31 minutes ago, WesternDee said:

Is he still eligible for the Rising Star?

No, played too many games last year.

Like others, I had "hoped he would become a good player in a few years" - he is streets ahead already of what I (admittedly very inexpertly) has seen as his ceiling, and in double quick time.

Well done and keep it up.

2 hours ago, Fifty-5 said:

Looking forward to seeing the coaches award votes this week (and every week).  That's the KPI for me.

Melbourne vs Brisbane Lions
8 Jesse Hogan (Melb)
8 Billy Stretch (Melb)
5 Tom Bugg (Melb)
3 Jeff Garlett (Melb)
3 Daniel Rich (BL)
2 Christian Petracca (Melb)
1 Clayton Oliver (Melb) 

Just now, monoccular said:

Melbourne vs Brisbane Lions
8 Jesse Hogan (Melb)
8 Billy Stretch (Melb)
5 Tom Bugg (Melb)
3 Jeff Garlett (Melb)
3 Daniel Rich (BL)
2 Christian Petracca (Melb)
1 Clayton Oliver (Melb) 

Glad to see Bugg that high up in the votes too. Strange week - big win and no Viney, Jones or Gawn.

 

27 minutes ago, Left Foot Snap said:

I have always been very hopeful on Stretch as I was a fan of Steven. He was a West Torrens boy and growing up you didn't get a lot to cheer about with them. I remember when the 'great exodus' of SA players went to Victorian clubs at the time - Steven Stretch was voted least likely to make it. I was delighted he did. In a way following him is what fired my interest in following the Dees. Before that it was really just interest because I played junior footy in the same jumper. Now I have a family cohort of rabid members, albeit in Brisbane so we can't get to see games live. My daughter (12 yr old and a massive Nathan Jones and Daisy Pearce fan) came up with the name T-Rex for Billy. (Little stretch) There were many T-Rex calls and high fives coming from the TV room on Sunday and I hope that continues.   

Love it! Great story LFS

Billy Stretch is, and was from the moment he arrived at the club one of those natural footballers who see the game faster and a step ahead of the others. This cannot be taught. Then he backs it up with disposal and toughness (the two things which take more time). We're developing a good number of players with that natural unteachable talent now, and they're going to form the kind of 'family' that Geelong and Hawthorn have most recently had. It's hard not to get excited about this, and Billy Stretch will be right in the middle of it along with Viney, Oliver, Brayshaw, etc. 

9 minutes ago, Left Foot Snap said:

Glad to see Bugg that high up in the votes too. Strange week - big win and no Viney, Jones or Gawn.

 

Fantastic. The depth is coming through. Could we have imagined winning a game with Viney, Jones & Gawn not having much influence? Instead the 'Team' delivered a 10 goal win

 

I'm sure I'm not alone here. I reckon I kept occasional tabs on Billy's progress from about under 13's onwards (where from memory he was playing with Strawb O'Dwyer's not so talented son) so I'm stoked to see him come through. And the club has handled him beautifully from the early work experience visits onwards.

2 hours ago, monoccular said:

Like others, I had "hoped he would become a good player in a few years" - he is streets ahead already of what I (admittedly very inexpertly) has seen as his ceiling, and in double quick time.

Well done and keep it up.

I like to think that its a result of our new found depth, last year he was in and out of the side as first year player.

This year he got to spend the first 4 or so weeks in the VFL finding the ball and nows its transition to next level up.

Cant wait to see what Weideman will do next year.

Has a bit of Pendles about him 

It's nice to be able to look back at page 1 of this thread starting in 2010 with Billy as a 14 year old!

9 hours ago, Dees_In_October said:

It's nice to be able to look back at page 1 of this thread starting in 2010 with Billy as a 14 year old!

What started out as a little creepy stalking thread of a young kid, is now a thread about a really exciting player with loads of talent. 

Must be the only Demonland thread ever to have improved with time. 

On a day where other players fumbled and overused the handball, stretch appeared to be playing to a different game plan on Sunday. Not only was his kicking effective, but it was attacking and set up a lot of play. I'd love to see his "meters gained, rebound 50 and inside 50" totals. 

The best thing about his rapid improvement will mean little external pressure, with Oliver, petracca, harmes and hogan likely to wear that hype. So Billy can keep playing his role and evolving into a damaging layer for us, low key.

