Is Billings our Fiora?

[saint64]

I hope not, but there are some interesting similarities between the two.
I remember the Richmond fans pulling their hair out over Fiora in the early 2000s, much the same as a lot of us do now re Billings.
Both were highly-regarded juniors drafted at number 3, both one pick before future superstars (Pavlich and Bontempelli).
Both are/were speedy, lighter-framed, wingman/flanker types.
Fiora played for the Tigers for 5 seasons before being traded to us (in a 3 way deal involving Heath Black and Troy Simmonds). Billings is in his fifth season now.
Fiora was okay for us for 4 seasons, but no star.
Hopefully Billings can regain some confidence and kick on to bigger and better things for us.

[WellardSaint]

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[Mr Magic]

As far as I can remember Fiora never 'won a game off his own boot'.
Billings certainly has (on more than 1 occasion).

IIRC in the year we drafted Billings we rated him as our second option behind Josh Kelly as everybody knew that GWS were taking Boyd with the #1 pick.

Bontompelli was never in any public discussion I can recall regarding the top 3 picks.
As much as dal was 'pumping him up' I think it was more to do with him being his cousin and not because he 'deserved' to go in the first 3.

Every draft is littered with players taken as a 'steal' (in hindsight). I don't think anybody of note in the 'draft industry' was seriously suggesting that the first 3 taken In the draft shouldn't have been taken in the first three.

[dragit]

Some ripper threads and posts going up…

Billings has just ticked over 70 games and at present he gets basically double the amount of footy that Fiora did over his whole career, twice as many goals and twice as many tackles.

People want trade Jack out and pay 6-700 to Cam Guthrie, the world has gone mad.

[parkeysainter]

Billings is still quite young guys. He won't ultimately peak until 2-3 years time which is cool to think about. In relative terms, he hasn't been in the system too long. Same as his counterparts in Acres and Dunstan from the same draft.

We need to look back around the '09 and '10 era. Our best players didn't really take their game to an A grade level until 25-26 years of age onwards.

Give him like others, a bit of time and patience. Billings has had a very decent career thus far for his time in the game.

Something to ponder also. Just imagine Gresham with another 5 seasons under his belt. He just kicked 6.0 as a 20 year old against the reigning premiers. Again, a bit of time and patience is required. It will reap massive benefits long term.

[BringBackMadDog]

Some ripper threads and posts going up…

Billings has just ticked over 70 games and at present he gets basically double the amount of footy that Fiora did over his whole career, twice as many goals and twice as many tackles.

People want trade Jack out and pay 6-700 to Cam Guthrie, the world has gone mad.

You have to stop posting this kind of clear thinking sensible posts, it has no place on this forum anymore

[Cairnsman]

Some ripper threads and posts going up…

Billings has just ticked over 70 games and at present he gets basically double the amount of footy that Fiora did over his whole career, twice as many goals and twice as many tackles.

People want trade Jack out and pay 6-700 to Cam Guthrie, the world has gone mad.

Fiora was in a team of reasonably decent players too and so I suspect oppo clubs would have spent more time working on negating plans for the decent players than Fiora, (no disrespect intendended towards Fiora). Whereas Jack is in a developing team and he probably figures heavily in the oppo teams negating planning.

A good apprenticeship I say.

[saint64]

I will PM you shortly with my bank details.
We can negotiate a suitable price for you to pay,
for copying an idea that I posted to FaceBook a few days ago.

(I have to protect my Intellectual Property!)

money, shares, bitcoin all accepted hahahahahahahahah

You can have all the bitcoin I own WellardSaint
I was thinking someone else must have seen the similarities!

[WellardSaint]

Some ripper threads and posts going up…

Billings has just ticked over 70 games and at present he gets basically double the amount of footy that Fiora did over his whole career, twice as many goals and twice as many tackles.

People want trade Jack out and pay 6-700 to Cam Guthrie, the world has gone mad.

Fiora was in a team of reasonably decent players too and so I suspect oppo clubs would have spent more time working on negating plans for the decent players than Fiora, (no disrespect intendended towards Fiora). Whereas Jack is in a developing team and he probably figures heavily in the oppo teams negating planning.

A good apprenticeship I say.

i think you've nailed it- and the 'surrounded by quality' would also apply to Savage, I reckon.
At the Hawks, he was in a large herd of premium Angus Beef, so he might have gotten under the radar. With us, he's in a rag-tag pack of 2nd grade cattle that are eating weeds, pretty much.

[sunsaint]

I can certainly see the comparison career wise
the only difference I could think of was RL turned Fiora into a HB flanker - there was no room for freewheeling flamboyance in his squads (goddard excepted of course)

[dragit]

In 74 games Jack has had 20 or more touches 37 times.

Fiora cracked 20 touches ONCE in his first 80 games.

Their careers so far are not even remotely similar on any measure.

[terry smith rules]

I think the 3rd quarter last week just showed a glimpse of #15 regaining a little confidence.

He was the catalyst for our run at the Tigers in the 3rd, was the link in most of our attacking moves and was at times quite brilliant with his disposal

fqf

[saintspremiers]

FIora was so poor many called him Fiona at Tigerland.

Has Billings received any nasty nicknames??

Nup, not one.

