Coach: Marc Greig (first year)
Captain: Matt Austin (second year)
2015 finish: 9th
2015 best and fairest placings: 1. Luke Kiel / 2. Myles Sewell / 3. Nick Rippon
Last premiership: 2010
Alignment: VFL standalone
2016 is the beginning of a new era at Eureka Stadium. Not only has triple premiership-winning senior coach Gerard FitzGerald departed the club after spending the last nine years in charge but North Ballarat will set out on its own as the partial AFL alignment with North Melbourne ends after eight seasons. Further, 2015 co-captain Myles Sewell has left to play in the Eastern Football League after a stellar VFL career.
Stepping up to fill FitzGerald’s sizeable boots is club legend Marc Greig, who takes over the coaching reins after five years as an assistant coach. Greig played in the 2008, 2009 and 2010 premierships under FitzGerald and captained the Roosters in 2011 and 2012. He is also the club’s games record holder.
It looks likely Greig will continue FitzGerald’s legacy of bringing North Ballarat Rebels graduates through to the region’s VFL team. 2015 J. J. Liston Trophy winner Nick Rippon and Tony Lockyer are just a couple of young locals to have progressed from the TAC Cup to consistent senior football and they’ll be joined by a new batch in 2016.
Among them, Matt Johnston, Joe Symons, Tom Templeton and 2015 Rebels best and fairest winner Josh Webster all played in the TAC Cup as 19-year-olds last year, when they also made their VFL debuts for North Ballarat as 23rd players. In addition, 2013 Rebels best and fairest Louis Herbert returns to his home region after three AFL games in two years on Gold Coast’s rookie list.
The loss of Sewell and several North Melbourne midfielders opens up opportunities that will need to be grasped in the centre. The Roosters won plenty of the ball in space in 2015 but struggled mightily in the contests, ranking last in the VFL for contested possessions and clearances per game. To move into the top eight this year, Greig will need to improve his team’s performance in close.
Ins: Louis Herbert (Gold Coast Suns), Coby Perry (Maryborough), Matthew Johnston, Ben Lusby, Joe Symons, Tom Templeton, Xavier Vearing, Josh Webster (North Ballarat Rebels)
Outs: Jordan Staley (Footscray), James Tsitas (Geelong), Myles Sewell (South Croydon)