Wood McKenzie. Long

[Rubyjo]

Seriously hard men who sometimes go unnoticed and who give their all and should hold their spots going forward .

[Rubyjo]

All have their weapons all have their weaknessessss

[D.B.Cooper]

Seriously hard men who sometimes go unnoticed and who give their all and should hold their spots going forward .

No one who walks onto an AFL field is soft, the game takes serious courage.

Agree on Long & D'Mac, tough as nails.
Can't say I see Wood as a hard man at all by AFL standards.

Talking hard men, Sinclair was a bruise free player 4 years ago and now he seriously sticks his snout over the pill religiously.
Got to hand it to the guy, he's turned his game from a nice player to serious gun who constantly puts his body on the line.

[Rubyjo]

Gotta be in the brownlow window Is Sinclair

[Rubyjo]

I'd take wood over Billings any day.

[SaintPav]

Seriously hard men who sometimes go unnoticed and who give their all and should hold their spots going forward .

No one who walks onto an AFL field is soft, the game takes serious courage.

Agree on Long & D'Mac, tough as nails.
Can't say I see Wood as a hard man at all by AFL standards.

Talking hard men, Sinclair was a bruise free player 4 years ago and now he seriously sticks his snout over the pill religiously.
Got to hand it to the guy, he's turned his game from a nice player to serious gun who constantly puts his body on the line.

It’s the bogan mullet.

[StPeter]

Gotta be in the brownlow window Is Sinclair

I hope so. I got 1000 to 1 a few weeks ago.

$12,000 would be very nice.

[Teflon]

I'd take wood over Billings any day.

Wood definitely isn’t a hard man and imo needs to impact games more he drifts in/out too much for a player of his experience
If our kids keep playing well once Steele etc get back Woods wing position will be under threat

[Vortex]

I'd take wood over Billings any day.

The coach agrees. Wood is way ahead of Billings this year.

Wood is the biggest improver this year, I think it's 55% statistically.

[D.B.Cooper]

I'd take wood over Billings any day.

Really?
I reckon you'd be in the minority.

Wood 29 this year for 73 total games as a fringe player.
Delisted by North who are rabble.
Playing career best footy now so a C grader, but a D grade AFL player over his career.
Wood has a similar career to Kent.

Billings 27 this year, nearing 150 games and is a solid B grade player IMO.
On stats, performance, career to date owns Wood in every category.

If you are basing this opinion on 2022, let the season play out in its entirety.

[Vortex]

I'd take wood over Billings any day.

Really?
I reckon you'd be in the minority.

Wood 29 this year for 73 total games as a fringe player.
Delisted by North who are rabble.
Playing career best footy now so a C grader, but a D grade AFL player over his career.
Wood has a similar career to Kent.

Billings 27 this year, nearing 150 games and is a solid B grade player IMO.
On stats, performance, career to date owns Wood in every category.

If you are basing this opinion on 2022, let the season play out in its entirety.

Billings games have mostly been in a really crappy side, this year many have gone past him and he doesn't look so flash all of a sudden. Clearly the coach has Wood ahead of Billings presently.

The ball is in his court. Let's see what he's got.

[older saint]

All appear to be players who have the talent to play AFL but all are players between 15-26 on a list of a reasonable team. The difference between those type of players which play 150+ games and those which play 50 or less is how long they can maintain the unrelenting work ethic which is required.
The one thing which stands out to me with these guys is that the coaches have identified what they are good at and found roles in the team to use these skills. We tend to look at what players cant do rather than what they can.

All players on lists were very good footballers as juniors and most will have played some state footy etc.
Wood to me seems like one who was talented and this alone got him games before he got cut by North. Second chance at StKilda has seen his work ethic improve . Talented endurance athlete and good size and kick - play him as wing who can pinch forward and across HB when needed.
McKenzie , fitness and strength overhead for his size as well as manic attach are his strengths. Really benefiting from focus on these rather than defensive skills or foot skills which in the past were critical to the roles he had and hence was not successful in them.
Long obviously attacks the contest hard but has to have more ( despite many thinking the fact he can hurt people is enough for a spot now days). His forward pressure stood out Sunday (especially missing Butler and Higgins) and this is what he needs to bring week in week out as again there are others breathing down his neck ( which is a good thing).

Having guys like this filing roles successfully is great, create depth and makes others work harder. If one drops off be it one of these 3 or others below they are out and a replacement comes in and whoever is back in the line. See Highmore and a few others , didn't smash pre season performances as much as other and others went past and door is yet to reopen

[samoht]

I don't think North played Wood to his strengths ... he has running ability and a huge tank.
North chose to park him in the forward line, for most part.

It finally dawned on us to play Wood according to his strengths - something I'd been suggesting for ages.

