Billings Mackenzie Jones........

[skeptic]

Billings is 27, is pigeon holed as a player we have plenty of others playing. Injuries are less of a worry than form/ability and position. Needs to reinvent himself as a midfielder or be traded/delisted. Minimal trade value - 3rd or 4th rounder.
McKenzie is 26 and off some good form. I'm not sure on his injury history, how many are soft tissue? If we assess his injuries are able to be overcome and can play a full season plus finals without getting injured, he's worth keeping on as 1 year contract. No trade value.
Jones is 28 and has only played 132 games. His soft tissue injuries have followed him from Sydney to us and is great when on the park but injury is a huge liability. No trade value, delist or keep as 'hopeful'.

All three need a dose of the Mason Wood success story (29yo, 93 games), AA Wingman before injury this year.

Not that I wish ill on any of them but I just don’t feel great on relying on all three to turn it around.

Out of contract and sustaining soft tissue 2-3 times a year with increasingly longer layoffs… Jones is the one that IMO needs to be flicked. Especially given his rather questionable off-field history. On the one hand I’m loathe to do so as he is the best of the three… but on the other hand… we barely see it.

Billings I’m the most frustrated with. Personally I think his contributions are very overrated here and he rarely gets into the territory of his best which we’ve seen a handful of times. Mostly he’s ok, sometimes he’s good… rarely great.
Personally… as overblown as the whole Bont regret is, he symbolises to me, the issue we had over the Richo era with players that are talented and do just enough to get by.

I can’t personally speak to his off-field attitude but I’ve never seen him close to Brad Hill levels of fitness or read reports about how he’s burning up the track and is the fittest at the club.
We’ve been hearing talk about how Billings could be the elite winger we’ve waited for for years… but he’s never transitioned off a flank. You look at that and his raft of non-impact injuries and it doesn’t scream elite prep to me.

Still… he’s contracted for 2 years but word is he wants out. I’d consider it even knowing that we pbly won’t get value back. I mean what would we really lose? It seems that if Billings does play A-Grade football consistently, it won’t be for us.

That being said… if Gresh goes, then we could pbly need to double down on him and give it another go

Dmac is the one I’d take the punt on. As best as I can’t tell his training/work rate has always been elite and from memory his injuries haven’t always been soft tissue. I think he had a shoulder for a while?
The question mark with him is role as I think Wood snapped up the wing spot that he was doing ok in but… he’s still a tough runner that could be versatile.

[remboy]

Not that I wish ill on any of them but I just don’t feel great on relying on all three to turn it around.

Out of contract and sustaining soft tissue 2-3 times a year with increasingly longer layoffs… Jones is the one that IMO needs to be flicked. Especially given his rather questionable off-field history. On the one hand I’m loathe to do so as he is the best of the three… but on the other hand… we barely see it.

Billings I’m the most frustrated with. Personally I think his contributions are very overrated here and he rarely gets into the territory of his best which we’ve seen a handful of times. Mostly he’s ok, sometimes he’s good… rarely great.
Personally… as overblown as the whole Bont regret is, he symbolises to me, the issue we had over the Richo era with players that are talented and do just enough to get by.

I can’t personally speak to his off-field attitude but I’ve never seen him close to Brad Hill levels of fitness or read reports about how he’s burning up the track and is the fittest at the club.
We’ve been hearing talk about how Billings could be the elite winger we’ve waited for for years… but he’s never transitioned off a flank. You look at that and his raft of non-impact injuries and it doesn’t scream elite prep to me.

Still… he’s contracted for 2 years but word is he wants out. I’d consider it even knowing that we pbly won’t get value back. I mean what would we really lose? It seems that if Billings does play A-Grade football consistently, it won’t be for us.

That being said… if Gresh goes, then we could pbly need to double down on him and give it another go

Dmac is the one I’d take the punt on. As best as I can’t tell his training/work rate has always been elite and from memory his injuries haven’t always been soft tissue. I think he had a shoulder for a while?
The question mark with him is role as I think Wood snapped up the wing spot that he was doing ok in but… he’s still a tough runner that could be versatile.

