Luke Ball's performance against St Kilda

[The Panther]

What has he done during his career to date to justify the drooling by people such as Gerard Healey & Gary Lyon?

Cyril Rioli board.

Luke has made an AA side in his career.

 

[Bollox]

Its the preseason..skill levels arnt where they will be and he got his share of ball. First game for a new club under new gameplans and doesnt have any instinct for where his mates are or their game. Perhaps a few nerves.

He had a good hitout hinting he will be a damn good pickup for them. His career has been hamstrung with that groin issue which i reckon has left permanent issues...issue his previuos club and himself have always denied but are obvious when compared to his younger days. Bit of a shame we will never see him at his best but will remain a damn good and consistent inside midfielder.

Have a look at Jolly's first half last night ...probably the worst footy he's played for yrs in the first half but gradually got into it. Typical of a new jumper...trying too hard.

Not a bad game...saints/pies games are always worth watching lately.

Thought Swan and Beams were v good and McEvoy is perhaps only one season from being a genuinely good tall. Rhys Stanley and Nick Heyne look like 100 gamers too. They have a bit more depth than i thought.

 

[frednirk]

I told everyone he is a rubbish player. He's VFL standard, if that even! Can't run, can't kick more than 10m and when he does it'll probably be a clanger.

Stkilda have lost absolutely nothing.

Luke Ball was great in his first couple of years before injury destroyed him totally. He now has no bounce, spring or speed. Sad.

 

[Defacto]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CrtbpbAAiI

is alot different to now. also in the clip below, the older ball is quicker and more agile. hell even his kicking is better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFZgaTI5HW4

definetly not the player he used to be but still a good pickup for collingwood.

 

[stfan]

why all this focus on luke ball?

how about the man who may well prove to be the difference this year in darren jolly? he showed just what a massive difference he is going to make this year to coll. once fraser is back and playing as a mobile forward or tall ruck rover jolly's value will be accentuated. very exciting seeing him strut his stuff in the black and white last night

Now here with have smart Pie Fan.

One who has worked out who will make a real difference. Jolly.

Ball will just be making up the numbers.

Now I don't know if Jolly can make enough difference to get you intoa GF...but he is a genuiney good pick up.

 

[MeeSo]

Bit surprised by some of the St Kilda fans in this thread. Ball gave everything he had for your club with no regard for his own safety. How many times did you guys watch him come off the ground bleeding or hurt only to get strapped up and sent back out where he did it all over again? Show some respect for a guy whose body gave out in service of your club instead of trying to one up some anonymous tools on the internet.

 

[charmer]

You know what I love - all these Saint supporters talking about Luke Ball over and over and over again. Geez, not even Carlton supporters talk this much about Fev.

Get over it. He left because he knew he had lost the faith of Ross Lyon and decided to go to a club who was in need of someone of his stature.

I love how you're all bagging him saying he's slow etc yet you're the same club that wanted a first rounder for him. Either he is crap and slow or he is a player worth a first round pick - make up your minds! If it's the latter, then show him the respect he deserves but you can't have your cake and eat it too.

In regards to some of the skill errors he made last night - it was his first real hit out for his new club, he still has to learn how his now team mates play i.e where they are going to lead to etc. The error just before 3qtr time stands out. He signalled that he thought Medhurst was going to double back towards him - but instead he kept running towards goal. He'll learn from that and he is only goingn to get better.

Not to mention throughout the year he'll work more and more with Jolly/Wood/Fraser and his clearance work will improve out of sight.

 

[charmer]

Bit surprised by some of the St Kilda fans in this thread. Ball gave everything he had for your club with no regard for his own safety. How many times did you guys watch him come off the ground bleeding or hurt only to get strapped up and sent back out where he did it all over again? Show some respect for a guy whose body gave out in service of your club instead of trying to one up some anonymous tools on the internet.

Top post Meeso

 

[Defacto]

You know what I love - all these Saint supporters talking about Luke Ball over and over and over again. Geez, not even Carlton supporters talk this much about Fev.

Get over it. He left because he knew he had lost the faith of Ross Lyon and decided to go to a club who was in need of someone of his stature.

