THE LAST DRAFT

[45HG 1,559]

How would people have felt about a straight swap Mclean for Ball?

[The Chazz 4,077]

How would people have felt about a straight swap Mclean for Ball?

Win for Melbourne. Ball is far more consistent.

[Deeman 1,532]

How would people have felt about a straight swap Mclean for Ball?

Frankly, it would be a waste of time from my POV.

McLean was let go for a reason and the same reason would apply if Ball was our player.

I want the club to continue its play for youth, especially with its four top 20 picks. Give me a youngster who we can develop and possibly get 200 games from than a bloke who could easily be a broken down hack in 12 months time and who might be bitter and twisted about not getting to Eddieland which is where he sees his future.

[Old Gregg 1]

Mclean wasn't let go....he left

[The Chazz 4,077]

Frankly, it would be a waste of time from my POV.

McLean was let go for a reason and the same reason would apply if Ball was our player.

I want the club to continue its play for youth, especially with its four top 20 picks. Give me a youngster who we can develop and possibly get 200 games from than a bloke who could easily be a broken down hack in 12 months time and who might be bitter and twisted about not getting to Eddieland which is where he sees his future.

Hey Deeman, why is there a possibility that the kids we pick at 11 and 18 playing 200 games, and Luke Ball breaking down in 12 months, but there is no possibility that Luke Ball could play 100+ games for us, help lead us to a serious finals attack, and the kid that we pick up at either 11 or 18 (whichever we don't use Ball on) breaks down in his first full preseason and barely gets 50 games for the club.

It's a pathetic argument this whole issue about Ball's body. How many of the kids in the draft, INCLUDING Tom Scully, have been reportedly suffering from reasonable types of injuries over the past 12-24 months? There is a lot of talk about some KPF's having a history of hamstring troubles, and even Scully with his knee problems toward the end of the season.

While it's great to be getting Tom and Jack this year, I'm sick of my team not winning games. Sacrificing 11 or 18 to get Ball will ensure we are a more competitive team in the immediate future, which will see us win more games in the next 1-3 years. By the 4th year, blokes like Grimes, Morton, Watts, Jurrah, Scully & Trengove will be topline players who will ensure greater success between the next 3-10 years. Winning games as of 2010 will increase memberships, give us more opportunity to attract better sponsors, and raise our poor crowd figures.

Am I the only one that thinks this way???

[Sydney Pennski 309]

Dear Luke,

On behalf of all at Melbourne I would like to offer thanks for your magnificent contribution to the club. Thanks to your decision to be so very precious and your determination to go to Collingwood and stuff the rest, the media has been having a field day speculating about when you'll be taken in the draft and who is going to take you.

The Demons have been the main beneficiaries in the Luke Ball circus as not a day has gone by without one Demon personality or another being interviewed in the media about whether we'll take you. We've had Dean Bailey, Barry Prendergast, Tim Harrington and a few of the players all called in to have their say.

When Gold Coast recruited Karmichael Hunt it was calculated that the result was about $7.5m worth of promotional publicity for GC17. This might not be in the same "ball" park but I would say conservatively that it's worth $1m (which is what you want to be paid over the next two seasons).

So thanks Lukie. It was nice to know you. Hope you enjoy it wherever you're picked.

Cheers,

Sydney

[Hulett Packard III 166]

Dear Luke,

On behalf of all at Melbourne I would like to offer thanks for your magnificent contribution to the club. Thanks to your decision to be so very precious and your determination to go to Collingwood and stuff the rest, the media has been having a field day speculating about when you'll be taken in the draft and who is going to take you.

The Demons have been the main beneficiaries in the Luke Ball circus as not a day has gone by without one Demon personality or another being interviewed in the media about whether we'll take you. We've had Dean Bailey, Barry Prendergast, Tim Harrington and a few of the players all called in to have their say.

When Gold Coast recruited Karmichael Hunt it was calculated that the result was about $7.5m worth of promotional publicity for GC17. This might not be in the same "ball" park but I would say conservatively that it's worth $1m (which is what you want to be paid over the next two seasons).

So thanks Lukie. It was nice to know you. Hope you enjoy it wherever you're picked.

Cheers

Sydney

Right on. He's served his purpose. Moving right along.

[deanox 10,045]

my late mail from yesterday:

DB wants to draft Ball. Tim Harrington doesn't. They were to discuss this yesterday to decide the strategy. No ideas of the outcome.

I am assuming that there is some level of, Bailey thinks we will start to see results faster, even next year, if we can add someone of Balls quality to our midfield, while Tim Harrington is keener to focus on the 3-5 year bracket, which is when we would start to see a kid play some good football.

