What does the future hold for St Kilda’s Jack Billings?
The 27-year-old is yet to play at senior level for the Saints under Ross Lyon in 2023, consigned to the VFL for the past five weeks after returning from a fractured fibula.
Billings is contracted until 2025, but is the writing on the wall for a Moorabbin exit via a possible trade?
Lyon was asked about Billings following his side’s loss to Hawthorn on Saturday.
“Jack Billings didn’t do any pre-season, basically. He had a fracture of his leg,” Lyon told reporters.
“He’s played two or three full games. I think it would be fair to say that he’s performing very well.
“By his own admission he’s a centre-forward player, he’s not a midfielder, and I would suggest our small forwards have all been pretty good.
“He’s still go work to do.”
SEN’s Tom Morris commented on the 152-game Billings, indicating that he could be on the trade table by season’s end.
“The view from other clubs is that he is extremely gettable,” Morris said on SEN Breakfast.
“If you offer St Kilda a good deal, he’ll be keen for senior opportunities, and the Saints will allow him to move on.
“What sort of club could suit Jack Billings? He’s a cream-on-top, classy sort of player.”
Kane Cornes responded to Morris’ suggestion, agreeing that Billings could be better served if he were to leave Moorabbin later this year.
“Ross spoke about him in his media conference after the game and he was a bit blasé,” Cornes said.
“He’s played three games back in the VFL, he’s a centre-forward player, he’s not a midfielder, there’s small forwards that are performing better than him at the moment.
“It could be a win-win for club and player if there’s an opportunity for him to seek extra opportunities.”
Nathan Buckley also had his say, indicating that Lyon is still working out his list and what his best team looks like.
Given that Billings has played just eight AFL games since the beginning of 2022, Buckley could see the Saints looking to move the former no.3 draft pick on.
“Ross also said that this ‘is an exploration year. I’ve come in, I’m trying to coach, I’m setting up a high-trust environment, I’m also finding out about everyone’,” Buckley offered.
“So Jack Billings would be part of that.
“When you bring in someone like Ross Lyon who has been tasked with taking this club from a competitive group that looks like it makes more than the most of its elements, to someone that’s going to be top four and contending for a long period, well then there’s going to be changes.
“The position on players will shift and Billings might well be one of those.
“He hasn’t been a consistent AFL player, he’s shown some signs and he’s played some high-level football. He was well touted coming into the caper, but he is yet to find that consistency either with his body or in his form to warrant a long-term contract on high money.
“Maybe that’s a decision that the Saints need to look at.”
Billings is averaging 23 touches across five VFL games for Sandringham, which includes 24 disposals and a goal against Coburg on the weekend.
He was restricted to just eight matches in 2022 due to various injuries, including back and hamstring issues.