Luke Ball's performance against St Kilda

[Vacuous Space]

It was his first game with a new team. It was against a pretty tough team. It also doesn't count for anything.

He looked a lot like Luke Ball out there. Put his body on the line, worked hard, won the ball and wasn't overly damaging with it. If Collingwood were expecting something other than Luke Ball, they might be disappointed. He wasn't Simon Black or Sam Mitchell. I have a feeling they knew what they were getting themselves into though.

He'll be judged in the fullness of time, or something like that.

 

[NOCHANCE]

Ball had a hell of a lot of work put into his groin by trainers during the night. Looks like his OP is still giving him touble.

 

[didaka]

He was good. Typical hard at it football in the engine room forcing the footy forward, tackling hard and giving a contest at ball ups. That's what we recruited him for, and that's exactly what he did. If he can stay at that pace, then I'll be happy.

 

[Joffaboy]

It was his first game with a new team. It was against a pretty tough team. It also doesn't count for anything.

He looked a lot like Luke Ball out there. Put his body on the line, worked hard, won the ball and wasn't overly damaging with it. If Collingwood were expecting something other than Luke Ball, they might be disappointed. He wasn't Simon Black or Sam Mitchell. I have a feeling they knew what they were getting themselves into though.

He'll be judged in the fullness of time, or something like that.

Yes Luke Ball was Luke Ball last night. He is very consistant in his play. It was a carbon copy of numerous games he played for St.Kilda, hard in and under, getting the ball out to runners, missing targets, putting the ball into space for leading players but not hitting them, floating the ball so the marking backman has got a 50/50 chance against the forward, and not making the distance with the game in the balance from 40 metres.

Balls game doesn't get any better than that. If Collingwood supporters are sensible, they have got a slower version of Scott Burns, and should be happy with that.

The more excitable Collingwood supporter who thought they got a game breaker in the Judd mould,well you will be dissapointed that a plodder is getting half a mill a season for exactly what you got last night.

Saints supporters have moved on. Jack Steven is one to watch and Armo is a younger, faster and better kick than Ball and costs $300k less.

Dont expect miracles from Luke ball and you wont be dissapointed.

 

[Ricmel]

getting the ball out to runners, missing targets, putting the ball into space for leading players but not hitting them, floating the ball so the marking backman has got a 50/50 chance against the forward, and not making the distance with the game in the balance from 40 metres.

He's much better than that. I for one would rather see Luke at Collingwood playing seniors than running around in the VFL. He deserves to be in an AFL team, just Saints were not the right one at this point in time.

 

[stfan]

Anyway Ball was Ball, or at least the Ball of the last few years.

That is hard worker and tackler who cannot use the ball well and who importantly cannot convert opportunities close to goal that others can.
ie that failure to make the distance from 30m out late in the game which could ave won the Pies the game.

 

[Leather Poisoning]

St Kilda supporters bagging out Ball are disgraceful. It's just really pathetic stuff.

Ball was really good last night. Personally, I thought he looked pretty damn nervous. Also, was often at the foot of the ruck contest with Jolly tapping in a different direction/st kilda winning the tap when he'd overcommited in the attacking direction. There was one standout incident of this where Ball had pushed off his opponent and sped forward in space but the ball was tapped to his opponent.

Once Ball and Jolly learn to work with each other, and Ball settles into the side you'll see much better performances than that. As it was I thought Ball was pretty good and exactly the player type that Collingwood needs.

 

[Tomfoolery]

He played a bloody good game for a 30th pick.

 

[Blues_Man]

He is still very good at being the in n under player and extracting the pill. In saying that he is a woeful kick, Brad Fisher like when it comes to distance. I honestly dont think he will add much to the Pies midfield, Jolly will be far more important in terms of new players.

Can't kick over a jam tin...and slow as treacle..Collingwood have an average list of midielders ..not a star among them (Pendulbury is okay but does not hurt enough ..no penetration in his kicking and no ball carry .) they need some pace in there.

Jolly will make them a better side...Davis Didak and Thomas still only put in when they feel like it ..which is not very often.

 

[andypie]

Can't kick over a jam tin...and slow as treacle..Collingwood have an average list of midielders ..not a star among them (Pendulbury is okay but does not hurt enough ..no penetration in his kicking and no ball carry .) they need some pace in there.

Jolly will make them a better side...Davis Didak and Thomas still only put in when they feel like it ..which is not very often.

Pretty fair judgements Blues man. Class is still the pies biggest issue. What i would give to have Bryce Gibbs in the black and white.

 

[didaka]

I find it funny that theirs yet another thread about him over something as pointless as a NAB cup game.
Get over it FFS.

Typical bigfooty, because it's inhabited by a huge amount of people who don't actually know a thing about footy, but we seem to be taking a fair bit out of last nights game.

There was not a player on that field last night, for either side, that would be playing anywhere near their best footy at this stage of the year yet people are already drawing conclusions on where both clubs will finish this year and how much impact certain players will have on the year. It get's a little old.

I thought people would've learnt when Carlton won the pre-season comp that really the only thing you can take out of a NAB cup game, especially early rounds, is what you do with your structures and how your key indicators are looking.

It's really only about getting your balance right and getting run into players legs.

