Luke Ball IS Shane O'Bree only he doesn't....

Galactico

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#51
It's pretty clear that we want a quality inside mid to replace O'bree and that man is Luke Ball. I'm not sure what all you guys watch but, at his best, Luke Ball is in a different class to O'bree.

The problem for him at St Kilda was the fact he's had injuries and the presence of a certain Lenny Hayes. We currently have no one of the calibre of Hayes (as a hardnut inside mid) so Ball is basically (when injury free) a walk up start. He is a gun.

If we land him, I really hope he gets his fitness to peak levels and hits the ground running. The difference he will make to our midfield will be huge and he will complement Swan and Pendlebury absolutely beautifully. They all do it differently but they all win their own ball and use it well.

O'bree simply does not cut it anymore. He was a great ball winner for us in the Buckley/Burns/Licuria/O'bree days but his time is up. You can't helicopter kick it out of the centre anymore and get away with it.

Ball would be a massive improvement. A midfield of Ball - Swan - Pendlebury - Davis - Thomas, with Jolly rucking....is seriously good with plenty of potential to come in Beams and Sidebottom. :thumbsu:
 

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stanley86

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#52
...now adjust for Time on Ground ;)

But yeah, I had a good chuckle at Ross Lyon listing his accomplishments from years back as well.
has anyone heard that luke and family have really taken offence to rossy lyon saying all that about him

basically ball has taken it that he is good enough to talk to the media about but not good enough to play

has really made his desire to move even stronger
 

stanley86

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#54
Yeah but a very wet day, certainly suited him.
true, but as our supporters were saying all year you can only beat who you play and the same applies, it was a grand final, granted it was wet, but he was still really good

jason gram was BOG and he is an outside half back/wing who the dry would suit 100 times more
 

Dundalis

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#55
If you are going to condemn Cheesey on that basis we need to move on nearly the whole list.

Fact is we got flogged by a better side.
To the vast majority of our Geelong's side a final is another day at the office.

To the vast majority of ours it's the Office Xmas party. They all got too full and started pfhoto copying their bums.

Simply we are not quite there yet, but we are close.

Cheesey is for the moment important in our mid-field and if, big if, we get Ball he will slot in to Cheesy's spot in the long term.
Like it or not every flag side has it's grunts along with it's stars even Geelong, the Saints and Hawflog.

It's the unsung blokes who do the hard, unappreciated things who allow the stars to shine.
O'Bree is a very good first dibs player. He is very good at reading the ball off packs, spillages etc. He is NOT a great in and under player, or particularly tough grunt player. Dane Swan is also very good in this area, and since Swan's emergence, O'Bree's role has become less and less important.

Luke Ball wouldn't be replacing Shane O'Bree's role he would be replacing Scott Burns. Whom we have not replaced since he retired.

Don't really understand this thread, when O'Bree and Ball are not similar players, nor play the same role.
 

Galactico

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#56
O'Bree is a very good first dibs player. He is very good at reading the ball off packs, spillages etc. He is NOT a great in and under player, or particularly tough grunt player. Dane Swan is also very good in this area, and since Swan's emergence, O'Bree's role has become less and less important.

Luke Ball wouldn't be replacing Shane O'Bree's role he would be replacing Scott Burns. Whom we have not replaced since he retired.

Don't really understand this thread, when O'Bree and Ball are not similar players, nor play the same role.
Your right that Burns has not been replaced directly since he retired but inside ball winners come in all shapes and sizes. While I understand your point, there is no doubt it will be a case of O'Bree - out, Ball - in.

While I don't think he was a replacement for Burns, its pretty obvious the emergence of Pendlebury as a gun clearance player has helped us develop. While he does his work in a different, classier fashion, Pendlebury has a similar impact on games and that will only increase further given he's still only 22.

Massive contrast with Pendlebury is Luke Ball but together they will be potent in winning the ball. Swan also, who is again different to both of them.
 

Dundalis

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#57
Your right that Burns has not been replaced directly since he retired but inside ball winners come in all shapes and sizes. While I understand your point, there is no doubt it will be a case of O'Bree - out, Ball - in.

While I don't think he was a replacement for Burns, its pretty obvious the emergence of Pendlebury as a gun clearance player has helped us develop. While he does his work in a different, classier fashion, Pendlebury has a similar impact on games and that will only increase further given he's still only 22.

Massive contrast with Pendlebury is Luke Ball but together they will be potent in winning the ball. Swan also, who is again different to both of them.
If by all shapes and sizes, you are trying to say that O'Bree is a form of inside player, I disagree. He's a seagull, but without the pace and skill that make him an outside player. He's not weak and will go when it's his turn, but inside players are the likes of Mitchell, Selwood, Black, and Ball comfortably fits in that category. Guys that are under the packs and extract. O'Bree doesn't do that, he's there with quick hands when the ball squirts out of that situation to offload. We don't have an extractor, and haven't since Burns retired.
 

Pie eyed

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#58
O'Bree is a very good first dibs player. He is very good at reading the ball off packs, spillages etc. He is NOT a great in and under player, or particularly tough grunt player. Dane Swan is also very good in this area, and since Swan's emergence, O'Bree's role has become less and less important.

Luke Ball wouldn't be replacing Shane O'Bree's role he would be replacing Scott Burns. Whom we have not replaced since he retired.

Don't really understand this thread, when O'Bree and Ball are not similar players, nor play the same role.
name 5 players in our side who are 'great".

We are blue collar by and large and no-ones collar is bluer than Cheese man. Never even looks for any glory just runs around getting possies and throwing himself at feet.
 

mdc

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#59
We are blue collar by and large...
I think you're falling for the meedja spin there, Pie Eyed.

At least from my POV, when people say blue collar I think of players that are hard, good at winning contested ball, not overly talented naturally, etc...yet we were dead last in contested ball this year as a team.

Our backline is certainly blue collar, and you could throw Swan and Anthony in there as well, but the rest...nah.
 
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