Delisted Billy Longer

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Billy improved heaps during the year . I was in the Hickey camp for a long time but from about three quarters through the year Billy played some great footy . Yes he still needs to do more around the ground but he is getting there . But it will be interesting what happens next year . Last year it was all Hickey and we were sure he was going to be our number one ruck but he lost form and after a rough start Billy took over . So far we have gone Billy , Tom , Billy it will be interesting what happens next . I hope we don't trade either ruckman because they have both shown that they can be good ruckmen over the last few years . I am disappointed that some of the Billy fan club want Tom to be traded just because they worry that Tom may take his spot back . To me that's silly we have two good ruckmen and you play whoever is in form as we did this year . Besides you never know when someone could get injured.
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ST KILDA ruckman Billy Longer is in doubt for the Saints' round one clash against Brisbane on Saturday afternoon after he was on limited duties at training in Moorabbin on Tuesday.

Longer was restricted to running at RSEA Park as he deals with a left hip flexor issue.

He was the only listed player to take part in a VFL practice match for Sandringham against Port Melbourne last Friday, and he continues to carry the niggle and needs to complete the full session on Thursday and recover without major discomfort to face his former side at Etihad Stadium.

If Longer is not declared fit, a tough decision on selection looms, with Rowan Marshall in a tussle with Tom Hickey to be considered the standby big man.

Longer, 24, missed the club's second JLT Community Series clash against Melbourne a fortnight ago with the hip injury.


Still looking forward to this season.
 
Getting lots of taps in the ruck for Sandy but has the same problem as he does in the seniors. On the weekend only took 1 mark and had very limited disposals which isn’t good. He should be dominating in that grade at least some weeks.


Go Saints
 
Billy Longer played his best game of the year for Sandringham, winning the hit-outs 55-26 and booting a goal although it was only against Frankston with Pierce out injured.

The Saints’ second ruckman also took three contested marks and laid two tackles, and his hunger to break back into the AFL side could be rewarded as he mounts pressure on the coveted No. 1 ruck spot.


Go Saints
 

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Saints decided to have Billy have surgery on an ankle which has been troubling him because we can’t make the finals and they want him to be ok for a full preseason.

He won’t play again this season of course.

Go Saints
 
Billy Longer will miss the remainder of the 2018 season after undergoing ankle surgery this week.

Senior physiotherapist Andrew Wallis has confirmed that the ruckman had a routine operation to repair minor damage in his left ankle, ensuring an uninterrupted start to the 2019 preseason.

"Billy Longer went in for surgery this morning (Tuesday) on his ankle," Wallis told saints.com.au.


"We felt that it was probably hindering his performance a little, so he's gone in for a routine posterior clearance and stabilisation of the lateral ligaments.

"It gives him a really, really good opportunity moving forward to have a solid pre-season, so we're actually quite excited about putting him in early."


Go Saints
 
Ruckman Billy Longer endured a frustrating season in red, white and black, as the ex-Lion managed just five senior games in 2018.

After a series of forced stints on the sidelines through injury, Longer underwent shoulder surgery late in the season.

But perhaps tellingly, he played in three out of the Saints’ four wins despite 2018’s interruptions, and Ruck Coach Adam Skrobalak said Longer added some much-needed grunt in the centre.

“His biggest strength is probably his aggression,” he said.

“He’s a big strong ruckman who’s really good in ruck contests and in tight, and we saw that when he was at his best in games this year.

“But Billy’s biggest focus for next year is just to cover more ground and work on his ability to get to more contests.”


Go Saints
 
ST KILDA has locked away its ruck department for 2019, signing up Billy Longer and Lewis Pierce on one-year deals.

Tom Hickey's trade to West Coast increased the need for the Saints to re-sign the duo, who had both been without a contract heading into next season.

REPLACING LYCETT Saint heads west to Eagles

Longer, 25, played five matches this year as he struggled coming off a limited pre-season.

After carrying a left ankle for some time, surgery in late July ended his 2018 prematurely.

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"I'm really looking forward to another year with the Saints," Longer said.

"It's already been a great off-season for me, as I've been able to address a few lingering injuries. Now I feel better than I have in a long time and I'm just excited to get on the track with the boys and get to work."


Go Saints
 
Round 2
Hamill says

Billy Longer
10 disposals, 39 hit-outs, three tackles
“I thought Billy competed strongly, finished with 39 hit-outs. Really he was double-teamed in there, [Marc] Pittonet is a good ruckman, but he performed well.
 
Billy Longer
39 hit-outs, 10 disposals, three marks, three tackles
“Solid against Nick Meese – it was his 150th so we knew he was going to come out swinging as he does. But from a hit-out point of view, I think we certainly held our own in there. We won the centre bounces and our hit-outs were strong, so that’s all we can ask of Billy. He keeps improving and I like how he’s marking it around the ground a bit more.”
 
Billy Longer
52 hit-outs, seven tackles, six disposals
“Billy was good for us, 52 hit-outs is pleasing, but of course it’s as you’d expect. He battled on well all day and represented us down the line strongly.”
 
Billy Longer
72 hit-outs, 18 disposals, four marks, five tackles

“I thought that was his best game, Billy. Competed strongly, was aggressive, won hit-outs, got down the line and represented well for us. He put his mids on his shoulders and carried them forward which was a really solid game for him. Billy set the scene in there, and I thought he had an outstanding individual game and worked super hard for us in tight. He was able to mark the footy for us and that grab at the end was just as important as a shot on goal.”
 
Billy Longer
12 disposals, four tackles, 57 hitouts

“Billy competed well against Zac Clarke. I thought some of his inside work was really good for us, he toiled away in there and gave our mids generally first use. We weren’t always able to maximise, but he gave them that opportunity and gave us some good representation down the line.”

Good to see Billy fighting to get his spot back .


Don’t Panic !!
 
Billy Longer
Six disposals, one tackle, 23 hitouts
“For Billy, we’ll wait and see how it unfolds during the week. We’ll let the symptoms settle down and he’ll have a SCAT test as per the usual concussion protocol. We weren’t able to utilise him in the second half and I guess having five hitouts to 34 in the second half wasn’t ideal, but we were able to maintain clearance and integrity around the stoppage and get some good use in there. We liked his first half though with his 23 hit outs and he gave our mids first use of it.”

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Delisted Billy Longer

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