The 28-year-old collected 15 possessions and laid six tackles in his side's six-point win over Geelong on Saturday night.
While he wasn't the most influential player on the ground, coach Nathan Buckley was clearly thrilled the midfielder escaped unscathed.
"He pulled up well," Buckley said on Saturday night.
"I'm not sure what his game time was - I think it was around 80 percent. He didn't have big numbers at half time, and we were actually contemplating whether he was the one to sub, just with his first game back.
"But to end up playing for the four quarters was excellent for us."
Ball's leadership when the game was in the balance drew high praise from Buckley.
"You can't define what he brings to his teammates with any kicks, marks, handballs or any stats, it's that intangible," Buckley said.
"It's (his) great leadership, his drive, his will to win, especially when the game's on the line, (that's when) he generally has an impact. He was fantastic for us and he'll just get better week to week."
Teammate Scott Pendlebury was rapt to be able to line up alongside Ball once again.
"It was great to have him back out there," Pendlebury said.
"You know what you're going to get with ‘Bally’ - such a competitor. It's good to have him back, and hopefully he can stay out there for the rest of the year this time."
Jacqui Reed is a reporter with AFL Media. Follow her on Twitter @JacquiReedAFL
