Contract ends June next year, but he really doesn't seem in Chiefy's plans for this season. The last minute signing of Colakovski when he suddenly became available, maybe confirmed that Ball would be mostly on the outer this season.
But hey having Ball around the young players is likely still highly valuable. I mean the last few weeks I'm guessing he's been playing for the reserves alongside Conchie, GSR, Supyk and Brooke-Smith. These youngsters getting an up close look at the consumate old pro in action, putting in a shift even at amateur level. Waine always talked highly of Ball as a role model, for his move to the UK.
However maybe those pre season rumours were right, and Italiano has told Bally he won't be in the first team squad much if at all this season. Mutual termination in January, so Ball can play somewhere in Asia for a season or two? Or does he just see out the season, retire at the end of it, and move into a coaching role somewhere in the club? He'll be 35 next month.
PS - I reckon Myer Bevan wouldn't be a bad short term pickup in January as a squad backup to Kosta and Ishige. Especially if Ball was released. Think someone like Bevan is more ready for the A League than Supyk. Would be keen to see highlights of Bevan's hat trick on the weekend for ACFC.
Looks like Ball is very much focussing on his own academy for kids, doing a good amount of promo work on the socials at the moment. Seems to be taking loads of trips with his own boys as well. You could be right that he isnt in Chief's immediate plans, but if Colakovski doesnt start showing his worth soon Ball maybe getting the call up.
Cola looks good in the appearances I've seen and certainly isn't on any kind of ticking clock to prove his worth given how late he joined the team.
Wouldn't surprise me at this stage if we saw GSR and other youngsters get minutes before Ball does, albeit in different roles.
And that's the thing right, the Nix's financial model is heavily built now on selling their best young talent eventually for transfer fees. But that young talent needs to get actual playing time in the ALM to develop.
So Chiefy balancing that need to win, with developing the kids. Having 35 yr old Ball on the pine is potentially blocking OVH, GSR, Supyk, Brooke-Smith and even the utility Piper from getting valuable cameo appearances. Plus Walker likely back to the bench when Sutton returns. Even Sheridan had mins further forward against the Mariners.
So yeah unless 2 of Kosta, Ishige, Cola or Nagasawa are injured at any point in time, don't see Ball getting much of a look in.
Was always a risk giving him that contract extension, I think it was another 3 years? Could've been 2? But with him being an older visa player and getting such a long contract in A-League terms, theres that risk if they fall off you're now stuck with a visa slot being wasted. I wonder if they had hoped he would've been a local player at least in his last year and probably also didn't think he'd fall off this much given his first couple seasons.
This is early in the season. I think it is a bit like insurance having someone like Bally there if we get a couple of injuries in the top third. He would never let us down, knows how to play and link up with others. I don't mind him being there if needed. This is what's called having quality depth in your squad.
Obviously we don't know what sort of coin he's on but I'd rather be rid and use that via spot for a striker. Both kiwi teams seem a bit light up top.
No the club isnt cash rich so dont think paying out whats left in his contract is an option. As OOE said having him still around isnt a bad option if we get some injuries. Guess they may have been hoping he may have been able to get a gig elsewhere.
I guess a problem now will be that the National League is over, so it'll be hard for him to keep/ continue building his match fitness if we suddenly need to use him down the line with no more reserves matches this year
How many of you guys are coming up for the derby? Would the yellow fever be interested in playing against The Port as a potential curtain raiser? I think that’ll be quite cool. If you are interested let me know and I can pitch it to the AFC bosses
How many of you guys are coming up for the derby? Would the yellow fever be interested in playing against The Port as a potential curtain raiser? I think that’ll be quite cool. If you are interested let me know and I can pitch it to the AFC bosses
I know it's been speculated in this thread before amongst other theories but I am pretty convinced that this is mostly a citizenship application-fueled situation. The timing would make sense as he's been here (presumably as a resident through a work visa) for 5 years, which makes him eligible to apply.
Aside from the residency requirements, there is the expectation that you can demonstrate that you intend on staying in NZ and that you have "built a life here" which his academy would go a long way towards proving. The Nix could also help by issuing a letter of support but this obviously requires that he is an employee of the club (hence his long-ish extension if they knew back then that this was the plan?)
On top of that there is the presence requirement which he might not meet after the Wollongong saga. However, this is somewhat discretionary and - considering that he would have been initially contracted as a NZ-based player - his case manager might have decided that as long as he stays here until the final decision it's all good. Might explain why he hasn't been travelling to Australia for away games at all.
It may also explain why the club haven't really said much about the situation at all. I don't imagine they would put out a statement saying "oh, we're just working through some issues Bally is experiencing cause he's a nice guy and we want to hook him up with citizenship" even if that was exactly what they were doing. Maybe they know he's not up to scratch football-wise but they see the value in having him around as a mentor kind of figure. Maybe having him take up a visa slot at the moment is not ideal but being gracious in supporting his application would solve that problem.