Where has this ‘word’ come from that Billings wants out? He looked around before resigning, found nobody was offering any more than us and re-signed.
Didn’t Ross say McKenzie had done 12 calves in the last two years? Unless he and Jones get through the rest of the year unscathed I’d be surprised to see either of them at the club next year.

[Otiman]

I don't think you can rely on any of them turning it around, but have to assess are they worth a spot on the list on the chance that they can.

3 spots, 3 chances to turn it around.

[Life Long Saint]

Billings is contracted for next three seasons. We won't be delisting him. Unless there is a very good trade offer, and he wants to go, he's staying.
McKenzie is a restricted free agent. Which means the club rate him highly. His 2022 form was good enough to suggest that he's worth another contract. Can't see many other clubs coming at him with a an offer that makes letting him go a real option.
Jones is out of contract, but unless there is a trade for him, I would be confident he'd be retained.

These three players aren't the problem.
Billings has suffered in the eyes of supprters because he's not Marcus Bontempelli and people still bleat that we should have taken Bont at pick 3. I reckon even the Doggies would have taken Billings over Bont if he was around for pick 4.
He is one of our best users of the ball by foot. And, in a side where that skill is hard to find, he must be kept.

[whiskers3614]

Billings is 27, is pigeon holed as a player we have plenty of others playing. Injuries are less of a worry than form/ability and position. Needs to reinvent himself as a midfielder or be traded/delisted. Minimal trade value - 3rd or 4th rounder.
McKenzie is 26 and off some good form. I'm not sure on his injury history, how many are soft tissue? If we assess his injuries are able to be overcome and can play a full season plus finals without getting injured, he's worth keeping on as 1 year contract. No trade value.
Jones is 28 and has only played 132 games. His soft tissue injuries have followed him from Sydney to us and is great when on the park but injury is a huge liability. No trade value, delist or keep as 'hopeful'.

All three need a dose of the Mason Wood success story (29yo, 93 games), AA Wingman before injury this year.

Not that I wish ill on any of them but I just don’t feel great on relying on all three to turn it around.

Out of contract and sustaining soft tissue 2-3 times a year with increasingly longer layoffs… Jones is the one that IMO needs to be flicked. Especially given his rather questionable off-field history. On the one hand I’m loathe to do so as he is the best of the three… but on the other hand… we barely see it.

Billings I’m the most frustrated with. Personally I think his contributions are very overrated here and he rarely gets into the territory of his best which we’ve seen a handful of times. Mostly he’s ok, sometimes he’s good… rarely great.
Personally… as overblown as the whole Bont regret is, he symbolises to me, the issue we had over the Richo era with players that are talented and do just enough to get by.

I can’t personally speak to his off-field attitude but I’ve never seen him close to Brad Hill levels of fitness or read reports about how he’s burning up the track and is the fittest at the club.
We’ve been hearing talk about how Billings could be the elite winger we’ve waited for for years… but he’s never transitioned off a flank. You look at that and his raft of non-impact injuries and it doesn’t scream elite prep to me.

Still… he’s contracted for 2 years but word is he wants out. I’d consider it even knowing that we pbly won’t get value back. I mean what would we really lose? It seems that if Billings does play A-Grade football consistently, it won’t be for us.

That being said… if Gresh goes, then we could pbly need to double down on him and give it another go

Dmac is the one I’d take the punt on. As best as I can’t tell his training/work rate has always been elite and from memory his injuries haven’t always been soft tissue. I think he had a shoulder for a while?
The question mark with him is role as I think Wood snapped up the wing spot that he was doing ok in but… he’s still a tough runner that could be versatile.

The only areas Hill is statistically ahead of Billings are clangers frees against and pay packet!

[skeptic]

Billings is 27, is pigeon holed as a player we have plenty of others playing. Injuries are less of a worry than form/ability and position. Needs to reinvent himself as a midfielder or be traded/delisted. Minimal trade value - 3rd or 4th rounder.
McKenzie is 26 and off some good form. I'm not sure on his injury history, how many are soft tissue? If we assess his injuries are able to be overcome and can play a full season plus finals without getting injured, he's worth keeping on as 1 year contract. No trade value.
Jones is 28 and has only played 132 games. His soft tissue injuries have followed him from Sydney to us and is great when on the park but injury is a huge liability. No trade value, delist or keep as 'hopeful'.

