Lions willing to pick reluctant Ball in draft: Voss

THE BRISBANE Lions have indicated they would be interested in securing the services of Luke Ball at the NAB AFL Draft on November 26, despite the player indicating he would like to stay in Melbourne and preferably play for Collingwood.

Brisbane Lions coach Michael Voss told The Sunday Age that his club would be prepared to draft the former St Kilda captain with pick No.27.

“As far as I’m concerned, he [Ball] is very much in our plans,” Voss said. “I respectfully realise that players have their wishes, but my job is to focus on what’s best for my football club and if he’s still available and all the planets are aligned, we will do what is best for Brisbane.”

While Melbourne has four picks in the first 18, it has indicated it will not use any of these picks on Ball.

Collingwood doesn’t have a draft selection until pick No.30 and appears to be out of the running for Ball with Essendon able to use picks 10, 24 and 26, with indications being they would use either 24 or 26 to secure Ball before the Lions or the Pies.

Voss said the Lions had a history of recruiting players that didn’t want to make the trip to Brisbane and turning them into success stories.

“If the talent is available, then you have to look very seriously at taking it,” Voss said. “Craig Lambert is a classic example of a player who didn’t want to come here and I still can’t get rid of him.

“Craig came here in 1994 and he tells me all the time how much he never wanted to come here. So I certainly haven’t discounted ‘Bally’.

“I like him as a player and I’m told by my brother [former Saint Brett Voss] that he has terrific leadership value as well.”

Log on to afl.com.au on D-day, Thursday, November 26, for the most comprehensive coverage of the 2009 NAB AFL Draft. We’ll have live chats, live audio streams, in-depth player profiles, club reaction and our famous afl.com.au Draft Tracker.