Why is the ND in 6 weeks time? We start training now and most other clubs will start soon and our new draftees have to wait 6 weeks before they even meet our playing group and pull on a footy boot and train with us,starting preseason behind the 8 ball,i'm sure Scully would like to start training with us now,i know they'll be training their own program but it's not the same.

Ball will be playing with us next year,he won't return to the Saints now,nor will he risk the ND and end up at Richmond or Freo.

The ND is now held after year 12 students are finished exams Im fairly sure.

My only concerns are his groins.Nethere the less if we grab him in the PSD were really not losing anything, plus we need to spend $500,000 on something.

He's a better player than McLean so essentially if we get him were just getting pick 11 for free.

... and give him the number 31!

I dont know if you are being serious ... I can only assume you are but I love the thought of Luke Ball wearing this jumper ... would do it proud.

Looks like we are all nearly in agreement ... first we get the Ball .... 's .... then we earn the respect.

IMHO you also cant under estimate the marketing ability of securing Luke Ball would bring to the club.

If it takes a 4 year deal, sorry to borrow a over used cliche ... I would do it in a heart beat.

If Luke wants to become a Demon he must do in in the PSD ensuring we maintain picks 1,2,11 & 18 in the ND

Its Time .... Go Dees!

PS ... I'm not getting my hopes up because I respect it Luke decision.

If Luke wants to become a Demon he must do in in the PSD ensuring we maintain picks 1,2,11 & 18 in the ND

I think that's a terrific point. I hadn't thought of that. Any other way and he is costing the club a pick - then he'd be as popular as a red-headed stepchild.

http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/rfnews/de...5019653288.html

dees will offer ball vice captaincy and then take over from junior in 2011 what do people think about this

I would be shattered if he was captian in 2011. Hes first intention was not to play for Melb. i think if he comes we are still his second option. After JMac finishes up i would love it to go to Jack Grimes as he was a Melb supporter when he was a kid and seems tro have leadership written all over him. Would bleed for the club.

Luke Ball needs to deserve his roll in the club cant and shouldnt just get handed to him

It does not say he will, it's "perhaps"

The more I think about it, the more I like it.

He trains hard, gets the ball, is a leader and will help the younger kids hugely to have a very highly rated player of the comp to match themselves up to.

And us landing Ball means that the year after some one else might be more inclinded to nominate us, I think him coming will do wonders for the clubs image as well as on field.

If we get him, I`d say he is a certainty to be our next Captain. Just like Judd did at Carlton. There are simply no better leaders at Melbourne than Luke Ball. The only other person being considered for Juniors successor within the next 12 months would be Flash, and he may well have been offered this role to lure him back to the club when he was one footstep from the door just 2 weeks ago.

Luke Ball is all class, my only concern is his body. Saying that, I think his injuries had come pretty good towards the end of the season, the problem was his relationship with Lyon and lack of game time. He did not seem to be too injured in the GF and he may well have a full pre season this yearwhich I don`t think he has had for years!

If we get him, I`d say he is a certainty to be our next Captain. Just like Judd did at Carlton. There are simply no better leaders at Melbourne than Luke Ball. The only other person being considered for Juniors successor within the next 12 months would be Flash, and he may well have been offered this role to lure him back to the club when he was one footstep from the door just 2 weeks ago.

Luke Ball is all class, my only concern is his body. Saying that, I think his injuries had come pretty good towards the end of the season, the problem was his relationship with Lyon and lack of game time. He did not seem to be too injured in the GF and he may well have a full pre season this yearwhich I don`t think he has had for years!

Hes just a glorified tagger now. Good at stoppages but has some flawes that he cant fix now. Dont get me wrong i would love him ONLY via the PSD because he will ADD great leadership but cmon... if you had played your whole career at the club and had been earmarked as a possible captain then someone who comes to the club as his second option gets the gig after only being there for one year.

Chris Judd by all reports isn't the greatest skipper going around (Brownlow night can only prove that claim). They only gave Judd the captaincy to him because they had no1 ready. I think we have 3-4 that could easily captain our club. Green, Davey, Moloney & Grimes

I can't believe we're talking about Luke Ball as a captain... He's not even at the club. Even if he was he hasn't even kicked a ball in anger.

People need to calm down. We're not as badly off as Carlton were, and Luke Ball is a long way from being Chris Judd.

If he comes in and stars for 2 season, maybe. And that's a BIG maybe.

At the end of the day Ball only averaged 19 touches a game last year. He needs to get his fitness up dramatically to warrant more game time. If he does get fit, then great. But Mclean was and still is the better player. Both have been injured the last 2 years though. Mclean is like Luke ball but with heaps better foot skills. Ultimately, I'd like to get Ball in the PSD.

hmmmm...wat to have for dinner....meat-'ball's for dinner?

