COLLINGWOOD premiership player Luke Ball has been added to the Magpies' leadership group for the 2011 season.

Ball, 26, has a strong leadership background having skippered former club St Kilda during 2006 in his own right before splitting captaincy duties with Nick Riewoldt and Lenny Hayes in 2007.

A club spokesman confirmed the move on Monday when contacted by collingwoodfc.com.au.

Ball has played 24 games for the Pies, including both grand finals against his old club, since crossing from the Saints prior to the 2010 season.

Ball replaces retired onballer Shane O'Bree with the complete leadership group, led by Nick Maxwell, to be confirmed by the club later in the week.

Heath Shaw, Darren Jolly, Scott Pendlebury, Dane Swan and Harry O'Brien made up the remainder of Maxwell's leadership group in 2010.

The 166-game player finished fifth in the Magpies' best-and-fairest in his first year and also received the highly-regarded Gavin Brown Award, given to the Collingwood player who exhibits the most desire throughout the season.

Ball, a widely-respected figure across the League, was elected to replace former Crow Brett Burton as vice president of the AFL Players' Association in December last year.