Free agency would have helped Ball: manager

LUKE Ball's manager Paul Connors says the fact that his man got to the club of his choice enhances the idea of free agency rather than hurting it.

Ball parted ways with St Kilda when he asked to be traded to Collingwood, but when the Pies offered pick 30, the Saints declined to deal, saying it wasn't enough.

Evidently the other clubs disagreed, and the Magpies used that very pick to select him, despite pre-draft talk linking him to Melbourne, the Brisbane Lions and Essendon, as well as the Pies.

Connors said the process Ball was put through simply showed that free agency had to be something the League embraced.

"I think it only enhances free agency," Connors said. "Luke's been put through a difficult six weeks, and I think that free agency, for someone like Luke who's served his club for eight terrific years, deserves the opportunity to be able to go to a club of his choice if he was out of contract.

Ball is a former captain and best-and-fairest winner at the Saints, and Connors said after the deal was done that he thought a player of Ball's stature deserved better than having to throw himself into the uncertainty of the draft.

"It's been a long six weeks and it's provided good copy for you guys [the media]," he said. "I'm thrilled for Luke - he nominated for the draft, he understood what the process was.

"He believes Melbourne has got a terrific future, but he just feels he's got an opportunity to make a difference in Collingwood's midfield.

"It's a place he wanted to go to in trade week, and nothing's changed."

Connors said he wasn't certain they had achieved their goal until pick 29 was read out.

"I was never overly confident but just understood the system, and understood that he could go anywhere.

"When his name got called out, we were pretty happy."