Ball no longer a Saint, confirmed.

[Dee tention 618]

Delete this thread!

The Demons will build there own premiership list. We dont need other outsiders from other clubs. PSD1 should be used on a kid who wants to pull on a red & blue jersey. Ball has had his chance! He would struggle to make our best 22 in the near future and would hinder the progress of our developing midfield. Ball can only play midfield. Thats about it! Back to the VFL Luke!

[titan_uranus 25,176]

I'm over Ball.

He doesn't want to play for us. Fine. Let's stop wasting our time and start analysing the rest. Get Smith and Thorp down to the club to train with us over the next 4 weeks, see if either of them are worth it.

[Jarka 767]

Melbourne should offer to take him for a one year contract and then agree to trade him to the pies for a 2nd rounder next year if he goes into the psd.

We get:

A good midfielder to provide support and leadership to our young midfield for a year

A chance to fill up our salary for one year

A bonus 2nd rounder next year

Ball gets:

His wish to end up at Collingwood

Collingwood gets:

Ball

Make the agrrement 'in principle', who knwos, he may end up liking it here

[Ron Burgundy 8,588]

Melbourne should offer to take him for a one year contract and then agree to trade him to the pies for a 2nd rounder next year if he goes into the psd.

We get:

A good midfielder to provide support and leadership to our young midfield for a year

A chance to fill up our salary for one year

A bonus 2nd rounder next year

Ball gets:

His wish to end up at Collingwood

Collingwood gets:

Ball

Make the agrrement 'in principle', who knwos, he may end up liking it here

Stuff that. I only want blokes who genuinely commit to this club - not one year passengers.

[Mister Ed 317]

I felt from the outset that St. Kilda was still a very real option for Ball. Melbourne was always the only other realistic option, and by the time we're beginning our triple hat-trick premiership blast from 2013-2017 he won't be good enough to make the side. I can see why beginning another rebuild and then not seeing the fruit of it doesn't appeal to him. Having said that, I can also see why Brent Moloney will likely rupture Ball's spleen in a crunching tackle next year.

That's preposterous!

You know full well that Beamer's never going to play for Casey so he won't have the opportunity to get near Luke Ball next year or any time soon!

[Jarka 767]

Stuff that. I only want blokes who genuinely commit to this club - not one year passengers.

This romantic idea that all players now bleed for the jumper is such an antiquated view. Football is now a business, most footballers these days are career players

[loges 6,767]

According to Stephen Reilly in today's Australian:

Not even the courtesy of a meeting and this from someone who was only good enough for the VFL when we last met St. Kilda in Round 22.

If this is true we should completely withdraw our interest, how disrespectful, we should turn our interest to others

[Jaded No More 68,975]

Meh.

It would be good to get him for free, but there's a reason why we wouldn't waste pick 18 on him. He is not worth it.

Good luck getting a game at St. Kilda. Nobody at Melbourne will be losing any sleep over you.

[Little Goffy 14,754]

The initial thrill has faded.

I like Luke Ball but don't think he's what we're after, and the apparent disinterest to date from him just seals that.

I wish him the best renewing his career with St Kilda.

[grazman 7,512]

The initial thrill has faded.

As BB King would say...

"The thrill is gone"

It's interesting to see that quite a few clubs have up to seven or eight live picks in the ND/PSD and quite a few rookie selections.... make hay while the sun shines I guess, but I see the storm clouds (GC&WS) gathering.

[Goodvibes 3,596]

I can't wait for this saga to turn full circle with Ball ending up at Melbourne. I'm enjoying the backflips on this thread. If Ball changes his mind I'll ready myself for the triple twists.

So many people are suggesting they're "over this". I hope the Melbourne Footy Dept don't give in as quickly as most posters here. Until Luke Ball is directly quoted, I'm not prepared to hang him. In fact even if he is quoted as saying he doesn't want to come to us, I'll completely understand. I have a fair amount of sympathy for the guy. I posted somewhere else that we might as well send out our forum footy team. At least we'll know they'll "bleed for the team". Luke Ball is a professional. If the cards fall our way, talks with St Kilda break down and he doesn't like his chances of getting to Collingwood and wants to stay in Victoria, he'll come to us. Admitedly that's looking quite unlikely at the minute. But if it did happen, I'm more than happy with the ability of Luke Ball to re-focus and commit to his new team. Who knows, in a couple of years, he may even "bleed for the jumper". "Bleed for the jumper" may well be the new "un-Australian". Blaaah

[beelzebub 23,390]

Draft shy Ball to stay a Saint

further in the article is this little tell-tale "This seems not to be the case, given the 25-year-old was able to meet with St Kilda coach Ross Lyon within 36 hours of touching down last week,....."

so it sems the mexican stand off is well over!!

Hope you enjoy footy as a spectator Luke

[beelzebub 23,390]

actions speak louder than words.... we hear ya loud and clear Luke.

[Keyser Söze 0]

I'd still like to get him, but I'm skeptical about what sort of on-field impact he could have personally - I'm sure he'd help the development of the kids though.

If we don't get him I won't be too concerned, but it makes me wonder who the hell else we will take..? Will we even bother to use the PSD pick?

Either way, I'm not about to lose all hope of getting Luke Ball based on an article in the Australian.

I'm surprised the author put his name to this one as opposed to 'staff writer'.

[Sir Why You Little 37,310]

I look forward to the Game against St'kilda in 2010. Luke Ball may well be sitting in the Grandstand regretting his opportunity.

If he does not want to even meet our club thats his problem. But that article is still journalistic speculation.

Let's wait to hear from the MFC & see what they have to say.

I would still hope that the "Big Jimma" could have a quiet word in luke's ear before draft day.

