Do people think that Collingwood will be dealing with other clubs to ensure that ball fall through to pick 30? For example maybe dealing with the demons financially to ensure this. I know it may sound stupid, but it wouldnt suprise me with a strong leader like eddie up front
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Landing Luke Ball
- Thread starter ralu
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Teak_Pies
Club Legend
No they wouldn't be doing that in the end its only Luke Ball its not Judd.
They wont be engaging in any illegal draft manipulation. They've done all they can to land Luke Ball. If they dont get him they dont get him.
I cant see what use he'll be to Essendon or Melbourne or a few other clubs whose names have been mentioned. By the time those sides become genuine flag contenders, Ball will be long retired. Those sides and similar teams would be bettter off taking another kid in the last draft before the new teams come in and steal all the youth.
There is still a reasonable chance that he'll fall to Collingwood. The big wildcard will be Essendon who will no doubt over-rate their list and how close they are to becoming a premiership side.
I cant see what use he'll be to Essendon or Melbourne or a few other clubs whose names have been mentioned. By the time those sides become genuine flag contenders, Ball will be long retired. Those sides and similar teams would be bettter off taking another kid in the last draft before the new teams come in and steal all the youth.
There is still a reasonable chance that he'll fall to Collingwood. The big wildcard will be Essendon who will no doubt over-rate their list and how close they are to becoming a premiership side.
Having Ball would give them a mature body to compliment their younger ones, which means the skinnier guys wouldn't have to shoulder a load they can't handle. Although I don't think Essendon would have to worry about that, consider they have Watson, Welsh and McVeigh, just off the top of my head.
I can see Melbourne's reasoning for wanting an experienced, hard bodied player around the club while their talented recruits are developing.
I can see Melbourne's reasoning for wanting an experienced, hard bodied player around the club while their talented recruits are developing.
collingwood won't definitely take him with pick #30.
it wouldn't surprise me if they didn't. i hope that they do weigh up the available talent instead of just jumping on ball if he's there. i don't think ball is anywhere near worth the effort that has been put into him.
it wouldn't surprise me if they didn't. i hope that they do weigh up the available talent instead of just jumping on ball if he's there. i don't think ball is anywhere near worth the effort that has been put into him.
I would be very surprised if Essendon took him.
I believe collingwood quietly honoured Essendon's choice of backing off from Welsh.
We could have easily had him signed for three years,but collingwood backed off,then Welsh quickly signed atwo year deal with the bombers.
So i would say if Essendon snatch him in the draft collingwood will target
Essendon players in future and a strong push will happen next year by the players association for Free Agency to be introduced.
I believe collingwood quietly honoured Essendon's choice of backing off from Welsh.
We could have easily had him signed for three years,but collingwood backed off,then Welsh quickly signed atwo year deal with the bombers.
So i would say if Essendon snatch him in the draft collingwood will target
Essendon players in future and a strong push will happen next year by the players association for Free Agency to be introduced.
Agree to some extent especially after losing McLean, but if thats all they want him for - a short term measure and a mature body - there are plenty of cheaper and more injury-free options. I really cant see what he'd contribute to Melbourne in the time horizon that matters to them. 500k is a lot of money to pay a guy who is not going to be on your payroll by the time your list is good enough to play in September.
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I can also see this as a reason why Luke would not want to end up at the Dees. He would go there and walk in as pretty much their top midfielder. No offence to Sylvia, Davey etc but with McLean gone and Scully and Trengove still green he will be the man. Thus copping a barrage to his body each week from the best opposition tagger. I can't see his already suspect body being able to handle this for much more than 2 more years. At least with us he would be part of a group of about 4-5 top liners (Pendles, Swan, Davis etc) that the opposition needs to worry about; thus giving him a bit more freedom and hopefully career longevity.
As others have mentioned though we have done about us much as we can within the rules of the draft. We just have to hope that Luke and his manager continue to hold their nerve. If another club takes him prior to our pick on the day then all power to them. But in doing so they will have had to pay top dollar for him. The positives out of it are that Luke gets some great coin for the next two years, we get access to the next best available kid and best of all the Saints still get nothing.
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are you positive we dont have an in principle agreement with him already?? i dare say that we are the reason he entered the draft and that his chance of him getting to us are much much better than all believe..
There is absoutely no doubt whatsoever that we've committed to him that we'll draft him at 30 if available.
call it a gut feeling but i believe we hold all the cards right now.. if only we could find out the terms he stated in his nd lodgement...
i am confident we will land ball.. i just cant see why all this cloak and dagger stuff would be so necessary unless our people werent 90% sure we could land him.. and im guessing he has asked for more than 500k on his contract.. this figure is not really overs for a club like melbourne - the membership increase alone would be worth it..
The Royal Sampler
Floreat Pica, Bitch!
No.
I'm sure we did, before we offered pick #30 for him in trade week.
An in-principle deal with a player prior to the draft isn't the same as an in-principle deal with a club during trade week. We can agree to terms, but it's moot if another team picks him with selection #1-29.
Can't see why they wont take him at 30 when they were prepared to use that and a player on him a few weeks ago. If he's there,they jump at him.
Essendon is the main threat IMO.
Teak_Pies
Club Legend
Let them pounce on him what a waste of the 18th draft pick
i think you misunderstood me... the in-principle deal would include taking ball at pick 30 - a guarantee that we will take him with out first available pick.. and this was in response to vixen - collingwood won't definitely take him with pick #30.
it wouldn't surprise me if they didn't.
If he is available at pick 30 i think it would be a mistake NOT to take him, he had 20+ touches in half a GF. He si a very good player, who could go elite if in the right environment. If we don't take him at 30, then i think Bombers at 33 will get a good deal.
Teak_Pies
Club Legend
Agree Mazzo, Ross Lyon can stick it where the sun don't shine
Thing is you have to pay at least 92.5% of your salary cap, they will either pay someone decent or it will end up overpaying kids before they do anything to earn it or end up in the pocket of hacks.
Much better to have it go to guys who earn it.
It would totally shock me if they didnt.
Theres no way in the world Ball will slip past pick 30.
