Luke Ball & That Groin - Herald Sun

[SaintBot]

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/ ... 22,00.html

[Dan Warna]

Im excited.

I've been a luke ball fan for years.

the idea that luke ball is going to be much better than he has been in 06 and 07 when he was very good, is gobsmackingly exciting.

luke ball injured = very good, even one step out of being elite.

luke ball uninjured = beware!!!!!!

[Solar]

interestingly he talks about OP being a continous injury that can still be there even when there is no effects from it. Anyone know if you could ever SHAKE op, ie fully recover or is it like having cancer and being in remission (in the sense that it might come back down the track)?

I don't know about the pace issue but just the ability to run out games is what ball needs. Suprised he is doing so much running, that is a great sign

[Oh When the Saints]

Talking to someone with experience with this injury, the key for Ball is the extent to which he can increase his running load without any side effects.

Part of the reason his form dropped off slightly is because his pre-seasons and training during the season have been restricted, meaning his fitness base is poor compared with other midfielders.

[saintsRrising]

Anyone know if you could ever SHAKE op, ie fully recover or is it like having cancer and being in remission (in the sense that it might come back down the track)?

I can't answer specifically that question....but I can state as a fact that my brother in law had the same abductor release operation that Ball has had some time back early in his professional football (soccer) career and he went on to play his best football afterwards including many caps for Australia.

This type of problem and operation has been common in soccer for some time.

[St Igmata]

Anyone know if you could ever SHAKE op, ie fully recover or is it like having cancer and being in remission (in the sense that it might come back down the track)?

I can't answer specifically that question....but I can state as a fact that my brother in law had the same abductor release operation that Ball has had some time back early in his professional football (soccer) career and he went on to play his best football afterwards including many caps for Australia.

This type of problem and operation has been common in soccer for some time.

You cannot confuse the OP with the abductor release.
They are two seperate injuries and Ball has had them concurrently.
The abductor release is similar to Jon Brown and Judd.
OP is always present. It degenerates the muscles around the groin and the bone.

You can possibly treat it but it cannot be cured.

[riccardo]

All I can say is he is looking super fit (but aren't they all in the off-season.)

Can't wait to see him at 100% again, the oppo won't know whats hit them.

Good luck to his brother, too nominating for the draft.

[saintsRrising]

Anyone know if you could ever SHAKE op, ie fully recover or is it like having cancer and being in remission (in the sense that it might come back down the track)?

I can't answer specifically that question....but I can state as a fact that my brother in law had the same abductor release operation that Ball has had some time back early in his professional football (soccer) career and he went on to play his best football afterwards including many caps for Australia.

This type of problem and operation has been common in soccer for some time.

You cannot confuse the OP with the abductor release.
They are two seperate injuries and Ball has had them concurrently.
The abductor release is similar to Jon Brown and Judd.
OP is always present. It degenerates the muscles around the groin and the bone.

You can possibly treat it but it cannot be cured.

My comments were specifically about his abductor release operation and not his OP.

i also spoke with an ex-saints club Doc about the operation before Ball had it and he said the likely outcome would be good.

Unfortunately I did not think to ask him about his OP.....

[iceman]

You cannot confuse the OP with the abductor release.
They are two seperate injuries and Ball has had them concurrently.
The abductor release is similar to Jon Brown and Judd.
OP is always present. It degenerates the muscles around the groin and the bone.

You can possibly treat it but it cannot be cured.

Of course OP can be cured, it's not a degeneration disease, but a muscular and pelvic imbalance. Don't know where your getting your facts from mate.

[ausfatcat]

You cannot confuse the OP with the abductor release.
They are two seperate injuries and Ball has had them concurrently.
The abductor release is similar to Jon Brown and Judd.
OP is always present. It degenerates the muscles around the groin and the bone.

You can possibly treat it but it cannot be cured.

Of course OP can be cured, it's not a degeneration disease, but a muscular and pelvic imbalance. Don't know where your getting your facts from mate.

don't forget the aductor muscle problem was caused by OP (because of the over compensation) but yet a seperate injury but related?

[Barney2]

You cannot confuse the OP with the abductor release.
They are two seperate injuries and Ball has had them concurrently.
The abductor release is similar to Jon Brown and Judd.
OP is always present. It degenerates the muscles around the groin and the bone.

You can possibly treat it but it cannot be cured.

Of course OP can be cured, it's not a degeneration disease, but a muscular and pelvic imbalance. Don't know where your getting your facts from mate.

Relax mate. Everyone entitled to opinions

[Bernard Shakey]

Has Bally been kidnapped?

All this talk of abductors has me confused. Apparently adduct is the opposite of abduct.

