Ball

[Gurgman]

This is not the saints disco of the 1980's where because someome was a good bloke he got a game , now were a serious club trying to win a flag ,
Think about it , if we win a flag will you cry if luke , max or goose is not in the team ? I bet you wont ,

[ChelseaGuy]

I reckon we should get Joel Selwood

[plugger66]

I reckon we should get Joel Selwood

Why dont we see if the Cats will take Bally and Goose for him.

[Moccha]

I reckon we should get Joel Selwood

Why dont we see if the Cats will take Bally and Goose for him.

Eddy for Selwood is a fair swap

[remboy]

I reckon we should get Joel Selwood

One minor problem - Geelong wouldn't let him go for anything less than a straight swap for Goddard.

[Wigsy]

IMO, Ball would still be a better bet in a permanent HF role. He may be a fair way from the top of his game, but I still think in the heat of a GF he would be a solid contributor. I have seriously watched him closely this year and he's simply not doing enough in the midfield, but I think his output is still good enough to warrant a spot in the 22. Footy knowledge and clean hands are still solid enough in my eyes.

[The OtherThommo]

The greatest shame going around. Went from a B & F 20 yo to a hack at 25. How did this happen? Oh, that's right, Grant thought he was wonderful, even if he couldn't walk to his locker.

Hit your tit again, Grant, it's so inspiring.

Pillock. Luke Ball is on your conscience, you mismanager of good people.

[bergholt]

I reckon we should get Joel Selwood

One minor problem - Geelong wouldn't let him go for anything less than a straight swap for Goddard.

man, tell me we wouldn't take that. i love bj, but selwood's younger and so has more upside. you could build a whole dynasty around that kid.

[WinnersOnly]

The greatest shame going around. Went from a B & F 20 yo to a hack at 25. How did this happen? Oh, that's right, Grant thought he was wonderful, even if he couldn't walk to his locker.

Hit your tit again, Grant, it's so inspiring.

Pillock. Luke Ball is on your conscience, you mismanager of good people.

I think THOMAS and his fitness cronies have a lot to answer for in their management of this kid. Having said that he is an intellignet independant thinker and perhaps he should take some responsibility for not looking out for his own long term interest sufficiently.

I would love to see him return to form and make a solid contribution in the finals, but the reality of this is very slim. I think he and the club have been avoiding the obvious for a considerable time that his body is shot.

If he doesn't return and make an impact through the finals he is definite in jepardy of being traded IMO, particularly at his previous asking price...

It has been quoted that BALL is on 600K a year! How SAINTS like that one of our highest paid players is now a 'crock' and his yearly salary is probably about the running costs of the whole team he will be playing for today! The exit of HAMILL and PENNY tell a similiar tales dont they. THOMAS's fitness/player management was deplorable over his reign.

[Batnoe]

The greatest shame going around. Went from a B & F 20 yo to a hack at 25. How did this happen? Oh, that's right, Grant thought he was wonderful, even if he couldn't walk to his locker.

Hit your tit again, Grant, it's so inspiring.

Pillock. Luke Ball is on your conscience, you mismanager of good people.

I think THOMAS and his fitness cronies have a lot to answer for in their management of this kid. Having said that he is an intellignet independant thinker and perhaps he should take some responsibility for not looking out for his own long term interest enough.

I would love to see him return to form and make a solid contribution in the finals, but the reality of this is very slim. I think he an dthe club having been avoiding the obvious for a considerable time that his body is shot.

If he doesn't return and make an impact through the finals he is definite in jepardy of being traded IMO, particularly at his previous asking price...

It has been quoted that BALL is on 600K a year! How SAINTS like that one of our highest paid players is now a 'crock' and his yearly salary is probably about the running costs of the whole team he will be playing for today! The exit of HAMILL and PENNY tell a similiar tales dont they. THOMAS's fitness/player management were deplorable over his reign.

Can we sue him back?

[saintsRrising]

Lets see...get a truckload of very low draft picks and play them till they are overloaded????

Remember that infamous game against the Cats when the young Kosi was played?

Kosi, X, Raph, Ball....

Now you can be unlucky with one....but why were all so injury prone?

[reincarnated]

I reckon we should get Joel Selwood

One minor problem - Geelong wouldn't let him go for anything less than a straight swap for Goddard.

man, tell me we wouldn't take that. i love bj, but selwood's younger and so has more upside. you could build a whole dynasty around that kid.

How could you build a dynasty around one midfielder?

More chance of a key forward however that is proving more difficult i.e. Carlton and Fevola.

