North Ballarat news

Kangaroos alliance still no closer

By administrator October 23, 2007
From The ABC Ballarat website

Reported by Josh McDermott
Full article Click here

The North Ballarat Roosters off-season recruiting is still up in the air due to the uncertainty of a continued alignment with the Kangaroos next year.

The Roosters were hoping to be able to announce a new partnership at the best and fairest awards dinner, but that was more than two weeks ago and an agreement is still no further advanced.

For the past two seasons the Roosters have had a partial alignment with the Kangaroos, giving them access to half the Roos list but the contract expired at the end of the 2007 season. And although the Roosters want to continue the partial alignment the other half of the Roos reserves players no longer have a home. For the past two years they had been playing with Tasmania as part of a joint alignment, but now that the Devils have decided to go alone this is no longer an option.

North's Lower goes higher

By Robbo September 14, 2007
From Ballarat Courier

NORTH Ballarat will be without rising star and no-nonsense tagger Ed Lower for its biggest assignment of the Victorian Football League season - a preliminary final against Geelong at Port Melbourne tomorrow.

The Selkirk Roosters have lost Lower to the Kangaroos, with the 20-year-old to tackle Hawthorn in an AFL semi-final at the MCG tomorrow night.

Lower has been in superb form.

North Ballarat coach Gerard FitzGerald has had no hesitation giving Lower the biggest run-with roles in the opening two weeks of the finals.

Lower has not only shut down Bendigo Bombers and Sandringham, but also been one of the Roosters' most creative players.

Robbie Gregg and Kangaroos-listed Ben Hughes are at the front of the line to replace Lower.

But each has to prove his fitness after being sidelined with strained hamstrings.

Hughes was the most impressive of the two at Roosters training at AUSTAR Arena on Wednesday night.

Roosters wait on Kangaroos for final spots

By Robbo September 07, 2007
From Ballarat Courier

NORTH Ballarat is in the hands of the Kangaroos if there are to be any major changes for tomorrow's Victorian Football League semi-final clash with Sandringham at Port Melbourne.

Prolific goalkicker Robbie Gregg remains the only question mark among the Selkirk Roosters' VFL listed players.

Gregg is struggling with hamstring soreness.

If coach Gerard FitzGerald rules him out, Matt Riggio is the most likely replacement to ensure an emphasis remains on pace and running power.

FitzGerald will make his call after training tonight.

The Kangaroos last night named Leigh Harding and Ed Lower on an extended interchange for their qualifying final battle with Geelong on Sunday.

Lower was close to North Ballarat's best in the startling 37-point victory over Bendigo Bombers on Saturday, while Harding made his biggest impact since returning from knee surgery mid-season.

This is the closest Harding has been to a return to the AFL, but he most likely going to have to wait a little longer before getting promoted.

If Lower is to force his way back into the Kangaroos line-up, he will have to squeeze out fellow youngster Andrew Swallow.

Victory for Roosters, but big battle ahead

By Robbo July 30, 2007
From Ballarat Courier

NORTH Ballarat shrugged off early nerves to crush wooden spoon favourite Tasmania by 109 points in the Victorian Football League at Launceston yesterday.

The outcome was just what the Selkirk Roosters needed on the back of a 112-point hiding at the hands of the Northern Bullants.

Tasmania stayed in touch until half-time, but then North Ballarat cut loose at Aurora Stadium in an early AFL curtain-raiser to the Kangaroos and Hawthorn clash.

Tens goals in the third quarter and another nine reinstated important percentage and saw the Roosters return to the mainland with a 24.22 (166) to 8.9 (57) scoreline.

North Ballarat remains fifth - three games inside the top eight with four rounds to go.

With a bye in the last round, it meets the struggling Box Hill Hawks in Ballarat on Saturday and then leading premiership contenders Geelong (home) and Sandringham (away).

North Ballarat is only percentage behind fourth-placed Williamstown, but faces an uphill battle getting into the top four for a double chance in the finals with the Seagulls to play Bendigo Bombers, Port Melbourne and Tasmania.

"There were some testy moments, but in the end we played to the standard of football we're capable of and need to play," Roosters coach Gerard FitzGerald said.

Schultz to make worthy debut

By Robbo July 07, 2007
From Ballarat Courier

WAYNE Schultz makes his senior debut with North Ballarat against Bendigo Bombers in the Victorian Football League at Stawell tomorrow.

His selection is a reward for persistence.

