Dumped Demon Billy Stretch eyes second AFL chance, vows best football is ahead of him
South Australian product Billy Stretch vows he is not finished and has plenty to offer an AFL club after Melbourne delisted the father-son pick up this week.
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Billy Stretch is crying out for a second AFL chance, declaring his best football is in front of him and that he has “only just scratched the surface’’ of his potential.
Delisted by Melbourne on Monday after 47 games in five years, father-son product Stretch
is adamant he still has “a lot to offer in the AFL system’’.
“I’m keen to have another crack at the AFL and think that if I’m given a chance that I’ve still got another eight or nine years ahead of me at that level,’’ the 23-year-old South Australian product said.
“Obviously it’s disappointing to be delisted but I think my best footy is ahead of me, which is exciting.’’
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Born in Victoria but raised in SA, Stretch — an All-Australian under-18 wingman in 2014 — was recruited under the father-son rule at that year’s national draft.
He is the son of former Demons and Fitzroy wingman/half-back Steven Stretch, who played 189 AFL games from 1986-95 after being recruited from SANFL club West Torrens.
Billy was selected at pick 42 after the Crows made a bid for him with their second-round selection.
He joined the “goal with first kick club’’ with a major on debut against Sydney in round six, 2015, but after a promising first season never cemented his spot in the team.
Hampered by a foot injury, Stretch played 27 games in his first two seasons under coach Paul Roos but only nine in 2017, two last year and nine this year under Simon Goodwin.
He averaged 16 disposals and three marks while kicking 10 goals.
“I loved my time at Melbourne and thought I played some of my best footy in my first two years under ‘Roosy’,’’ Stretch told The Advertiser.
“But I then found myself in and out of the team and unable to get any momentum and build that confidence that can be so important.
“Every time I came into the team I had to deal with the pressure of selection and that sort of thing, which wasn’t ideal.’’
Stretch said he thought the writing was on the wall for him when he finished the season without a contract and Melbourne traded for speedy midfielder Ed Langdon from Fremantle and utility Adam Tomlinson from GWS.
“With how things unfolded it didn’t come as a big surprise and I understand they’ve got to do what they think is best for the club,’’ he said.
“But obviously I’m disappointed and hopefully something opens up for me at another AFL club because I really do think that I have only just scratched the surface of what I can do.’’
Renowned for his professionalism and work ethic, Stretch said his manager Michael Doughty’s phone hadn’t run hot since his delisting but that he had his “fingers crossed’’ that an AFL opportunity opened for him.
“My future's a bit up in the air at the moment, so I’m just going to sit tight and see what happens in the next couple of weeks,’’ the articulate Stretch said.
“It’s a funny little period but there’s plenty of different pathways to get back into the system, either as a delisted free agent, in the main or rookie drafts or as a supplementary selection.
“Hopefully I can get back there at some point.’’
Stretch, whose run and carry is a strength, said if no AFL door opened, he would “look at all my options’’ with a return to his former SANFL club Glenelg a strong possibility.
“If it doesn't work out for me in the AFL then I’d seriously consider playing for Glenelg because it had a great year and coach Mark Stone has done some great things there,’’ he said.
Stretch said he would have loved to have played his career out at the Demons after being a father-son pick but understands there is not too much romanticism in modern football.
“Being a father-son selection is all quite nice at the start but once you get into your career it doesn’t really matter that much,’’ he said.
“What you learn is that at the end of the day, the footy world is just a business.’’