Luke Ball

[TheSaint]

'FORTIUS QUO FIDELIUS'

He isnt going anywhere.

[AnythingsPossibleSaints]

What do we do with Armitage then? The guy who we took with our top 10 pick in the "Super-draft" and who we've now invested 3 years in, who Ball is keeping out of the team? The bloke who, in one of his few games games this year, got 3 Brownlow medal votes, against the reigning premier?

[St Fidelius]

What do we do with Armitage then? The guy who we took with our top 10 pick in the "Super-draft" and who we've now invested 3 years in, who Ball is keeping out of the team.

If Ball is keeping Armitage out of the team, it must mean that Ball is playing better than him.

[AnythingsPossibleSaints]

Must it? So there couldn't be politics involved? They're also paying Bally about $400,000 more than Armo, so they probably want to get something for their money. Then they may have also been playing him so that there's more interest in him during trade week. There would have been a lot less if he'd finished the year up in the VFL.
He was also probably the better option this year, but Armo should be cherry ripe to make a big impact next year, so again I say, what do we do with him?

[saintsRrising]

Must it? So there couldn't be politics involved. They're also paying Bally about $400,000 more than Armo, so ?

I think Ball's contract expires this year...and so in 2010 he will be ona lot less $$

[TheSaint]

Agreed Armo probably deserves a spot. He had a great game against Hawthorn with the 3 brownlow votes. BUT this is also the game that Luke Ball got 1 brownlow vote for having 25 touches and 11 tackles???

Did you see him in tears after the GF? He bleeds red,white and black. We cannot trade away the heart of the club!!!

People with the character of Luke Ball do not grow on trees. I will be a very very pissed off member if he even comes close to being traded...

[The_Sainter]

For the sake of "Unity" I would keep Luke Ball. He is a required player and a player I deem to be in the Saints Core playing list.

If we are to go one step closer in obtaining the "Holy Grail" we need Luke Ball!

Think about it? Did Geelong offload a "core" player in the last 3 years! I don't think so! The majority of their success has been attributed to how united the players are.

[Wollongong_saint]

[quote="The_Sainter"]For the sake of "Unity" I would keep Luke Ball. He is a required player and a player I deem to be in the Saints Core playing list.
[quote]

I agree. Keeping Luke Ball is about a lot more than his skills on the field. As awesome a player as Armitage is shaping to be, I can't help but feel that we will inevitably lose him to the Gold Coast.....so I am not to worried if Bally keeps him out of our team next year.

[Longwayfromhome]

The Ball issue is very interesting.
The Grand Final was all about contested possession. Luke Ball thrives on this.
The Grand Final was played in wet conditions. Luke Ball's conditions of choice.
Why then did he only play half a game ? 46% of game time.
The coach obviously has concerns or issues.
Seems to me that Like Ball will be placed on the trade table come next week

[Moods]

Maybe if Armo learns to work harder in a game, he will get a game. Who cares what draft pick he was? If he's good enough he gets a game. He's been given ample opportunity - especially last year, to cement a spot and he hasn't been able to. Off loading a senior player just to give a young bloke more chances, especially when that senior player is only 25 yrs old, is ridiculous.

Ball missed plenty of games in the second half of the year this year. Armoo still wasn't selected when Ball was missing. To suggest that Ball is keeping Armo out of the team is incorrect as well, as proven by this.

[saint66au]

Must it? So there couldn't be politics involved? They're also paying Bally about $400,000 more than Armo, so they probably want to get something for their money. Then they may have also been playing him so that there's more interest in him during trade week.

Yep....clearly a criteria when selecting a GF side...the obvious reason why Armo was an emergency and Bally in the team

[ace]

The Ball issue is very interesting.
The Grand Final was all about contested possession. Luke Ball thrives on this.
The Grand Final was played in wet conditions. Luke Ball's conditions of choice.
Why then did he only play half a game ? 46% of game time.
The coach obviously has concerns or issues.
Seems to me that Like Ball will be placed on the trade table come next week

Rather simple actually.
If he signs the contract on his table, he is OFF the trade table.
If he does not sign the contract on his table, he is ON the trade table.

[Bernard Shakey]

What do we do with Armitage then? The guy who we took with our top 10 pick in the "Super-draft" and who we've now invested 3 years in, who Ball is keeping out of the team? The bloke who, in one of his few games games this year, got 3 Brownlow medal votes, against the reigning premier?

What are Brownlow votes?

The opinion of umpires, who we all agree don't have a clue.

Please leave Brownlow votes out of any discussion of the value of players.

[ace]

Before this season Brownlow votes
Ball 30 votes, + 2009 1 vote = 31 votes total
Lovett 8 votes, + 2009 5 votes = 13 votes total

[SainterK]

Don't want Luke to go anywhere, do I even have to give a reason?

