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Mr Magic wrote:Barks, as I have posted on numerous occasions (every time this topic arises) over the last 12 months, I was at an evening 'meeting' at Moorabbin where GT, Rendell, Bailey and others were in attendance.
It was part of a group called 'The Thommo Club' and it was a night where abot 60 people got to discuss a topic with GT and his team.
The topic of the night was RECRUITING and John Beveridge was there.
The inevitable question about Ball/Judd arose and Beveridge ansered that teh Club wanted both players - it did not rate either higher than the other.
Hawthorn had pick 1 - took Hodge well before draft day.
We had picks 2 & 5
WCE had picks 3 & 6
Freo had pick 4.
WCE indicated they were going to take Ball with pick 3 because Judd was of no ionterest to them - bad shoulders.
Freo had indicated they were going to take neither Ball nor Judd with their pick.
We therfore took Ball with pick 2, thinking we would then get Judd with pick 5, under the assumption that neither WCE nor Freo would pick him.
WCE conned us out of Judd.
It had nothing to do with GT or RB or JB or anybody else.
By all means blame GT for things he did, but don't blame him for things he had nothing to do with.
i can add to that from a westcoast offical they were also unsure picking judd the way they saw the draft was going to be hodge pick one then who ever we would take they were looking at picking up polak as an answer to there lack of forwards ,freo had already told Sampie he was going to be in purple but on the day of the draft rumour has it a Westcoast offical took polaks name off the West coast agenda and west coast were going to pick either Judd or Ball with thier first pick what ever one we didnt pick freo couldnt belive their luck when Polak (touted as the best KPP ) was there for pick 4 so cut sampi and went for him so we werent conned into anything had we picked judd first ball would be in blue and yellow simple as that
in hinesite if you look at the facilitys at WC compaired to St Kilda and the fact we play over half our games on a parking lot and WC play half their games on the lush Subi oval . take into fact both judd and ball eventually surcumed to OP theres nothing to say had we picked judd his path would of gone the way of luke ball's in regard to injury cutting him down from his best and Ball not taking the judd path being touted the best player ever .
in the end we cant be too upset we got luke and he will be a 200+ game player for us and when you concider the average for players drafted picking up a 200 game player is never a loss imo
"The team that wins in the most positions and makes the least amount of mistakes, usually wins the game." -- Allan Jeans
congorozides wrote:
i assume this message is a joke.
un bally already plays like an old man. cant run. cant kick. only thing he has is his nous.
and i can only asssume your reply is a joke...either that or you don't know much about football.......ball had major surgery ffs......
yes he did have major surgery. and now plays like an old man. this is noones fault and im not blaming recruiters. i thought the thread was about who you would take today?
clearly ball was an awesome player in 2005. so if the thread was about who we shouldve taken in the draft then its a silly thread because Ball was awesome at this stage. just bad luck about his OP. noones fault.
Last edited by congorozides on Wed 16 Apr 2008 2:48pm, edited 1 time in total.
The Oracale wrote:Butterss also thought Joel Reynolds was worthy of a top #10 selection - how right he was
Hindsight is a beautifull thing.
well who knew luke molan was going to be star? and how's sampi going at the moment? Caydn Beetham no.9 wasn't it? and jude bolton has a premiership medal but didn't he get selected ahead of hayes? didn' st kilda rate jude ahead of hayes?
20/20 hindsight is great.
Bewaire krime, da krimson bolt is comeing to yure nayborhood to smach krime
The Oracale wrote:Butterss also thought Joel Reynolds was worthy of a top #10 selection - how right he was
Hindsight is a beautifull thing.
well who knew luke molan was going to be star? and how's sampi going at the moment? Caydn Beetham no.9 wasn't it? and jude bolton has a premiership medal but didn't he get selected ahead of hayes? didn' st kilda rate jude ahead of hayes?
20/20 hindsight is great.
Given his junior form - Luke Molan and Sampi were justified selections.
congorozides wrote:[Ball] now plays like an old man.
Maybe last year. Welcome to 2008. Ball can run again.
Am I right in saying that the lack of player management over the past years has ruined Ball to become the superstar he should be.
Not unless you are calling our doctor Ian Stone incompetant.
No, but I fail to understand how you see a player not able to stand after a game two years ago, being picked weekly. And now well behind in excelling, compared to Judd and Hodge.
I honestly don't blame Ian at all, i believe, like all at the club in those days, they were over ridden.
congorozides wrote:[Ball] now plays like an old man.
Maybe last year. Welcome to 2008. Ball can run again.
Am I right in saying that the lack of player management over the past years has ruined Ball to become the superstar he should be.
Not unless you are calling our doctor Ian Stone incompetant.
No, but I fail to understand how you see a player not able to stand after a game two years ago, being picked weekly. And now well behind in excelling, compared to Judd and Hodge.
I honestly don't blame Ian at all, i believe, like all at the club in those days, they were over ridden.
Well I would doubt that very much unless you think Bally is stupid.
TO be fair, I'm pretty sure I read somewhere where Bally said he was offered corrective surgery but elected to try and 'tough it out' for the last 2 years.
congorozides wrote:[Ball] now plays like an old man.
Maybe last year. Welcome to 2008. Ball can run again.
Am I right in saying that the lack of player management over the past years has ruined Ball to become the superstar he should be.
Not unless you are calling our doctor Ian Stone incompetant.
No, but I fail to understand how you see a player not able to stand after a game two years ago, being picked weekly. And now well behind in excelling, compared to Judd and Hodge.
I honestly don't blame Ian at all, i believe, like all at the club in those days, they were over ridden.
Well I would doubt that very much unless you think Bally is stupid.
What do you doubt this time? I am only telling you what was clear to every one. Ball couldn't even get up, but you should have seen that you have two eyes.
Mr Magic wrote:TO be fair, I'm pretty sure I read somewhere where Bally said he was offered corrective surgery but elected to try and 'tough it out' for the last 2 years.
I'm fairly sure sure he opted not to have the surgery after 2006 for reasons I don't understand. Don't know about 2005. What I don't understand is, there are plenty of people at this club who have had that preocedure done and are better off for it. I don't understand Ball's reluctance to go under the knife.
I reckon every player who has tried to tough it out through an OP type injury (whether it's OP or not) has ended up worse off for it. Ball, Hasleby, maybe even Judd. Anyone else? Is there anyone who toughed it out and ended up just fine without surgery? Is there anybody who had the surgery that ended up worse off in the long run?