What the faarrrkkk disco. Not quite sure you thought that through buddy! Anyway hope they were not to dry, plenty of sauce hey. You must of really had the dolmio grin going after those bad boys

At the end of the day Ball only averaged 19 touches a game last year. He needs to get his fitness up dramatically to warrant more game time. If he does get fit, then great. But Mclean was and still is the better player. Both have been injured the last 2 years though. Mclean is like Luke ball but with heaps better foot skills. Ultimately, I'd like to get Ball in the PSD.

I think a part of the reason ball doesnt want to be at st kilda is that he was used in a role that he wasnt comfortable with, so i think he will play a bigger and more comfortable role at the dees, so i wouldnt look to closely into his stats.

At the end of the day Ball only averaged 19 touches a game last year. He needs to get his fitness up dramatically to warrant more game time. If he does get fit, then great. But Mclean was and still is the better player. Both have been injured the last 2 years though. Mclean is like Luke ball but with heaps better foot skills. Ultimately, I'd like to get Ball in the PSD.

Luke ball was fit last season. He was reported to be flying during pre-season and was set for a big year. For what ever reason he didn't quite reach the standards expected of him. It had nothing to do with his fitness.

The more I think about it, the more I like it.

He trains hard, gets the ball, is a leader and will help the younger kids hugely to have a very highly rated player of the comp to match themselves up to.

And us landing Ball means that the year after some one else might be more inclinded to nominate us, I think him coming will do wonders for the clubs image as well as on field.

He might train hard and he might well be a natural leader. But I'm with Clanger King on this one:

I would be shattered if he was captian in 2011. Hes first intention was not to play for Melb. i think if he comes we are still his second option. After JMac finishes up i would love it to go to Jack Grimes as he was a Melb supporter when he was a kid and seems tro have leadership written all over him. Would bleed for the club.

Luke Ball needs to deserve his roll in the club cant and shouldnt just get handed to him

No way Ball should be given the captaincy. Give it to someone who's been at Melbourne their whole career, who has been through the tough times with us, who knows the players and the people at the club better than someone who would have been with us for 1 year.

If Ball demands the captaincy in order to come to Melbourne, we probably shouldn't bother.

Many posters here are getting way, way ahead of themselves here.

If Luke Ball nominates for the national draft .... He WILL be a Tiger for sure. They will make a commercial decision like last year and take him.

They will justify it by saying look at our mid-field ... Ball, Cousins, Cotchin, Foley etc

Last years commercial decision by the Tigers "allegedly" made them.

1/ 5000 new members at an average of $200.00 each = $1,000,000

2/ A family day where they had 25,000+ people crammed 10 deep to get his signature. = $200,000

3/ A blockbuster game against Carlton that they earned = $500,000

4/ A player that finished in their top 5 in B&F playing 15 games ... not a bad on-field return.

Not a bad return on a player they paid minimum payments.

Now I'm not saying they will make the same return this year ... but they will do it.

AFL football is a business ... sorry but thats the facts.

The ONLY way Melbourne can get Luke Ball next year is if he nominates for the PSD. We are a long way off that with plenty water to go under the bridge.

The Herald Sun's Mark Stevens once again proves he is a journalist first and a football "expert" second with his pearl-clutching over-dramatisation of what the Demons should do regarding Ball:

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/dees...f-1225785358214

Speaking of Ball and the captaincy: Schwabby on twitter.

We don't offer leadership positions to attract players. To assert this shows a lack of respect for the true nature of leadership.

I would be shattered if he was captian in 2011. Hes first intention was not to play for Melb. i think if he comes we are still his second option. After JMac finishes up i would love it to go to Jack Grimes as he was a Melb supporter when he was a kid and seems tro have leadership written all over him. Would bleed for the club.

Luke Ball needs to deserve his roll in the club cant and shouldnt just get handed to him

Exactly right, that would be a slap in the face to Davey, Moloney, Bruce and Green, would not go down well AT ALL with the playing group

The Herald Sun's Mark Stevens once again proves he is a journalist first and a football "expert" second with his pearl-clutching over-dramatisation of what the Demons should do regarding Ball:

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/dees...f-1225785358214

Speaking of Ball and the captaincy: Schwabby on twitter.

Very happy to hear that.

http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/rfnews/de...5019653288.html

dees will offer ball vice captaincy and then take over from junior in 2011 what do people think about this

I like Mark Stevens pplay on this as it will make The demons in the box seat to land him.

