luke ball retiring

[saintbrat]

Back surgery required?
Or Bucks says no more

[saintly]

thought he was going for 1 more year?

[The Redeemer]

Have to say

Love him

[SaintWodonga]

Have sons Bally, they will only qualify for us... Up yours Collingwood!

[Devilhead]

A very real talent who was cruelly culled by injury and hence could never fulfill his true potential ....... at least for us anyway

[kosifantutti]

Back surgery required?
Or Bucks says no more

Any danger of writing understandable statements in your posts and your subject? I've got no idea if this is news or speculation.

[Bunk_Moreland]

Who cares? - opposition forum.

[saintbrat]

Back surgery required?
Or Bucks says no more

Any danger of writing understandable statements in your posts and your subject? I've got no idea if this is news or speculation.

http://saints.com.au/news/2014-08-28/luke-ball-retires
No danger I'm on the phone , figured someone would fill it in

Saints have acknowledged

[stinger]

Back surgery required?
Or Bucks says no more

Any danger of writing understandable statements in your posts and your subject? I've got no idea if this is news or speculation.

http://m.saints.com.au/news/2014-08-28/ ... ll-retires
No danger I'm on the phone , figured someone would fill it in

Saints have acknowledged

"Despite limited opportunities, the on-baller collected 22 disposals in the 2009 Grand Final loss to Geelong and laid seven tackles."


limited flowering opportunities........?????????????????????????....wtf.........who limited his opportunities.. ffs.......that waste of oxygen we had as our coach in those days, that's who.......said sorry...i meant to play him in the last quarter., that was the plan..but i forgot...... ...lyin cost us a premiership with that oversight and a very good player......who went on to deny us a second premiership the next year playing with the filth.........

[SainterK]

Similar to Lyon, had no issues with why he left, just not the how

[The Fireman]

I hated watching him play for the skunks. Great news

[8856brother]

We received jack when he left. That's all I think of when I think of Luke Ball. Who's fault that was I don't know and don't care. Fact is it hurt our club in more than one way. The whole episode was so disappointing.

Good luck Luke.

[saintbrat]

Officially it's because of back surgery and limited pre season http://m.afl.com.au/news/2014-08-28/mag ... -to-retire



Robbo says Bally may not have known that 24 hours ago

[stinger]

I hated watching him play for the skunks. Great news

+ a million...had the same feelings when ian stewart, stuart trott, carl ditterich, rod owen, plugger and boofhead all retired...hated seeing those guys in enemy colours...can't wait for bj and dal to retire.....don't have any feelings re big mac except to wish him well and hope to see him holding up the 2014 cup....

[Wayne42]

A Collingwood player retires... who cares

[Con Gorozidis]

.don't have any feelings re big mac except to wish him well and hope to see him holding up the 2014 cup....

VFL

[bergholt]

I hated watching him play for the skunks. Great news

+ a million...had the same feelings when ian stewart, stuart trott, carl ditterich, rod owen, plugger and boofhead all retired...hated seeing those guys in enemy colours...

Rod Owen only played 18 games after he left us, it couldn't have hurt that much!

[howlinwolf]

I was listening to Finey on the way home tonight and he summed up Luke Ball's time with us pretty much how I see it.
He said he thinks GT had a hand in his OP condition and to keep playing him really damaged what could have been. Then Lyon was left with a player that could not spread which was what he required of a player.
I could never question Luke's courage,commitment or professionalism to the game. Cam Mooney said he was the hardest midfielder he ever played against.

Some see him as a traitor for the way he left but looking at it from his perspective I can see how he felt hard done by. He gave his all, possibly not managed well by the club in the early days, then was not seen as required in the 09 GF through no fault of his own.
A welcoming hand offered him another chance I can see why he took it.
I remember him with pride of being a StKilda supporter.

[saintbrat]

http://www.3aw.com.au/blogs/3aw-sport-b ... 3eid6.html

[felix]

If he was a one team player he would be having a massive farewell at the saints . He sacrificed mate ship for glory , will go out with a whimper at the pies .

[perfectionist]

We received jack when he left...

Oh dear. If there was one decision that made all the difference to our fortunes it was taking Luke instead of Chris Judd in 2001. It probably cost us about 5 flags.

[saintbrat]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/m ... 7040580113

[dragit]

Broke my heart when he left to my most hated club & won a flag against us.

Still not over it to be honest.

[saintbrat]

If he was a one team player he would be having a massive farewell at the saints . He sacrificed mate ship for glory , will go out with a whimper at the pies .

and he knows it

He left for the Magpies at the end of ’09. It was messy. He put a price on his head to get there and it was leaked to the media. It was close to $500,000 for the first year and about $1 million over three. He was accused of being a mercenary and the Saints got nothing in return. His ex- teammates weren’t happy.

“If I had my time again I would’ve handled that with the players better,’’ he said. “But I don’t know if we won in 2009 if I still would’ve stayed. Probably not.’’

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/m ... 7040580113

If it ends, he says he’s a Collingwood player more than a St Kilda player. The premiership defines that. He recites a scenario Thomas told him a decade ago.

“Imagine,” Thomas said, “you’re walking down the street with your wife 20 years later. If a guy you played footy with was sitting outside a cafe across the street, you’d say to your wife, ‘See that bloke there, I played footy with him’. If you played in a premiership with him, Thomas said, you push your wife out the way and run across the street and hug him and go to the bar.’’

“That’s why I’m a Collingwood person. They are like my wife and the Saints are like a former girlfriend. But I want to stress I love my wife.”

They married eight months ago and are expecting a child in February. “That’s given me perspective. It’s funny, if it’s a young boy he’ll be wearing black, white and red if he’s good enough because I haven’t played 100 games for Collingwood

.”

[gringo]

If he was a one team player he would be having a massive farewell at the saints . He sacrificed mate ship for glory , will go out with a whimper at the pies .

and he knows it

He left for the Magpies at the end of ’09. It was messy. He put a price on his head to get there and it was leaked to the media. It was close to $500,000 for the first year and about $1 million over three. He was accused of being a mercenary and the Saints got nothing in return. His ex- teammates weren’t happy.

“If I had my time again I would’ve handled that with the players better,’’ he said. “But I don’t know if we won in 2009 if I still would’ve stayed. Probably not.’’

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/m ... 7040580113

If it ends, he says he’s a Collingwood player more than a St Kilda player. The premiership defines that. He recites a scenario Thomas told him a decade ago.

“Imagine,” Thomas said, “you’re walking down the street with your wife 20 years later. If a guy you played footy with was sitting outside a cafe across the street, you’d say to your wife, ‘See that bloke there, I played footy with him’. If you played in a premiership with him, Thomas said, you push your wife out the way and run across the street and hug him and go to the bar.’’

“That’s why I’m a Collingwood person. They are like my wife and the Saints are like a former girlfriend. But I want to stress I love my wife.”

They married eight months ago and are expecting a child in February. “That’s given me perspective. It’s funny, if it’s a young boy he’ll be wearing black, white and red if he’s good enough because I haven’t played 100 games for Collingwood

.”

I hope his mercenary kid is no good or doesn't disgrace our club. My kid wore his Saints jumper when he came to his junior footy club and he was sitting there while Ball bagged out the Saints crap facilities and described moving to Collingwood with glowing praise. Wanker.