He was unlucky to be ineligible for the rising star this week. Young Billy is a handy compliment to our tough inside mids. He will also get in when needed. Great game.

Was surprised to see he is still only 19.  He is going to be a star. He has the hunger like all our other kids.

 

I watched the replay of the game last night and was super impressed with Billy's inside work.

Very quick thinking under pressure and very accurate with his disposal.

Always thought of him as an outside runner type but was very very good in the clinches on Sunday.

We seem to be a cleaner ball handling side out of the packs with ANB and Stretch in the side.

43 minutes ago, Petraccattack said:

Was surprised to see he is still only 19.  He is going to be a star. He has the hunger like all our other kids.

 

Yep - last year he was the youngest player on our list.  This year only Hulett, Weideman, Mitch King and Oliver are younger.  Stretch came to us as a bottom ager - I reckon this makes a big difference in the level of development you'd expect to see when they arrive at the club; he would be nearly an entire year behind in development than a player like Brayshaw who arrived at the same time.

Scary to think that Oliver is the current youngest player on our list and is in the same boat.

his run and spread in the last fortnight has been sensational - both offensively and defensively.

 

he has pretty much come in and played the role of matt jones as a wingman who makes space and uses it well when he gets it.

 

the big difference is his de% and that he's only 19.

 

exciting times ahead - like others on this thread, i've been following his career since he was a skinny little kid playing for the glenelg underage side.

 

fantastic if we can have a father-son 'bargain' come thru like sos; it's what helped make geelong a powerhouse (ablett, hawkins, et al), and looks like being a big help for footscray too (liberatore, wallis, hunter, etc., plus more to come this year).

15 minutes ago, Nasher said:

Yep - last year he was the youngest player on our list.  This year only Hulett, Weideman, Mitch King and Oliver are younger.  Stretch came to us as a bottom ager - I reckon this makes a big difference in the level of development you'd expect to see when they arrive at the club; he would be nearly an entire year behind in development than a player like Brayshaw who arrived at the same time.

Scary to think that Oliver is the current youngest player on our list and is in the same boat.

Also makes it a bit crazy that he isn't eligible for the Rising Star but thems the rules.

I posted in here when we drafted him saying he had the talent to become our Isaac Smith/Brad Hill type. We don't have many players with speed and skill so he is very valuable to us. He's definitely getting there already if he can keep up this form, but the most impressive thing is how far his inside game has come.
When we drafted him he was purely a runner and didn't really fetch his own ball, similar to Toumpas at underage level. His inside work has come a long way and he is now very clean in the packs and isn't afraid to throw his body into hard tackles. It's very impressive to see a smaller guy so hungry and clearly working hard to improve all parts of his game.

He could be a beauty for us. Keep it up Billy!

I've heard / read somewhere that he's highly professional in his approach, very eager to learn, and extremely 'coachable'.  Great traits to have and clearly starting to bear fruit.

Looks like he will be a harder version of Gaff...

On 29 November 2010 at 0:56 AM, e25 said:

I'm not 100% on this, but isn't there also talk that Greg Healy's son is meant to be better than Jack Viney, just younger?

I remember something being mentioned on the China Trip.

Does anyone know how Greg Healy's son is going? (I think it's Luke). Would be great to have Viney, Stretch and Healy kicking around in the same team.

Does Strawbs O'Dwyer have a son??

8 hours ago, Generation dee said:

On a day where other players fumbled and overused the handball, stretch appeared to be playing to a different game plan on Sunday. Not only was his kicking effective, but it was attacking and set up a lot of play. I'd love to see his "meters gained, rebound 50 and inside 50" totals. 

The best thing about his rapid improvement will mean little external pressure, with Oliver, petracca, harmes and hogan likely to wear that hype. So Billy can keep playing his role and evolving into a damaging layer for us, low key.

one can only hope !

and so say all of us.

 

we need all the father/sons/daughters, witch we can muster

45 minutes ago, Dluth said:

Does anyone know how Greg Healy's son is going? (I think it's Luke). Would be great to have Viney, Stretch and Healy kicking around in the same team.

Does Strawbs O'Dwyer have a son??

Luke is a ripping young man - but only playing ammo football - did his knee last year - he is about 21 years of age.  Maybe 22 years of age