WELCOME TO THE MELBOURNE FOOTBALL CLUB - BILLY STRETCH

[monoccular 16,420]

You cant judge SS on one dropped mark .

'88 was a dog day afternoon .

They all squibbed it-and Hawks were a bigger ,stronger ,better side .

Stretcher was a top wingman/hbf with better kicking, running ability than 98 % of players running around today.

Hawks at the time, and WCE a few years later were bigger and stronger than any others in the competition..........and, an observation, drug testing came in soon thereafter and they both came back to the field !!

I think you guys left out the fact that SS was waiting for a hospital ball on the wing with Dipper coming from one side and Dermie from the other - which one of us would not have taken a step back?

Stretch won the B&F in the year we broke our 23 years finals drought and played over 150 games, yet the most vivid recollection you want to share about this former player on a thread dedicated to potentially drafting his Son is that one incident ?

Sorry. [censored] poster.

Don't always agree with you, Mr Hur, but 100% with you on this one.

I challenge the critics of SS to name one player wouldn't have taken steps to avoid a rampant Dipper? This was all before MRP and any sense of importance attached to protection of the head.

Now days neither Dipper nor Dermie for that matter, let alone Whitten or Dyer, would have played very many games.

[Machsy 2,858]

Wouldn't put much stock in Knightmare's power rankings.

He had Luke Dunstan pretty high a year before the draft, and he was lucky to get picked where he did.

Stretch looks to be a solid 2nd rounder to me.

[obbafan 128]

Dipper was a thug who wouldn't last beyond one game in today's competition. He made very sure that Robbie Flower's career ended in the medical room. To suggest that SS was a coward for not allowing himself to be destroyed by a maniac who weighed 20 kilos more and was clearly intent upon severe injury is stupid beyond comprehension.

SS was an excellent player who gave great service and joy to the MFC. I loved watching his run and accurate delivery and to have his son at the club would be fantastic.

[Dee Fan 3,247]

Dipper was a thug who wouldn't last beyond one game in today's competition. He made very sure that Robbie Flower's career ended in the medical room. To suggest that SS was a coward for not allowing himself to be destroyed by a maniac who weighed 20 kilos more and was clearly intent upon severe injury is stupid beyond comprehension.

SS was an excellent player who gave great service and joy to the MFC. I loved watching his run and accurate delivery and to have his son at the club would be fantastic.

Like

[Barney Rubble 1,576]

Wont it be great.

His name isn't Jack.

[Matt Demon 1,388]

Mid to late first round pick is the early gauge.

[dee-luded 2,958]

I am unsure how many games Jay played for us, but it certainly wasn't near enough for a FS qualification, for what it is worth.

Jay Viney - 11 games 1991

http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/pp-melbourne-demons--jay-viney

[KingDingAling 3,623]

Mid to late first round pick is the early gauge.

This one will test us.

I expect young Billy to be in the top 10 range.

Depends on where we finish, but we already have a list stacked with kids.

It's not the all and end all if we have to pay slightly overs for him.

Certainly not as big as getting Viney in the 20's, which was steal of the decade.

[Redleg 38,092]

I challenge the critics of SS to name one player wouldn't have taken steps to avoid a rampant Dipper? This was all before MRP and any sense of importance attached to protection of the head.

Bet Alan Stoneham wishes he had.

[Earl Hood 5,822]

Dipper was a thug who wouldn't last beyond one game in today's competition. He made very sure that Robbie Flower's career ended in the medical room. To suggest that SS was a coward for not allowing himself to be destroyed by a maniac who weighed 20 kilos more and was clearly intent upon severe injury is stupid beyond comprehension.

SS was an excellent player who gave great service and joy to the MFC. I loved watching his run and accurate delivery and to have his son at the club would be fantastic.

Agree totally but can someone explain how that assassin ever won a Brownlow? What were the umpires thinking? We all know why the greats never won one like Barrassi, Whitten, Matthews. They knew they could not win one the way they played. Somehow the biggest thug did? Please explain.

[spirit of norm smith 13,447]

merry xmas Billy ... see you on National Draft day 2014

[The Third Eye 212]

I take it the the MFC isn't planning on bringing Billy to Victoria for a year's preparation inside the club system like it did with Jack Viney a couple of years ago?

