WELCOME TO THE MELBOURNE FOOTBALL CLUB - BILLY STRETCH

[picket fence 17,644]

Noone has suggested using our first pick on Stretch, but you have again failed to answer the question

you can't have a team of all inside midfielders and win a premiership in my opinion, Gary Ablett was far more of an outside player and then developed an inside game to compliment his outside ability,

I'm sure our first two picks will be put towards ball winning midfielders, not exclusive inside midfielders, but I want to know the knock on Stretch that you have, not being an inside mid is not a reason to say a midfielder who has been selected as All Australian and had a fantastic National championships, despite your " spies " saying he is no good, is not worth anymore than a third round pick.

And I agree, Toumpas hasn't set the world on fire but you write him off as a total failure after a season and a half, Blease, Tapscott, Strauss and Spencer have struggled but the club has given them 5-6 years, Toumpas was a higher investment than any of them and i'm sure the club will understand that he may take time.

"I'm sure our first two picks will be put towards ball winning midfielders,"

You have answered my question.... that is why Billy Stretch will go as a third rounder!!

Thanks for some "Brevity" in this topic!

[Ted Lasso 19,549]

Oh God you again,

well you have got it wrong again Clown, Robbie Flower was before his time as both an inside and outside player and a once in a lifetime player anyone with a modicum of footy knowledge would know that! Which is why you are once again clueless on footy matters!

Is Billy Stretch a recreated Flower?????

Now Billy Stretch a kid with ah immense talent "Oh My" who wants to play with us "Gee wiz" and by the way,

Good!

I have not "Written him of"

I have said he is worth a third round choice!! THAT IS ALL!

You may continue to choose to put words in my mouth as political speak my friend but as I have said before He may well be worth a pick! but to iterate my point

Only as a third rounder!

Over to you oh great and wise purveyor of footy pedigree!

Yet you are not capable of articulating a reason why he is worth only a third round pick, so I put it to you

he has speed, something we lack

he breaks lines, something we lack

he has class, something we really lack

he has good skills, something we lack

he can win his own ball

he has been selected in the All Australian team after being a big part of why South Australia won the nationals

over to you picket, why is he only worth a third round pick? ( being an " outside mid" doesn't count as a reason), you either have a legitimate knock on the kids game or you are just a rambling fool who has really no idea what he is talking about.

[Ted Lasso 19,549]

"I'm sure our first two picks will be put towards ball winning midfielders,"

You have answered my question.... that is why Billy Stretch will go as a third rounder!!

Thanks for some "Brevity" in this topic!

No I didn't, we are almost certain to lose Mr Frawley in my opinion, meaning we will get a compo pick leaving our second and third rounder.

I believe firmly that Billy Stretch is solidly worth our second round pick.

[picket fence 17,644]

Ok fine, take an outside mid as an ongoing priority

In fact lets use our first pick on him eh??

If he's that good then don't wait!

Anyone else have a problem with that???

[Ted Lasso 19,549]

Ok fine take an outside mid as an ongoing priority

in fact lets use our first pick on him eh??

If he's that good then don't wait!

Anyone have a problem with that???

You're just being stupid now, no one has suggested even once using a first round pick, odds are we will have a couple of top 5 picks, I'm sure we will put them to good use.

Billys outstanding championships has increased his value significantly, if we manage to get him for a third round pick it will be a steal,

I also note you again haven't given a legitimate reason you don't rate him besides that he is an outside midfielder which is an extremely ignorant position to take, Stephen motlop, issac Smith and Mathew Suckling are pretty handy players.

[Wiseblood 24,637]

Ok fine, take an outside mid as an ongoing priority

In fact lets use our first pick on him eh??

If he's that good then don't wait!

Anyone else have a problem with that???

You're a pill PF. He asked you for the reasons behind your belief he is only worth a third rounder and you reply like a petulant child.

[picket fence 17,644]

You're just being stupid now, no one has suggested even once using a first round pick, odds are we will have a couple of top 5 picks, I'm sure we will put them to good use.

Billys outstanding championships has increased his value significantly, if we manage to get him for a third round pick it will be a steal,

I also note you again haven't given a legitimate reason you don't rate him besides that he is an outside midfielder which is an extremely ignorant position to take, Stephen motlop, issac Smith and Mathew Suckling are pretty handy players.

Ok Mike as I have said we are most vulnerable in the midfield fist use scenario, the stats back this up. so I firmly believe we must continue to build a core of players who can rotate through the midfield and win contested ball and at stoppages. This is purely and simply the reason I think we need to build up our stock of "elite" core first ball get players!

