I can't believe we are upset at Ball... who cares if he doesn't choose the MFC as his PREFERRED destination.....

He is a good footballer and mostly likely going to get another 100 games out of him which is more than we can say for pick 18.... I personnally thing the MFC should pick him up and say hey you selected the draft (he won't sit out a season and with his attitude will be a great additional to the football club).

Scully wouldn't want to come to the club neither would trengove but once their they wll be great and professional...

We are cutting off our noses to spite our faces if we don't select ball as he is better than any kid over pick 15

I mean when you're try to bluff, it's best not to show your hand, e.g. announce that your bluffing.

When did MFC announce they are bluffing?

Ball was better than both on GF day, if Lyon hadn't of played Ball in a limited role on GF, he would be a premiership coch.

You're a fool. Ball ceased to have an impact on the game because he was spent.

If that's the best you've got, then I'd just give up...

When did MFC announce they are bluffing?

The same time that they announced that they intend to select Butcher at pick 11

Too much emotive rubbish being posted in this thread IMO.

It is our way, Nasher.

It is our way, Nasher.

If Luke Ball ends up @ The MFC on November 26th then we will embrace him & hope it works out

If Not

He can simply F--- Off & finish his career where ever.

Personally of the limited amount of time I have even seen him play I simply dont think he is that good.

If The Aints could have that draft pick back they would have called C.Judd out @ No. 2

The attitude that Luke Ball and his management have shown has justified Ross Lyons decision, thats if the reports in the media are correct. However, Ball has no choice about where he ends up and at 27 he can not afford to have a year off football. He needs to pull his head and embrace whichever club picks him up, in my opinion he has alot to prove before he loses the respect of the football world and everything he has worked so hard for. The demons should not be bluffed by no one especially connors and if connors doesnt pull his head he find that clubs will stop dealing with him and the afl will step in.

Can anyone name one single reason why a player like Ball would want to come to MFC?

He's a professional footballer who has nominated for the National Draft which means that he has made a commitment to play for whichever AFL club selects him. If Melbourne selects him then he will honour that commitment or else relinquish the right to be a professional footballer in the AFL, a decision which would cost him a minimum of $1m.

How's that for one single reason?

Businesses don't use a mythical figure of 50 years when creating perceptions. Obviously Ball, an educated fellow, views us as a successful club. We win games, finals, make PF's, GF's & the like in a time of rebuilding.

Collingwood have been spectacularly successful in one area one that they would prefer they weren't, Failure.

They have failed so many time to win a flag when they should have, they have failed to capitalise on the best facilities, the easiest draw and the most money.

They have watched other sides with less money, less supporters and much harder draws win the flag or flags and all the time they look on as runner up or just not good enough, they have turned failure in to an art form.

there will be a lot of supporters with big expectations and even bigger chips on their shoulders if we use a pick on him now

He's a professional footballer who has nominated for the National Draft which means that he has made a commitment to play for whichever AFL club selects him. If Melbourne selects him then he will honour that commitment or else relinquish the right to be a professional footballer in the AFL, a decision which would cost him a minimum of $1m.

How's that for one single reason?

But you got to put your self in his position.

After just loosing in a grand final the last thing he want is to play for the two years strait spooners.

And if he gets his way by saying i want essendon or collingwood then he will be happy, Seeing how the afl is they wont act and ball in the end will get close to his ideal club.

What hate is seeing players rejecting offers to play for this great club cant wait till where tearing it up!

They have watched other sides with less money, less supporters

Money isn't really relevant in an AFL setting, it's only an excuse for clubs that have no money, given it's a socialist competition that handicaps those with the most money, i.e. Collingwood. The only times we've underachieved relative to talent distribution on GF day in the last 50 years was 1970' & 1977'.

Perhaps we better take a leaf out of Melbourne's last 2 Grand Final "results", a cumulative loss of over 150 points! If Collingwood represent failure, I'd hate to think of the adjective that best describes a 96 point loss on top of a 60 point drubbing.

Ball ceased to have an impact on the game because he was spent

You better tell that to Ross Lyon, who has admitted publically that he made a mistake not playing Ball more on GF day. Obviously he has a better idea of whether he was spent or not than you or me.

Nathan Buckley: "I want to leave Brisbane to play in premierships at Collingwood."

Nathan Buckley: "I want to leave Brisbane to play in premierships at Collingwood."

