Drake Huggins wrote:A harsh assessment by me, but i can't get past tbe circumstances in which left, shafting us, with the filth's significant assistance. I agree with SP. Ball was on his way to the filth during the 2009 season. He betrayed the club and his mates he'd pledged his loyalty to. Sure, he's allowed to seek the best deal possible, it's just the way he went about it that says so much. He was a very good player, not a great one. Not even close to Judd. What might have been.
My understanding was that there was an issue with Ball's inability to recuperate after a game in a timely fashion which meant he couldn't sustain his fitness level (from pre-season).
The fitness staff devised the plan which saw him dropped mid season from the senior team to concentrate on a 'block' of training to recapture fitness. What transpired after that I don't know but Ball was well aware of the 'fitness plan'.
Personally I have no problem with any player making decisions on where they want to play.
BUT, the way Ball allowed his management to 'belittle' our Club and Coach and his subsequent actions in getting to Collingwood left a very bad image of his character in my mind.
There is no doubt in my mind that Ball decided his future lay at Collingwood and then proceeded to do everything/anything to get there.
St. Kilda, the club he 'bled for' and who looked after him so well was totally ignored by him (and his management) in his desire to get what he wanted.
History has judged him as a Collingwood premiership player, so his departure certainly gave him what he wanted.
Maybe if he had gone through what the Saints had asked of him he would have been a St Kilda premiership player and lauded by all Saints fans?