Ok?/

[Ted Lasso 19,549]

You're a pill PF. He asked you for the reasons behind your belief he is only worth a third rounder and you reply like a petulant child.

Because he has probably never even seen the kid play and holds his own ignorant views that even Jimmy Toumpas winning three brownlows in a row couldn't change.

[dazzledavey36 55,389]

Ok fine take an outside mid as an ongoing priority

In fact lets use our first pick on him eh??

If he's that good then don't wait!

Anyone else have a problem with that???

You still haven't answerd his question?

Why would you only want to his a third rounder and thats it?

Is it the fact that you havent seen him play at all you just base on the fake spies in your head that also tell you he is skinny and outside player like Toumpas and his career will turn out the exact same..??

Picket Fence demonland version of Damian Barratt. "Questions selection choice, never seen him play"

[picket fence 17,644]

You're a pill PF. He asked you for the reasons behind your belief he is only worth a third rounder and you reply like a petulant child.

I have replied wiseone!

[Wiseblood 24,637]

I have replied wiseone!

We have ball winners though. Jones, Tyson, Viney, Cross, Michie... even Riley... who are the outside players with the footskills to then use the football? A guy like Salem is someone, in time, that will fill this role, but we lack class around the ground.

You say we need to focus on the midfield yet Stretch is someone who plays in that exact role. Winning games isn't all about grunt work, it's equal amounts of skills, finesse and brains as well.

[picket fence 17,644]

We have ball winners though. Jones, Tyson, Viney, Cross, Michie... even Riley... who are the outside players with the footskills to then use the football? A guy like Salem is someone, in time, that will fill this role, but we lack class around the ground.

You say we need to focus on the midfield yet Stretch is someone who plays in that exact role. Winning games isn't all about grunt work, it's equal amounts of skills, finesse and brains as well.

Agree in part , but the inner core of our Grunt are not "Elite"

Name one who would be classed as an "A" grade midfielder??and there, I rest my case!

[Ted Lasso 19,549]

Ok Mike as I have said we are most vulnerable in the midfield fist use scenario, the stats back this up. so I firmly believe we must continue to build a core of players who can rotate through the midfield and win contested ball and at stoppages. This is purely and simply the reason I think we need to build up our stock of "elite" core first ball get players!

Ok?/

That has nothing to do with Billy Stretch, that's just defending your view that inside mids are better than outside.

we will more than likely add another two class players to the group of Tyson, Viney, Trengove, N.jones, M.jones, Vince, Cross, Toumpas, Salem, Watts, and co, more than anything we just need time, add in as examples: Prestia and Shiel to that group and it looks much better

but that has nothing to do with your knocks on Billy Stretch, we have the opportunity to add two inside midfielders to our ranks through the first pick and the frawley compo, our second rounder and third rounder can then be used to add some outside class and pace to balance the list, Billy stretch is an obvious choice as he desperately wants to come to us, is clearly good enough and has some characteristics we desperately lack.

So i'll ask again, aside from that he isn't an inside midfielder why is he not worth more than a third round pick?

clearly you just want to see 22 inside mids take the field every week.

[Ted Lasso 19,549]

Agree in part , but the inner core of our Grunt are not "Elite"

Name one who would be classed as an "A" grade midfielder??and there, I rest my case!

I class Nathan Jones as an A grade midfielder.

[Wiseblood 24,637]

Agree in part , but the inner core of our Grunt are not "Elite"

Name one who would be classed as an "A" grade midfielder??and there, I rest my case!

Nathan Jones is. Dom Tyson and Jack Viney, two blokes with not many games to their name, have the ability in time to get there. They need the outside support so their grunt work is then rewarded, something that Stretch (and Salem and, hopefully, Toumpas) bring to the table.

[MadAsHell 4,215]

Billy was really well spoken Friday. He exerts leadership and class (co-captain at his club), a very well adjusted young man from all indications. The thing I found interesting is how familiar his answers sounded, almost identical to MFC players under Roos. I'd say if PR hasn't already sat down with him to give some advice, he'll be head over heels to get this kid in the red & blue. His team-first philosophy is exactly what PR adores. He's also a massive re-tweeter of MFC players, so he clearly loves the club. https://twitter.com/billyjstretch.

Don't care if it takes our second rounder, this guy is a gem!

On their win:

"We really drove that team philosophy and that's been the main theme throughout the whole champs and it's really held us in good stead and it's shown in our performances, and that's why we've come away with the win."