Which is it?

[iceman]

Relax mate. Everyone entitled to opinions

Thats fair enough, but why state:

'OP is always present. It degenerates the muscles around the groin and the bone.

You can possibly treat it but it cannot be cured.'

and make it sound like fact when it's not, I wasn't having a dig, just want to know whos is telling him it can't be fixed!

[stinger]

Has Bally been kidnapped?

All this talk of abductors has me confused. Apparently adduct is the opposite of abduct.

Which is it?

[HarveysDeciple]

don't underestimate the enormous bonus a fully fit Luke Ball would be to St.Kilda.

Won a best and fairest 2 years back, with strong burst speed allowing him to break clear of traffic, and terrific short foot skills and a reasonably good long kick for goal.

If we get this player back it will bolster our midfield enormously. Bally was reduced to an in and under work horse in the last 2 seasons.

Some don't even have him in the top 10 from his draft anymore,
if he regains full fitness, he will be back in the top 5 in their eyes.

[battye]

luke ball injured = very good, even one step out of being elite.

luke ball uninjured = beware!!!!!!

Not disputing the second line, but to say that Luke Ball was one step away from being elite in 2007 is going too far IMO.

There were some games where he simply shouldn't have been playing, his (injured) form was so bad.

Let's hope like crazy he will be 110% fit for 2008!

[Dan Warna]

luke ball injured = very good, even one step out of being elite.

luke ball uninjured = beware!!!!!!

Not disputing the second line, but to say that Luke Ball was one step away from being elite in 2007 is going too far IMO.

There were some games where he simply shouldn't have been playing, his (injured) form was so bad.

Let's hope like crazy he will be 110% fit for 2008!

concur, came back too early from that brutal head injury, should never have been selected, should never have got passed the medical staff.

after mid year his form was definately A class.

sure no depth in his kicking but skills and courage to die in the packs and clinches.

[battye]

sure no depth in his kicking but skills and courage to die in the packs and clinches.

Bally is about the most courageous player in the league for mine. Once he gets some distance back in his kick, watch out!

[karnak]

We are yet to see the best of Luke Ball.

He is stronger now than he has ever been,

he nees 2 things to improve massively. His burst speed and longer kicking.

[saint66au]

We are yet to see the best of Luke Ball.

He is stronger now than he has ever been,

he nees 2 things to improve massively. His burst speed and longer kicking.

Ahh no, I distinctly remember some ppl posting here during the season that we have seen the best of Bally already, and that Judd and Hodge will streak away from him...someone even suggested a trade I think

[spiral2]

I just hope that if he does regain his form of a couple of years ago, that he isn't heavily targeted by opposition sides, like in his band-aid year.
sure he played a great, courageous year but he got totally smashed

if he bobs up this season, I hope his team mates can offer him more protection and that he has learnt ways of minimising high hits in the pack

would be great if Bally can get back to his best
with Bally and Lenny at the top of their game and joey & banger firing, Dal might get some nice opportunities to cut loose. he is easily the most damaging midfielder in the side and did better against tags this year. look out if he gets more of a free reign this year!

hopefully X will get some run through the middle if he can get a full preseason under his belt (I think he will). creative and courageous player with excellent field kicking skills (pity he can't kick a goal to save his life... .

back to Bally - any of the more medically minded posters know how power and speed recover from this operation? Is he likely to get both back, will it take a while?

[rodgerfox]

Luke Ball had the ability to be elite comfortably.

But to be frank, what I've seen of him during his career so far (bar the first half of 05) have not impressed me much.

He's a battler. A plodder. A glorified Stephen Powell.

It's an absolute tragedy (in footballing terms) that injury has robbed him to date of what would have been 4 years of elite football.

He'd be a premiership player if his groin wasn't stuffed.
He'd be mentioned among the greats already.

But to date, in my book, he's not even close.

He's a gutsy, tough, defensive on-baller. Not much more.

Let's hope this surgery works.

[spiral2]

what do you do for a crust Rodg, beekeeper, matador?

[Oh When the Saints]

Unfortunately, and it makes me feel awful for Ball's sake, but rodgerfox has given a brutally honest assessment.

It's the truth.

[Solar]

was a gun by the age of 20 but injury has killed him in the last 3 years. I remember in his first season he would bang them through from 55 and be disapointed if they were not 100% perfect, could kick both feet and would rack up tons of posies.

What we also need is some tough bodies around the ball to allow bally to use his skills and not get punished so much. powell used to do this so well. perhaps birss or fish need to take this on. In fact the more i think about it the more I like the idea of fish in the midfield if he can develop this during the preseason