It really looks like Ball and his family are quite settled and happy with life in NZ and that they'd be keen to stick around regardless of what is happening with his football career. This is not to say he wouldn't leave in January but I think that would depend a lot on the outcome of his application. It's possible his plan is to become a kiwi, go elsewhere for a couple of years to finish off his playing career and come back here to his academy?
I have a wholly untested theory. Maybe the rumours that came out just before the start of the season were true and Ball really wasn't in the team's plans anymore. Maybe his contract was renegotiated down so that we could still keep him which helps him to get NZ citizenship. This way everyone wins, he gets his passport and the Nix get to keep him as a squaddie and in the team set up once he hangs his boots... Or maybe he's just out of form and isn't being picked...
Either way, the visa spot is better spent elsewhere in January - I think most can agree with that at this point.
Only if there is the money to do so no point at all just using it for the sake of doing so thats if it becomes available. Not sure if it still happening but last time i went up to training about 4 weeks ago he was taking part.
I have a wholly untested theory. Maybe the rumours that came out just before the start of the season were true and Ball really wasn't in the team's plans anymore. Maybe his contract was renegotiated down so that we could still keep him which helps him to get NZ citizenship. This way everyone wins, he gets his passport and the Nix get to keep him as a squaddie and in the team set up once he hangs his boots... Or maybe he's just out of form and isn't being picked...
Not a bad theory. The club helps him get his citizenship - it's pretty clear the family are settled here and arent going anywhere. Help him set up his academy and use him as a coach in the future like they did with Greenie (although he had retired from playing officially).
Ball has served the club well and I think most supporters would want the club to do all it can to help him get his citizenship. He is certainly more deserving than these shysters who gain citizenship and rip off their fellow countrymen with dubious emplyment scamstheprof
newzealandpower
I have a wholly untested theory. Maybe the rumours that came out just before the start of the season were true and Ball really wasn't in the team's plans anymore. Maybe his contract was renegotiated down so that we could still keep him which helps him to get NZ citizenship. This way everyone wins, he gets his passport and the Nix get to keep him as a squaddie and in the team set up once he hangs his boots... Or maybe he's just out of form and isn't being picked...
Not a bad theory. The club helps him get his citizenship - it's pretty clear the family are settled here and arent going anywhere. Help him set up his academy and use him as a coach in the future like they did with Greenie (although he had retired from playing officially).
I thought there might have been some quid pro quo with the end of a season where he played through pain and on pain killers too when we were short of players, even though that might not have been the best thing to do?
Sorry, if that's the case, that is ridiculous. It's a professional football club. Give him a backroom gig, sure, but impacting our playing squad just for a favour? I don't believe that.
I'd be very surprised if it isn't any more than a 35 yo doesn't really suit the high mobility transitional style Cheify is trying to play. The drop off in pace/acceleration can be pretty stark and the club will have a lot of GPS data to understand that. And IIRC his minutes started to drop off late last season.
Fwiw i think he probably deserves a bench spot, but I can see why more some younger players who will definitely be here next season are getting the experience/opportunity.
And I don't think just because you've been at a club a long time means you get any kind of special treatment. Arguably we should have made some tough decisions on Durante well before he snaked us.
What ever the true situation is with Ball i dont think the club has handled the communications very well. Its not great to have so much speculation going on. Its a distraction for everone and a bit of a PR disaster. It shouldnt be up to Chiefy, the clubs senior management need to step up.
Before i start let me state im a David Ball fan and always appreciate his openess when having achat. Agree dosnt deserve special treatment but dont agree he should be frozen out the way he has been with some no longer talking to him. He did the team some favors by playing with injury when he probably shouldnt have and then playing in positions he wasnt totally comfortable with because it was "good for the team" . Yes we are a professional team but that dosnt mean you have to treat players in this way especially someone who even despite his current situation is offering encouragement and support to the younger players.
We are questioning Ball missing on the field not because we play fast transition football and we think he is the right fit. We questioning Ball’s return for a lack of believe on the field because many of us think his experience as a senior player could lift the squad overall.
We are questioning Ball missing on the field not because we play fast transition football and we think he is the right fit. We questioning Ball’s return for a lack of believe on the field because many of us think his experience as a senior player could lift the squad overall.
I would agree with the above. At the time of the interview Chiefy said he treats Ball as he would anyone else, and he needs to compete for his spot. If the speed, fitness or conditioning are an issue, Chiefy could say "OK, he does not have 90 min in him anymore" - and that would be fair. But what he is saying (or not saying, which is even worse) is that Ball does not offer him anything, even as a potential sub likely to win us games late. But I think that what David Ball could still offer right now is a better footballing brain on the field of play. A better understanding of where other players are and where they can be next minute. He is better at that than at least some of the newer players that we expect to win games for us right now. For my money, he could still do that from 60-70 minute of the game, more than any youngster could. If I am being overly optimistic (since we have not seen him on the field in months) feel free to disagree. This all makes me think it is a simple question of Ball getting in the way of young player promotion, development and sell-off down the track, if he takes a space on the bench. It has nothing to do with us winning games.
Actually, getting outplayed quite a bit these days