Schultz, who turns 25 on Tuesday, joined the Selkirk Roosters from Ballarat league club Sebastopol last year and has had to work hard to finally get the nod from coach Gerard FitzGerald.

It is appropriate that Schultz makes his debut in what is North Ballarat's first regional home game, with him being originally from nearby Horsham.

FitzGerald said Schultz was yet another endorsement for the Roosters' development system - giving players from throughout the western region an opportunity to play the best football outside the AFL.

Schultz's inclusion is to help cover the loss of the fleet-footed Steve Dinnell (knee) and Steve Clifton (hamstring).

The Roosters will not finalise their line-up until after a training session this morning, but as well as Schultz, the Kangaroos' Lindsay Thomas was last night the only other definite inclusion. Thomas replaces Matt Campbell,

who returns to the Kangaroos.

Gun full forward Aaron Edwards is also in the running to play for North Ballarat.

However, Edwards has been suffering from knee soreness and his availability will depend on how he pulls up after training with the Kangaroos today.

FitzGerald's hoping Roach will be right

By Robbo June 22, 2007
From Ballarat Courier

NORTH Ballarat coach Gerard FitzGerald is confident Tom Roach will be right to line up against Coburg Tigers in the Victorian Football League at AUSTAR Arena tomorrow.

While FitzGerald said he was unable to declare Roach over the line, he had been encouraged by what his hard-running midfielder had done on the training track.

"I'm more confident now than I was before training on Wednesday night," FitzGerald said yesterday.

Roach left the ground late in the first quarter against Casey Scorpions six days ago with a slight thigh strain and did not return.

Jacob Spolding is not so fortunate.

He remains sidelined with a corked thigh for a third match.

FitzGerald said Spolding was able to run, but his kicking was substantially restricted.

The inclusion of the Kangaroos' Kasey Green for the injured Tristan Cartledge (knee) is the only change to the team which defeated Casey by 14 points.

Cartledge is out four to five weeks with a strained medial ligament.

FitzGerald plans to increase the workload of key forward Callum Urch tomorrow.

FItzGerald eased Urch back after a long-term hamstring injury in the win over the Scorpions - using him off the bench.

Moloney stars up front for Roosters

By Robbo June 18, 2007
From Ballarat Courier

NORTH Ballarat captain Shaune Moloney was an unlikely match-winner as the injury-struck Roosters beat a stubborn Casey Scorpions by 14 points in the Victorian Football League at Ballarat's AUSTAR Arena on Saturday.

As one of the VFL's best defenders, Moloney is accustomed to "saving" games.

This time he provided the impetus in attack to lead the Selkirk Roosters to their fifth win in 10 rounds - 16.13 (109) to 14.11 (95).

Moloney kicked three telling goals in a gripping last quarter in which the Scorpions constantly surged.

With Tristan Cartledge sidelined with a knee injury and Callum Urch struggling to find touch in his first senior appearance in two months, Moloney went forward in the second half and, using the same desperation he shows against

the competition's best goalkickers, helped North Ballarat keep its nose in front.

Roosters coach Gerard FitzGerald dedicated most of his post-match address to Moloney's inspirational performance, which might easily be a catalyst for North Ballarat finally getting some genuine momentum.

Roosters need to put it all together again

By Robbo June 16, 2007
From Ballarat Courier

NORTH Ballarat coach Gerard FitzGerald is confident the Roosters can get back into winning form against Casey Scorpions in the Victorian Football League at AUSTAR Arena in Ballarat today.

But he also felt the same going into the Williamstown encounter six days ago and the Selkirk Roosters suffered a caning.

They let themselves down badly.

There had a been massive build-up to the previous assignment, when the Roosters had inflicted reigning premier Sandringham with its first defeat of the year.

And as it turned out they could not cope with the same type of pressure two weeks running.

This has been an issue for North Ballarat most of the season with it being unable to win two matches in a row.

Now it runs into the Scorpions, which appear to have turned the corner.

After being on the end of four consecutive losses, Casey turned around its fortunes with a 24-point victory over Port Melbourne - a team rated highly by North Ballarat.

So there is no respite, especially with Casey lining up with St Kilda's Raphael Clarke and Andrew Thompson.

Positively for the Roosters, Steve Clifton (foot) and Ben Taylor (ankle) passed fitness tests last night to confirm their returns to the line-up for what shapes as a season-defining match as each team battles to get into the top eight.

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