I love how you're all bagging him saying he's slow etc yet you're the same club that wanted a first rounder for him. Either he is crap and slow or he is a player worth a first round pick - make up your minds! If it's the latter, then show him the respect he deserves but you can't have your cake and eat it too.

In regards to some of the skill errors he made last night - it was his first real hit out for his new club, he still has to learn how his now team mates play i.e where they are going to lead to etc. The error just before 3qtr time stands out. He signalled that he thought Medhurst was going to double back towards him - but instead he kept running towards goal. He'll learn from that and he is only goingn to get better.

Not to mention throughout the year he'll work more and more with Jolly/Wood/Fraser and his clearance work will improve out of sight.

to be fair its 50/50 between collingwood fans going on about luke ball and the st kilda trade fiasco, and st kilda fans bagging out ball.

 

[Plugger35]

Some St Kilda supporters may be overdoing the negative stuff about Ball but the majority are just being honest. Ball is still a decent inside midfielder who works hard at the clearances but is limited in terms of pace and his disposal skills. Last night's performance just illustrated that nothing has really changed since his last few years at St Kilda.

A lot of Collingwood supporters are getting upset when we dare to offer an honest opinion about him, claiming that we are just doing it out of spite or jealousy. Some of the more rational Collingwood supporters have agreed with us though, that Ball is just a decent inside player that isn't the superstar matchwinner that many people are still making him out to be.

As for Ball being a better player now than he was at St Kilda, particularly before his OP, that's highly unlikely based on what we saw last night.

 

[Joffaboy]

So why criticise him at every opportunity? and boo him when he gets the ball? He was in his rights to leave and the Saints fans who continuously bag him need to GTF over it.

Not many are bagging him, just telling it like it is.

He is a good consistant in and under that wont ever win you a game like a Judd or a Riewoldt.

A slower version of Scott Burns, but with less penetration in his kicks and poor effective disposal.

Be satisified with that and you will have a good player. Dissatisified with that, overrate him, and you will be using him as your scapegoat instead of o'bree by mid year

 

[sainter35]

Armitage will be very good this year. Hard at it, can win a clearance, and knows how to use the pill.

You can totally understand why the Saints said Ball would struggle to be in the best 18 this season when they have a guy like Armitage waiting in the wings.

He is an improved version of Ball imo.

At last some sense.

For a start - Armitage can KICK 50 and goals. Ballkicked 3 for all of 09.....and cant kick 30. He has NO penetration in his kicking.

Facts are at Saints Armitage needed to work on his engine - he needed to be able to run games out.....Id heard his pre season was very good this year...last night proved that.

Ball knew he was gonna struggle for a game in 2010 at Saints and he knew Lyon wasnt paying him anywhere near his Thomas "love" contract of 600k......enter the stumbling Pies and their cheque book.......Balls getting 500k this year......ask yourself honestly......was he worth that pay check last night?

Ofcourse not. Lyon knew it. Ball didnt like it.

But its true weve lost depth........but a word to the wise....a kid called Jack Steven will be better than Armitage.........but ssshh.....apparently Lyons trading away our future.....

 

[Plugger35]

Ball's performance last night was just par for the course, similar to his performances at St Kilda the past few years. I don't think he's capable of playing much better than he did last night.

 

[La Dispute]

His kicking is just horrendous.

 

[doug85]

22 possessions at %45 efficiency.

3 clangers - one which led to a direct goal when he handballed to a St Kilda player right in front of goal.

I thought he was ordinary with most of his kicks going straight back to the opposition.

I find it funny how he made the bests in the paper today.

He tried hard and put his body on the line which is a positive but the other flaws are too big to carry for mine.

Thoughts?

I was at the game last night kelvin and most of the kicks he had were either ineffective or caused a turnover. I must admit that I missed the first quartar so if he was influential in this part of the match perhaps he deserved to be named in the best, though I doubt he would have been. His poor disposal by foot made him a liability and when i read the H.S this morning I wondered whether the journalist assesing the match was so drunk that they shit their pants and just made it all up.

 

[asanque]

Not a bad start by Ball.

Will only get better once he gels with the team.

St Kilda will regret losing him for no compensation.

