Ball sees best to come

NEW MAGPIE Luke Ball believes the best football of his career could still be ahead of him.

Ball flew out to Arizona on Friday eager to meet his new teammates but, more importantly, throw himself into pre-season training.

Injury prevented Ball from completing a full summer program for most of his eight years at St Kilda and, though he's not expecting to walk straight into a side that made a preliminary final in 2009, is backing his ability.

"[I'm] supremely confident," Ball said.

"Looking back I've probably only really ever done one full pre-season, if I'm going to be honest about it.

"So I'm really confident that, provided I want to do the work - which I'm pretty sure that I do - that I've still got some good footy left in me."

In the lead-up to Thursday's NAB AFL Draft, the 25-year-old had been training by himself and said that the break since the grand final had allowed his body to freshen up.

He added that it was hard to gauge where his fitness was at but was sure to find out once he joined the club's high-altitude training camp.

Ball admitted it had been a tough period since severing ties with St Kilda, which drafted him second overall in 2001.

While Collingwood was his preferred destination, he understood the uncertainty of his situation meant he had to be prepared to play at any club.

He watched the draft on TV with former teammate Matt Maguire.

"I think I was able to finally come to grips with it this week and really look forward to last night, whichever way it panned out," he said.

"I thought I wasn't nervous but as soon as the telecast came on and they started reading out a few names I felt like I was 17 again in 2001.

"When Derek Hine called out my name there was certainly a bit of relief."

Ball said he was under no illusion as to how hard he would have to work to break into Collingwood's best 22 but felt he and the club suited each other.

"They've been right up there for the last three or four years," he said.

"They've got some fantastic senior players and some really good younger players as well.

"That was probably pretty attractive as well, that they were certainly around the mark and they had a good blend of youth and experience."