Look. The odds are we would get 5 years of very good football from Luke. Maybe 1 or 2 less but just as likely 1 or 2 more. He is a quality player and person (apparantley). We know he is very professional and a perfect role model for a young emerging midfield. When Junior goes after next year, Ball (if picked) would be an entrenched Demon and a great mentor and all this bullsh*t will have been forgotten. There is too much emotion going on with this topic. Trust our club to get it right! My preference is take him at 18 but if not I'll back the club all the way.

I now have a thread on history of picks - you can decide if you would have rather those that were picked during the last ten years or take ball....

No, 45 is saying that people who know these prospects well should name 18 kids that would give more than Luke Ball and that would give them their answer of whether they want Ball.

Also, not a fan of that thread, or the whole 'history of this particular pick' thing.

Look. The odds are we would get 5 years of very good football from Luke. Maybe 1 or 2 less but just as likely 1 or 2 more. He is a quality player and person (apparantley). We know he is very professional and a perfect role model for a young emerging midfield. When Junior goes after next year, Ball (if picked) would be an entrenched Demon and a great mentor and all this bullsh*t will have been forgotten. There is too much emotion going on with this topic. Trust our club to get it right! My preference is take him at 18 but if not I'll back the club all the way.

Good post.

Wouldn't he (Ball) be the best spokesman the club could have in the next 3-5 years if some of our young guns start thinking about going to another club. Ball could get in their ear and say "stay here, you don't end up going where you want to go"!!!

Is it coincidence that Ball is asking $500k a year, and we're $500k short in our TPP? And in 3 years time, he will be paid $75k, when blokes like Grimes, Watts, Morton and Jurah can hopefully put their hand up for a payrise? Maybe the Club has spoken to him already, and are just using the media as a smokescreen. Perhaps we have told him to demand $500k a year, knowing too well that 95% of the Clubs can't fit him in their salary cap.

I like most thought that Ball by nominating for the National draft was basically saying he didn't want to play for Melbourne and we should walk away. After a week or so to think about this I'm all for us using pick 18 to get him. We need to improve and improve fast he will improve our list, he is a better player than what we would get for pick 18 over time I might be wrong but for the next 3-4 years he will be a better player.

You add him to our midfield group and we will have Jones, Morton, Ball, Scully, Grimes, Sylvia, Trengove, Green and I think Moloney that are all first round draft picks.

We will still get a tall with pick 11 and more than likely another tall and midsize player with our last two picks.

Getting Ball at 18 means we replace Mclean and improved our draft position by 7 spots 18 to 11. In trade week if the club had done that deal Mclean to Carlton for pick 11 and Ball to Melb for pick 18 to St Kilda we all would have been very happy. This is no different except St Kilda gets nothing.

Getting Ball at 18 means we replace Mclean and improved our draft position by 7 spots 18 to 11. In trade week if the club had done that deal Mclean to Carlton for pick 11 and Ball to Melb for pick 18 to St Kilda we all would have been very happy.

Very interesting scenario ... and I'm sure if you had suggested this 6 months ago you would have been wrongly accused by some of being a "Nostradamus or a fool".

Oh ... how time & information can change the picture.

Edited November 24, 200916 yr by hangon007

I like most thought that Ball by nominating for the National draft was basically saying he didn't want to play for Melbourne and we should walk away. After a week or so to think about this I'm all for us using pick 18 to get him. We need to improve and improve fast he will improve our list, he is a better player than what we would get for pick 18 over time I might be wrong but for the next 3-4 years he will be a better player.

You add him to our midfield group and we will have Jones, Morton, Ball, Scully, Grimes, Sylvia, Trengove, Green and I think Moloney that are all first round draft picks.

We will still get a tall with pick 11 and more than likely another tall and midsize player with our last two picks.

Getting Ball at 18 means we replace Mclean and improved our draft position by 7 spots 18 to 11. In trade week if the club had done that deal Mclean to Carlton for pick 11 and Ball to Melb for pick 18 to St Kilda we all would have been very happy. This is no different except St Kilda gets nothing.

Plus we get Joel McDonald for nothing. Many here don't realise that Joel is actually a very good player who will slot straight into our best 22. He was only delisted by Brisbane as he wanted out and no deal could be completed at trade week. Thanks Vossy!!

Edited November 24, 200916 yr by Grand New Flag

After he nominated for the ND and refused to speak to us i was of the opinion that we should forget about getting him, siting his lack of desire to come to us and disrespect at not even hearing us out. But now i'm glad to hear that the club is taking the fron that if he is the best available we should get him, and that is now my opinion.

Plus we get Joel McDonald for nothing. Many here don't realise that Joel is actually a very good player who will slot straight into our best 22. He was only delisted by Brisbane as he wanted out and no deal could be completed at trade week. Thanks Vossy!!

What a bonus !!! I'm with you all the way. Go Dees.

Plus if we dont get Ball we might force our opposition to pay the highest price possible. It just gets better and better.

Alternatively if we do get Ball appears "the majority" agree its going to be a fair and reasonable price ... all things considered for the picks we have.

Edited November 24, 200916 yr by hangon007

http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/rfnews/ne...8824670415.html

Bailey and Connolly try again to meet Ball.

It does not sound as if Ball has any chance of getting to Collingwood. Further it seems far from a guarentee that Melbourne will get him at 18 (though I feel this is probable if we want him).

Edited November 24, 200916 yr by Grand New Flag

Something must be going on.

Surely Ball either a) realises that he can't get to Collingwood and should consider talking to other clubs to at least determine some grounding for when he is drafted, B) has been told he will get to Collingwood, c) has worked out something with another club that we have not heard about or d) I have no idea (which encompasses a-c but is more explicit).