Retirements - 2014

[amber_fluid]

Luke Ball....

Never rated this bloke.
Coz he was taken in the same draft as Judd and Hodge he is mentioned in the same breathe..........Please!!
A good average player at best.

Please tell me you're taking the p1ss. Not his fault he was in the same draft as Hodge & Judd. No one ever called him a superstar, but I reckon if you ask the Saints & then Pies how they rate him, I dare say words like totally committed, never pulled out of a contest, made everyone around him better, fantastic club man, respected by the opposition - these blokes are diamonds at a footy club.
"good average player" is an insult and plain wrong.

All the traits you mentioned add up to a great bloke and a good team player....and from all reports and by the way you hear him speak, he is obviously that.
But anything more than a average player.......he ain't IMO!!

[gadj1976]

Luke Ball....

Never rated this bloke.
Coz he was taken in the same draft as Judd and Hodge he is mentioned in the same breathe..........Please!!
A good average player at best.

Please tell me you're taking the p1ss. Not his fault he was in the same draft as Hodge & Judd. No one ever called him a superstar, but I reckon if you ask the Saints & then Pies how they rate him, I dare say words like totally committed, never pulled out of a contest, made everyone around him better, fantastic club man, respected by the opposition - these blokes are diamonds at a footy club.
"good average player" is an insult and plain wrong.

All the traits you mentioned add up to a great bloke and a good team player....and from all reports and by the way you hear him speak, he is obviously that.
But anything more than a average player.......he ain't IMO!!

Careful, he might be playing for us next year.

[amber_fluid]

Maybe Juddy can take him under his wing and take him from a good average player to a superstar!!

[Spargo]

Maybe Juddy can take him under his wing and take him from a good average player to a superstar!!

I wouldn't have thought - even Juddy went backwards pulling on that guernsey.

[amber_fluid]

Maybe Juddy can take him under his wing and take him from a good average player to a superstar!!

I wouldn't have thought - even Juddy went backwards pulling on that guernsey.

He did win another Brownlow though.
And considering he left the eagles as the best player in the comp there was only one way that he could go.

[Ron Burgundy]

I'm very much a stats man, and alot of the time they tell the story.
But sometimes they dont.

Luke Ball

Averages 20.4 possessions per game. 12% of these are clangers.
4 clearances, and 5.5 tackles per game.
39 career brownlow votes with a high of 9 in a season (2005)
One time all australian. (2005) One time best and fairest. (2005)

These arent the numbers of a star. Not the numbers of a dud. But a good player.
Perhaps overhyped, as above, due to the super draft. And the fact he is at a Melbourne based club.

But does he deserve the adulation of the football community. In my opinion, Yes.

Good player yes. But a team needs more than good players. Some blokes with the intangible. To lift teams.
He lifts his teams. He leads. He is a role model and a pillar of the footy community.

Luke Ball. Well Played.

[amber_fluid]

I'm very much a stats man, and alot of the time they tell the story.
But sometimes they dont.

Luke Ball

Averages 20.4 possessions per game. 12% of these are clangers.
4 clearances, and 5.5 tackles per game.
39 career brownlow votes with a high of 9 in a season (2005)
One time all australian. (2005) One time best and fairest. (2005)

These arent the numbers of a star. Not the numbers of a dud. But a good player.
Perhaps overhyped, as above, due to the super draft. And the fact he is at a Melbourne based club.

But does he deserve the adulation of the football community. In my opinion, Yes.

Good player yes. But a team needs more than good players. Some blokes with the intangible. To lift teams.
He lifts his teams. He leads. He is a role model and a pillar of the footy community.

Luke Ball. Well Played.

Yeah good post.
Not every player can retire a superstar.

[Rik E Boy]

I'll remember Luke Ball for a couple of things. I remember one time watching a Saints game and the poor bastard had OP something bad. They showed him trying to stand up and he was in absolute agony. Walking would have been a big ask but out there he went in the second half and played AFL Football. Guts and Determination.

Then there was the strange way his exit was handled at St Kilda. For some reason Lyon seemed to go off him. He wasn't getting as much game time in that massive season in 2009 but he made a difference against Geelong in the Granny when he was finally brought on. They then played silly buggers and Collingwood snapped him up. In the end Ball deservedly became a premiership player and against his former club to boot.

Guts, determination and in the end...glory. A fine career.

regards,

REB

[Rik E Boy]

Maybe Juddy can take him under his wing and take him from a good average player to a superstar!!

I wouldn't have thought - even Juddy went backwards pulling on that guernsey.

He did win another Brownlow though.
And considering he left the eagles as the best player in the comp there was only one way that he could go.

Speaking of hype.

