Luke Ball

Solar · Post: # 546876Post **Solar** » Sat 12 Apr 2008 9:45pm

Needs to become the new scott west. Will never be able to kick more then 30 metres so the coaching staff need to base the midfield game plan around him and lenny getting the hard ball out to the running players.

It's sad but he is only ever going to be a restricted player from now on. We have to build around his battered body and use his hardness, tackling and handpasses to effect.

saintbrat · Post: # 546886Post **saintbrat** » Sat 12 Apr 2008 9:49pm

I thought he was continuning to improve with each game- ran all day and without restriction- even in the last 10 min he was still chasing hard.

he atleast had a go at the goals from just inside 50 - a couple of weeks ago he would ahve been detemined to palm off

given he had exactly the same surgery as Juddy- but a fortnight before his rehab has been better- Judd still looks restricted.

The_Dud · Post: # 546888Post **The_Dud** » Sat 12 Apr 2008 9:50pm

thought he had a very good game today, except when it came to kicking for goal, its almost embarrassing....

Solar · Post: # 546891Post **Solar** » Sat 12 Apr 2008 9:51pm

saintbrat wrote:I thought he was continuning to improve with each game- ran all day and without restriction- even in the last 10 min he was still chasing hard.

he atleast had a go at the goals from just inside 50 - a couple of weeks ago he would ahve been detemined to palm off

given he had exactly the same surgery as Juddy- but a fortnight before his rehab has been better- Judd still looks restricted.

had a shot from 30 metres early in the game and couldn't make the distance. Can run all day and do tons of grunt work, hell he was even sprinting today but his kicking is lacking depth and doesn't look like it will improve

big_mac_evoy5 · Sun 13 Apr 2008 3:05pm

hey i still think he can get his most of his speed and kicking back. my reasoning is that aker yes we all hate him had the same surgery end of 2006 last year he wasn't fast and wasn't kicking well this year he said i could have a better preration and he feels he has his speed back and kicking so i thing there is a glimmer of hope i am still going to wait until this time next year to have my final say because he is a class player they get more chances

suss · Post: # 547466Post **suss** » Sun 13 Apr 2008 3:18pm

It's a long, long way back from such a debilitating injury. I'm sure his kicking will improve and he'll get back to his very best. I'm just glad to have him on the paddcok and contributing to the game.

maverick · Post: # 547478Post **maverick** » Sun 13 Apr 2008 3:30pm

His in and under work is first class.
Clearance work is excellent.
Areobic tank good
Speed average.
Disposal by hand is OK.
Disposal by foot is terrible.

Overall he is a B+ footballer at his best.

Compare Hodge
In an under - excellent
Clearance work - very good
Areobic tank - very good
Speed - very good
Disposal by hand - excellent
Disposal by foot - first class

A grade footballer, moving to elite.

Ball is a long way behind, I compare him to Hodge because that's where he should be.

We now have Ball and Hayes doing grunt work with neither great disposers of the ball. Dal, Joey, Harvs, Fiora, X, Gram and BJ providing the midfield run. BJ is the only one of that lot who is a good mark for his size, so going forward is not really an option.

It has been said before but we have no smart footballers that can make something of nothing, we need a Didak, Thomas, Chapman, S Johnson type, we just can't draft them or coach them, not sure which one it is....

Zippy · Post: # 547540Post **Zippy** » Sun 13 Apr 2008 5:08pm

maverick wrote: Ball is a long way behind, I compare him to Hodge because that's where he should be.

Mind you, until his injury problems, he was a long way ahead of luke hodge.

If you compare an injured Chris Judd to a fully fit Hodge, Hodge wins there too.

Iceman234 · Post: # 547543Post **Iceman234** » Sun 13 Apr 2008 5:12pm

I suggested a while ago that Bally needs to be trained up as the next best 20-metre kick ala Harves.

That beautifully executed chip of Harves onto the chest of the leading forward is the one Bally now has to perfect, of course after he's done all the hard in and under, tackling etc.

It would bring a new dimension to his game and make him far more dangerous, rather than his current efforts at kicking.

suss · Post: # 547545Post **suss** » Sun 13 Apr 2008 5:15pm

His in and under work is first class.
Clearance work is excellent.
Areobic tank good
Speed average.
Disposal by hand is OK.
Disposal by foot is terrible.

