Pick 1 & pick 3

[Myron Gaines]

When we bottomed out we had the opportunity to get the very best talent available. This period was make or break for the future of the football club. Our chance to get two players that would lead us towards our next crack at a flag. Our chance to get the next Judd or Roo or Hodge. Instead we picked a small forward who we hoped would become a midfielder & a unfit & overweight tall forward with known health concerns.

Jack Billings is in his 4th year of senior football. No excuses. McCartin is in his 3rd year & being a tall forward is afforded a bit more time....however should be showing at least signs of what he can be.

Billings is suppose to be a damaging player however I hardly even notice him on the park even when he racks up 20 touches. Zero impact.

McCartin plays with no intensity whatsoever. He looks like he's either going half paced to conserve energy, simply lacks the fitness to play senior football or a combination of both. Not to mention for someone that is suppose to clunk marks he drops so many.

We have heard so many times that these two players are a slow burn....do we need to wait until half their careers are over to see 2-3 good seasons before they start to decline towards their retirement? Slow burn players...why not call them half a career players? Shouldn't consider those types but that's another argument.

Bottom line, Billings & Paddy need to show more. A lot more because they are the difference between us being a middle of the road team or playing finals.

[jonesy]

It is what it is now with Billings. He supposedly trained the house down all preseason yet seems to have gone backwards so far. If he was going to be a star he'd be knocking on the door now in his 4th season

The Paddy/Petracca decision was baffling at the time,and probably only becomes more puzzeling as each week go's by

[MC Gusto]

I am shocked at how bad both of them have been today.

Agree billings is virtually invisible

[whiskers3614]

Realistically would we get a fist rounder for both combined?

[White Winmar]

When we bottomed out we had the opportunity to get the very best talent available. This period was make or break for the future of the football club. Our chance to get two players that would lead us towards our next crack at a flag. Our chance to get the next Judd or Roo or Hodge. Instead we picked a small forward who we hoped would become a midfielder & a unfit & overweight tall forward with known health concerns.

Jack Billings is in his 4th year of senior football. No excuses. McCartin is in his 3rd year & being a tall forward is afforded a bit more time....however should be showing at least signs of what he can be.

Billings is suppose to be a damaging player however I hardly even notice him on the park even when he racks up 20 touches. Zero impact.

McCartin plays with no intensity whatsoever. He looks like he's either going half paced to conserve energy, simply lacks the fitness to play senior football or a combination of both. Not to mention for someone that is suppose to clunk marks he drops so many.

We have heard so many times that these two players are a slow burn....do we need to wait until half their careers are over to see 2-3 good seasons before they start to decline towards their retirement? Slow burn players...why not call them half a career players? Shouldn't consider those types but that's another argument.

Bottom line, Billings & Paddy need to show more. A lot more because they are the difference between us being a middle of the road team or playing finals.

Spot on, Myron. You'd hope 1 and 3 would've shown more by now. Worrying, especially when we see the impact of those we passed up.

[SuperSaint]

I am shocked at how bad both of them have been today.

Agree billings is virtually invisible

And yet I got canned by Curly 2 weeks ago for watching him closely against Melbourne and making the same conclusion. The truth needs to be seen and told. Now more are seeing how poor Billings is. Simply not good enough and his attack on the ball is woeful and embarrassing.

[White Winmar]

When we bottomed out we had the opportunity to get the very best talent available. This period was make or break for the future of the football club. Our chance to get two players that would lead us towards our next crack at a flag. Our chance to get the next Judd or Roo or Hodge. Instead we picked a small forward who we hoped would become a midfielder & a unfit & overweight tall forward with known health concerns.

Jack Billings is in his 4th year of senior football. No excuses. McCartin is in his 3rd year & being a tall forward is afforded a bit more time....however should be showing at least signs of what he can be.

Billings is suppose to be a damaging player however I hardly even notice him on the park even when he racks up 20 touches. Zero impact.

McCartin plays with no intensity whatsoever. He looks like he's either going half paced to conserve energy, simply lacks the fitness to play senior football or a combination of both. Not to mention for someone that is suppose to clunk marks he drops so many.

We have heard so many times that these two players are a slow burn....do we need to wait until half their careers are over to see 2-3 good seasons before they start to decline towards their retirement? Slow burn players...why not call them half a career players? Shouldn't consider those types but that's another argument.

Bottom line, Billings & Paddy need to show more. A lot more because they are the difference between us being a middle of the road team or playing finals.

