I recall correctly.

All very odd. IMO, of course.
Franklin last year. Still thinks it’s great for players to make it.
 
Back