Pies Biggest Draft Bust - Billy Morrison

[Dave The Man]

I reckon he is our Biggest Bust in the Draft because He came in with such Hype. People saying that he could be the next Wayne Carey.

Those at Draft Camp his big things was his Fitness and How huge is hands where.

He slipped to pick 17 because he was Injured the season before with a Shoulder Reco.


Then a Year later he got De-Listed. Can't remember him playing.

So why he was such a Dud? I head he had Attitude problems.

Can people help me why he was such a Bust?

 

[sirlothie]

Yeah he did seem to drop off the face of the Earth and I don't think we got the full story out of that one because we have persisted with far bigger lemons for a lot longer than we did with him...

Career-ending injury perhaps? Or off-field misdemeanours?

 

[sirlothie]

Although it is kind of rough on Billy, we've had our fair share of busts... Danny Roach comes to mind, Chris Egan has just been a prolonged and painful bust... sure there is plenty more. The draft pick that could have got Pavlich for McKee wasn't it? Jesus...

 

[Territory Magpie]

Living in Canberra, I didn't get much of a chance to see him in the VFL. But I did get down to a wet, cold Williamstown game a couple of years ago, and I saw him first hand. He did OK that day, kicked 5 I think, and got himself reported.

But he just didn't look up to the mark. Seemed to always be behind his man, his hands (though large) weren't sure, and he fumbled lots of marks. Kicking was OK, but he seemed to be smaller than I had been led to believe, and just slow to read the play.

Yeah, he kicked 5 that day, but a couple were from frees and a couple he was on the end of handball chains.

 

[Dave The Man]

Living in Canberra, I didn't get much of a chance to see him in the VFL. But I did get down to a wet, cold Williamstown game a couple of years ago, and I saw him first hand. He did OK that day, kicked 5 I think, and got himself reported.

But he just didn't look up to the mark. Seemed to always be behind his man, his hands (though large) weren't sure, and he fumbled lots of marks. Kicking was OK, but he seemed to be smaller than I had been led to believe, and just slow to read the play.

Yeah, he kicked 5 that day, but a couple were from frees and a couple he was on the end of handball chains.

5-1 Well at least he was Descent Kick

 

[Territory Magpie]

Kicking wasn't his problem, getting the pill in the first place to kick it was his challenge.

 

[xxxWillxxx]

aaron james was the next wayne carey... billy m was the next jonathan brown

 

[standingroomonly]

I see Billy from time to time as we have a mutual friend, really should just ask him about it as he actually is a really good bloke. From the reaction to the friendly ribbing his mates give him about being delisted he doesn't seem too bitter about it.

 

[Invigoration]

Couldn't get out of Williamstown two's let alone a game in the AFL.

Was a real bust draft pick. Live and learn though

 

[kemosabe]

5-1 Well at least he was Descent Kick

Maybe he would have been ok had his kicking not gone downhill

 

[Obese Arachnid]

maybe He Would Have Been Ok Had His Kicking Not Gone Downhill :d

Pmsl!

 

[Vinnie Vegas]

Apparently, it should have been obvious to all that he didn't have the sort of character or work ethic to make it as an AFL footballer - There was the infamous "bread roll" line that referred in large part to Billy.

He was never one to work hard on the tan or get the best out of himself, which is supposed to be a big turn-off when drafting players... It's no coincidence that Billy was just another in a long line of lazy duds that never turned out to be anything that we were drafting around that time.

 

[FIGJAM]

Apparently, it should have been obvious to all that he didn't have the sort of character or work ethic to make it as an AFL footballer - There was the infamous "bread roll" line that referred in large part to Billy.

Dunno about "should" vin. He was rated highly by many, and he tested / presented well at draft camp despite a year off footy. He also attended all of his club's matches and helped out.

But when he hit the big city, he supposedly became a Uni student (mentally) and lapped up all of the temptations that he was not availed to as a country Tasmanian boy.