Spot on, Myron. You'd hope 1 and 3 would've shown more by now. Worrying, especially when we see the impact of those we passed up.

[ROLS-LEE]

Unfortunately I have a feeling that Billings will be at essendope. Sooner or later. Gresham has shown more.

[Teflon]

I'm torn....

However, while we won games last year and all creamed their pants I remained ...torn...
I was torn for suggesting we lacked enough quality, especially mid quality, and without a nice draw/injury list to help against quality ..... surprise surprise we struggle.

Right now we are not serious contenders and our highest possession getters again today are our oldest..... that's sad and points to troubling times ahead when they go

[Myron Gaines]

It's an indictment on our recruiting when our picks 1 & 3 are dropped next week after a win today. Gee we overrate our recruiters. Let's be honest, they are lucky to still have a job!

[The_President]

Hard to argue.

14 touches for Billings lol.

[ROLS-LEE]

Billings has the skill, we have seen him show it. Does does not look like he wants to be out there. Both should be dropped next week.

[whiskers3614]

Unfortunately I have a feeling that Billings will be at essendope. Sooner or later. Gresham has shown more.

Why unfortunately?
On what he has shown so far I would gladly snap up a first rounder if it was on the table.

[bigcarl]

The draft is a bit of a lottery. You're never guaranteed a superstar. Neither good today, I know, but these things can turn around.

[whiskers3614]

the draft is a bit of a lottery. You're never t guaranteed a superstar. N the meantime these things can turn around.

Very concerning when comparisons with Fiora are made!

[desertsaint]

McCartin i'm happy to give more time. gets crap delivery and has a lovely kick into the fifty. needs to get more of it and needs to get a lot fitter and hit packs harder.
Billings unfortunately is just your average afl player. may be one of those that continues to improve bit by bit with age, but those glimpses of supreme talent we saw in his first year are getter rarer and rarer.

[st.byron]

I was torn for suggesting we lacked enough quality, especially mid quality, and without a nice draw/injury list to help against quality ..... surprise surprise we struggle.

Was told last week that I should go and support the Dees or Dogs when I drew the hindsight comparison of what would our midfield look like if.......

Bont instead of Billings
Petracca instead of McCartin
Daniel instead of Lonie

Hindsight is easy. But it does look like we chose poorly and blew our chance for elite mids. Petracca aint elite yet, but he's showing signs. Bont is elite. Daniel is quality.

[bigcarl]

It is disappointing that our best players are still Riewoldt and Joey

[BigMart]

Paddy is awful ATM


Richo was playing acres as a key forward instead of him

Forget the draft number
Bring in Marshall and Minch/Sinclair for both of them

[IluvHarvey]

Oh my god do we really need 20 of these threads?
What's done is done.

[Myron Gaines]

the draft is a bit of a lottery. You're never t guaranteed a superstar. N the meantime these things can turn around.

Every club except us had Petracca ahead of Paddy. Did our recruiters outsmart themselves? Petracca was/is that bloody good Trout tried to find faults. Petracca is too arrogant. Too selfish. Too much lair. FFS pick the best kid in the draft.

[st.byron]

Oh my god do we really need 20 of these threads?
What's done is done.

Yep fair enough. What's done is done. Bloody frustrating though when you see the other kids tearing it up and developing into elite players when our guys are marking time.

[SuperSaint]

the draft is a bit of a lottery. You're never t guaranteed a superstar. N the meantime these things can turn around.

Every club except us had Petracca ahead of Paddy. Did our recruiters outsmart themselves? Petracca was/is that bloody good Trout tried to find faults. Petracca is too arrogant. Too selfish. Too much lair. FFS pick the best kid in the draft.

Can't argue with that.

[whiskers3614]

Pick 1 and 3 are easy targets.
Goes a bit deeper when you consider our drafting in the post Lyon era.
Trading has given us moneyball wins in Savage, Membrey, Roberton Bruce, Weller and Hickey.
Too early to tell on Carlisle and Brown.

In terms of drafting, how many small forwards who can't go in the middle do you need?

[BadRossco]

Possible solution is Paddy to Sandy & Jenny Craig, Billings to Sandy then the trade table. Also Lonnie, Webster and Savage would be better in the blue & gold. Sinclair is a better finisher up forward and White less erratic than Webster or Savage.
Long, Battle and an upgraded Marshall are all options rather than the current non performers.