Spreading his wings: Jack Billings has finally found his niche on the wing for St Kilda
Jack Billings has found his niche in the early rounds of 2019 on a wing for St Kilda, playing a more settled role in a team which will be chasing its third straight win this weekend.
St Kilda
Don't miss out on the headlines from St Kilda. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Dirty Harry Callahan told us that a man’s got to know his limitations.
Jack Billings might never be able to hit the side of a barn with a football when in range of goal but he can find the football like few AFL wingmen.
This year Jade Gresham’s spectacular midfield play has drawn the plaudits as he rewards Alan Richardson’s licence to thrill.
Yet Billings’ positioning as a pure wingman rather than misfiring half-forward is reaping just as many rewards.
AFL SUPERCOACH: MUST-KNOW LATE MAIL FOR ROUND 3 MATCHES
ULTIMATE GUIDE: THE TOP VFL DRAFT PROSPECTS OF 2019
WHICH BIG NAMES WILL PLAY IN YOUR LOCAL LEAGUE THIS YEAR?
The player so often unfavourably compared to draft alumni Marcus Bontempelli has played 84 per cent of game time as a pure wingman and led St Kilda’s possession tallies in both games.
His pair of 28-possession games in wins over Gold Coast and Essendon have included a pair of shots at goal.
Yep, the man who kicked 14.19 from 40 shots last year (the second-worst accuracy in the comp) missed them both.
What he can do is relentlessly find the ball, with Champion Data ranking him third in possessions for AFL wingmen and third for score assists (seven per game).
St Kilda has urged him to not only hunt the ball but increase his physicality and split contests with his speed and aggression.
Right now the midfield is going so well top-10 pick Hunter Clark can’t find a way in, with Jack Steele following up last year’s breakout season and high-profile recruit Dan Hannebery barely missed.
St Kilda champion Danny Frawley, who worked at the Saints as a part-time coach as recently as last year, says Richardson is getting reward from some tough love with Billings.
“He had a really good year in 2017 but his accuracy was letting him down,” he told the Herald Sun.
“All credit to Richo, I am sure his patience would have been waning when he was compared to contemporaries going well around that draft pick number.
“Richo has made him earn it and rightly so. He dropped him last year and would feel justified that he didn’t hand a game to him on a platter.
“He has turned into an elite trainer, I know “Sammy” Hamill did a lot of work with him on the workrate side of things and he is reaping the benefits of playing on a wing.”
Billings’ contract talks are on delay right now, with the sixth-year Saint keen to remain but only after he has built a strong body of work.
Keep it up and not only will he get that lucrative pay rise but a coach maximising his players’ talents will find himself safe as houses as well.
A Brownlow in England: Bizarre tale of medals headed to auction
A random email from the UK that was initially ignored has led to a rare auction that could let someone into footy’s most prestigious and exclusive club.
Injury carnage means Saints fans will have to be patient yet again
Saints fans would be pulling out their hair after Mattaes Phillipou’s injury, that’s before they took a look at their fixture again. Josh Barnes writes, it could be another year of waiting.