Ball likely to become a Demon - whether he likes it or not

[Andy_Mac]

I have it on pretty good authority that Melbourne will take Ball at 18.

He will be gone by 18 hence the talk of 11. Port and mark williams is very very keen. Has lost burgs and wants an AA replacment

We certainly won't use 11 but we are trying to fox port into using 8 or 9 ILO 16 in the hope they take ball and lucus or another mid and Butcher slips.

Essondon trump 11 and 18 with 10 but don't have a pick between so we aren't messing with them.

Ball to port at 16. Lock it in thanks eddie!

 

[Teak_Pies]

Andy, Port would seriously be going backwards if they chose Ball.

 

[CM Sean]

Looks like Bailey and Ball didn't meet today, I haven't heard anything LOL

 

[Andy_Mac]

Andy, Port would seriously be going backwards if they chose Ball.

Choco is a dead man walking. He will be looking for a top up player in the hope of making the finals.

 

[HFF]

Choco is a dead man walking. He will be looking for a top up player in the hope of making the finals.

Yeh, can't see this happening particularly after "comments" by Paul Connors during trade week.

 

[The Demon]

I really hope MFC doesn't pick up Ball in the draft and sticks with the rebuild via youth. My feeling is they wont pick him up and look for players that will be value further down the track.

However,only one more sleep before all is revealed.Whatever happens it will be High Fives all round after the draft for the MFC recruiters !

 

[dee64]

I don't buy it that the reason Bailey wants a meeting is so that he can either hear the truth directly (why waste your time?) or so that he can convince Ball that Melbourne is worth being at. As DT13 stated, Ball has made up his mind already and has an extremely strong stance on that.

I think Melbourne have decided to take Ball no matter what and the meeting is to guard against the inevitable fallout that will occur both from the fans ("who's running our club? gambling on players we haven't medically assessed? w***er doesn't want to be here - why don't we get a kid who's going to give his all?") and the other players ("this pretty boy thinks he's too good for us"). As soon as the meeting's over and he knows he's going to be a demon whether he likes it or not, he will start being positive about the club simply because he doesn't want to be hated. The fans and other players would then be happy or at least happier at the prospect of ball the person being at melbourne next year.

Ball will happily play for whichever team drafts him because AFL is a short career and he loves footy and Melbourne know this. They also know that Ball would have been medically assessed by Collingwood in draft week and the continued negotiations until deadline mean that he passed them. IMO this is stupid logic for a professional organisation to use but it is probably a correct assumption and footy is an imperfect market without many definites. There will be division at whichever club it is that takes him (other than Collingwood) if the club hasn't met him. Melbourne are taking him and the meeting would reduce that.

Again, if you weren't definitely going to take him you wouldn't be requesting the meeting when it's so painstakingly obvious that he REALLY doesn't want to play for melbourne. The mere fact that he nominated for this draft at all says that.

Really good post.

It's pointless for Bailey to meet up with Ball to convince him to come to Melbourne. Even if Ball did relent, there's nothing to stop another club from drafting him before us.

I hope that the club has made it clear to Ball and his management that we will draft him if available, and that he needs to get his head around the fact.

 

[TelkoTheGreat]

any news?

 

[Dez!]

Really good post.

It's pointless for Bailey to meet up with Ball to convince him to come to Melbourne. Even if Ball did relent, there's nothing to stop another club from drafting him before us.

I hope that the club has made it clear to Ball and his management that we will draft him if available, and that he needs to get his head around the fact.

Except the club has said they won't take him if he doesn't want to come to Melbourne, we are better off picking up a kid at #18 that isn't 25 years old with the body of a 30 year old.

Simply not worth it and I hope Ball ignores Bailey's request for a meeting and we pass on him because it would be the best result for us.

 

[demonfan9]

Really good post.

I agree. Refreshing to see an unbiased post by a Collingwood supporter in regards to Ball.

I suppose we'll all see how it pans out tomorrow. But Melbourne requesting a meeting just one day before the draft can only mean that we are going to draft him. Otherwise, why would you bother?

 

[Supermercado]

I'm sick of this crunt again. It's like a long election campaign - I've changed my mind who I'm going to vote for ten times.

And it's fair to say that as far as PR goes Luke Ball and Malcolm Turnbull are pretty similar.

