We need to be offering Luke Ball a massive contract

[silverscope]

Would be more than happy to make a play for Ball although he will probably stay in Melbourne.

 

[SupersonicDocker]

It's not all about kicking, he's not overly quick across the turf, injury prone and hasnt demonstrated an ability to play anywhere other than the midfield.

We've got Haselby... Continue to invest in the draft and it will bare fruits over time.

Thats a strange reason to not draft a player...

The club needs people to win the hard ball and take the physical pressure off our young guys.

Luke Ball would immediately lift our tackling and contested ball winning ability. It would also spare us having to use Solomon and Schammer as much through the stoppages, let alone at all...

He is an ideal role model and guy for Fremantle. I would think the proposition to lead and teach our midfield and launch a premiership assault in his twilight years would be far more appealing than wallowing away at melbourne or richmond.

Fact is Harvey has said we will be after a big fish in the PSD... Would find it highly unlikely we wouldn't go after him...

 

[silverscope]

Unless he nominates for the ND and gets selected around the 20-30's by a melbourne club.

 

[E Shed]

I'd be very happy to have Ball in Purple, but not on a massive contract.

 

[Ysaye]

A lot of people saying Luke Ball is slow - A fit Luke Ball is a fast Luke Ball. From memory he wasn't the fastest timed player in his year, a year that included Chris Judd (Something under 2.90 from memory).

The question is only on his fitness. If it is something that can be rectified, Id be offering him big bucks to join us through the PSD.

 

[salim malik]

Mundy/s spot on, we have our own slow in and under in Hase,dont need another with injury problems.

 

[Chops_a_must]

Mundy/s spot on, we have our own slow in and under in Hase,dont need another with injury problems.

Yep. We can stick to our gun players like Schammer.

Ball would be our second best midfielder by quite a way straight up, which shows where our weakness is.

 

[salim malik]

Yep. We can stick to our gun players like Schammer.

Ball would be our second best midfielder by quite a way straight up, which shows where our weakness is.

At least Schammers not crippled with injury and can get up to play more than 50% game time.
PS Why would the Saints be trying to offload an ex captain and past gun if he doesnt have major injury probs

 

[dominguez]

Some of you blokes need to take your purple coloured blinkers off.

If you asked Luke Ball (or just about any Victorian for that matter) if he'd rather play for Melbourne, Richmond, Fremantle or St Kilda we'd be his 4th option.

 

[salim malik]

Some of you blokes need to take your purple coloured blinkers off.

If you asked Luke Ball (or just about any Victorian for that matter) if he'd rather play for Melbourne, Richmond, Fremantle or St Kilda we'd be his 4th option.

Your right, we would be last cab of the rank although Melbourne and Richmond would be very close in the crap rankings .

 

[estibador]

Some of you blokes need to take your purple coloured blinkers off.

If you asked Luke Ball (or just about any Victorian for that matter) if he'd rather play for Melbourne, Richmond, Fremantle or St Kilda we'd be his 4th option.

How bout you ask him if he'd rather play for 500K a year or 300K a year?

 

[PapaJ]

Dom's got it right, I think we're snow ball's ... I'd say the order of his preference would go:

Saints
Melbourne
Richmond
(other options I've not thought of)
Freo.

However, if that's just my own thoughts and he's happy to come to us, I'd take a good look at him for sure.

 

[PapaJ]

A lot of people saying Luke Ball is slow - A fit Luke Ball is a fast Luke Ball. From memory he wasn't the fastest timed player in his year, a year that included Chris Judd (Something under 2.90 from memory).

The question is only on his fitness. If it is something that can be rectified, Id be offering him big bucks to join us through the PSD.

Yea, you've got that about right. Though we would compare him to Hase, I actually think he's more comparable to Schammer only with more skill. He has (did have) an explosive pace and is a fast user of the ball - he's not going to win a 100m sprint by any means, but he gets out of trouble OK.

I can't remember who said it, but I heard an interview with a coach say that not all speed is about leg speed, players who think quick, make quick and right decisions and get out of congestion quick are just as needed to make a teem 'quick' overall. Ball fits that mould.

 

[Brumbies]

Why?

I dont rate him that highly and he isnt what you'd want on Subi for 11 games a year, and honest battler with no leg speed and average disposal by foot.