To be honest, despite his bread roll excess, I personally couldn't see much talent in him. He lacked height and athleticism, and wasn't all that footy smart He was never going to become a Roughead type even if he applied himself 110%!

His legend of 9 goals in a game in the TFL against men as a 14 year old got him a long way.

You have to be veeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrryyyyyyyyy wary of the country man-child legend who owns the local league. For every Wayne Carey or Daniel Kerr, there are about 500 Billy Morrisons and Caleb Mourishs!

 

[Kirby]

Poor old problem with Billy is that plain and simply, he was no bloody good. It was immediately obvious when you watched him play and it is staggering that allegedly astute recruiters could even see an AFL standard player.

As pointed out above he is was not overly tall, was not athletic, was slow, had no footy smarts and really had no attributes that were immediately appealing. I'm sure he's a great bloke and a decent country league player so please dont attack me.

A few years ago after a Willi v Bullants game at Preston my brother and I had a good chat with Brad Gotch after the game and of course we discussed alot of the Collingwood listed players that day. We told him we thought that Billy was a dud and could never see him playing ones but Gotchy kept sticking up for him and towed the company line about improvement, development etc. Anyways, after discussing other players we kept at him about Billy relentlessly (but in good humour because we all knew that Gotchy was trying to say the right thing) until eventually he relented and admitted Billy was no good. Of course, he was delisted at the end of the year.

 

[bush_tucker77]

he now plays for the bullants i believe, so he has stayed in victoria, didnt go home back to tassie, may be at uni

 

[smiddaz123]

Haha. Big Billy kicked like 8 or 9 goals in a seniors game down here in Tassie when he was just 14.
Guys like Jack Riewoldt and Justin Sherman were still in the under 18's or whatever. I think Billy developed extremely early.

 

[ksardog]

danny roach was the biggest mistake that the club has made.swapped no.3 pick for mckee and no.8 pick which was roach.pavlich went a 4 and roach quit football after a year.

 

[TwisTz]

Roach had one stat. A tackle.

What a dirty roach.

 

[Vinnie Vegas]

Roach did suffer repeated and career ending hip-injuries that prevent us from ultimately proclaiming him as the biggest dud of all time though - We can't say for certain that he never would have developed without those injuries.

Morrison has no excuse though.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

It was a terrible draft all up. Its VERY harsh to be singling out Billy Morrison. We also drafted Brayden Shaw, Brent Hall and Julian Rowe that year and they are all contributed 2/5ths of bugger all. Only Heater is still at the club. Maybe we should have offered all four of our our draft picks except Heater's f-s to Port for Stevens. And we could have thrown in Cole and Lonie for good measure!!

The top twenty includes such gems as Colin Sylivia, Farren Ray, Kepler Bradley, Kane Tenace, Raph Clarkr, David Trotter (who?) Fergus Watts, Josh Willoughby (who?) and Llane Spaanderman. Between picks 20 and 29, Brad Symes is the most succesful player. Between 31 and 40 only Jed Adcock and Mark Blake (father-son) are getting a regualr game

 

[Mental Magpie]

Weren't we looking for players with big arses at one stage?

I'm sure I remember reading or hearing something along those lines.

I think it may have been Neil Balme that said it.

Anyone remeber that, or am I just tripping...................................?

 

[pendles]

Mark Kinnear > Billy Morrison

 

[Kirby]

Weren't we looking for players with big arses at one stage?

Luke Shackleton board.

 

[Magnus the Magpie]

aaron james was the next wayne carey... billy m was the next jonathan brown

You can't lump Aaron James in with the likes of Morrison and Roach - he really could play. His problems were off-field - and still are from what I hear.

Wasn't all this done to death earlier this year (and last year as well I think)?

 

[tazman]

he now plays for the bullants i believe, so he has stayed in victoria, didnt go home back to tassie, may be at uni

nah not bullants...

plays at west preston lakeside in northern football league