Cuzzy>Judd.

regards,

REB

[amber_fluid]

Maybe Juddy can take him under his wing and take him from a good average player to a superstar!!

I wouldn't have thought - even Juddy went backwards pulling on that guernsey.

He did win another Brownlow though.
And considering he left the eagles as the best player in the comp there was only one way that he could go.

Speaking of hype.

Cuzzy>Judd.

regards,

REB

pumped full of drugs.....he probably was.
Unaided....I don't think so.

[Jim05]

Collingwood CEO Gary Pert confirmed tonight that allthough it was Ball's decision to retire he was given a push by Buckley. Said that Buckley told him he had played him this year instead of kids like Kennedy and that next year the kids would be playing and Ball would play the majority of the year in the Ressies. He asked him if he really wanted to go through back surgery just to spend his time in the VFL

[dedja]

Happy for Collingwood to continue to pick Ball and then Benno can come back to the Bays ...

[Jim05]

Happy for Collingwood to continue to pick Ball and then Benno can come back to the Bays ...

More chance he will sign for the Crows and play against Glenelg lol

[gadj1976]

Collingwood CEO Gary Pert confirmed tonight that allthough it was Ball's decision to retire he was given a push by Buckley. Said that Buckley told him he had played him this year instead of kids like Kennedy and that next year the kids would be playing and Ball would play the majority of the year in the Ressies. He asked him if he really wanted to go through back surgery just to spend his time in the VFL

Hehehe. I still find that difficult to believe because at the end of the day, everyone screams about having leaders around the club/onfield leadership. And when the kids go through the troughs, they'll need leaders to stand up and play in the league. Without those blokes there, they have to rely on pick 47 of the 2013 draft (ie, some spud).

The mentality of the AFL clubs is stupid, just plain stupid. Western Bulldogs did it better (not well) with Gia. Having Ball in your best 22 in round 23 and then saying there isn't a spot for you next year is DUMB. Utilise the guy FFS.

[Dogwatcher]

Collingwood CEO Gary Pert confirmed tonight that allthough it was Ball's decision to retire he was given a push by Buckley. Said that Buckley told him he had played him this year instead of kids like Kennedy and that next year the kids would be playing and Ball would play the majority of the year in the Ressies. He asked him if he really wanted to go through back surgery just to spend his time in the VFL

Hehehe. I still find that difficult to believe because at the end of the day, everyone screams about having leaders around the club/onfield leadership. And when the kids go through the troughs, they'll need leaders to stand up and play in the league. Without those blokes there, they have to rely on pick 47 of the 2013 draft (ie, some spud).

The mentality of the AFL clubs is stupid, just plain stupid. Western Bulldogs did it better (not well) with Gia. Having Ball in your best 22 in round 23 and then saying there isn't a spot for you next year is DUMB. Utilise the guy FFS.

Bullies got rid of Cross last season...there was leadership, right there.

Ball's shagged and he knows it. You could see that on Friday night. He's made the right decision, as sad as it is.

[saintal]

Jones and Gwilt also StK retirees.

[Jim05]

Jones and Gwilt also StK retirees.

Didnt retire, got the DCM

[saintal]

Jones and Gwilt also StK retirees.

Didnt retire, got the DCM

Yeah, appears that way. Similar to when Lyon made the retirement decision for Stevie Baker post match.

Gwilt had a poor year, very error prone and missed Fisher's support, while Jones for all his limitations was servicable.

[bennymacca]

Guess it's not worth persisting with 28 year olds that aren't in your top half dozen players if you are st Kilda

[gadj1976]

Collingwood CEO Gary Pert confirmed tonight that allthough it was Ball's decision to retire he was given a push by Buckley. Said that Buckley told him he had played him this year instead of kids like Kennedy and that next year the kids would be playing and Ball would play the majority of the year in the Ressies. He asked him if he really wanted to go through back surgery just to spend his time in the VFL

Hehehe. I still find that difficult to believe because at the end of the day, everyone screams about having leaders around the club/onfield leadership. And when the kids go through the troughs, they'll need leaders to stand up and play in the league. Without those blokes there, they have to rely on pick 47 of the 2013 draft (ie, some spud).

The mentality of the AFL clubs is stupid, just plain stupid. Western Bulldogs did it better (not well) with Gia. Having Ball in your best 22 in round 23 and then saying there isn't a spot for you next year is DUMB. Utilise the guy FFS.

Bullies got rid of Cross last season...there was leadership, right there.

Ball's shagged and he knows it. You could see that on Friday night. He's made the right decision, as sad as it is.

Don't agree. In any side when you're beaten by 10 plus goals, you look ordinary/slow. In a good side, he's still worthwhile persisting with.