[beelzebub 23,390]

oesnt matter who writes what or for whom...if hes lobbed back in Oz ...doesnt speak to us and does to Lyon then he doesnt want anything to do with us..fine..such is life

[hoopla 418]

Draft shy Ball to stay a Saint

further in the article is this little tell-tale "This seems not to be the case, given the 25-year-old was able to meet with St Kilda coach Ross Lyon within 36 hours of touching down last week,....."

so it sems the mexican stand off is well over!!

Hope you enjoy footy as a spectator Luke

One thing is very clear - Luke is really struggling with the decision to leave St Kilda........... which is understandable .... it's been his life for 7 years. He can see himself making the move to another hungry Top 4 club ( Collingwood)..... but he's struggling with the career- changing move to a team that may not get there until he's over the hill ( and is dropped in round 18 yet again)

It's in his best interests to meet with Melbourne - even if only to confirm his concerns about us. You'd like to think that someone of his intelligence and maturity would want to ensure that he has to have all the information in front of him before he makes a decision.

Perhaps he's frightened that once he meets us - he won't be able to say 'no'.

[1858 285]

Draft shy Ball to stay a Saint

"Melbourne's earliest selections are expected to be invested in teenagers Tom Scully and Jackson Trengove"

They'll get his ****ing name right one day...

(at least it wasn't Trengrove I suppose)

[beelzebub 23,390]

The problem for many is they only see the Melbourne of the past and not the one that will hit the ground in 2010...more fool them

either Connors is a short sighted [censored] of the highest order of Luke has enorous tickets on his self.....or both !!!!!

Collingwood are no more a top 4 2010 team than we are..... You either look to the future and see it ..or you lock yourself into the past. Connors seems a very compromised individuual. Probably cant sleep straight in a bed me thinks

[... 11]

Barry has two words for Luke Ball...

The first starts with 'f'

The second starts with 'y'

Let's move on and rub it in his face when he retires without a premiership. Over him.

[Trisul 674]

Good post Goodvibes.

[beelzebub 23,390]

Vibes...et al... we all ( most likely ) woulod be happy to have Ball. He's good ...may be better then good..but not brilliant. He's not worthy of any pick in teh ND for various reasons He can come and play fo rus of he can....well he can....go elsewhere. Its not a matter of backflips per se just many of us are over the will he /wont he...and many of us just dont care any more.

A team is more than an individual and hes far from one to cause any to wonder about that.

[Sir Why You Little 37,310]

It will come down to what the aints offer him in 2010 & beyond. But i would be suprised if Ball does not at least speak to he MFC.

The Fact he spoke to Lyon last week & not us last week is understandable, as he is still an aints player-he has not been delisted as yet.

Lyon probably laid down his plans to him and said "That's it, now go away for a week & make up your mind".

The Fact the Demons have said nothing publicaly is fine by me. We don't need to right now.

If Luke is uneasy with what Lyon said to him, he will seek us out.

[Goodvibes 3,596]

Its not a matter of backflips per se just many of us are over the will he /wont he...and many of us just dont care any more.

I guess what frustrates me is that the "will he/won't he?" situation is not necessarily created by Luke Ball but instead by us. It's our impatience and our willingness to over-react to every little he said/she said piece of gossipy crap that is presented to us, either through a newspaper article without a direct quote or an internet rumour without a source.

The timeframe is pretty simple.

Luke Ball's name emerges as a possible big name that might slip through to the PSD.

Demon fans hope that this occurs.

Luke Ball fails to get to Collingwood and appears unlikely to re-sign with St Kilda.

Demon fans hope Melbourne make a play for him.

Within hours of draft Melbourne official make public their interest.

Luke Ball's manager makes it clear that Luke is going overseas and that Melbourne should be patient.

At this point 95% of posters are penciling in Luke Ball's name into their hypothetical "Best 22's of 2010".

Excitement grows over the next week in anticipation of Luke's return to Australia.

Upon Luke's return we here nothing official.

Still nothing official.

Still nothing official.

Still nothing official.

Demon fans grow impatient and feed off the scraps of internet gossip and innuendo.

Most Demon fans lose patience and start rationalizing that he won't be part of our premiership 22 anyway.

More emotional/irrational fans start slandering the guy because he hasn't declared his love for all things Melbourne within 72 hours of returning to the country.

'Australian' newspaper article (3/11) gives strongest indication yet that Ball isn't going to come to Melbourne.

Most Demon fans resort to abusing Luke Ball for his attitude towards the MFC. Did he ever give an indication he wanted to come to us? Did he ever shortlist us and heighten our expectations?

.000001 % of Demon fans who felt the capture of Luke Ball would be a positive improvement to the list (help groom younger mids, create positive public vibe about our direction and future, potentially add membership and sponsorship and get a few kicks in the centre square) are disappointed that it now looks unlikely that he won't be coming to the MFC but understanding of his predicament and equally excited about the young talent already on the MFC's books.

Did we learn nothing from the Judd fiasco?

[flog 20]

'Australian' newspaper article (3/11) gives strongest indication yet that Ball isn't going to come to Melbourne.

Most Demon fans resort to abusing Luke Ball for his attitude towards the MFC. Did he ever give an indication he wanted to come to us? Did he ever shortlist us and heighten our expectations?

Apparently his manager requested a meeting involving Ball, himself and melb footy department. If the article in the australian is correct and ball is heading off overseas without speaking to melbourne then I think supporters are entitled to be angry.

It is strange how quickly supporters have jumped off him but its was the same mid year when the question was asked if ball would be a good recruit, the answer was a unanimous no. Then that changed to a yes when it became possible we could get him in the draft.