No deal with Magpies over Ball, says Lyon

[35...LEGEND]

FAKIN TARKYN ??!?!??!?

To quote J McEnroe: YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

we are on the same page

Thank god for that...

ha ha ,can't stand the cheatin squib

Have a mate up here I watch footy with and if we are watching a Pies game for whatever reason the whole thing degenerates into a very funny (albeit very hostile) anti-Tarkyn rant... He gets blamed for everything...'My beer's empty!'... 'That bloody Tarkyn Lockyer....!!!' ...you get the picture...

Cheatin' squib alright. Infuriates me more than it should. Between him and Daisy Thomas...Aaaaarrghhhh!!!!!!!!

ha ha ,similar story here....the missus(pies ) hates when i watch the Pies with her......a lot of "look at him,look at him,he's running away from the action" or "where's Tark's love....oh there he is hangin back for a cheapy" .....I love it !!!!.............................she don't

[joffaboy]

Joffaboy wrote:
Hope not. Ball has burnt his bridges AFAIAC.

He wants to walk from the club and his mates and then gives ultimatums???

Well f^^k that. You will go where we say or Piss off to the PSD you low character sook.

Getting sick of Ball and his tantrums.

Well written Joffaboy, couldnt agree more.

Chomp Chomp...

Nothing like the taste of our own.

Just kidding.

Yeah Bridges burned as far as I am concerned too.

I am really surprised, but I thought Luke had a LOT more ticker than this.

We dont eat our own.

Luke Ball is not a Saint anymore AFAIAC.

[lenny81]

The facts are
Luke Ball is a traitor. Collingwood never trade for anyone good and as a result he will probably remain a saint. I am just dissapointed he hasn't chosen to stay. He has been offered more money by the saints than collngwood and a three year deal. Obviously he wants more game time but I always thought you earned that right?? Ball should watch more tapes of Lenny Hayes and when he can play as well as him he can have more game time. To me he is a big sook. Instead of jumping ship why not choose to prove yourself.

If he leaves he will go down as an all time one year wonder. Seriously and not to mention his mates?? I am sure the boys at the saints will be dirty on him. I don't know but it reaks of a week personality to me. My advice Luke, drink a big glass of concrete and toughen the F*%^$k up. Prove you are a star and big a big fish in a big pond as apposed to the alternate.

[ThePunter]

The facts are
Luke Ball is a traitor. Collingwood never trade for anyone good and as a result he will probably remain a saint. I am just dissapointed he hasn't chosen to stay. He has been offered more money by the saints than collngwood and a three year deal. Obviously he wants more game time but I always thought you earned that right?? Ball should watch more tapes of Lenny Hayes and when he can play as well as him he can have more game time. To me he is a big sook. Instead of jumping ship why not choose to prove yourself.

If he leaves he will go down as an all time one year wonder. Seriously and not to mention his mates?? I am sure the boys at the saints will be dirty on him. I don't know but it reaks of a week personality to me. My advice Luke, drink a big glass of concrete and toughen the F*%^$k up. Prove you are a star and big a big fish in a big pond as apposed to the alternate.

This

[S.A Saint]

The facts are
Luke Ball is a traitor. Collingwood never trade for anyone good and as a result he will probably remain a saint. I am just dissapointed he hasn't chosen to stay. He has been offered more money by the saints than collngwood and a three year deal. Obviously he wants more game time but I always thought you earned that right?? Ball should watch more tapes of Lenny Hayes and when he can play as well as him he can have more game time. To me he is a big sook. Instead of jumping ship why not choose to prove yourself.

If he leaves he will go down as an all time one year wonder. Seriously and not to mention his mates?? I am sure the boys at the saints will be dirty on him. I don't know but it reaks of a week personality to me. My advice Luke, drink a big glass of concrete and toughen the F*%^$k up. Prove you are a star and big a big fish in a big pond as apposed to the alternate.

100% agree with this....he should also have a talk to milne and dal after being dropped last season....since last years dropping of dal...he has become twice the player he was before being dropped....

[Armoooo]

If Ross told Luke that he has now fallen behind Geary, Steven and Armitage and the only chance he has of getting a game next year is if we have 3 midfielders out injured would you still feel this way?

I don't want to make any harsh judgements until we know more of the story...

[Sainterman]

The facts are
Luke Ball is a traitor. Collingwood never trade for anyone good and as a result he will probably remain a saint. I am just dissapointed he hasn't chosen to stay. He has been offered more money by the saints than collngwood and a three year deal. Obviously he wants more game time but I always thought you earned that right?? Ball should watch more tapes of Lenny Hayes and when he can play as well as him he can have more game time. To me he is a big sook. Instead of jumping ship why not choose to prove yourself.