Yes, the greatest Decision Little Nathan ever made i reckon, at least he got the Norm on GF day in 2002, while Brisbane won the Grail...

Voss should have one the Norm that day anyway, his last 15 minutes were outstanding....

Money isn't really relevant in an AFL setting, it's only an excuse for clubs that have no money, given it's a socialist competition that handicaps those with the most money, i.e. Collingwood. The only times we've underachieved relative to talent distribution on GF day in the last 50 years was 1970' & 1977'.

Perhaps we better take a leaf out of Melbourne's last 2 Grand Final "results", a cumulative loss of over 150 points! If Collingwood represent failure, I'd hate to think of the adjective that best describes a 96 point loss on top of a 60 point drubbing.

You miss the point but that's not surprising. For a club like Melbourne to play in the finals is difficult, for us to play in a grand final it is extremely difficult, or at least it has been. We have poor facilities a variety of training venues that the spoilt brats at Collingwood wouldn't even bother to turn up at. As little as four or five years ago a poster offered up an old exercise bike and the club gladly accepted it. Collingwood would have a bike and a set of weights for each player on their list. Your players have outstanding training facilities better than any other club in Victoria and we have the worst with the players forced to train at School ovals and the Junction Oval with the playing area sometimes restricted by cricket pitches. If you can't see the difference then you are either completely stupid or just ignorant.

Despite all of this and your easy draw you have still failed to win more than one flag in 51 years, hell we have won 3 in the same period. How many times have you choked in Grand Finals, what more can the AFL do to hand you a flag, is traveling 4 times a year a bit too much for Mickey and the boys?

So as I said you have achieved the most spectacular failure rate ever seen in AFL history.

I don't understand why people are so upset about Ball. He had no intention of coming here, at any point. Would those who are calling Ball all these nasty names have preferred he 'listen' to us, make this public façade that he was "weighing up the options", then choose Collingwood anyway? That would be far, far more frustrating in my eyes. I personally appreciate him not wasting our time, or his own.

Can anyone name one single reason why a player like Ball would want to come to MFC? And it's not just MFC. I'd expect Richmond and Freo would have been similarly shunned had they been interested. He's after success, he does not want to have to start from scratch again. TOX's post on it being about tanking is, as per usual, complete bollocks.

Too much emotive rubbish being posted in this thread IMO.

AGREE! For goodness sakes he wants to be able to play (work) where ever he wants, so be it. He will hopefully be not vindicated in his descision if he gets to Pies or Dons.

BUT I do hope Port picks him up for a laugh.

He's a professional footballer who has nominated for the National Draft which means that he has made a commitment to play for whichever AFL club selects him. If Melbourne selects him then he will honour that commitment or else relinquish the right to be a professional footballer in the AFL, a decision which would cost him a minimum of $1m.

How's that for one single reason?

Not very good actually. I agree with everything you said, and I'm on yours and rpfc's "he'll play where he's damn well told" bandwagon.

But it doesn't answer the question I asked. Why would Luke Ball want to play for Melbourne [specifically]?

Here's an interesting quote from Princes Park Whistler on Talking Carlton:

"I can't see what the attraction of Essendon and Collingwood is for Ball. Melbourne`s list will be far stronger and will overtake them very soon.

"He would be on equivalent money and would more than likely be captain in 2 years."

See. They're an intelligent lot after all, these Carlton fans!

Not very good actually. I agree with everything you said, and I'm on yours and rpfc's "he'll play where he's damn well told" bandwagon.

But it doesn't answer the question I asked. Why would Luke Ball want to play for Melbourne [specifically]?

That is the thing a few cannot comprehend - we are the reigning back-to-back wooden spooners but, still, people are cursing established AFL pros for not wanting to come to the club.

It is not 'our lot in life,' it is not 'Bailey's negotiating skills,' it is not 'the fault of the Media ,' it is not 'their fault for not seeing our young talent,' etc...

It is the circumstance we find ourselves in at this particular juncture in our history. We are in the middle of a rebuild and it will take time. It is this 'time' that pushes established players away from us.

With that said, he's in the draft for anyone to take - the rules are the rules.

And they are made to be adhered to...

I will be interested to hear what the MFC says about this farce this week. By Going into the ND is Ball allowed to "intimidate" clubs into not picking him?? The AFL must come clean on this for a precedent into the future....

