Injury Forces Ball To Stand Down As Co-captain

The Age

Friday February 8, 2008

Martin Blake

FAMOUSLY brave on the field, Luke Ball has made an off-field call that took some courage as well. Ball, 23, yesterday stepped down as a co-captain of St Kilda after two years, saying that he wanted to focus on regaining his form as a player.

The decision reflects growing concerns about the midfielder after two seasons in which he battled the dreaded osteitis pubis. It will leave Lenny Hayes and Nick Riewoldt as co-captains for 2008.

Ball was an All-Australian in 2005, only his fourth season, but has not managed a top-10 finish in St Kilda' best and fairest in the two seasons since. He had a double adductor release in the off-season to relieve pressure on his groins.

"It probably won't come as a huge surprise to everyone," Ball said. "It's certainly a decision I've thought about a lot, and I haven't taken lightly.

"I just felt where I'm at at the moment, personally, I just need to get my fitness right and my body right, hopefully getting back to the playing levels that I can. That'll help myself and the team."

Coach Ross Lyon said it was a selfless decision.

"It's not a decision he took lightly. It's in the context of the battles he's been fighting to get himself 100% fit, and the abnormal exposure he gets as captain when you probably don't need it at times.

"He's an elite player who's trying to get back to his best form, and he doesn't want anything that interferes with that. He helps the team by getting back to his best. The rationale's pretty clear."

Lyon said Ball had been honest about his fitness.

"What's got him into trouble is he's put the team first always. Great players don't always tell you exactly where they're at.

"They're so brave that in the end, they can put themselves in situations where they're not able to perform at their best and they don't whinge or complain. It makes for a difficult situation. There's plenty of blokes who have done it. They're almost too brave for their own good."

Ball will not play until at least the second round of AFL practice matches, and may even have a full game with Casey Scorpions before the first home-and-away game to improve his match fitness. But he has sparkled on the track in recent times.

Lyon said the Saints were working through the selection of their leadership group after a vote at the team camp in Ballarat during the week. Ball is certain to remain in that group.

Lyon said he was comfortable having Riewoldt and Hayes as nominal heads of the team.

"We expect everyone to lead at the footy club. It hasn't been a priority for us. I'm comfortable with where it sits and who we've got."

© 2008 The Age

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