The only plus for St Kilda is that Armitage will finally get some game time!

Good pickup at pick 30 by the Pies, who need that kind of midfielder.

 

[ANGEL DARK]

I was at the game last night kelvin and most of the kicks he had were either ineffective or caused a turnover. I must admit that I missed the first quartar so if he was influential in this part of the match perhaps he deserved to be named in the best, though I doubt he would have been. His poor disposal by foot made him a liability and when i read the H.S this morning I wondered whether the journalist assesing the match was so drunk that they shit their pants and just made it all up.

Totally agree.His disposal has always been questionable coupled with the fact he can barely kick 30 meteres and its really something that will never improve in his game.Those journos at the HS are on something as i think theyve judged his performance on his disposal tally rather than actual quality possesions.I actaully lost count at how many times he kicked the ball directly to the oppostion and sometimes under no pressure at all.
He is a player that just needs to just get in and under and win the hard ball which he is quite good at and dish it out to someone who can actually use the footy to be of any use to the side

 

[Off The Couch]

It was a NAB cup hitout, he got some quality game time with his new team mates, he showed that he is still good with the in and under, that he will put in a good solid effort every game and he still doesn't have the capacity to kick the ball more than 40 metres. On the other side of the coin the saints can now move on from playing the man to playing the ball the next time they meet.

For the number of posters in this thread that have said he was no big loss, not in your best 18 etc., it sure seemed to matter to Reiwoldt and Lyon as they sooked their way through the interview and it still seemed to matter to some of the players on the field last night - so personally I can understand why the pies think they have picked up a bargain and good luck to him with his new club.

 

[bucksisbest]

I thought it was a decent performance , maybe at times a little self conscious.
I'd be concerned by him being an up and under kick if he wasn't insanely hard , has quick hands and provides ferocious tackling pressure. Those qualities allow weaker foot skilled players to still be great value.
Time will tell , and a pre-season match in February won't reveal a lot either way , but I think that grunt will turn out to be handy for us.

 

[Trav 20]

slow as treacle...

He looks like Carl Lewis compared to McLean.






Btw, why do so many people on this site spell 'consistent' as 'consistant' (sic) ?

 

[Vdubs]

Watched with interest. His effort has never been questioned, last pm no exception. The reason I have never rated him compared to Hayes, Dal Santo, Harvey, Montagna was obvious again- disposal. Saints would not be too pressed in finding his replacement. Reckon Ball would be much better away from Etihad. 09 GF conditions are perfect for him. Will be better for Pies than for Saints IMO for that reason. Great hard ball getter, great in wet heavy conditions. He will probably thrive at the G.
Pies morally won that game given the ridiculous 9 pointers, so win-win for both teams.

 

[zebbitty]

gee, I wish we were as successful as Freo...

lol. you barely are

 

[HoldenMCaulfield]

lol. you barely are

lol. you're barely smart.

 

[Invigoration]

His kicking is just horrendous.

Yeah but I mean, at least he can get one

 

[Harvey to Hayes]

lol. you barely are

Ha ha, it must be awesome reminiscing about all of that Collingwood success before you were born. Last year was so disappointing for us, but beating Pies in the finals two years in a row was so much fun...

Ball will be a good serviceable player for the Pies. Always has a dip, but cause of so much frustration with his disposal and inability to make the distance when having a shot from 30m time and time again... We just loathe him now because he walked away from the chance to have another red hot tilt at the flag, something that the core of our group have been working towards for years. He would have been on the fringes of our best 22 and was offered a reasonable deal, but chose to take the easy option and walk away (no doubt nursing a bruised ego because he was offered a realistic deal rather than the ludicrous 600k per annum that GT gifted him) instead of knuckling down and busting his gut to give himself every chance to be on the park if we do indeed get the chance to seek redemption for last year on the last Saturday in September...

And don't foget that we showed a lot of faith in him by drafting him when he couldn't play that first year because he was still at school, because we had him earmarked as a long term player at the club. Clearly this loyalty wasn't reciprocated. This has nothing to do with his game time last year, that was purely on ability and competition, different to loyalty...

That and he chose to go to Collingwood...