Ball's fate still up in the air

FORMER St Kilda captain Luke Ball will be the first player with AFL experience selected in this year's NAB AFL Draft, but where he ends up remains one of the most intriguing pieces of the November 26 puzzle.

Ball was officially included among delisted AFL players who had to nominate for this year's main draft by Wednesday's 2pm deadline, meaning there is no chance of him slipping through to the NAB AFL Pre-Season Draft in December.

The Demons tried to lure Ball via the December draft, although they are still in the mix to secure him with No.18 next Thursday.

But after almost being traded to Collingwood during the October trade period, Ball has continued to be strongly linked to the Pies, with Essendon and Melbourne seemingly next in line. 

With Ball unlikely to be selected by any club with its first-round selection, Essendon, with picks No.24 and No.26 appear to be in the box seat.

However, it the Bombers overlook him Collingwood could swoop with its No.30 selection.

Brisbane Lions coach Michael Voss revealed to the media over the weekend that his club would consider Ball at No.27, further muddying the waters.

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.