[Matt Demon 1,388]

I take it the the MFC isn't planning on bringing Billy to Victoria for a year's preparation inside the club system like it did with Jack Viney a couple of years ago?

Nope, the only reason we committed to Viney so early was because of the mini draft that GC & GWS had access to.

[Redleg 38,092]

Certainly not as big as getting Viney in the 20's, which was steal of the decade.

Daniher at 11 or 12 was pretty good.

[Whispering_Jack 28,094]

I take it the the MFC isn't planning on bringing Billy to Victoria for a year's preparation inside the club system like it did with Jack Viney a couple of years ago?

The drafting of Billy Stretch is going to be a little more complicated than the Viney selection. Much will depend on where we finish which will determine the cost in terms of draft position that we'll be asked to give away in order to get him. The other side of the equation is how he develops personally and as a player. Will he be a top 10 prospect or will he drift? What if we badly need a top key position defender and not a slightly built midfielder like Billy?

Too early to make a call I think.

[baysidedave 246]

Dipper was a thug who wouldn't last beyond one game in today's competition. He made very sure that Robbie Flower's career ended in the medical room. To suggest that SS was a coward for not allowing himself to be destroyed by a maniac who weighed 20 kilos more and was clearly intent upon severe injury is stupid beyond comprehension.

SS was an excellent player who gave great service and joy to the MFC. I loved watching his run and accurate delivery and to have his son at the club would be fantastic.

totally agree, loved watching Stretcher play

[Winners at last 4,863]

Agree that Steven Stretch was a lovely player to watch. So was Alan Johnston. Such silky skills. (How's that for a jerky comment!!)

Edited December 28, 2013 by bingers

[monoccular 16,420]

Agree that Steven Stretch was a lovely player to watch. So was Alan Johnston. Such silky skills. (How's that for a jerky comment!!)

I agree with that.....and it doesn't guarantee that the boy will do well.

Surely Stretchlet will have to prove himself in the appropriate level of competition to be assessed for his worth. No room for sentimentality.

[jayceebee31 688]

The drafting of Billy Stretch is going to be a little more complicated than the Viney selection. Much will depend on where we finish which will determine the cost in terms of draft position that we'll be asked to give away in order to get him. The other side of the equation is how he develops personally and as a player. Will he be a top 10 prospect or will he drift? What if we badly need a top key position defender and not a slightly built midfielder like Billy?

Too early to make a call I think.

Agree--- need to get our priorities right & a tall defender is my first priority - as is right now.

[ChaserJ 4,009]

Agree--- need to get our priorities right & a tall defender is my first priority - as is right now.

Jay Lever might be the one to get. I wonder how much his injury will affect his draft position. Top 10 calibre pre knee injury.

[DeeMfc 621]

I remember Steven Stretch going head to head with Alex Ishchenko of the then Brisbane Bears in the centre square one day and didn't take a backward step. In fact he had Ishchenkos measure for the most part.

For those too young to have seen him, Ishchenko would have been 15+cm taller and 35-40kg heavier than Stretch and a filthy sniper of the highest order to boot.

Also used to go and watch Hawthorn train in the late 80's as a teenager and was allowed in the inner sanctum to watch them weight training etc. Let's just say some earlier posts may have some currency...

[Matt Demon 1,388]

Just saw Billy watching training for a bit. He & Jack Viney headed off to the gym apparently. Good to see him around the club already.

[dee-luded 2,958]

Agree totally but can someone explain how that assassin ever won a Brownlow? What were the umpires thinking? We all know why the greats never won one like Barrassi, Whitten, Matthews. They knew they could not win one the way they played. Somehow the biggest thug did? Please explain.

robbie flower??? please explain?

[Elwood 3184 1,268]

Just saw Billy watching training for a bit. He & Jack Viney headed off to the gym apparently. Good to see him around the club already.

He wasn't actually training but had a few kicks at the side. Is mates with Viney through the families and in Adelaide.

[daisycutter 28,700]

He wasn't actually training but had a few kicks at the side. Is mates with Viney through the families and in Adelaide.

what did he look like size-wise? has he put on some height, bulk?