Anyone still want Luke Ball?

[RalphiusMaximus 6,088]

I reckon Joel Mac will be a top pick up for us. He'll looked really, really good yesterday.

Vast improvement on last week. I hope he plays the rest of the season like he did yesterday.

[Harry Manback 2]

Collingwood got Ball for nothing in PSD. They got about that value yesterday. Ordinary

Pick 30, National Draft actually.

Nevertheless, agree with the sentiments.

[red and blue 0]

Haha i think i heard his name mentioned once. i was wondering whether he was actually playing. I reckon St Kilda got the better deal of that.

[red and blue 0]

Never really wanted him in the first place. His leadership would have been good, but I wouldn't have given up pick 34 if I had it my way.

Pleased he had a forgettable day, actually. Pies supporters are already turning on him and Jolly. Now if we can just get Jamar to do a job on Nicnat when we play the WET TOAST.

Haha he did that last year! dont you remember? he absolutely killed him after everyone was like: oh nic nat is soooo good i reckon he was the best pick up. that was really funny

[dee-luded 2,959]

well do they??

No. I didn't before. We've got McKenzie & Scully inside with Gysberts to come.

[Guest Rojik of the Arctic]

Wasn't he part of our team yesterday? I could have sworn he was cos he kept giving it to us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Better include him on the "outs" next week then coz he didn't get enough of it.

[Brayshaws' Helmet 143]

DIdn't want him before and still don't, but give the guy a chance, only played a couple of games in a new team, new environment. He played well in the GF last year, so... just wait before you start saying its the biggest blunder of all time.

Remember, he wasn't the only collingwood player playing flat yesterday

[Sir Why You Little 37,121]

i wouldn't right off Luke Ball's career just yet, he did play in a GF just over 6 months ago, but his kicking aint worth half a mill at the moment

and J Mac in the PSD well i am proud to eat humble pie on that one.

The Mark he took in front of the MCC Reserve in the last quarter was a Cracker.

Welcome Joel-Have a great career at the MFC. You looked at home out there yesterday.

[demonsflag555657 3]

I had to see the stats after the game just to see if he actually played because i didn't see him once.

Maybe it was because he didn't have his headband on like he normally does.

[Footynut 302]

I know its only 2 games in but gee makes me feel fantastic that we didnt waste a pick on him in the PSD.

I always suspected his groin problems had affected his depth of kicking and it looks like it may have...

[Juicebox 628]

I only ever wanted for his leadership experience/qualities. Somebody for the younger players to look up to and feed off.

Then remembered we've already got James McDonald.

Luke Ball yesterday really did look and play like the poor mans Junior.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Pick 30, National Draft actually.

Nevertheless, agree with the sentiments.

Oops. Thanks Harry.

They paid too much and serves them right.

[Salems Lot 2,633]

774 gave him a real bake about his lack of penetration with his kicking.

[Adzman 2,154]

Ball has certainly fallen from grace. I would have loved him at the right price, but I now wonder how much he has left in the tank.

Not as much as I first thought! Still a decent player, but damn his career is dimming faster than it should be.

[Felix 92]

Luke Ball must be thinking why he chose the pies over the Demons, obviously he should have sat with the club and seen what was on offer, the future of the MFC is looking good, not because of the pies game but because of the young kids.

Luke Ball, this is one of those "what if" thoughts... Your loss mate.

[e25 5]

I reckon Joel Mac will be a top pick up for us. He'll looked really, really good yesterday.

Being at the game, the way he cut off the collingwood attack a few times was impressive, but his disposal, kicking across goal when switching to a teammate, was deplorable at times.

To me, this justified Voss having delisted him.

I still don't think Joel will be on the list in 2 years' time.

[Spirit of the Demon 256]

Chris Connolly made it clear at the club function on the night of the national draft that we were never really interested in Luke Ball and all of the media talk simply served our PR purposes and got the club and the sponsors' logos up in front of the media. Why would we trade a slow moving Brock McLean for a slow moving Luke Ball whose kicking is worse than Brock's kicking?

Why would we want to pay $500k per annum for a bloke with no future at the club?

[grazman 7,451]

Chris Connolly made it clear at the club function on the night of the national draft that we were never really interested in Luke Ball and all of the media talk simply served our PR purposes and got the club and the sponsors' logos up in front of the media. Why would we trade a slow moving Brock McLean for a slow moving Luke Ball whose kicking is worse than Brock's kicking?

Why would we want to pay $500k per annum for a bloke with no future at the club?

Because you're only looking at one side of the equation.

