Club Statement- Luke B- :(- wants to go to pies

[Stjohn]

pulled his poster of the wall and tossed it in the bin...

[Ghost Like]

This makes more sense of Max's speech at the B&F, I thought his reference to how proud he was to be a one club player was quite pointed.

[SaintDebi]

I have my doubts that he would enter the pre-season draft if a deal can't be done - so hopefully a deal can't be done. I don't understand how he can want to leave and not stay and try and fix things next year. I hope he has stopped and thought about how he will feel next year if his friends play in a premiership and he doesn't.

I also think it is not good for the club to split up this group that has come through together.

Its a lose-lose situation now, Sainter. I'm really disappointed. Don't want him to go, and don't want him in other colours, but if he stayed now I'd never be able to see him the same way. Even if he wears our colours now, the dedication, the integrity, the loyalty is gone.

[saintbrat]

This makes more sense of Max's speech at the B&F, I thought his reference to how proud he was to be a one club player was quite pointed.

there were several pointed comments I noted at the time, there was one from Roo as well either Saturday or last Sunday

- and even more so now.. ) sad that the group is split in this way

[SuperSaint]

disappointed to hear this. he should have agreed to stay for less money,

if he was honest with himself he see that he is not worthy of being one of the top 20 paid players in the league (if that often quoted figure is correct) .

good player? yes. top 20? no.

collingwood is unlikely to offer us anything worthwhile player-wise, so i hope we play hard ball and have our best negotiators on the job to make sure we get something adequete in return.

Well said bigcarl. Make no mistake this is all about money/security for a footballer who has struggled since 2006 to reproduce his early career form. He is a quality person but the $$ offered to him were not to his liking, regardless of the 'reality check' that it was.

[Thompson4]

If you are no longer a Saint...you no longer count

Quote of the day!

Stuff him, I say. Mercenary with an overinflated sense of his worth.

Hamill? Fair call, but every club has the odd name who bucks this.

[ace]

There is no way Ego McGuire will give up a player of quality.
Collingwood are virtually committed to give up their pick 14 (only worth pick 21 in a full draft) to get Jolly, but Sydney want more.

Ball's management has clearly spoken to Collingwood previously and that is why Luke has not signed our contract.

BUT if there is one thing I think we can take for granted Luke Ball does not want to go into the pre-season draft - he can only nominate the salary Collingwood be willing to pay.
But if he does he almost certainly end up at one of Melbourne, Richmond, Fremantle or North Melbourne.
He would get the money from one of them, andplenty of game time but he would play out his career without glory or a premiership and he knows that.

St Kilda should be willing NOT to trade Ball unless a good deal for the club can be found.
Ball would rather stay on than risk the pre-season draft.

[Johnny Utah]

thinline wrote:
Stuff him, I say. Mercenary with an overinflated sense of his worth.

[ausfatcat]

Hamill came to the saints for money but left Carlton because of principal

[sax]

There is no way Ego McGuire will give up a player of quality.
Collingwood are virtually committed to give up there pick 9 (only worth pick 13 in a full draft) to get Jolly, but Sydney want more.

Ball's management has clearly spoken to Collingwood previously and that is why Luke has not signed our contract.

BUT if there is one thing I think we can take for granted Luke Ball does not want to go into the pre-season draft - he can only nominate the salary Collingwood be willing to pay.
But if he does he almost certainly end up at one of Melbourne, Richmond, Fremantle or North Melbourne.
He would get the money from one of them, andplenty of game time but he would play out his career without glory or a premiership and he knows that.

St Kilda should be willing NOT to trade Ball unless a good deal for the club can be found.
Ball would rather stay on than risk thepre-season draft.

Hawthorn have pick 9!!!!

[Stephen Theodore]

ace wrote:
St Kilda should be willing NOT to trade Ball unless a good deal for the club can be found.
Ball would rather stay on than risk thepre-season draft.

My thoughts exactly. Please dont give in to some half baked offer from the scum. Let him make the choice then, although it would be a bit uncomfortable staying on, a little like Fev may go through.

[bob__71]

Ball has been good for the saints. But the saints have also been good to him. I remember a certain young draft pick who was allowed his first year of concentrating on study instead of training and playing at the club.

Seeya

[Snakeman66]

Any trade would be subject to a satisfactory medical????

Didn't Ryan O"Keefe want a trade last year along similar lines? Where did he play this year?

Hardly a done deal.