[bigcarl]

One thing about Billings being out of the side is that it puts a LOT of pressure on the incumbents to perform. One slip and Jack is right back in there. And I’m not talking necessarily about just Wood.

Also we have other class players - such as Clark and Higgins - close to return. It’s a healthy position for the club

[shanegrambeau]

Clark, Higgins and Billings
All in our best 18

[Vortex]

Clark, Higgins and Billings
All in our best 18

The coach currently disagrees about Billings being best 18

[nostalgicsaint]

Clark, Higgins and Billings
All in our best 18

The coach currently disagrees about Billings being best 18

Not sure not being selected is the same as not being best 18.

[shanegrambeau]

Clark, Higgins and Billings
All in our best 18

The coach currently disagrees about Billings being best 18

Well, that's conjecture.

He certainly didn't pick them last week, for various reasons, but let's say, for arguments sake, we apply the 80/80 rule, when in 80% of match condition, against 80% of oppo teams, 80% of the time, those three are automatic starts.

That said (argued) , wouldn't surprise me if they chop JB.

Wood is a singular cat. I can't see him high in the pecking order or in the club's long term plans, unless he became a key defender, like a Russell Morris, Shane Wakelin type.

[Goose is king]

Wood absolutely puts his body on the line. He throws his body into leading opposition forwards weekly getting important spoils in.

[Trev from the Bush]

All three have served time as Saintsational whipping boys, DMac in particular. He is living proof as to how good some "expert opinions" are.

I had reserved my judgment as to the value of Ben Long, mainly because he gets too few possessions. I think the coach summed up his value to the team in the rooms on after Sunday's match. It's not the number of possessions he gets, it's what he brings to the team really. Hard and inspirational, he can lift his team mates and turn games. He may be a key in finals matches, just like Stewart Due was in the 2008 GF for the Hawks - under the radar but lethal.

Mason Wood? Do you reckon he would get a game with North? Their brains trust would say no, but mean yes. He is not a tough, hard at the ball player. I have seen two instances early in the last two games where he could have gone harder at the ball but didn't and it cost us. He is a different player, deceptively tall, pretty highly skilled with a pendulous left foot capable of kicking the ball long distances at Exocet-like speed. A valuable, different player that cost us a dead car battery and nothing else. Bargain pick up who is becoming more than a depth player. Holding his place on merit.

All three give me reasons to be a happy Saints supporter.

[D.B.Cooper]

I'd take wood over Billings any day.

Really?
I reckon you'd be in the minority.

Wood 29 this year for 73 total games as a fringe player.
Delisted by North who are rabble.
Playing career best footy now so a C grader, but a D grade AFL player over his career.
Wood has a similar career to Kent.

Billings 27 this year, nearing 150 games and is a solid B grade player IMO.
On stats, performance, career to date owns Wood in every category.

If you are basing this opinion on 2022, let the season play out in its entirety.

Billings games have mostly been in a really crappy side, this year many have gone past him and he doesn't look so flash all of a sudden. Clearly the coach has Wood ahead of Billings presently.

The ball is in his court. Let's see what he's got.

I doubt the sample size of one match is enough to make that evaluation, even if it is just "presently".
Billings returning off a long lay off, Wood playing every match or thereabout.

What would their respective trade value be?
Billings - early 2nd round to mid 2nd round to a contender.
Wood - nothing, he came as a delisted free agent.

[CQ SAINT]

I'd take wood over Billings any day.

Really?
I reckon you'd be in the minority.

Wood 29 this year for 73 total games as a fringe player.
Delisted by North who are rabble.
Playing career best footy now so a C grader, but a D grade AFL player over his career.
Wood has a similar career to Kent.

Billings 27 this year, nearing 150 games and is a solid B grade player IMO.
On stats, performance, career to date owns Wood in every category.

If you are basing this opinion on 2022, let the season play out in its entirety.

Billings games have mostly been in a really crappy side, this year many have gone past him and he doesn't look so flash all of a sudden. Clearly the coach has Wood ahead of Billings presently.

The ball is in his court. Let's see what he's got.

I doubt the sample size of one match is enough to make that evaluation, even if it is just "presently".
Billings returning off a long lay off, Wood playing every match or thereabout.

What would their respective trade value be?
Billings - early 2nd round to mid 2nd round to a contender.
Wood - nothing, he came as a delisted free agent.

Billings got 2 chances, the first one was wasted on racking up empty disposals, which just resulted in efficiency stats, metres gained and turnovers, apart from the gift Paddy drop in his arms in front of goal.

His next was the same. Without the extra meaningless stats and the gift from Paddy.

Id be arguing that 2 good state games might not be enough of a sample to convince anyone he should take a spot in the current best 22 squad.

If he comes in and can't produce, we will blame injury lay offs and the bye.

I just wouldn't drop Wanganeen Milera or Wood on their exposed form. Billings will struggle to push anyone else out of the team.