What do you think people will say if

a/ we take him

b/ we dont take him

c/ he ends up at Essendon

d/ he ends up at Collingwwod

a) he'll help our midfield develop much quicker and we should start to see results much sooner

B) it's not big loss, our focus will remain on the kids and their development over the next 3-4 years.

c) same as b, though we mock them a little for losing Lovett and gaining Ball

d) same as b

Thank God its all over!

Thank God its all over!

... hang in there!!! Only 8-9 more hours to go.

What do you think people will say if

a/ we take him

b/ we dont take him

c/ he ends up at Essendon

d/ he ends up at Collingwwod

Ths is what Luke Ball would say

a/ I am going on an extended holiday. I will be gone for 2 years!

b/ Thank goodness!

c/ I will manage!

d/ I am the man!

Edited November 25, 200915 yr by Dee tention

a) he'll help our midfield develop much quicker and we should start to see results much sooner

B) it's not big loss, our focus will remain on the kids and their development over the next 3-4 years.

c) same as b, though we mock them a little for losing Lovett and gaining Ball

d) same as b

Not bad ... personally I've really enjoyed all the banter between the Melbourne, Collingwood & Essendon fans.

Then you have the general AFL public.

IMHO ... we have done well to sell the message to the Demons faith-full ... but I'm still not sure we have the done a good job selling it to the "general" AFL public.

RESPECT is something you earn on-field but the plans are laid down off-field. Perception at times can be stronger than reality.

Have a great draft day.

Not bad ... personally I've really enjoyed all the banter between the Melbourne, Collingwood & Essendon fans.

Then you have the general AFL public.

IMHO ... we have done well to sell the message to the Demons faith-full ... but I'm still not sure we have the done a good job selling it to the "general" AFL public.

RESPECT is something you earn on-field but the plans are laid down off-field. Perception at times can be stronger than reality.

Have a great draft day.

I suppose you are also sending a strong message if Ball is there at 18 and we pick someone else. What you are saying is we will pick the player that best suits our needs and that is not Ball.

a/ we take him................................ so be it.. get ya skates on laddy...

b/ we dont take him..........................obviously better options.... might be a message...might not be. Wont lose sleep

c/ he ends up at Essendon................ still my thinking.. a good and necessary fit for them

d/ he ends up at Collingwood............... cough..cough... ohhhh Mr Demetriou.... a closer look please. Still the Filth need a lot of help.. Hed go well with Jolly.... but theyd still 2 players shy of a real crack of a team

a) Melbourne wanted him and paid for him

B) Hopefully he ends up at Freo - enjoy Subi!

c) Good fit, probably a reasonable price

d) He got what he wanted, although it questions player power over the equity of the draft.

I suppose you are also sending a strong message if Ball is there at 18 and we pick someone else. What you are saying is we will pick the player that best suits our needs and that is not Ball.

I dont care what "message" we are selling at the end of all this ... I only care about my football club ... and hope what ever happens we stand together as one.

IMHO ... either way it goes we will get our "internal & external knockers" ... I hope we focus on the positives.

Edited November 26, 200915 yr by hangon007

Luke Ball will definitely be the talking point of the draft. Personally if we don't get him then I hope someone else apart from Collingwood get him. Id laugh if Brisbane took him. Voss wouldn't care that he didn't want to go to any other team. He would say that Luke was fair game and they need him. Or Id laugh if Port took him. Anyway everyone will be waiting with there breaths held when they get to our pick 18.

Personally if I was Luke I would have met with us and explained why he didn't want to come to our club. Then we would leave him alone. If we did get Luke then I wouldn't care. He can suffer for awhile like us supporters. Although we are on the way up. Can't wait until the draft. Im more excited about Scully and watching him play.

i can not wait till this bloody draft is over so we can get over the whole luke ball circus!!!

Although if we do pick him up id love to see him standing there having to wear a MFC polo with a tear in hes eye lol. it would be even funnier if he has to stand there in a port adelaide polo, if you thought he looked upset after the grand final imagine hes face when they say well sorry lukey boy you have to move to the city of churches

Anyway everyone will be waiting with there breaths held when they get to our pick 18.

If he is there ... I hope we ask for an extension of time ... one way or another.

All the boys stand up and start singing its a grand old flag .. CC would be in it for sure.

Then we tell the rest of the public "our decision" .. light entertainment.

Edited November 26, 200915 yr by hangon007

Couldn't care less what they say.

If we pick him up we will say 'he was the best option.'

If we don't pick him up we will say 'he wasn't the best option.'

If we dont take him the clubs response will be: We consider (the player we Draft) fitted what we needed going forward and although Luke would of added leadership to our club in the end of the day he didn't want to play for Melb.

If Ball gets to Collingwood the AFL statement: All this talk of free agency is not required as you can see by this example players get to the clubs they want to go to.

Couldn't care less what they say.

If we pick him up we will say 'he was the best option.'

If we don't pick him up we will say 'he wasn't the best option.'

Exactly why I think we have been good at selling the "message" to the Demons faith-full.

However, long-term preaching to the converted might give us here on Demonland a warm-fuzzy feeling.

However, converting the marginals gets our business to where it needs to go.

Edited November 26, 200915 yr by hangon007

1 Will add stability and experience to our midfield rotation and was best player available at that point.

2 We wont have any player that doesn't want to play for us and besides he is an expensive reject, is slow and can't kick.

3 We were happy for Essendon to pick an expensive, fringe, slow player that couldn't even outrun Watson.

4 Collingwood couldn't get a pick high enough to get a pacy type, so will make do with a slower "good average player".

All responses tongue in cheek, personally I don't really see his value as a 1/2 $Mill player.

Couldn't care less what they say.

If we pick him up we will say 'he was the best option.'

If we don't pick him up we will say 'he wasn't the best option.'

Right on the button.

Tho' a large part of me hopes he goes where he wants. Ball's dilemma is that he wants a top-four club, yet all the top 4 clubs have great midfields already, and with his weaknesses with pace & disposal, he may detract from any of the top-4 midfields. The further down the ladder a club is, the more he's likely to make a real contribution to the team - his main contribution to the Saints was when they were struggling.

However, converting the marginals gets our business to where it needs to go.

And 'the marginals' care about whether we recruit Luke Ball?

Or do 'the marginals' want to see the two, shiny new toys we get at 1 and 2?

And 'the marginals' needs to be explained for those a bit fuzzy on what the hell you are refering to.

I assumed 'fairweather supporters' but I can't be certain.

good thing there was no draft tampering by Luke Ball!!!!!

Always coming to Collingwood.

good thing there was no draft tampering by Luke Ball!!!!!

It's a good thing there was, because I would hate to have wasted a top 20 pick on someone who won't be at his best when we are.

Always coming to Collingwood.

who cares we got Tom and Jack.

Always coming to Collingwood.

You Didn't want him a Month a go Old x !!!

Pies! Get Buckley On the Ball.