Ruthless determination and we dont take prisoners.

You had me at "Ruthless" ... can we get a few more around here to fight to the bitter end.

A story in The AGE today says Ball hasn't spoken to Ess or allowed himself to be medically assessed. What gives? One of his "preferred" destinations??

And Connolly said Ball's manager had requested a meeting yet apparently no meeting has taken place.

Ball at the very least should be investigated for draft tampering. If you nominate for the draft surely there must be some obligation on you to submit to medical tests etc. I smell Filth.

And if he decides to stand out of footy for a year as has been intimated through Hutchy's column then he should be banned for life.

oh yes & I nearly forgot ... stop "mucking" your cards out of turn ... common poker etiquette

'G O - S O M E W H E R E - E L S E. - Y O U - A R E - N O T - W E L C O M E - H E R E'

Correct. I'm just not sure whether the worst thing about this bloke is the fact that he barracks for Collingwood or the fact that he went to Xavier - and is proud of it !!

Hence the name of this Trading Board!! Ahh we shall toast him with beer in hand next week....

Next week ?.......more like for many years to come.

Ball wants to play on the MCG I believe.

Both for the softer surface and for the fact some games are wet(easy on his groin) and he will not be any slower in the mud.

I cant see him wanting to play at Docklands for Essendon.

He will end up too sore.

I reckon thats why he has avoided their Physical Examination, if as reported, he has.

He wants Collingwood as no one plays on the G more than them and he may have been promised to be rested one out of three games.(Im guessing).

His dismissal of playing with the Demons is puzzling to me, as we have nearly as many games both on the 'G and outside. Which I suppose exposes my theory...

He has made it fairly and abundantly clear he doesnt want to play for us.. he wont.

He may end up at another club.. but its highly doubtful it will be Melbourne....and in that he succeeds.

You conveniently ignore his journey so far.

Melbourne wont take him....Bails let that cat out of the bag...anything since is smoke and mirrors bluff and bravado designed to encourage others to forfeit an earlier pick than otherwise needed bettering our position. He will in all likely hood go to Nth, Essendon or the Lions

oh btw...its not I who's embellishing anything....just simply stating what has happened to date...hardly embellishing.. alas... you extoll his threats and such to further your supposed 'reasoning" . I left that out as its all but extraneous and irrelevent to the facts.

I didn't say you were embellishing, I was stating I was 'embellish(ing) to find the truth,' and by that I mean he has some control over his destiny (the embellishment was that I said he had none), but the rules set-up the way they are - we have more.

It would be disengenuous to say otherwise.

What Bailey alluded to on that SEN interview doesn't concern me. It wasn't an outright dismissal of the idea of recruitment of Ball and nor should there be.

We are a strong club, and we DO NOT TAKE RECRUITING CUES FROM LUKE BALL.

(Sorry for the yelling, but I am passionate, not on getting Luke Ball, but on not listening to Luke Ball. He is ours to take unless a better option comes along, and there may be a better option - if so, overlook Ball. Just don't take the weak route and dismiss the idea of recruiting Ball, before Nov 26 at about 7pm)

We are a strong club, and we DO NOT TAKE RECRUITING CUES FROM LUKE BALL.

we are almost in danger of nearing the same page... but not quite.

I dont dismiss that we couldnt if we wanted to take Ball at ..where ever.. Only lunacy would have us take him before 18 if that was indeed our want.

To be dictated to? Thats the alarm and annoyance to many. Do you touch the stove even though it eminates heat ..but you can ? Of course you could still touch it..again because you can...and be burnt none the less.

Yes we can still take Ball...but why would you...other than because you can . Does the arrogance of selection overcome the petulance of the chosen ? aka do two wrongs make a right ?

we are almost in danger of nearing the same page... but not quite.

I dont dismiss that we couldnt if we wanted to take Ball at ..where ever.. Only lunacy would have us take him before 18 if that was indeed our want.

To be dictated to? Thats the alarm and annoyance to many. Do you touch the stove even though it eminates heat ..but you can ? Of course you could still touch it..again because you can...and be burnt none the less.

Yes we can still take Ball...but why would you...other than because you can . Does the arrogance of selection overcome the petulance of the chosen ? aka do two wrongs make a right ?

Obviously, I reject that analogy.

I have said in the past that we should be wary of recruiting him. No question.

But nothing he has done, turns him into 'too hot a stove' so to speak.

He may not be the best option at 18, but if he is I don't care about 'the hurt feelings of the MFC.'

Correct. I'm just not sure whether the worst thing about this bloke is the fact that he barracks for Collingwood or the fact that he went to Xavier - and is proud of it !!

Carey's where it's at isn't it Hoopla!

Obviously, I reject that analogy.

I have said in the past that we should be wary of recruiting him. No question.

But nothing he has done, turns him into 'too hot a stove' so to speak.

He may not be the best option at 18, but if he is I don't care about 'the hurt feelings of the MFC.'

Im sure the club isnt 'hurt' as you have it... sceptical and unimpressed id suggest.

Possibly better he goes from one Lyon's den to another

umm..what exactly is soft about this club now ?? We expel players who cant be up front and pledge loyalty. We ...call it what you like.. Tanked..and defied the world to do anything.. We are Melbourne...we have a singular destination and we understand ( now ) what it takes to get there. .Ruthless determination and we dont take prisoners..