 

[Fairtex09]

Except the club has said they won't take him if he doesn't want to come to Melbourne, we are better off picking up a kid at #18 that isn't 25 years old with the body of a 30 year old.

Simply not worth it and I hope Ball ignores Bailey's request for a meeting and we pass on him because it would be the best result for us.

source? i haven't come across that.

 

[Demon Revival]

The AFL, are weak as piss, He has to front them, for manipulating the draft...

It is the most obvious example of this practice that I can remember, but then again, what club is involved in this scam.... You guessed it, the ones wearing the convict jumpers.... Even playing field????, UTTER CRAP...

i hope like hell we don't go near this tool......

 

[stabler]

Ball can **** a goat for all i care. Whining primadonna. Anyone who wants to play for the pies is human trash if you ask me.

 

[Boris the Contradiction]

Ball can **** a goat for all i care. Whining primadonna. Anyone who wants to play for the pies is human trash if you ask me.

You may or may not be right, even if I disagree.
All this post proves though, is that by your logic you should be training with Collingwood.

 

[Frankie23]

Why would Melbourne pick up Ball? Your premiership window is still 4-6 years away, by that time he will be 30-31 and with the likes of Scully, Trengove, Davey, Blease, Struass etc. he won't figure in your middle. Also, this so called 'positive influence' on younger players...they are not stupid, they will be able to see through the facade, and why would they listen to a man who had stated that he didnt want to be there?

The overriding fact is that he doesn't want to play for your club, as much as you want to believe that he will come and give 100%, he won't, there will be the underlying passion to play at Collingwood (or Essendon if you believe reports).

Do him a favour and yourselves and don't select him, it will be detremental to both parties.

Rant over.

 

[Dez!]

source? i haven't come across that.

Where the f*** have you been then?

 

[Demon Revival]

You may or may not be right, even if I disagree.
All this post proves though, is that by your logic you should be training with Collingwood.

I think he is talking more about his professional approach to this whole affair, more importantly his manager will be the "Goat", if the current strong word from a mate in SA is true.... Port have decided to pick him, won't you be happy????

 

[Fairtex09]

Where the f*** have you been then?

Hawaii.

 

[BigSexc]

Do him a favour and yourselves and don't select him, it will be detremental to both parties.

Rant over.

Wow! you convinced me frankie, i will now 'unselect' Luke Ball.

piss off our board you carrot

 

[Boris the Contradiction]

I think he is talking more about his professional approach to this whole affair, more importantly his manager will be the "Goat", if the current strong word from a mate in SA is true.... Port have decided to pick him, won't you be happy????

If you read my above posts, I don't think we are a chance of getting him anyway. Port have the right to pick him - personally I think the way the draft applies to mature age players is a form of slavery but we won't get into that. It is what it is.

Port Adelaide is an unprofessional club that clearly doesn't care for its own players let alone players not even at the club. They will probably pick him just so that we won't have him - they hate the pies, probably the magpie envy. That said everyone hates the pies and i love it that way.

No I won't be happy if Port picks him but no more unhappy than I will be if anyone picks him up that isn't Collingwood. I think Collingwood has close to a premiership list but we lack a player of his type to complete the puzzle. Unfortunately I am 99% sure he won't get past pick 18 tomorrow.

 

[Dez!]

Hawaii.

I'll try find it but from memory it was Bailey saying something along the lines of "If a player says to me that he doesn't want to come to Melbourne then it'd be a short conversation".

 

[Teak_Pies]

Hate to break it to you but you have no idea just like everyone else no one has any clue where he will go lets just find out tomorrow.

 

[moose_77]

I'll try find it but from memory it was Bailey saying something along the lines of "If a player says to me that he doesn't want to come to Melbourne then it'd be a short conversation".

Not sure he has said anything at all though. I hope Freo pick him at No.4. They are good at this draft thing.

 

[CM Sean]

Funny thing is Dez, he hasn't met with Bailey. Therefore, he hasn't said to his face that he doesn't want to be there. Sure, everything he's doing is implying this, but Bailey wanted to meet him and for him to say it to his face, which didn't happen. So, according to Bailey and the rest of the Melbourne staff, because Ball has failed to do so in telling Melbourne he's not interested face to face, It's fair game as far as we're concerned.

So, prepare to play Ball 2morrow, because there is a good chance he could land at Melbourne, like it or not.