Armo v Ball

battye · Post: # 884045Post **battye** » Sat 20 Feb 2010 2:51am

Ball had a good game, there is no point denying it?

saintsRrising · Sat 20 Feb 2010 2:55am

battye wrote:Ball had a good game, there is no point denying it?

Though it will be interesting to see how he goes against our A grade-midfielders rather than our B-team.

Bally still could not kick that winning goal from 30m out late in the game...and he almost missed that easy set shot from not far our and dead in front.

If armo can with experience use the balla touch better we will have improved. as it was his efficiency wasa fair bit better than Ball 58% vs 45.
Armo still has a lot of upside.

PJ · Post: # 884183Post PJ » Sat 20 Feb 2010 11:30am

Also, Armo clearances 6, Ball 3.

I think Armo had around 9 clearances actually but Luke did what Luke does, there were no surprises. Armo can improve and I think that's the point, Luke ain't gonna get much better.

barks4eva · Post: # 884186Post **barks4eva** » Sat 20 Feb 2010 11:35am

Ball did what he normally does, hard in and under,

AND

turned over the ball with a skill error, gifting the opposition a goal, which this time happened to be us,

and missed so many targets, I thought for a moment he was still playing for St kilda!

samoht · Post: # 884222Post **samoht** » Sat 20 Feb 2010 12:19pm

Armo's disguised low pass to Schneider highlighted the difference between the two.

Luke Ball would have chipped the same kick - given it more air time and it would have been spoilt.

Armo is a better kicking version of Luke Ball - full stop end of story.

saintsRrising · Sat 20 Feb 2010 12:27pm

Give Armo the season and watch him improve...

Ball is what he is and is not going get any better.

By seasons end Armo will be a much better player than Ball is (though admitedly probably not as good as Ball once was).

AnythingsPossibleSaints · Sat 20 Feb 2010 12:46pm

Agree, although I reckon Ball is in for a good year, so I strongly doubt Armo will be "much better" by the end of the year. But the thing is that Armo's "graph" is on the way up, Ball's is on the way down.
Unless something goes awry with Armo, I expect he'll be a lot more productive for us this year, than Ball was for us last year. I expect he'll get more game time, more tackles, more possies and kick it longer.
I just hope we don't get a great year from Armo, only to have the Gold Coast offer him double what we do, when his contract expires and go up there. That would suck balls.

Mr Magic · Post: # 884239Post **Mr Magic** » Sat 20 Feb 2010 12:50pm

AnythingsPossibleSaints wrote:Agree, although I reckon Ball is in for a good year, so I strongly doubt Armo will be "much better" by the end of the year. But the thing is that Armo's "graph" is on the way up, Ball's is on the way down.
Unless something goes awry with Armo, I expect he'll be a lot more productive for us this year, than Ball was for us last year. I expect he'll get more game time, more tackles, more possies and kick it longer.
I just hope we don't get a great year from Armo, only to have the Gold Coast offer him double what we do, when his contract expires and go up there. That would suck balls.

With Lovett now gone, we have additional room in our Salary Cap from next season on (I'm sure the AFL will look at the situation favourably vis-a-vis that issue), so I don't think we'll be unable to keep him because of money.

DWOODROW · Post: # 884846Post **DWOODROW** » Mon 22 Feb 2010 9:04am

Dave was OK. His disposal was ordinary but the thing to remember is it was the first game for the season. If he hadn't made so many mistakes he would have been talked about alot. Hi has room for improvement and he will not be happy with his disposal and will work to make it better.
He will get there.

SainterK · Post: # 884863Post **SainterK** » Mon 22 Feb 2010 10:02am

You have to remember that he will have the support of Lenny and Dal soon enough, I cannot wait to see our full midfield complimenting one another again....exciting times.

DWOODROW · Post: # 884871Post **DWOODROW** » Mon 22 Feb 2010 10:17am

To true. He can only get better with experience and class around him.

barks4eva · Post: # 884889Post **barks4eva** » Mon 22 Feb 2010 11:00am

DWOODROW wrote:Dave was OK. His disposal was ordinary but the thing to remember is it was the first game for the season. If he hadn't made so many mistakes he would have been talked about alot. Hi has room for improvement and he will not be happy with his disposal and will work to make it better.
He will get there.

His disposal is already way ahead of Ball!

Armitage was best on ground IMHO!

Always though he should have been getting more game time since 2007, but anyway he'll definitely get more game time now!

One of my favourite players!

While Ball played a good game for Collingwood, Armitage beat him and was one of the main reasons why we won.

rexy · Post: # 884894Post **rexy** » Mon 22 Feb 2010 11:07am

Agree that Armitage has better foot skills that Ball. More penetration and a lot better weight on short passes. The in and under player is always going to be down a bit on the running types like Montagna and Dal due to the amount of kicks they take under preassure.

There is a reason he hasnt played more senior footy before now and that is a perceived lack of run at the end of games. Very happy to have him on our list and thought he was excellent Friday, hope that he can push himself physically to impact games all the way through and show so the same desperation to the vital late contests that ball always did.

bigred · Post: # 884897Post **bigred** » Mon 22 Feb 2010 11:26am

Lolwot!!!

So according to JPBFC Ball was offered a contract and told he was not in the best 22? What would you do?

Far out! That was his challenge for all of 2009.

He bailed. Took the easy road. And honestly, collingwood IS the easy road where he can walk into their midfield.

Why is it that st kilda can find a replacement for
a so called "elite" midfielder so quickly?

Fact is, the bloke is not elite.

No matter how you sugar coat it, Ball has glaring
flaws in his game.

Will just take a couple of games for all the filth supporters to stop believing their own bulltish.

SainterK · Post: # 884904Post **SainterK** » Mon 22 Feb 2010 11:37am

Was watching 'open mike' last night, when he interviewed Tom Harley.

Found it really interesting when Mike asked Tom about when he came back from a finger injury through the VFL. Tom spoke about how he had assumed that it would just be for one week, and then was told that there was not a spot in the side for him and he would have to continue in the VFL for the time being.

He admitted that he was smarting, especially given he was captain at the time, but he had to put aside his feelings knowing that no individual was bigger than the club.

Couldn't help but make a comparison to Ball. We keep being reminded that 2009 was no way to treat a 'former captain' like this somehow makes you automatic selection.

I hope St Kilda continues to select on form and not reputation.

siph · Post: # 884932Post **siph** » Mon 22 Feb 2010 12:59pm

All we have to do is show RL Armo's Dream Team average and him getting 20 games will be a sure thing.

Spinner · Post: # 885083Post **Spinner** » Mon 22 Feb 2010 9:17pm

samoht wrote:Armo's disguised low pass to Schneider highlighted the difference between the two.

Luke Ball would have chipped the same kick - given it more air time and it would have been spoilt.

Armo is a better kicking version of Luke Ball - full stop end of story.

I agree, also with DRWOODRO.

Armo seems to have a nice long left foot on him - Its just seems he hasnt fully adjusted to the pace of the game, coupled with where he gets it (in and under) seems to be effecting his kicking.

Some of his kicks were spot on...And dont underestimate that kick to schneider......Had to weave it between two players, and also clear the man on the mark.....It was a ripper kick.