Overall he is a B+ footballer at his best.

He was quicker than Judd at the draft camp if that's evidence of just how bad his op was/is.

It's a pity we aren't comparing the quality of their characters. I'd take Luke Ball ahead of Judd or Hodge 8 days a week.

vacuous space · Sun 13 Apr 2008 5:25pm

One thing I don't understand is why everyone's cutting Judd all this slack and Ball is getting none. Didn't they have the same procedure done? Judd's clearly lacking penetration in his kicks right now, but he himself says he should be back to his best some time around mid-year. Wouldn't it be reasonable to think that Bally might do the same?

Either way, he's moving much more freely this year than last. On a few occasions so far he's actually looked quick again to the point where every game you hear somebody in the crowd say 'was that Luke Ball?' I think he's been great so far and I expect him to improve as he gets healthier.

saintbrat · Post: # 547565Post **saintbrat** » Sun 13 Apr 2008 5:40pm

[quote="vacuous space"]One thing I don't understand is why everyone's cutting Judd all this slack and Ball is getting none. Didn't they have the same procedure done?
quote]

within 14 days- 2 weeks- difference is that judd came out and was 'reportedly' doing his quickest tan, track times-
whereas Luke never attempted that- just a gradual increase in workload etc.
Judd has since said he regrets having the surgery-
the next 6-12 months will be interesting

vacuous space · Sun 13 Apr 2008 5:57pm

saintbrat wrote: Judd has since said he regrets having the surgery-

Did he see Ball play last year? I would have thought that Ball's 07 would be enough to prevent anybody putting off that procedure ever again.

maverick · Post: # 547607Post **maverick** » Sun 13 Apr 2008 6:20pm

Funny how everyone sees things differently, i thought Ball was ordinary yesterday, but many people on here gave him votes.

For me, its about being able to dispose of the ball as well as get it, his linking up isn't positive enough, he is always looking off to the side and alomost always to do it by hand rather than foot.

I am yet to see him accelerate hard.

He is better than last year I agree with that.

sainters man · Sun 13 Apr 2008 6:49pm

i thought luke ball was very good yesterday, got a few clearances and becoming one of our best midfielders again.

I think he is quite quick, he was a 100m champion at school and he chases really well and i think we will see him keep improving

Eastern · Post: # 547626Post **Eastern** » Sun 13 Apr 2008 6:54pm

I'm expecting LB to show a lot more confidence in his body in the 2nd 1/2 of this year. Let's not forget that he has been almost crippled by OP/groin problems for 2 years !!

Hard at it · Post: # 547627Post **Hard at it** » Sun 13 Apr 2008 6:55pm

Funny how everyone sees things differently, i thought Ball was ordinary yesterday, but many people on here gave him votes

Wow

. Did you actually watch the game. The only flaw in Ball's game at the moment is his kicking penetration. Ball and Hayes are the 2 who every week are on the bottom of the pack feeding the pill out to the rest of our majority outside midfielders, take them 2 out and we will get absolutely smashed most weeks. Ball's hard in and under work obviously goes unnoticed by some

saintsRrising · Sun 13 Apr 2008 7:02pm

maverick wrote:Funny how everyone sees things differently, I thought Ball was ordinary yesterday, but many people on here gave him votes.

For me, its about being able to dispose of the ball as well as get it, his linking up isn't positive enough, he is always looking off to the side and alomost always to do it by hand rather than foot.

I am yet to see him accelerate hard.

He is better than last year I agree with that.

Ball was ordinary yesterday.....

He was in position where a true good player would have kicked 3 or 4 goals and he got nil...this is the reality of where the Saints are are...and why the Saints are way behind the Cats.

We have plenty of players who can get their hands on the pill...but very few that can use it well.

The Cats finish well....The saints do not..

That is why they area 40+ point better team here and now.

This is why we are struggling.

If it was only Ball you may be able to work around it....but it is not.

You can't hide two thirds of the team who have poor kicking skills.

Aalso note that I said that Ball was ordinary...not bad.

Lets hope that further recovery will allow him to regain distance and accuracy to his kicking so that he may once again becomea genuinely good player that hurts the opposition.