Tell Ball they love him and he will be a demon regardless which draft he goes to.

Tell him pick 18 will be used for him if he chooses ND. So in essence traded out Mclean for Ball plus jumped 7 spots up the draft.

Or You can go to PSD and we can pick up another kid at 18.

Whatever the case, We're committing to you and you will be a demon. Option 2 is the go but Luke, we are more then happy with option 1.

Edited October 11, 200915 yr by jacey

I like Mark Stevens pplay on this as it will make The demons in the box seat to land him.

Tell Ball they love him and he will be a demon regardless which draft he goes to.

Tell him pick 18 will be used for him if he chooses ND. So in essence traded out Mclean for Ball plus jumped 7 spots up the draft.

Or You can go to PSD and we can pick up another kid at 18.

Whatever the case, We're committing to you and you will be a demon. Option 2 is the go but Luke, we are more then happy with option 1.

I strongly disagree with you on this one Jacey. Luke Ball will be spoken to and offered terms before he needs to choose b/w the ND and the PSD. If he nominates the ND, he will directly cost us pick 18 (which I personally would not use for him). If, after speaking to our club, he nominates for the ND, he is stating quite simply that he does not want to be at Melbourne. If true, I don't want him at Melbourne.

Any player that demands Collingwood as their club of choice is 75% most likely to end up anywhere but.

Just ask Nick Stevens.

You have to make $500 K I believe.

Our highest paid player retired in 09 (he was on $450 K).

It also means we'll be able to utilize our veterans list with 2 spots.

We've got about $800 K free in the salary cap.

Did you take into account the addition of Jolly. he's not playing for peanuts you know.

Jolly playing for free is he ?

Beat me to it BB.

Ball is not brilliant..but he;s very good... He's consistent and stable..a good head.

Where's Barass ?? lol :D

Read today that he has been touring with the LA cops - "on the beat".

Many posters here are getting way, way ahead of themselves here.

If Luke Ball nominates for the national draft .... He WILL be a Tiger for sure. They will make a commercial decision like last year and take him.

Dare say going to the Tigers will ensure Ball not playing finals. At best........the finish will be, you guessed it....9th.

I strongly disagree with you on this one Jacey. Luke Ball will be spoken to and offered terms before he needs to choose b/w the ND and the PSD. If he nominates the ND, he will directly cost us pick 18 (which I personally would not use for him). If, after speaking to our club, he nominates for the ND, he is stating quite simply that he does not want to be at Melbourne. If true, I don't want him at Melbourne.

well said

But Mclean was and still is the better player. Both have been injured the last 2 years though. Mclean is like Luke ball but with heaps better foot skills.

That's absolute rubbish as usual. Ball has been a better footballer than McLean. At his best he was far harder, a better clearance player, and faster. We all know that injuries have cruelled him, but he was AA for a reason. McLean has never gone close to AA.

And getting back to hard/tough. McLean was never hard. I thought he would be, but who has ever seen McLean go for the footy in the kamikaze style of Luke Ball, Selwood, or Voss ? Ball used to get concussed every second week due to his kamikaze efforts.

That's absolute rubbish as usual. Ball has been a better footballer than McLean. At his best he was far harder, a better clearance player, and faster. We all know that injuries have cruelled him, but he was AA for a reason. McLean has never gone close to AA.

And getting back to hard/tough. McLean was never hard. I thought he would be, but who has ever seen McLean go for the footy in the kamikaze style of Luke Ball, Selwood, or Voss ? Ball used to get concussed every second week due to his kamikaze efforts.

Well said.

It would be great to see Ball in Red & Blue at the bottom of a few packs.

And a 'Leadership Position' is not a lure, it is an immediate burden that not many would want to see going to a new organisation.

He will be a leader, because he has been leading footy teams since he was 8, you don't need to tacitly say that we are relying on him for that leadership, and that we have no-one else, by giving him the VC.

The Herald Sun's Mark Stevens once again proves he is a journalist first and a football "expert" second with his pearl-clutching over-dramatisation of what the Demons should do regarding Ball:

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/dees...f-1225785358214

Speaking of Ball and the captaincy: Schwabby on twitter.

All this Talk of Making Luke Ball captain is pissing me off.

I am all for him being at the club, But he has to earn leadership, the 31 jumper & all the other carrots dangled.

A week ago he nominated the filth as his club of choice.

Earn your stripes luke if you make it here, & you will be rewarded.

Nothing attracts a player to a club like saying "Hey! We're bereft of leaders -- come here and have the Vice Captaincy! You don't even have to earn it!"

[/scathing sarcasm]

Some people's thinking is ridiculously out of touch with the realm of successful professional athletes.