Hours after being admitted to St Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne for a brain tumour, the larger-than-life Albury sporting identity was asking the doctors about sneaking over to the MCG.

“As funny as it sounds, I have had two or three of the best days I’ve had for a while,” Ball said.

“My family, James Tonkin and Matt Griffiths have been with me at hospital and I’m lucky the only thing I have at the moment is this vision

“We went down the street on Sunday and I caught up with Liam Scammell for tea.

“We were trying to get a game of footy in but got knocked back.”

Maybe the seriousness of Ball’s health issues haven’t quite set in yet or maybe the Tallangatta Cricket Club coach’s army of friends are right when they say he has a remarkable outlook on life.

Ball is scheduled to undergo surgery next Monday to remove a tumour from his optic nerve and pituitary gland.

He’s confident of the operation being a success but is fully aware of the complications due to the delicate positioning of the tumour. 

“All the signs are positive,” he said.

“I have to do the surgery to see if it’s benign or malignant but where it’s situated the majority of the time it’s benign.

“I can’t do anything but just worry about now.

“There is no point worrying if this happens or that happens.”

Ball’s problems started about 12 months ago when he went through several weeks of blurred vision.

He had his eyes tested and within days his sight was back to normal.

The issue returned again recently and, following a series of tests, Ball was told the bad news last Friday.

He spent the night at Albury Base Hospital before being flown to Melbourne the following day.

“I had a feeling in my gut something wasn’t right,” he said.

“At different times it’s scary especially when you sit down with the surgeon and they tell you all the risks and what the go is.

“I just thought: are you serious, are you talking to me?

“It didn’t feel real until I was in a plane on the way to Melbourne and then when the surgeon sits you down and goes through all the things that can happen.”

Ball, who turns 32 the day before his surgery, remains upbeat with his two children, Flo, 12, and Jesse, 5, by his side.

“After you walk around the hospital, a lot of people are in worse situations than me,” he said.

“Probably the thing I’d like to get across is that if you are feeling abnormal, go and get it checked.

“Be over-cautious.”