On the tight scoreline:

"Right back in December we drove those team philosophies and that's been the main theme, and we knew that would get us through the game if we all played our role successfully we'd come away with the chocolates."

On his highlight of the game:

"I think the idea of team. We've really gelled so well as a team, and that stood out compared to the rest of the teams in the championships. So the ability for every individual to play their role successfully has contributed to that win, so that's the main highlight."

On the draft:

"The only thing we can do is continue to play the best footy we can and go back to our clubs, maintain that high standard of football, and focus on what's most important. There's obviously a lot of pressure but that's completely out of our control, so the most important thing for us is to focus on our goals, week by week, and school."

On father-son and potentially ending up at the MFC:

"In a perfect world it'd be awesome to end up in Melbourne, but the main thing for me is to focus on going back to my club and playing some consistent footy and giving myself the opportunity to be considered for the draft. And whether that's Melbourne, that'd be great, but that's in the long term side of things and the short team goal is just to maintain consistency and focus on footy and school.

Advice from dad:

He's always told me just to try and take the pressure off myself and really just enjoy my footy this year, enjoy being with my mates, and enjoy improving as well."

On training with AFL teams:

"I was sent to Melbourne to train there for a week, and that was an awesome experience, I learned a lot from that."

With all that talk of team from Billy, it had me thinking I was reading a transcript of The IT Crowd!

[picket fence 17,644]

I never knocked Billy Stretch, just reported that my spies that had watched him had indicated that there may be others better suited to Melbourne's needs Hence the No!

I have seen glimpses of his play and he goes pretty well.

Ok Ask yourself is he worth more to Melbourne at the moment than a third rounder????

Well is he??

I think not, for the reasons I have detailed time and again. First fix the inside mid problem. First possession in todays footy is vital . How good are your outsiders if you don't get first use eh???

Hence there goes picks one and two ( The fact is also we may go after another key forward as well as part of these first two picks)

So where does that leave us??

A third round pick by my reckoning!

Edited July 7, 2014 by picket fence

[Ted Lasso 19,549]

I never knocked Billy Stretch, just reported that my spies that had watched him had indicated that there may be others better suited to Melbourne's needs Hence the No!

I have seen glimpses of his play and he goes pretty well.

Ok Ask yourself is he worth more to Melbourne at the moment than a third rounder????

Well is he??

I think not, for the reasons I have detailed time and again. First fix the inside mid problem. First possession in todays footy is vital . How good are your outsiders if you don't get first use eh???

Hence there goes picks one and two ( The fact is also we may go after another key forward as well as part of these first two picks)

So where does that leave us??

A third round pick by my reckoning!

Again, no one is objecting to Stretch coming to us via a third rounder, in fact that's the outcome we are hoping for.

fixing the problem is exactly what, Viney, Jones, Tyson, Vince, Cross, Trengove, Pick 3, Pick 4 are going to do, they will get the ball out to the outside mids that we have 1 of, Jack Watts is about the closest thing we have in our current 22,

If we need to use our second round pick on Stretch I am certain we will, for the reasons I have detailed, pace, skill, line breaking, desire to play for the dees, All Australian selection, team first mantra, basically being everything our team is lacking.

the fact that you either don't see or completely ignore is that our boys need time, Tyson, Viney, Salem, Toumpas, Riley, Michie, all 6 combined have not played 100 games total, they will develop, and as they do our midfield will improve.

[Axis of Bob 11,874]

Ha! Watching picket fence have a full on meltdown in front of everybody is pretty funny. It's like he considers being angry to be an argument.

Carry on.

*grabs more popcorn*

[rpfc 28,816]

Manage Ignore Preferences.

Go there and the waste of time you are all engaging in will cease.

[Axis of Bob 11,874]

Manage Ignore Preferences.

Go there and the waste of time you are all engaging in will cease.

And miss this? This is gold, Jerry!

[picket fence 17,644]

And miss this? This is gold, Jerry!

Yep solid GOLD!

[Ted Lasso 19,549]

What do your " Spies " think of Durdin picket?

[Demon Disciple 12,285]

does anyone think Billy will play senior footy in 2015?

Very excited about this kid btw

Cant wait in a couple of years time when our centreline reads

C - Stretch Viney Lovett

On that note, does anyone one know how Lovett is going? Haven't heard any fresh info for a while.

Edited July 7, 2014 by Demon Disciple

[Yossarian 1,820]

What kind of knobhead talks about 'his spies' on an internet forum?