You miss the point but that's not surprising. For a club like Melbourne to play in the finals is difficult, for us to play in a grand final it is extremely difficult, or at least it has been. We have poor facilities a variety of training venues that the spoilt brats at Collingwood wouldn't even bother to turn up at. As little as four or five years ago a poster offered up an old exercise bike and the club gladly accepted it. Collingwood would have a bike and a set of weights for each player on their list. Your players have outstanding training facilities better than any other club in Victoria and we have the worst with the players forced to train at School ovals and the Junction Oval with the playing area sometimes restricted by cricket pitches. If you can't see the difference then you are either completely stupid or just ignorant.

Despite all of this and your easy draw you have still failed to win more than one flag in 51 years, hell we have won 3 in the same period. How many times have you choked in Grand Finals, what more can the AFL do to hand you a flag, is traveling 4 times a year a bit too much for Mickey and the boys?

So as I said you have achieved the most spectacular failure rate ever seen in AFL history.

Very well Said Robbie F. The filth are handed Red Carpet yearly but still manage to stumble.

Our Dynasty will Stand Tall

So as I said you have achieved the most spectacular failure rate ever seen in AFL history.

Not only that - but as so few of their supporters can read and write, their literate minority have to come to other club's sites to get a bit of intelligent debate!

Collingwood have been spectacularly successful in one area one that they would prefer they weren't, Failure.

They have failed so many time to win a flag when they should have, they have failed to capitalise on the best facilities, the easiest draw and the most money.

They have watched other sides with less money, less supporters and much harder draws win the flag or flags and all the time they look on as runner up or just not good enough, they have turned failure in to an art form.

Of course - it's so clear now! Ball, the masochist, loved the pain of losing the GF this year so much that he wants more. Who other than Collingwood can give him that guarantee?

Here's an interesting quote from Princes Park Whistler on Talking Carlton:

"I can't see what the attraction of Essendon and Collingwood is for Ball. Melbourne`s list will be far stronger and will overtake them very soon.

"He would be on equivalent money and would more than likely be captain in 2 years."

See. They're an intelligent lot after all, these Carlton fans!

and a lot brighter than many a Filth -follower

oh and on that matter to borrow from 45hg16

Grand Finals: Melbourne versus Collingwood 6-1

Melbourne Versus Collingwood in Finals 16-4, since 1937 14-1

cant wait for the next opportunity to wipe them there !!

Totally over this Ball thing..much of what OMRiv had to say...if he comes..so be it..welcome and get on with it otherwise...well..otherwise. I m with Red,, I think Essendon will grab him and they are welcome. About time they get a dud!! Im inclined to think theres a smidge of reality about Ball worrying he would be overshadowed in a year or so by much more talented but lesser paid players. Im also thinking that Melb switched from genuine interest to a bluffing game quite a while ago. Ball going eslewhere would work quite well for us.

I think Lyon ® has been totally on the Ball.. ... he knows far better than we.

For anyone familiar with Clarke and Dawe ( apologies to John..lol )

Connors ( Clarke )...so Luke... time for that chat of our..how have you been ?

Ball ( Dawe) Great paul , just great...looking to new challenges and a fresh start

C : new start Luke...whys that..aren't you a Saint ?

B: yes but Im not loved. Lyon thinks Im lazy

C: but you are Luke.. Lyon says so..is he wrong

B. No...but he didnt have to tell everyone

C. So fresh start.. Luke.. , new beginnings..where Luke ?

B : Melbourne Paul..the Demons. they're going places Paul and I want to be in on that.

C A sound choice Luke...but they can play you know

B I know

C ..and next year it will be different with them

B: Different...different how ?

C: Well as you know Luke I have a couple of my star players there and they tell me they are going to play hard..and all day..and to win !!

B: All day...play ...ALLL day !!

C: Yes

B: Oh !!

C; Is that a problem ?

B: Well..I cant play all day.

C: Well you better not go to Melbourne

B : But I want to. its all going to happen there with them. They will be in finals soon and I love finals.

C: But you cant play all day

B: Well maybe I could play most of it...that will do.. Im almost a Star you know

C: Theyre going to play hard...all day. Luke I cant let you go

B: Melbourne have said they want me

C: Melbourne dont know you . I know you..Ross knows you

B I want to go

C: It will be hard work, you will have to train harder and more intensely to break into that lineup

B: I want to go to Collingwood.

C. Yes, you dont want to go to Melbourne.. you will be a better fit at Collingwood

B: I dont want to go to Melbourne Paul !! OK

(just fixing typos...lol )