On mass a group of STC players joined Eastwood rugby culminating in a grand final loss in 1966 against a strong Randwick team brimming with Wallabies including Ken Catchpole.
Ballesty had replaced Wallaby great Phil Hawthorne who had switched to rugby league and the St. George Dragons.
In that time he lifted Eastwood into First Division with the help of young future Wallabies Brett Papworth, Ian Williams and Steve Tuynman.
In 1970 Ballesty joined the Eastern Suburbs club alongside former Wallaby teammates John Brass and Alan Cardy.
While at Easts he trained in club management before leaving to play for the Queanbeyan Blues under his Roosters coach Don Furner at the end of the 1973 season.
The City side contained 4 players later named in the team of the century Graeme Langlands, Robert Fulton, Ron Coote and Arthur Beetson.