If he leaves he will go down as an all time one year wonder. Seriously and not to mention his mates?? I am sure the boys at the saints will be dirty on him. I don't know but it reaks of a week personality to me. My advice Luke, drink a big glass of concrete and toughen the F*%^$k up. Prove you are a star and big a big fish in a big pond as apposed to the alternate.

Nice first up post there!

Also agree with this.

If he remains he will need a serious attitudinal readjustment....and some pretty frank conversations with the leaders in our side.

I think we are all disappointed, even more so that he has also specified only Collingwood as his preferred destination.

[SainterK]

If Ross told Luke that he has now fallen behind Geary, Steven and Armitage and the only chance he has of getting a game next year is if we have 3 midfielders out injured would you still feel this way?

I don't want to make any harsh judgements until we know more of the story...

Would be odd if he said you have fallen behind, but please hang around for 3 years...

[PJ]

Can't see him staying at the saints that would not make him or anybody else happy campers. Must go even if it's not to collingwouldn't. Perhaps Essendon are still interested - we could get back our pick 16

[Sainterman]

If Ross told Luke that he has now fallen behind Geary, Steven and Armitage and the only chance he has of getting a game next year is if we have 3 midfielders out injured would you still feel this way?

I don't want to make any harsh judgements until we know more of the story...

The guy started in at the centre bounce of a Grand Final. I think there would still have been opportunities.

This is about team and not individual. He needed/needs to work harder to get himself into a position where he just could not be left out. He doesn't seem to want to do things this way though.

[Milton66]

If Ross told Luke that he has now fallen behind Geary, Steven and Armitage and the only chance he has of getting a game next year is if we have 3 midfielders out injured would you still feel this way?

I don't want to make any harsh judgements until we know more of the story...

The guy started in at the centre bounce of a Grand Final. I think there would still have been opportunities.

This is about team and not individual. He needed/needs to work harder to get himself into a position where he just could not be left out. He doesn't seem to want to do things this way though.

harsh call, butif you are correct and he believe's he should be a walk up start, then he need's a reality check and needs to take a hard look at where he's getting his advice from.

As much as I have admired him, he needs to understand that his form has moved opposite to the team's form.

The team has collectively got better, but his form has stagnated if not gone backwards.

So if he wants guaranteed game time, being the type of player he is, then his only option will be to go to a weaker team or someone who needs his type.

[Mr Magic]

If Ross told Luke that he has now fallen behind Geary, Steven and Armitage and the only chance he has of getting a game next year is if we have 3 midfielders out injured would you still feel this way?

I don't want to make any harsh judgements until we know more of the story...

Armooo, I reckon this is all nonsense.
His manager has apparently been 'feeding' Greg Denham at the Australian all the info about this.
All Denham kept saying was that Collingwood had offered him 500k. Since the news about Ball wanting to go to Collingwood became public (by the Saints) all Denham has been saying is that
'Ball will receive less at Collingwood than what Saints have offered'.

I find that to be so unbelievable as to be laughable. He was reportedly on 600k as a result of a heavily-loaded back-ended deal after winning a B&F, captaining the Club and gaining AA selection.

Who does Denham think would believe that after his current season's form he would command a salary, in the first year, of 500k+ (more than he stated Collingwood offered)?

I believe that the truth is that Collingwood has offered him more than what we did in our contract offer and now Connors is trying to 'spin' this defection to avoid the image of Ball being a mercenary.

The game-time talk is, IMO, pure BS.
Ball apparently needs 2-3 days to recover from a game after playing only 50%. How is he magically going to be able to play much more because he's changed clubs?

[InkerSaint]

Can't see Ball sticking around either way. He'll end up in the draft if no deal is done.

Remember Lyon's post-GF speech? The Saints are on a mission. Luke Ball is no longer a part of that mission.

[Milton66]

And Collingwood can get stuffed BTW!

[vacuous space]

Even with Dawson what do we do when Blake retires? Sam Fisher is older than most people realise and most our tall defenders are better flankers than key position players... I wouldn't mind having Nathan Brown but I wouldn't be impressed if it was a straight swap.

I think our back-6 operates with only one tall defensive stopper. Having Max and Zac was less than ideal and it would be the same with Zac and NJB. Dempster is best suited to a defensive role (Chapman?) and Raph's best suited to rolling off. Lynch is capable of playing out of the backline and, at least for now, Matt Maguire still plays for us.

Fisher's 27 and Blake's 28. Neither one looks like they're on the verge of retirement. Anything can happen over the course of a season, but I don't think it would be ideal to get a guy like Brown or Reid. They're both old enough that they should be pushing for selection. It's hard to see them doing that here.

[bigred]

Traitor is kinda strong imo.

However...I am really disappointed with Bally over this.

I really see this decision as a slight on his character.

I cant help but think he is taking the easy option.

I dont think it is about the coin at all.