[Moods]

FIora was so poor many called him Fiona at Tigerland.

Has Billings received any nasty nicknames??

Nup, not one.

Apparently Billings has disabled all his social media accounts. I wonder why? He’s feeling the pressure.

The excuses we use for Billings are almost laughable. After 5 years, how good was Lenny? BJ ? Banger? 5 years and 70 games is more than enough time for an early draft pick to show his wares. When they’re key position like Paddy it’s because bigger blokes take longer. Billings will be better than he’s currently showing, but he’ll never be the player we want him to be.

[saint64]

In 74 games Jack has had 20 or more touches 37 times.

Fiora cracked 20 touches ONCE in his first 80 games.

Fair comment and agreed - although I guess that players generally rack up a few more stats now than they did then given the way the game has changed. Billings also scores more often and attracts more Brownlow votes (Fiora had 0 according to AFL stats).
Those differences give cause for some optimism (which is great!)

[axcellence]

Lenny - drafted 1999. AA 2003 Captain 2004
HARVEY drafted end of 87. AA and b&f winner in 92
Goddard was a stellar player in 2008 (drafted 02), and AA in 2009

Billings might be an ok player but don't pick comparisons with club legends without research.

[axcellence]

Lenny - drafted 1999. AA 2003 Captain 2004
HARVEY drafted end of 87. AA and b&f winner in 92
Goddard was a stellar player in 2008 (drafted 02), and AA in 2009

Billings might be an ok player but don't pick comparisons with club legends without research.

[saintkid]

I will PM you shortly with my bank details.
We can negotiate a suitable price for you to pay,
for copying an idea that I posted to FaceBook a few days ago.

(I have to protect my Intellectual Property!)

money, shares, bitcoin all accepted hahahahahahahahah

What?? I posted the comparison with Fiora here, on behalf of the old man, ages ago. He said that Fiora was a better mark than Billings but otherwise very similar.

[Trev from the Bush]

Some ripper threads and posts going up…

Billings has just ticked over 70 games and at present he gets basically double the amount of footy that Fiora did over his whole career, twice as many goals and twice as many tackles.

People want trade Jack out and pay 6-700 to Cam Guthrie, the world has gone mad.

Fiora was in a team of reasonably decent players too and so I suspect oppo clubs would have spent more time working on negating plans for the decent players than Fiora, (no disrespect intendended towards Fiora). Whereas Jack is in a developing team and he probably figures heavily in the oppo teams negating planning.

A good apprenticeship I say.

i think you've nailed it- and the 'surrounded by quality' would also apply to Savage, I reckon.
At the Hawks, he was in a large herd of premium Angus Beef, so he might have gotten under the radar. With us, he's in a rag-tag pack of 2nd grade cattle that are eating weeds, pretty much.

Savage fell asleep in a feelot of Wagyu beef and woke up the next morning in a long paddock full of Droughtmasters!

[dragit]

I will PM you shortly with my bank details.
We can negotiate a suitable price for you to pay,
for copying an idea that I posted to FaceBook a few days ago.

(I have to protect my Intellectual Property!)

money, shares, bitcoin all accepted hahahahahahahahah

What?? I posted the comparison with Fiora here, on behalf of the old man, ages ago. He said that Fiora was a better mark than Billings but otherwise very similar.

Your old man is still a complete f-wit, pass it on to him.

[derby Street]

I will PM you shortly with my bank details.
We can negotiate a suitable price for you to pay,
for copying an idea that I posted to FaceBook a few days ago.

(I have to protect my Intellectual Property!)

money, shares, bitcoin all accepted hahahahahahahahah

What?? I posted the comparison with Fiora here, on behalf of the old man, ages ago. He said that Fiora was a better mark than Billings but otherwise very similar.

For heavens sake don't listen to him - he has no idea. (I suspect you might already know) Billings is that far ahead of Fiora daylight is second.

[saynta]

FIora was so poor many called him Fiona at Tigerland.

Has Billings received any nasty nicknames??

Nup, not one.

Fiora was also nicknamed tripod.

[saintkid]

I will PM you shortly with my bank details.
We can negotiate a suitable price for you to pay,
for copying an idea that I posted to FaceBook a few days ago.

(I have to protect my Intellectual Property!)

money, shares, bitcoin all accepted hahahahahahahahah

What?? I posted the comparison with Fiora here, on behalf of the old man, ages ago. He said that Fiora was a better mark than Billings but otherwise very similar.

Your old man is still a complete f-wit, pass it on to him.

I have but he doesn't know what you mean by 'still'. Care to enlighten him?

[WellardSaint]

I will PM you shortly with my bank details.
We can negotiate a suitable price for you to pay,
for copying an idea that I posted to FaceBook a few days ago.

(I have to protect my Intellectual Property!)

money, shares, bitcoin all accepted hahahahahahahahah

What?? I posted the comparison with Fiora here, on behalf of the old man, ages ago. He said that Fiora was a better mark than Billings but otherwise very similar.

Your old man is still a complete f-wit, pass it on to him.
[/quote


You're just jealous because his old man's name is on his birth certificate;
your birth certificate has your dad's name as "TBA"

[chico2001]

Billings can end all this by kicking a couple a week right up to the end of the season.