No club that has systematically tanked for years on end has won a flag. St. Kilda were the closest club to spending years on end in a bid to win a flag.

Either way, Russell Robertson was a champion of your club. He overcome a lot to arrive where he did. No club champion deserves to be treated the way he was by Bailey, high draft picks are useless if you don't try to develop a winning culture at every chance. Carlton are a great example of a club that tanked, had a poor culture & b/c of that poor culture, the highest they will go is around 7/8 even with their highend draft picks.

No club that has systematically tanked for years on end has won a flag. St. Kilda were the closest club to spending years on end in a bid to win a flag.

years on end... a little dramatic!! We were crap one year..and emulated the next. I would concede we tanked one year only. You imply cause and consequence.. where only coincidence exists. No man walked on the moon....until he did . Circumstances continue to evolve.. You can not apply a static argument in such things.

Either way, Russell Robertson was a champion of your club. He overcome a lot to arrive where he did. No club champion deserves to be treated the way he was by Bailey, high draft picks are useless if you don't try to develop a winning culture at every chance.

egads....how scandalously was he treated ...non ?? Exactly how ? He was called to task to show he could add/aid the club and he took exception to it not being about him?? I'll lose sleep over that Im sure.

You need the high draft picks before you can develop them !! Maelbourne is about Melbourne...not just one player here or there. Robertson has been a stalwart champion of the club...hes also been a lazy, self centred player at times too...quid pro quo !!

Bailey has actually gone about doing that...developing a winning culture.. Its not magically made over night. You need to instill into your team teh understanding of what it takes to get there. A little pain if you will.

Carlton are a great example of a club that tanked, had a poor culture & b/c of that poor culture, the highest they will go is around 7/8 even with their highend draft picks.

Dont ever use Carlton and Melbourne in the same sentence in he context of poor culture if you wish to be taken seriously here. They are reaping as they have sown. We observe a different horticultural standard/

No club that has systematically tanked for years on end has won a flag. St. Kilda were the closest club to spending years on end in a bid to win a flag.

Hawthorn bottomed out for a few years and won a flag last year.

Melbourne is on track. Collingwood is on it's way out.

Hawthorn bottomed out for a few years and won a flag last year.

Hawthorn only had 1 year where they received a priority pick.

This will be Melbourne's 3rd Priority Pick in a row, the same as St. Kilda in 00', 01' & 02', ditto for Carlton 05', 06' & 07'.

Hawthorn only had 1 year where they received a priority pick.

This will be Melbourne's 3rd Priority Pick in a row, the same as St. Kilda in 00', 01' & 02', ditto for Carlton 05', 06' & 07'.

Would you say we were 7 or 8 years away from a grand final then?! I'd be hoping for something earlier than that?!

Hawthorn only had 1 year where they received a priority pick.

This will be Melbourne's 3rd Priority Pick in a row, the same as St. Kilda in 00', 01' & 02', ditto for Carlton 05', 06' & 07'.

Steady son. 1st Priority Pick (before 1st round) in a row.

Last year was Sam Blease (pick 17 - priority - prior to 2nd round).

Year before we had Morton (pick 4) and Grimes (pick14) - from trade. No priority pick here.

This will be Melbourne's 3rd Priority Pick in a row, the same as St. Kilda in 00', 01' & 02', ditto for Carlton 05', 06' & 07'.

And Collingwood's 4th top 8 finish in a row for no flag.

You probably think you're getting closer.

Steady son. 1st Priority Pick (before 1st round) in a row.

Last year was Sam Blease (pick 17 - priority - prior to 2nd round).

Year before we had Morton (pick 4) and Grimes (pick14) - from trade. No priority pick here.

You'd think that when going on opposition forums that you would get your facts right if you were going to make assertions like OX is.

The only reason we should pass up on Luke Ball with pick 18 is if there are better options. That's it. It should have nothing to do with his threats and gestures.

Even Russell Robertson, one of Melbourne's greatest players of the last decade, questioned the culture to win at Melbourne publically. It's not surprising that prospective players don't want a bar of that culture when they hear club greats bagging their own club.

Aww check it out everyone, isn't he cute?! He actually, really thinks Melbourne supporters give a toss about what Russell Robertson thinks. You keep believing that, son.

Just wondering how Collingwood went from two losing grand finals in a row ('02, '03) to bottoming out for a first-round priority pick (Thomas) two years later?

Just wondering how Collingwood went from two losing grand finals in a row ('02, '03) to bottoming out for a first-round priority pick (Thomas) two years later?

I've often wondered that myself . They couldn't blame Woey, could they ?

I believe the official inquiry found no evidence of tanking, I'm not sure what TOX is on about.

Since 2000 the premiers have been:

Brisbane - salary cap concessions

Port Adelaide - start up concessions

Sydney - salary cap concessions

West Coast - priority pick Captain

Geelong - unprecedented father-son advantages

Hawthorn - priority pick

Wake up and smell the roses - St.Kilda, Carlton, Melbourne, Gold Coast and GWS are all closer to a flag than Collingwood.

......

Wake up and smell the roses - St.Kilda, Carlton, Melbourne, Gold Coast and GWS are all closer to a flag than Collingwood.

See TOX, you've heard it here again.

You guys at the filth need Buckley in there coaching now. Mick hasn't won one since '94.

Just ignore him please. Show a bit of restraint.