Delisted Luke Ball

[Radius]

Well that's the point. It's my understanding that they are fairly different circumstances to how Thomas left..

Two players loved by their former clubs who sought greener pastures. Seems very similar to me.

Eerily similar circumstances though to what happened in '09 though. He wants to play on, but the Pies don't trust his body and he doesn't seem to be a part of Buckley's future plans. I suppose the difference is we made the call too early.

 

[Armitage2Riewoldt]

Opposition supporters tread carefully.

 

[Defacto]

been stewing over this. opened old wounds.

when you make a pact with your mates, if you value your friends and you are a man of integrity you stick by that pact. not fold when things suddenly dont go your way.

blokes a flog.

 

[Barrels]

**** Luke Ball; and while I'm at it Old Xavs can kiss my arse.

 

[Sainter93]

As someone posted earlier it's a bit of a "meh" feeling. Sad to see another great retire but respect him for his efforts for us, always gave his all.

He may have walked out on us to a fellow flag contender, but we also stuffed ourselves up by not accepting the trade/s we were offered.

All the best Luke.

 

[VDS66]

Funny thing about Ball is that he is never spoken about as a great like Judd and Hodge.

 

[cartwright]

On the loyalty issue...

Welcome to modern day AFL.

yep. Which is why, Luke Ball retiring is meh to me
Would much rather focus on Lenny's last game than some collingwood players.

 

[Pendles!]

Two players loved by their former clubs who sought greener pastures. Seems very similar to me.

Eerily similar circumstances though to what happened in '09 though. He wants to play on, but the Pies don't trust his body and he doesn't seem to be a part of Buckley's future plans. I suppose the difference is we made the call too early.

Not really. Thomas was certainly in out plans but left for more money..

 

[Winmar2Lockett]

All this stuff about Bally being un-loyal to the club, letting his team mates and supporters down - cracks me up. Because you go over the other thread and every second supporter wants to p1ss off Jack Steven at the drop of a hat. Double standards me think.

A discussion between supporters about who might be traded isn't necessarily an indication that supporters want that player traded.

We're also sitting smack bang last & in the midst of a rebuild. Another slight difference to a former club captain in his prime discussing a big $$ contract with an opposition club in the midst of a season where he & his mates eventually fell a kick short of the ultimate.

 

[Winmar2Lockett]

I'm surprised but the reaction in here to be honest. I was under the impression that he was pretty much told to go by Lyon, so you can hardly blame him for going to a different club.

Ball's management was negotiating with your mob in June of 2009. When we were in the middle of a 20 game winning streak.

All this 'Lyon is evil' stuff is amusing considering how much the senior players of Ball's generation (Roo, Dal, BJ, etc) all loved him. Lyon was brutally honest & ran to play for a coach who blew smoke up his ar5e.

 

[Stewart66]

Judas. Simple as that. Betrayal from somebody as beloved by the club makes it only more wrong. If he wanted to leave, he could have chosen any club. He chose to go to a club that was in a Premiership window the same time as us. Luke was one of the brainiest footballers you'll ever meet, so he could not have been blind to that fact. He knew he was not only weakening our club in his leaving, he was strengthening our direct opposition for the Flag. And he did it with a solid middle finger waving in the air. So he was sheepish when he got his medal after beating us - that wasn't humility, it was just shame.

The players all knew it, too. I remember hearing a fan on here talk of how he asked to get a 2009 Saints playerbook signed by players in a 2010 pre-season event. When he got the book back, they'd graffitied Ball's picture with devil's horns and tons of dollar signs above his head. They had nothing but contempt for his betrayal.

Strength through loyalty. What he did was in no way at all loyal. It was the epitomy of disloyal, of betrayal. He became the epitomy of everything the St Kilda Football Club stands against.

Agree with everything you have stated

 

[hayes]

All this stuff about Bally being un-loyal to the club, letting his team mates and supporters down - cracks me up. Because you go over the other thread and every second supporter wants to p1ss off Jack Steven at the drop of a hat. Double standards me think.

That is just TOO good.

 

[TheLastEmperor]

Private school sook. Was a soft trainer and not well respected by his peers in his later years at StK. Then left for more money to the filth, got on the gear with them, and beat us in a GF. Flog. Something stinks about the 10-11 Pies team and Ball was a part of it. Flog. Zero respect.

 

[L_W_P]

I've always maintained that Ball (and Maxy H) had more to do with Collingwood winning the flag than Mick, Bucks or any of their players.

The intellectual property those two boys took to the Pies was instrumental in our downfall. They knew our structures and setups. Knew that Ross would back in Plan A for 3/4 of a game before changing things. Knew the rotations. Knew the players. THAT is where they got us.

 

[TheLastEmperor]

It was the high test levels the players had that played the biggest part in the Filth's premiership. But that's another argument.

 

[Barrels]

Private school sook. Was a soft trainer and not well respected by his peers in his later years at StK. Then left for more money to the filth, got on the gear with them, and beat us in a GF. Flog. Something stinks about the 10-11 Pies team and Ball was a part of it. Flog. Zero respect.

Not sure what that's got to do with anything...

St Kilda alone has had Goddard (CGS), Luke Penny and Stephen Powell (SKC), Andrew Thompson (MGS), Josh Saunders (GC) and Jack Billings (Scotch) from private schools, amongst others...

I'd say Jobe Watson, Dan Hannebery, Tom Hawkins and a fair few others go alright too...

 

[Plugger35]

Private school sook. Was a soft trainer and not well respected by his peers in his later years at StK. Then left for more money to the filth, got on the gear with them, and beat us in a GF. Flog. Something stinks about the 10-11 Pies team and Ball was a part of it. Flog. Zero respect.

It does seem a bit suss how quickly Collingwood dropped off after 2010/2011, a lot of their players like Swan and Thomas are shadows of the players they were back then. There were rumours around about them using HGH back then which they denied but you have to wonder, especially in light of the Essendon doping scandal.

I've always maintained that Ball (and Maxy H) had more to do with Collingwood winning the flag than Mick, Bucks or any of their players.

The intellectual property those two boys took to the Pies was instrumental in our downfall. They knew our structures and setups. Knew that Ross would back in Plan A for 3/4 of a game before changing things. Knew the rotations. Knew the players. THAT is where they got us.

Hudghton in particular gave guys like Brown some great tips on how to play on Riewoldt, I feel more sympathy for him though not playing in the 2009 GF than I do for Ball's treatment by Lyon in 2009.