Jack Billings, popular member of the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL) He isn’t necessarily tied to playing with either club and is now open to the possibility of joining a third club. He began his career at St Kilda after being drafted with the No. 3 pick in the 2013 draft. Over that period, he appeared in 155 games. His odyssey from there has landed him in Melbourne, but lack of opportunity and playing time has raised questions about his future.
In 2023, Billings took the thrilling leap to Melbourne. Unfortunately, injuries twisted his time with the club, restricting his match availability. He did rupture his Achilles’ in 2024 which limited him to only one game all season long. In the three seasons of 2023, 2024, and 2025, his average games played was only 25 games. During the entirety of the 2025 season, he couldn’t break through for more than ten appearances. MELBOURNE / VFL Despite these setbacks, Billings showed the stuff he was made of with Melbourne’s VFL side, where he found his groove.
Alan Richardson, who coached Billings at St Kilda between 2014 and 2019, recently made waves at Melbourne’s Best and Fairest function. Yet a month later, on October 8, 2022, he announced that Billings would not have a contract to return for the 2023 season. This announcement was met with confusion and disappointment from fans, especially since Billings was not included in the initial delisting media release, which listed five players: Tom Fullarton, Marty Hore, Kynan Brown, Oliver Sestan, and Will Verrall.
Fans were upset with how Billings left the club. Comments on social media showed a palpable disappointment and anger. One supporter stated, “I don’t get why Dees did this. Feels a bit rude tbh.” Another added, “That is wild and sums up how far we still have to go.”
Perhaps surprisingly to the league, many fans were upset at the way the announcement was made. One remarked, “That’s just a very strange way to do it. Can’t understand why they’d run with that.” Another echoed similar sentiments, saying, “Jack Billings announced at the BnF that he’s not getting a contract but not announced by the club is a strange one.”
With all these changes unfolding, Jack Billings is indeed at a turning point in his career. He was adamant that he’s interested to find opportunities with a different team. We all here at TWIH wish him the best on his football odyssey!
“MFC?? Not sure what or how that happened … but good luck to Jack … Will be a wonderful player and clubman wherever he goes.” – Anonymous fan