[ThomasR]

Tough news to take right now but has been coming for a while. I would just like to thank Luke Ball for his years of service to the St Kilda Football Club playing through immense pain and continually selflessly putting his body on the line for the benefit of the team.

It is an unfortunate set of circumstances and you can bleat all you like about loyalty but footy is ultimately a business these days and players must keep one eye on later life. If you were offered twice the amount of money to do the same job (with perks in extra game time) only at a different place it is a hard offer to refuse. No doubt he has had discussions with Ross about where he stands for next season and with Armo, Steven etc pushing through this could well have impacted his decision.

I am sure this has been a very difficult decision for Luke and would like to wish him well in his future endeavours and hope that he gets his body right and becomes the player he once showed the potential to be (except when he plays us). His service to this club will not be forgotten.

[backit]

I have my doubts that he would enter the pre-season draft if a deal can't be done - so hopefully a deal can't be done. I don't understand how he can want to leave and not stay and try and fix things next year. I hope he has stopped and thought about how he will feel next year if his friends play in a premiership and he doesn't.

I also think it is not good for the club to split up this group that has come through together.

It is not the group that has been split up, it is one player who wants to leave for his own reasons, the club made him an offer he wants more. This time of the year is what is it is designed for to trade players, lose players, get better players, do deals don't do deals, reshape your list before the draft.

If he goes he goes, if he stays he will have to work a lot harder for less money and hope that the younger players coming through don't leave him behind.

[fingers]

This makes more sense of Max's speech at the B&F, I thought his reference to how proud he was to be a one club player was quite pointed.

Good point. Nice to meet you at the B&F

[Teflon]

Tough news to take right now but has been coming for a while. I would just like to thank Luke Ball for his years of service to the St Kilda Football Club playing through immense pain and continually selflessly putting his body on the line for the benefit of the team.

It is an unfortunate set of circumstances and you can bleat all you like about loyalty but footy is ultimately a business these days and players must keep one eye on later life. If you were offered twice the amount of money to do the same job (with perks in extra game time) only at a different place it is a hard offer to refuse. No doubt he has had discussions with Ross about where he stands for next season and with Armo, Steven etc pushing through this could well have impacted his decision.

I am sure this has been a very difficult decision for Luke and would like to wish him well in his future endeavours and hope that he gets his body right and becomes the player he once showed the potential to be (except when he plays us). His service to this club will not be forgotten.

well said Grant. Shame you flogged him with OP.

[StSteven]

Bit hard for RL to argue for a top deal when Pies will describe him as a VFL player for much of the year!

I fear no good will come from this.

[Shades]

Luke Ball is now filth

[degruch]

Hmmm...interesting one. Why would Ball nominate the Pies? Surely there's no way a deal could be done directly...a round 1 pick is not enough, a round 1 pick and a decent player (thinking Beams, Sidebottom, Dick, Anthony) too much. There must be a lot more to this, obviously the makings of this move stretch far back into the season.

In any case, I couldn't begrudge a player wanting to move of to what they consider greener pastures, the guy's had a bad run at the Saints an probably needs a fresh start. As pointed out by several posters, it also gives one of our young fellas (Armo, Steven, Geary come to mind) a chance to step up. Could be exiting for everyone, but I just can't see a deal being done in the trade period.

[The Fireman]

The Pies are vermin , the club and more so it's supporters...I really doubt Ball would want to go to that rotten mob

well said Johnny.

[Thinline]

thinline wrote:
Stuff him, I say. Mercenary with an overinflated sense of his worth.

Can someone show me how to post a picture of Nathan Buckley?

[chook23]

Any trade would be subject to a satisfactory medical????

Didn't Ryan O"Keefe want a trade last year along similar lines? Where did he play this year?

Hardly a done deal.

Campbell of Richmond some years ago.......................walked out .....
want to go elsewhere etc..........

stayed and won another B&F like O'Keefe

[Teflon]

Bit hard for RL to argue for a top deal when Pies will describe him as a VFL player for much of the year!

I fear no good will come from this.

Dal Santo playedVFL last year....took it as a learning thing and has come back a BETTER player. Luke Ball obviously failed to do that...either way I think it means squat when trading the players worth that both clubs know - 2 VFL games wont change that.

[Solar]

really disapointing

the club has done everything right by him and thus we should not take anything but a reasonable trade from collingwood. Otherwise let him walk in the draft IMO

shame because the guy was all class everytime I have met him and could miss out on something special