North Ballarat news

From the Ballarat Courier
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REIGNING joint best and fairest Matt Sharkey makes his first senior appearance for North Ballarat for the year against Collingwood at Princes Park in the Victorian Football League tomorrow.

Sharkey did enough in the reserves on Sunday to convince coach Gerard FitzGerald that he is ready to return after a hip injury.

From the Herald-Sun
Reported by Chris Mitchell
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NORTH Melbourne forward Corey Jones was the star of the show in the VFL yesterday, leading premier North Ballarat to its first win of the season. The Roosters, who had the bye last week, responded from a 78-point Round 1 thrashing at Port Melbourne with a dogged 14-point win against Sandringham at a windswept Trevor Barker Oval.

From the Sunday Age
Reported by Brent Diamond
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THERE'S more to VFL reigning premier North Ballarat renaming its home base Eureka Stadium than a reference to the history of the region. The worth of its historic breakthrough flag last season was gold to many who doubted whether a country team could go all the way.

It changed the way the people of Ballarat thought about its local team.

From the Ballarat Courier
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AN AFL-standard playing surface for Ballarat is a step closer to reality.
Turf laying works as part of the $950,000 Northern Oval upgrade were finished late this week.

The new couch grass surface has eleven weeks to settle in to be ready in time for the North Ballarat Football Club's first VFL season home game against Collingwood on May 2.

From the Ballarat Courier
Reported by David Brehaut
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FIVE of last season's North Ballarat Rebels have the frontrunning to line up with North Ballarat in the Victorian Football League this year.

Ryan McKenzie, Tyler George, Jason Linke, Alex Gubbins and Taite Radley are among the new faces training with the Selkirk Roosters.

With most of last season's premiership line-up intact, North Ballarat's senior line-up is going to be difficult to break into.

However, the Roosters have a tradition of pushing up youngsters who have advanced through the Rebels.

Almost half North Ballarat's premiership team played with the Rebels _ Dean Chester, Steve Clifton, Billy Driscoll, Dan Feery, Brett Goodes, Marc Greig, Michael Searl, Myles Sewell and Matt Sharkey.

From the Ballarat Courier
Reported by Melanie Whelan

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NORTH Ballarat Roosters have made two new coaching appointments for the defence of their Victorian Football League premiership.

Former Rooster Shane Snibson has returned to the flock as defence coach.

His predecessor Rob Waters has become Roosters' development and reserves coach, replacing newly appointed North Ballarat Rebels TAC Cup under-18 coach Glenn Wilkins.

Waters relished the new challenge after building the number one VFL back-line in 2008, his first season with the Selkirk Roosters.

Waters is now responsible for bringing his reserves players up to standard, mentally and physically, with the senior game plan and team culture to slip seamlessly into the senior line-up when needed.

"It'll be a big learning curve, but for me it's a great opportunity to develop my coaching. I'm really blessed to have another season with the Roosters," Waters said.

From the Ballarat Courier
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MARC Greig could hardly have picked a better stage on which to bring up his 150th appearance for North Ballarat in the Victorian Football League.

Greig becomes only the second Rooster to achieve the feat in North Ballarat's first home final in eight years - a qualifying final against Williamstown at AUSTAR Arena in Ballarat tomorrow.Only reigning captain and Greig's

fellow defender Shaune Moloney has played more senior and reserves matches for North Ballarat since it entered the VFL in 1996.

While the milestone is satisfying, Greig has his sights set on bigger things.

From The Herald-Sun
Reported by Chris Mitchell

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NORTH Ballarat stalwart Marc Greig has warned his teammates they will pay the price for a tardy start in tomorrow's second qualifying final against Williamstown.

The 28-year-old, 179cm defender, who will play his 150th club game, said the Roosters had lost form in the past month, despite finishing second and securing the double chance and a home final.

Williamstown and North Ballarat have split their games this season, but the Roosters won their most recent clash - a 47-point thrashing at Ballarat in Round 12.

The Roosters led by 32 points at quarter-time and 53 at halftime , but Greig said the result could easily be reversed with a slow start tomorrow.

"We know if we play our best footy we can beat anyone. We've just got to make sure we don't wait until halftime to get going, otherwise we could be nine goals down ourselves," Greig said.