Geelong could come out and stink it up tomorrow against North, and a whole bunch of you ********s could even write them off such is the level of mind on this forum.

 

[Plugger35]

I thought Ball had a reasonable game by his standards but his kicking still let him down, with a few trademark wobbly floaters that either went to nobody or straight to a Saints player. Did all his usual in and under stuff in the clinches and seemed to work pretty hard though.

I was more impressed by Jolly's performance than Ball's, it was Jolly that got them back into the game in that 3rd quarter and he will be an important aquisition for Collingwood given that they have struggled to find a decent ruckman in recent years.

 

[HeHateMe]

I went to the game and i thought luke ball was quite shit tbh.
he got the ball and was hard but his skill errors stood out just as much as thomas wonky kicks did.
on the other hand jolly was awsome, and did heath shaw play middle if so that could be an awsome move coz he stood out.

i sat behind the goals at the collingwood end, so all the pies supporters where going crazy over ball and jolly. but me and my mate (collingwood suporter) where impressed buy the likes of shaw, o'brian and even zac dawson lol.

i didnt see the best ons did ether shaw or o'brian make it,

 

[Zvim]

Efficiency stats can be misleading.

You put your body on the line in a tough scramble in the centre square and manage to win the clearance with a rushed kick into your forward 50 and you get marked with a negative efficiency rating if it doesn't hit a forward on the chest.

Meanwhile a half back flanker takes an uncontested mark and chips sideways 15m. For that gamebusting piece of play he gets a positive efficiency rating.

Which one is more valuable to their team?

Last year Swallow was our main inside mid and he averaged 19 disposals a game with 45% contested disposals and managed 80% disposal efficiency.

I think you can have good disposal as an inside mid, but I do agree it is much harder. Simpson used to have a mediocre disposal efficiency other than short range dish-offs.

 

[Joffaboy]

Slower than Burnsy hey? Must move backwards when running forwards.

I tell you what, if you blokes had more Scotty Burns' at your football club over time, you would have more than 1 trophy in your cabinet.

So whats Collingwoods excuse? You have won one in living memory and you did have Burns

Ball was Ball last night. Just the same as usual. Dont get excited, he will do the job he was selected for (or O'Bree will have his spot).

Was not suprised the way he played. As I said Ball is a trier and very consistant, but pretty ineffective. Dont ever expect to win a game for you, but a good team man.

Nice to see Armo pass to Schneider to win us the game though. Ball would have floated that on top of his head and it would have been spoiled

The only question is are you comfortable with a GOP getting $500k thereby filling your SC while your young players are underpaid and we have GC17 and GWS hovvering?

 

[HARKER]

Not too much gained from his performance last night although Ball did look slower than even last year.
May be carrying to much bulk?

 

[Lensen]

I wasn't impressed last night, but we didn't recruit him to star on fast tracks in a game with little intensity (although high for a NAB Cup game)

He's there to be another cog during the year, and a hard tough inside mid against the better teams when it counts. It's what we sorely lacked in the finals last year along with a ruckman and we've had a crack at one of the better available blokes who can play that role.

Even if he's terrible in the first half of the year, I don't think his worth can really be counted until September. Think of him as the reverse Leon Davis, if you like.

Now Leon's game last night. FMD.

 

[Gone Critical]

Exactly.

Ball showed last night why he was offered a three year contract - he still is a good player (albeit not the very good player he once was). He would have struggled to get a game every week with St Kilda, but he would have been near the top 22.

But he was not irreplacable and hence St Kilda could afford to make a statement. Armitage was better last night and may (probably would) have replaced Ball this season anyway.

Collingwood got a good player they needed, but not the messias some were expecting. St Kilda lost a good player we wanted to keep, but could afford to lose.

Well done, takes aways everyones anguish and sums it up perfectly

 

[Gone Critical]

Unfortunately that was the best he was able to muster in a long time.

Dont agree, I thought he was better in the last game he played for the Saints

 

[Mansons Haircut]

I thought it was good enough that we wont give him away for nothing at the end of the year. I also thought he showed he was good value for pick 30.

 

[captain peanut]

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

 

[spiraldiver]

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

Agreed. Very nice pick-up for the Pies.

 

[Davo23]

Can someone explain to me why Luke Ball is regarded by some pundits as one of the top players in the AFL, when every team has between two and three players who do the same job or better every week.

And who are not spending a significant part of each season injured?

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

I just don't see it.


.

 

[Defacto]

ball played well and was in collingwoods best. wasnt best on ground though. reiwoldt took that prize.

i think the ball trade has the potential to be a win/win. collingwood get a needed player for a needed role. they know what they are getting. st kilda get to develop armitage who i think had a better game last night, just needs to improve his awareness. armitage is younger and paid less, which is a win in terms of list management.

jolly looked good. kozi was awfull. dawson had one to forget. stanley/miles/ali smith and mcevoy all impressed.

did anyone see leigh fisher make it onto the park?

 

[HARKER]

Can someone explain to me why Luke Ball is regarded by some pundits as one of the top players in the AFL, when every team has between two and three players who do the same job or better every week.

And who are not spending a significant part of each season injured?

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

I just don't see it.


.

No. 2 selection in the mighty 2001 draft.
Perception does at times take over from reality