[flyingwhale18]

hopefully reports come out tomorrow that 'Luke Ball has signed a new contract with St Kilda FC' this is what he said after the teams Best and Fairest night

"tonight was a great night, and seeing everyone together really made me relise i never want to play for another club, great group of blokes, we will go one better next year"

[St. Luke]

I'm glad Bally is sticking around! Rarely does an injury play havoc with him, he has brilliant ball attaining skills....just because he has an average season, and then rectifies it, is no reason to consider dropping or trading him! Lyon would fully understand his true worth and will get the best out of him!

[makemytime]

St Kilda is also reported to have entered the market for Port Adelaide midfielder Shaun Burgoyne.

The Herald Sun reports that the Saints are said to have offered pick 16 and midfielder Luke Ball for Burgoyne in a bid to trump Hawthorn, the Power player's preferred destination.



Sure Burgoyne might be a decent pick-up, but surely Ball wouldn't enter trade considerations, SURELY?
I'd prefer if we kept Ball, I don't mind trading away the number 16 pick but a player of Luke's ability, we need him far too much to chase a player coming off a terrible season

[AnythingsPossibleSaints]

Off loading a senior player just to give a young bloke more chances, especially when that senior player is only 25 yrs old, is ridiculous.

Not when the younger guy has shown he can have a similar impact than the one who's 25, (but whos body is probably more like that of someone who's 33). Bally was playing 50% of games this year and the game is getting quicker every year, which does not auger well for him. Unless things turn around drastically for him, it's hard to see him playing more than a couple more years of top-quality AFL, with his body in the sort of condition it is.
I'm not saying we should offload him, but still no-one has said what to do with Armo, if we don't. Does anyone see them both getting a game in the same team? (As long as Lenny is also in there) And if not, who goes, because leaving either of them playing in the two's is a "waste", when we could get something for one of them next week. Leave it one more year and we'd probably get next to nothing. (And the Gold Coast would almost certainly sign Armo up as an "uncontracted player", for which we'd get bugger-all in return.) St Kilda is also a business, does this sound like good business, or are we an amateur organisation, basing our decisions purely on emotion?
So do we keep the guy who may have 2 more years of good footy (played mostly when it's wet, which is rare), or the guy who may have 8-10?

[AnythingsPossibleSaints]

What are Brownlow votes?

The opinion of umpires, who we all agree don't have a clue.

Please leave Brownlow votes out of any discussion of the value of players.

I'll do what I want, but thanks.

So I take it you don't reckon Gary Ablett was worthy of his Brownlow win this year? Or that Armo wasn't BOG, or near enough in the game against Hawthorn? They may not be perfect, like all of us, but I think they "have a clue".

[bobmurray]

Ball is definitely tradeable,providing we get value in return,i just hope the potential suitor doesn't get the jam tins out and gives Ball a pre trade kicking drill.......

[Bernard Shakey]

What are Brownlow votes?

The opinion of umpires, who we all agree don't have a clue.

Please leave Brownlow votes out of any discussion of the value of players.

I'll do what I want, but thanks.

So I take it you don't reckon Gary Ablett was worthy of his Brownlow win this year? Or that Armo wasn't BOG, or near enough in the game against Hawthorn? They may not be perfect, like all of us, but I think they "have a clue".

Gary Ablett was worthy of the Brownlow. He is an excellent footballer.

Schneider was BOG in round 19 as most on this forum agreed.
Armo played a pretty good game, but did not touch the pill in the last quarter.

Umpires are there to adjudicate on the rules, not decide who the best players are. They wouldn't have a clue.

[Milton66]

St Kilda is also reported to have entered the market for Port Adelaide midfielder Shaun Burgoyne.

The Herald Sun reports that the Saints are said to have offered pick 16 and midfielder Luke Ball for Burgoyne in a bid to trump Hawthorn, the Power player's preferred destination.



Sure Burgoyne might be a decent pick-up, but surely Ball wouldn't enter trade considerations, SURELY?
I'd prefer if we kept Ball, I don't mind trading away the number 16 pick but a player of Luke's ability, we need him far too much to chase a player coming off a terrible season

That's an interesting twist, given Port's trdaing history. If the Hawks don't give them what they want, it wouldn't surprise me if they sent him to us... just to p1ss the Hawks off.

[saintspremiers]

Ball is definitely tradeable,providing we get value in return,i just hope the potential suitor doesn't get the jam tins out and gives Ball a pre trade kicking drill.......

Exactly.

EVERY player on EVERY list is tradeable.....at the right price!

Even Rooey is tradeable - but it would be at such a huge price it couldn't happen.

It's a bit like people saying they'd never, ever sell their house - except of course if they were offered 3 times it's market value...

[saintbrat]

but Ball is fiercely loyal to the Saints and may be difficult to budge.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/s ... 5782695035