We wouldn't have been trading Brock for Ball. If he'd nominated only for the PSD we would have taken him for his leadership qualities alone. We got a good deal for McLean, but this wasn't initiated by the club it was Brock's decision - we were never going to use pick 11 to take Ball. Having said all that Ball made it clear he didn't want to come to Melbourne and that was the start and finish of negotiations. I didn't see it, but there were reports that quite a few Melbourne players were giving it to him in spades which is a very good sign.

[Whispering_Jack 30,622]

Because you're only looking at one side of the equation.

We wouldn't have been trading Brock for Ball. If he'd nominated only for the PSD we would have taken him for his leadership qualities alone. We got a good deal for McLean, but this wasn't initiated by the club it was Brock's decision - we were never going to use pick 11 to take Ball. Having said all that Ball made it clear he didn't want to come to Melbourne and that was the start and finish of negotiations. I didn't see it, but there were reports that quite a few Melbourne players were giving it to him in spades which is a very good sign.

Personally, I wouldn't have taken Ball for half the $500k even through the PSD so the point's more or less moot.

On Brock, it's true he wanted out but Melbourne offered no resistance and had refused to increase his contract payments.

In the context of where the club is at, the decisions not to try to recruit Ball or to keep McLean were spot on.

[The Russian 0]

Chris Connolly made it clear at the club function on the night of the national draft that we were never really interested in Luke Ball and all of the media talk simply served our PR purposes and got the club and the sponsors' logos up in front of the media. Why would we trade a slow moving Brock McLean for a slow moving Luke Ball whose kicking is worse than Brock's kicking?

Why would we want to pay $500k per annum for a bloke with no future at the club?

Easy comment for CC to make after the draft. If Luke Ball was interested in coming to us he would have been wearing red and blue on the weekend. Yes the kids did the job (well almost) against Collingwood, but our pathetic performance the week earlier should not be far from our minds.

In CS's list analysis on Whiteboard Wednesday he mentioned our lack of experienced good/v.good players. During the trade/draft periods Luke Ball would have been considered by the club as fitting that criteria. In the end it came down to whether we got him at the expense of a kid (Tapscott).

[Whispering_Jack 30,622]

In the end it came down to whether we got him at the expense of a kid (Tapscott).

Excellent choice.

Yes, we could easily have avoided that pathetic effort against Hawthorn simply by drafting Ball, keeping McLean, Robbo (who kicked 7 up at Shepparton at the weekend), Wheels and Paul Wheatley (who recently kicked 7 in the NTFL) but it would have cost us dearly in the medium to long term. Such a move would have kept us from drafting young talent in the "last chance" draft, prevented us from front ending contracts of our younger players, placed us at greater risk from raids from the new clubs and, in any event, our list would have been so much weaker in 3 year's time.

Collingwood can have Ball.

[Tony Tea 2,809]

I can't believe people wanted us to pick him even after he said he didn't want to play for us. If he's going like that in a good team where he wants to be imagine what he would have been like with us?

I put my hand up. I said we should pick him. Unless he gets a lot better this year I'll be glad I was wrong.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Easy comment for CC to make after the draft. If Luke Ball was interested in coming to us he would have been wearing red and blue on the weekend. Yes the kids did the job (well almost) against Collingwood, but our pathetic performance the week earlier should not be far from our minds.

In CS's list analysis on Whiteboard Wednesday he mentioned our lack of experienced good/v.good players. During the trade/draft periods Luke Ball would have been considered by the club as fitting that criteria. In the end it came down to whether we got him at the expense of a kid (Tapscott).

You forget. Ball send he did not want to come to MFC. Also he had a high price on his head. Did you ever think CC might have been foxing up until to the draft selections...even just a little bit.

[dee-luded 2,959]

i wouldn't right off Luke Ball's career just yet, he did play in a GF just over 6 months ago, but his kicking aint worth half a mill at the moment

and J Mac in the PSD well i am proud to eat humble pie on that one.

The Mark he took in front of the MCC Reserve in the last quarter was a Cracker.

Welcome Joel-Have a great career at the MFC. You looked at home out there yesterday.

There's no doubting he's a good footballer, but we didn't need him & would have cost us a draft pick. Our inside mids will be more effective.

[dee-luded 2,959]

Excellent choice.

Yes, we could easily have avoided that pathetic effort against Hawthorn simply by drafting Ball, keeping McLean, Robbo (who kicked 7 up at Shepparton at the weekend), Wheels and Paul Wheatley (who recently kicked 7 in the NTFL) but it would have cost us dearly in the medium to long term. Such a move would have kept us from drafting young talent in the "last chance" draft, prevented us from front ending contracts of our younger players, placed us at greater risk from raids from the new clubs and, in any event, our list would have been so much weaker in 3 year's time.

Collingwood can have Ball.

Yes Jack.

Some forward thinking.