Just because he is out of contract and on the market doesnt mean we have to make a play for him.

I'd prefer we continued down the path of the draft.

LOL i laughed at these comments when i read your name. Atleast Ball will give you heart and passion and will take every hit dished up to him. More than i can say about a certain few at Freo.
You can have the qickest team in the comp play at Subi all year long and still get beat by slow teams if ya quick players cant get the ball.

 

[Keys]

How bout you ask him if he'd rather play for 500K a year or 300K a year?

So it's a $200k a year sweetener for suffering the ignomy of playing in purple.

Sounds about right

 

[Chops_a_must]

At least Schammers not crippled with injury and can get up to play more than 50% game time.
PS Why would the Saints be trying to offload an ex captain and past gun if he doesnt have major injury probs

But Schammer is never going to be more than a fringe player, and if he is, we're stuffed. I'd rather he not play 50% of game time.

At least Ball has good decision making and close in skills.

Ball wanted to leave, they didn't initially offer him up.

Schammer's injury history is none too stellar either.

 

[Selggad]

I doubt we will get a look in. Melbourne will snap him up. If he is still available, we'd be mad not to take him. He is 25 and a very good inside player. Our only very good inside player is Hase and he is 28. Ball would provide great support to Hase as well as bringing a much better skill standard to the team and providing midfield leadership to our young guys. Ball is still young enough to fit our player profile.

Comparing Schammer to Ball is like comparing Dodd to Mackie. They play similar positions but that's about it. I like Schammer and admire his spirit and purple passion but in footballing terms he is not a patch on Ball. The bigger question if we do get a crack at Ball would be his willingness to come over here and his commitment if he did.

 

[salim malik]

But Schammer is never going to be more than a fringe player, and if he is, we're stuffed. I'd rather he not play 50% of game time.

At least Ball has good decision making and close in skills.

Ball wanted to leave, they didn't initially offer him up.

Schammer's injury history is none too stellar either.

If Ball was injury free and firing the Saints would have moved heaven and earth to keep him.They didnt,end of story,leave him to Melbourne.

 

[Clay Davis]

If Ball was injury free and firing the Saints would have moved heaven and earth to keep him.They didnt,end of story,leave him to Melbourne.

The Saints want Ball to stay, actually.

 

[silverscope]

The Saints want Ball to stay, actually.

Then way did they take the 3 year deal they offered him off the table???

 

[salim malik]

The Saints want Ball to stay, actually.

Its been a low key token exercise to keep him ,if they wanted him it would have been all stops out and nothing would have stood in their way.Your talking about picking him up in the PSD for nothing for **ck sake,do you think the Saints would let that happen if he was up to speed.Please give us all a break

 

[malpaso]

I can't see any reason why the FFC wouldn't have a word in his ear to see where he's at.

As has been pointed out, Hase is 28, Ball is 25. We bring Ball in and say next year is Hase's last, Ball will take over that inside leadership role. He is also a player that will not suffer a form reversal when playing away.

He is an out and out ball winner in the clearances, get it out to Hill, Mundy or Ibbottson and into the forward line to Pav

No harm in trying We have got to be a better option than Melbourne or Richmond, those clubs stink it up all over the shop.

 

[Gooseman]

It's not all about kicking, he's not overly quick across the turf, injury prone and hasnt demonstrated an ability to play anywhere other than the midfield.

We've got Haselby... Continue to invest in the draft and it will bare fruits over time.

 

[rgauci]

The more i think about it. I think ive changed my mind. Go with the draft. Pick the best available.

 

[Rob]

I can't see any reason why the FFC wouldn't have a word in his ear to see where he's at.

As has been pointed out, Hase is 28, Ball is 25. We bring Ball in and say next year is Hase's last, Ball will take over that inside leadership role. He is also a player that will not suffer a form reversal when playing away.

Exactly. He's not in the same category as Hase because he's a few years younger. I'd hope to at least be looking at finals in 2011 and possibly looking at top 6 in 2012, and by then Hase will probably be gone, or at least playing as a Brad Johnson type forward. Palmer would need to lead our midfield, and he's going to have well under 100 games experience and still be only 22 or 23. A 28 year old Ball would be a huge help.

Our recruiters should be shot if they don't make a serious play for him.