CSB - David Ball - Wellington Phoenix

Excitement levels are high ahead of the new A-League men's football season.

Auckland FC play their inaugural fixture against Brisbane Roar at Mount Smart tomorrow, before Wellington Phoenix open at home on Sunday against Western United. David Ball out of the Nix joins the show to preview the upcoming season.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Country Sport Breakfast with Brian Kelly on gold Sport Bill.
The twenty twenty four to twenty five A League season
is about to get underway and I know for the
past week or two we've been talking about Auckland FC,
but there is another big team in New Zealand competing
in the A League and we cannot forget the Wellington Phoenix.
And joining me out of the Phoenix is a man

(00:20):
who established himself about five years ago when he arrived
in New Zealand out of the UK. David Ball, Who's
Phoenix forward David good.

Speaker 2 (00:28):
Morning, Good morning, Good morning, Brian.

Speaker 1 (00:32):
I hope you're well and I hope you're rearing to
go this weekend. Your first game coming up on Sunday,
isn't it.

Speaker 2 (00:39):
Yeah, it's exciting. I think you do a lot of
in the A League. You do a lot of preparation
for preseasons four months long, so you quite never get
used to it. You just you know you want the
season to come quick. Well, it takes its time to
get around for it's here and we're excited to go again.

Speaker 1 (00:58):
It's quite a long preseason build up, really. Have you
had a few one that games?

Speaker 2 (01:03):
Yeah, we've been able to get over to us I
think three times, and we've played some local teams obviously
in the National League, so yeah, we've We've had a
good preseason. It's been a bit different obviously with a
fewder the lads having quite a lot of national team duties,
so it's been a bit mixed in that sense. But
we're we've got a full squad and we're there.

Speaker 1 (01:24):
In to go and so what's the build up being, like,
what's the what's the team look like? Are you pretty excited?

Speaker 2 (01:32):
Yeah, definitely excited. It's got a different, different look to me.
It's a different dynamic look. I've obviously been here this
my six year at the club. So for us, it's about,
you know, for myself and some of the other lads,
it's about integrating those new players in as quick as
possible to make them feel feel welcomed and part of
the group. And the guys who have come in have

(01:52):
all enjoyed that and I think, I think, and they
look like good players and people that can you help
us evolve in to a into a better version of
ourselves than we were last year.

Speaker 1 (02:03):
Are you excited seeing some of those younger, younger players,
younger takers takers on the Phoenix roster.

Speaker 2 (02:11):
Yeah, definitely, I think it's some definitely, definitely some exciting
young lads. Again, it's you know, I'm in a position
with experience and to help them lads evolve even better
as as players now they're coming into this environment and
this I think fans of I've definitely got excitement ahead
with over the next three or four years with with
some of those young boys coming through.

Speaker 1 (02:34):
How much you're looking forward to the big Derby as
we said with that Auckland if C now in the
league as well.

Speaker 2 (02:42):
Yeah, I think it's. Look, I think it's it's fantastic
for New Zealand football together. I think to have a
Derby and I'm used to in the UK having Derby's
mini derbies everywhere and it's it's a huge occasion for
for football. And he had that little bit of a bit,
a bit of something on that edge to the game,

(03:04):
bragging rights almost and it's going to be a great
day and something I look forward to as well. Playing
in games like that.

Speaker 1 (03:11):
Got sort of and finished business for chiefying. The team
this year really came so close last season, didn't you.

Speaker 2 (03:18):
Yeah, definitely, I think it was a magnificent season. I
think the group excelled. I think the younger lads who
have obviously gone on to better things, they've you know,
they played their part and we're going to need that
again this year to to to push to have another
good season. Yeah, she's she did fantastic in the in
motivating those young lads and helping us, helping us guide

(03:42):
us to that second is just obviously a bit frustrated.
It's a bit frustrating the way it finished.

Speaker 1 (03:49):
So as an Englishman, how do you feel about a
German now becoming the head coach of the English national side.

Speaker 2 (03:57):
It's a funny one. Look, you know my opinion on it.
He is a world class coach. Probably I would have
liked to have seen a you know, maybe one of
the English younger ones I get given a chance. But
the bright part of it for myself is Anthony Barry,
who's the assistant who's gone in with gone in with
him I played with at Fleetwood. He's had a great

(04:19):
rise in coaching and so we've got an Englishman in
there at least and as someone that I know quite
well as well.

Speaker 1 (04:27):
Fantastic and of course Western United. On Sunday, Sky stadium
at least you'll be at home for that one. What
do you have to watch out for Western United? You've
been looking at their form.

Speaker 2 (04:38):
Yeah, I think that you know, they've they've been doing
some good things in the pre season. I think something
that I've always learned from the Air League is you
can't you can't underestimate anyone on the day. So we've
got to be right at it and and raring to go.
They've got they've got some good attacking players that can
cause problems, but so have we. So yeah, we've just

(04:58):
got to go into it with a with energy and
bring all the things that we've been working on throughout
the preseason to the table.

Speaker 1 (05:07):
And David, you mentioned your sixty year living in New
Zealand and Wellington. You're enjoying life in this part of
the world.

Speaker 2 (05:14):
Yeah, look, I love it. I love the people here
and it's somewhere that hopefully, you know, myself and my
family can stay longer throughout the future. I've loved every
minute of being here and being part of the football club.
And yeah, hopefully hoping to go to New Zealand Football fantastic.

Speaker 1 (05:34):
David Wisher and the Phoenix all are very, very best
of lack on Sunday and for the season.

Speaker 2 (05:38):
Mate. Thanks by really appreciate it.

Speaker 1 (05:41):
That's David Ball joining us from the Wellington Phoenix's contract
has been extended till the end of the twenty twenty
five season, which is great. Great to have players of
his caliber here in New Zealand. It's eight fourteen