[mbogo]

Well I hope all the doomsayers are wrong ....
Selwood? WTF? Is he available for the draft or something? I doubt it.
But would not swap BJ - no way.
I just do not get this trade talk 2 weeks from this finals series.

[OneEyedSainter77]

Lets see...get a truckload of very low draft picks and play them till they are overloaded????

Remember that infamous game against the Cats when the young Kosi was played?

Kosi, X, Raph, Ball....

Now you can be unlucky with one....but why were all so injury prone?

That was round 7, 2005 yeah? Amazing that it took FOUR injuries to key players for the cats to finally overrun us. I remember two games that year where we had something like four injuries in the last quarter and lost the game after being overrun. That one and the other was against Freo I think.

[Teflon]

Im watching Luke Hodge drill goals from 55, run through the guts and deliver with pin point precision ad tackle like a nut.....and then I think......how good would this St kilda side been had you also thrown a Hodge/Judd into it?

Luke Ball's toughness is long admired but I too fear he as flogged by the previous coach when clearly there were times he shouldnt have played - who remembers him getting off the ground like an 80 yr old after a game?
The damage was long done.

Such a shame we'll never get to see what couldve been on current form.

Still wont give up he can turn it around - Im hoping its just some huge mental block.....but geez...

[Milton66]

Mature, hard bodies will be vital come finals time. BAll's in and under ability like Lenny's cannot be questioned. But he cannot play like Lenny, so it will be interesting to see if his strengths outweigh his weaknesses sufficiently to win selection.

It's much the same reason why I think King will play ahead of Mac: Age and experience under pressure.

I agree that Armo or Geary or even Eddy will be felt wanting in the pressure cooker.

That said, I agree that he was mismanaged previously, as were a few other kids at the time.

[SainterK]

Sorry, but I am still trying to commute the above mentioned, did someone actually mention "hack" in the same sentence as Luke Ball?

[ausfatcat]

It has been quoted that BALL is on 600K a year!.

Where??

It has been quoted by (hutchy) that he could be offered UPTO 600g's a year with half being incentive based, but I have not seen or heard someone say 600g's a year now.

[plugger66]

It has been quoted that BALL is on 600K a year!.

Where??

It has been quoted by (hutchy) that he could be offered UPTO 600g's a year with half being incentive based, but I have not seen or heard someone say 600g's a year now.

I think you will find he is on very close to that money.

[Mr Magic]

It has been quoted that BALL is on 600K a year!.

Where??

It has been quoted by (hutchy) that he could be offered UPTO 600g's a year with half being incentive based, but I have not seen or heard someone say 600g's a year now.

There was an article in teh papers a few weeks ago that stated that Ball was amongst the 16 highest paid players, which means he is on around 600K.
This may well have something to do with a 'back-loaded' deal?

But what would you rate his current worth at?

[plugger66]

It has been quoted that BALL is on 600K a year!.

Where??

It has been quoted by (hutchy) that he could be offered UPTO 600g's a year with half being incentive based, but I have not seen or heard someone say 600g's a year now.

There was an article in teh papers a few weeks ago that stated that Ball was amongst the 16 highest paid players, which means he is on around 600K.
This may well have something to do with a 'back-loaded' deal?

But what would you rate his current worth at?

I know you arent asking me but that has never stopped me having an opinion before. I would think Bally's next contract may be performance based which is very unusual these days for star players but Bally aint a star anymore. I reckon he may have the chance to earn up to 350K and as little 200k depending on how he goes.

[Mr Magic]

It has been quoted that BALL is on 600K a year!.

Where??

It has been quoted by (hutchy) that he could be offered UPTO 600g's a year with half being incentive based, but I have not seen or heard someone say 600g's a year now.

There was an article in teh papers a few weeks ago that stated that Ball was amongst the 16 highest paid players, which means he is on around 600K.
This may well have something to do with a 'back-loaded' deal?

But what would you rate his current worth at?

I know you arent asking me but that has never stopped me having an opinion before. I would think Bally's next contract may be performance based which is very unusual these days for star players but Bally aint a star anymore. I reckon he may have the chance to earn up to 350K and as little 200k depending on how he goes.

No plugger, it was a general question.

I agree with your reading of his situation and think that he's probably worth 300-350K currently.

But that is the problem for us in trying to keep him.

If another Club is looking for a good in & under mid and has room in their salary cap (Sydney, Essendon) they may be prepared to offer him 450-500K.

We would be forced to pay 'well over the odds' for him to keep him.

[plugger66]

If it was 100K difference i dont think he would move to Sydney as the cost of living up there would take away the 50k after tax pretty quickly. I think he will stay if we want him and he wants to stay whatever he is offerred. Afterall most players are worth more at another club.