Opportunity elsewhere, kinda reeks of it being too hard to get a gig here.

This bloke should be an elite....but never will be.

[joffaboy]

Traitor is kinda strong imo.

However...I am really disappointed with Bally over this.

I really see this decision as a slight on his character.

I cant help but think he is taking the easy option.

I dont think it is about the coin at all.

Opportunity elsewhere, kinda reeks of it being too hard to get a gig here.

This bloke should be an elite....but never will be.

yeah have to agree - traitor is too strong.

However I think we have all been sold a pup with this "great character" persona of Luke Ball.

I think you are correct - all too hard - and shows character flaws

[Milton66]

Traitor is kinda strong imo.

However...I am really disappointed with Bally over this.

I really see this decision as a slight on his character.

I cant help but think he is taking the easy option.

I dont think it is about the coin at all.

Opportunity elsewhere, kinda reeks of it being too hard to get a gig here.

This bloke should be an elite....but never will be.

yeah have to agree - traitor is too strong.

However I think we have all been sold a pup with this "great character" persona of Luke Ball.

I think you are correct - all too hard - and shows character flaws

Great character according to whom? Former coach?

Maybe he's jealous that Ross would rather have Lenny as a son-in-law over Bally.

[St DAC]

Traitor my arse. He's a professional footballer, not an indentured slave.

No-one can have any complaints with the service Bally has given to us since being drafted; he's given heart, soul and body to our cause. But none of us know of the conversations between coach and player; it's quite possible he's been told him playing time will remain less than 50%, and that's not what he wants. In a highly regulated industry the options to change clubs are limited, so IMO he's taking what actions he can to further his own career, as he's perfectly entitled to do.

The good old days of playing for the jumper are over people; it's unreasonable to expect them to still be in vogue. Professional players are entitled to maximise their earning and playing potential, and that's what Bally is attempting to do.

Are we as hostile to being the recipient of a player wishing to change clubs with Lovett's recruitment? (And BTW I'm delighted with that trade). If not, then where is the difference?

[FullMonty]

Very harsh.
If Bally ends up staying people will be eating humble pie next year.

[saint75]

Very harsh.
If Bally ends up staying people will be eating humble pie next year.

Why? He has shown his true colours. He will be accepted if he stays no doubt, but he hasn't certainly tarnished his own character in the eyes of the supporters and most probably his fellow team mates. He will never be one of our 'favourite sons' again. All of it his own doing.

[bigred]

Very harsh.
If Bally ends up staying people will be eating humble pie next year.

I don't think so.

If he ends up staying, which may or may not happen, then he is so far under the pump he will be struggling for air.

If he stays, heck, if he is lucky to get another contract from us, then as far as I am concerned he is in for the hardest pre season, and Home and Away season he has ever had.

Funny thing footy clubs. You stay with us, and show the required effort and I will back you in as far as you can. But you fkn burn us, you are gone.

If he gets another chance, (which I doubt) then good luck to him. But sheesh he will be under the pump.

Seriously, asking to go for a chance at more game time....Your kidding right? Your in a GF team....earn some game time there. Going to a lesser club, and it WILL be a lesser club...is a cop out. Plain and simple.

[InkerSaint]

If Ball is fair dinkum about his reasons he will nominate for the draft.

At that stage he will no longer be on the Saints' player list, correct?

If he turned around and had a change of heart before it came to that you would have to wonder what kind of contract the Saints would offer him?

Who would be eating humble pie? Luke Ball. Plenty of it.

[joffaboy]

Very harsh.
If Bally ends up staying people will be eating humble pie next year.

I don't think so.

If he ends up staying, which may or may not happen, then he is so far under the pump he will be struggling for air.

If he stays, heck, if he is lucky to get another contract from us, then as far as I am concerned he is in for the hardest pre season, and Home and Away season he has ever had.

Funny thing footy clubs. You stay with us, and show the required effort and I will back you in as far as you can. But you fkn burn us, you are gone.

If he gets another chance, (which I doubt) then good luck to him. But sheesh he will be under the pump.

Seriously, asking to go for a chance at more game time....Your kidding right? Your in a GF team....earn some game time there. Going to a lesser club, and it WILL be a lesser club...is a cop out. Plain and simple.

this +1

[stinger]

i don't hold bally responsible for wanting out...he is a proud young man and is undervalued at st kilda...full stop......


the coach is on record as stating that ball should have been given another two bursts of 6 minutes in each of the third and fourth quarters ...and that it he wasn't in control of the slip up.....ffs......who was then.....we might have had a second cup in our cupboard if he had...then again we might not have.....but he did kick the ball that gardiner marked the last time these clubs were tied at the end of a game....


yeah...i'm pissed off....pissed off with trade week in general...and specifically because our two top ten picks in the super draft want out because the coach has little faith in playing them......