My two cents worth, what they need to work out is:Is the long term potential of the untried player they are going to select outweigh the benefits of having someone of Balls experience and quality leading our young onball brigade for the next 3-5 years? Will Ball have a positive influence on the other members of our list? And then as well as that influence, does picking Ball make us more competitive in the next 3 years? 5 years? In 5 years he will only be 30, could he a leader in Melbournes next premiership in the twilight of his career?

This is something that is very hard for us to judge as we have no idea how much effect a senior player could have on the young players. We have no idea what the effects of having a lack of leadership around the club is doing to the development of the current players.

I trust the footy dept. to eventually make the right call. I just really hope it is for the right reasons, not just to get a few extra wins in the short term to give us a boost up the ladder.

[Wadda We Sing 10,685]

Dear Luke,

On behalf of all at Melbourne I would like to offer thanks for your magnificent contribution to the club. Thanks to your decision to be so very precious and your determination to go to Collingwood and stuff the rest, the media has been having a field day speculating about when you'll be taken in the draft and who is going to take you.

The Demons have been the main beneficiaries in the Luke Ball circus as not a day has gone by without one Demon personality or another being interviewed in the media about whether we'll take you. We've had Dean Bailey, Barry Prendergast, Tim Harrington and a few of the players all called in to have their say.

When Gold Coast recruited Karmichael Hunt it was calculated that the result was about $7.5m worth of promotional publicity for GC17. This might not be in the same "ball" park but I would say conservatively that it's worth $1m (which is what you want to be paid over the next two seasons).

So thanks Lukie. It was nice to know you. Hope you enjoy it wherever you're picked.

Cheers,

Sydney

Spot on........

[Little Goffy 14,750]

Just quoting myself from an earlier post; the "Ball-bashers" haven't ripped me a new one like I thought they would. Maybe it's because most are over the topic, or maybe it's because of the 2 rules I made about what not to include in their arguements. After those 2 rules, they've got nothing!

Oooh, blatant baiting!

Ok, I'll rise to it, though I'm not a 'ball-basher' except in your head

"1. The line on "he doesn't want to come to us". As I said, we will never know the full truth in regards to this."

Ok, a variation - he hasn't allowed us or any other club to conduct due diligence in assessing his medical situation, and has placed a frankly unreasonable price on his head for two years, with the implicit understanding that in a third year contract extension with Collingwood he would accept a minimal salary to bring the overall average rate down to reasonable levels. But this front loading is more like front F$^%^ for other clubs.

Given the long history of chronic injury problems which ahs limited his output considerably for a number of years, the unavailability of medical checks make sit, in my opinion, irresponsible to draft him 'blind'. Which is exactly what he's relying on clubs thinking in order to get to Collingwood, of course.

"2. The line about "his body wont last 3 years...blah, blah". Read the above link on Luke Molan, a former pick 9, INJURIES CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE!!!"

The thing is, he's not in the 'can happen to' boat, he's in the 'already has holes in him' boat. To the point where his output it limited, and his longevity at AFL level is questionable. And, as mentioned, he hasn't been open with his medical situation.

Finally, by the time the Demons are in premiership contention, he'll frankly be a minor cog. Lacks pace, lacks penetrating kicking, can't play high game time. All of which aren't going to improve as he ages.

His leadership is the main argument remaining for getting him - but I can't say I'm a fan of importing leaders from elsewhere, and I do now think that in the likes of Davey, Moloney, Rivers we have mature players able to offer leadership, and that we also now have an exceptional group of leaders at the youngest age range. The perceived vacuum isn't really there; at least not to the point of spending a million dollars over two years on a 'playing assistant coach'.

So my final words on Ball are - I simply don't see him as a part of the 'premiership journey'.

[Whispering_Jack 31,131]

Yesterday's draft selections represented a tremendous victory for common sense and consistency in recruiting strategy.

A better club is emerging and I'm expecting some rapid strides to be made in the next few years.

[Akum 2,660]

Yesterday's draft selections represented a tremendous victory for common sense and consistency in recruiting strategy.

A better club is emerging and I'm expecting some rapid strides to be made in the next few years.

Agree majorly.

[H_T 3,049]

Yesterday's draft selections represented a tremendous victory for common sense and consistency in recruiting strategy.

A better club is emerging and I'm expecting some rapid strides to be made in the next few years.

I concur WJ, on with the development !

[Demon16 69]

Yesterday's draft selections represented a tremendous victory for common sense and consistency in recruiting strategy.

A better club is emerging and I'm expecting some rapid strides to be made in the next few years.

i spoke to DB last night and he said aside from anything else he simply didn't think Ball was worth pick 18.............but he did say he would have done 34