DOB: 29 May 1920
Died: 9 February 1942
Debut: Round 1, 1939 against Richmond at MCG
Last Game: Grand Final 1940 against Richmond at MCG
From: Mildura High School/Merbein
Number: 11 (1939-1940)
Honours:
Premiership Player - 1940
Seconds Premiership Player - 1935
Games: 33
Goals: 33
Career Statistics
| Wins | Draws | Losses | Winning % |
| 28 | 0 | 5 | 84.84 |
Ball was recruited after playing one senior season for a flag at Merbein, Demon scouts travelled to sign Ian Giles and accepted the recommendation to look at the 189cm ruckman while they were there. Giles played just six matches, but in Ball the Redlegs found a premiership ruckman/defender.
Named Best First Year Player award in his first year, Ball rounded out his first year with a premiership triumph. Enlisting for the armed forces during his second year, Ball gave up his second job as a groundsman at the MCG and travelled to Melbourne by train three times a week to continue playing VFL football.
Lucky for the reds that he did, as it was Ball's 15 marks in the wet during the 1940 Preliminary Final which helped earn his side the chance at back-to-back flags. His marking was again a highlight in the Grand Final where he was named amongst the best players in Melbourne's triumph.
Ball left for active duty with the Australian Army Medical Corps in Singapore in February of 1941. He coached a Field Ambulance side in Malaya and captained them in an army exhibition game against the team of Fitzroy champion Wilfred "Chicken" Smallhorn (who was forced into umpiring only due to injury). He also led the AIF in a match against the Air Force but when the Japanese attacked Singapore in February 1942, Ball and three colleagues were captured by the invading forces and killed.
The Best First Year Player award was subsequently named in his honour.
| Year | Games | Goals | Brownlow |
| 1939 | 20 | 30 | 3 |
| 1940 | 13 | 3 | 0 |
Lists
Players who served during war
Media
Herald - 23/01/1939
Weekly Times - 16/09/1939
Sporting Globe - 25/09/1940
Examiner - 27/06/1941
Sporting Globe - 09/07/1941
Mercury - 18/12/1941
Argus 25/02/1942
Sporting Globe - 21/04/1943
Sporting Globe - 25/08/1948
Links
Boyles Football Photos
Demonwiki image gallery
War Memorial Roll of Honour
Wikipedia profile