All three need a dose of the Mason Wood success story (29yo, 93 games), AA Wingman before injury this year.

Not that I wish ill on any of them but I just don’t feel great on relying on all three to turn it around.

Out of contract and sustaining soft tissue 2-3 times a year with increasingly longer layoffs… Jones is the one that IMO needs to be flicked. Especially given his rather questionable off-field history. On the one hand I’m loathe to do so as he is the best of the three… but on the other hand… we barely see it.

Billings I’m the most frustrated with. Personally I think his contributions are very overrated here and he rarely gets into the territory of his best which we’ve seen a handful of times. Mostly he’s ok, sometimes he’s good… rarely great.
Personally… as overblown as the whole Bont regret is, he symbolises to me, the issue we had over the Richo era with players that are talented and do just enough to get by.

I can’t personally speak to his off-field attitude but I’ve never seen him close to Brad Hill levels of fitness or read reports about how he’s burning up the track and is the fittest at the club.
We’ve been hearing talk about how Billings could be the elite winger we’ve waited for for years… but he’s never transitioned off a flank. You look at that and his raft of non-impact injuries and it doesn’t scream elite prep to me.

Still… he’s contracted for 2 years but word is he wants out. I’d consider it even knowing that we pbly won’t get value back. I mean what would we really lose? It seems that if Billings does play A-Grade football consistently, it won’t be for us.

That being said… if Gresh goes, then we could pbly need to double down on him and give it another go

Dmac is the one I’d take the punt on. As best as I can’t tell his training/work rate has always been elite and from memory his injuries haven’t always been soft tissue. I think he had a shoulder for a while?
The question mark with him is role as I think Wood snapped up the wing spot that he was doing ok in but… he’s still a tough runner that could be versatile.

The only areas Hill is statistically ahead of Billings are clangers frees against and pay packet!

I guess that’s an example of how stats can be misleading. Hill easily the better of the 2 surely. He’s on the park for a start.

[skeptic]

Not that I wish ill on any of them but I just don’t feel great on relying on all three to turn it around.

Out of contract and sustaining soft tissue 2-3 times a year with increasingly longer layoffs… Jones is the one that IMO needs to be flicked. Especially given his rather questionable off-field history. On the one hand I’m loathe to do so as he is the best of the three… but on the other hand… we barely see it.

Billings I’m the most frustrated with. Personally I think his contributions are very overrated here and he rarely gets into the territory of his best which we’ve seen a handful of times. Mostly he’s ok, sometimes he’s good… rarely great.
Personally… as overblown as the whole Bont regret is, he symbolises to me, the issue we had over the Richo era with players that are talented and do just enough to get by.

I can’t personally speak to his off-field attitude but I’ve never seen him close to Brad Hill levels of fitness or read reports about how he’s burning up the track and is the fittest at the club.
We’ve been hearing talk about how Billings could be the elite winger we’ve waited for for years… but he’s never transitioned off a flank. You look at that and his raft of non-impact injuries and it doesn’t scream elite prep to me.

Still… he’s contracted for 2 years but word is he wants out. I’d consider it even knowing that we pbly won’t get value back. I mean what would we really lose? It seems that if Billings does play A-Grade football consistently, it won’t be for us.

That being said… if Gresh goes, then we could pbly need to double down on him and give it another go

Dmac is the one I’d take the punt on. As best as I can’t tell his training/work rate has always been elite and from memory his injuries haven’t always been soft tissue. I think he had a shoulder for a while?
The question mark with him is role as I think Wood snapped up the wing spot that he was doing ok in but… he’s still a tough runner that could be versatile.

Where has this ‘word’ come from that Billings wants out? He looked around before resigning, found nobody was offering any more than us and re-signed.
Didn’t Ross say McKenzie had done 12 calves in the last two years? Unless he and Jones get through the rest of the year unscathed I’d be surprised to see either of them at the club next year.

Posted here by a few forumites one of which has some clout.

I’ll concede on Dmac. Obviously I don’t remember that right

[MC Gusto]

Raising concerns about Pou - a first year player, youngest in his draft year, who’s played every game this year. Definition of insanity or what??