Jack Billings to get cashed up with fat new two-year deal at Saints

Jack Billings is close to a two-year deal and the news gets better for the Saints, with two big names poised to return this weekend. But one injured star has been sent overseas.

Jack Billings is on the brink of signing a lucrative two-year contract extension, fresh from the most dominant performance of his 97-game career.

Billings will not only secure a significant pay rise, the 23-year-old will take his contract status through to free agency at the Saints.

The much-scrutinised wingman kicked two huge late goals as well as recording a career-high tackles, 33 possessions and 169 ranking points.

Billings has been asking for a contract of as much as $800,000 a season, with St Kilda having just secured Jade Gresham on a four-year deal through to 2023.

This year he has kicked 9.4 as well as five total misses, after kicking 43 goals, 67 behinds and having 19 misses in the previous three years at a 33 per cent accuracy rate.

Jack Billings was the difference for St Kilda against Gold Coast. Picture: Alix Sweeney

The Saints will consider selecting Dan Hannebery and Jake Carlisle against Brisbane this week as Alan Richardson fights for the strong finish to his season that could secure his tenure for 2020.

Max King said he had feared he had done his ACL with Sunday’s heavy fall, with the club doctor initially fearing he might have ripped the graft.

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But King was on Monday diagnosed with a six-week ankle injury after secondary scans the day after being cleared of an ACL tear.

The syndesmosis injury, or high ankle sprain, will keep him out until around Round 20 just as he was approaching his debut with the senior side.

“Yeah, it didn’t feel great. I just landed on it really poorly but it’s a sign the knee held up structurally. (It) was a bit of a scary moment though,” King said.

Max King lands awkwardly on his reconstructed right knee on Sunday. Pic: Michael Klein

The laxity in King’s knee immediately after he crashed to the turf meant he and his family had fears he had again ruptured his ACL.

Hannebery covered the ground well in his 23-possession VFL game, but again kicked the ball poorly with 45 per cent efficiency after 40 per cent efficiency in his first game for Sandringham.

He is a certainty to take on the Lions, while Richardson indicated Carlisle could be a chance to play AFL after 15 possessions, eight intercept possessions and three intercept marks for the Zebras.

The club has sent Paddy McCartin to America for testing on his concussion at the Neurological Wellness Institute.

Richardson will need to finish out the season strongly to keep his job, aware the club is still assessing his performance despite a clause in his contract for 2020.

He will coach his 123rd game with St Kilda this week, equal with Grant Thomas and behind only Allan Jeans (333 games), with the veteran coach yet to take the Saints into a final.

Simon Lethlean chats with Paddy McCartin, who has headed to the US. Pic: AFL Photos

Chief executive Matt Finnis said recently it was “unedifying” that Richardson had been put under pressure in media reports, but the last 10 weeks of the season are clearly crucial.

Richardson said on SEN he felt confident about his coaching future.

“I have regular catch-ups with Matt Finnis about the performance of the team, about my performance, about KPIs, I’ll obviously keep those between myself and the footy club, but contact and conversation is ongoing and that’s been really strong,” he said.

“It gives you confidence that everyone’s heading the same way and the biggest focus has really been on the team and that’s my job. There’s a lot of confidence in the coaching team.”