Shannon Beks, Charlie Lee, Hugh McCluggage and Kyden Jarvis are all part of the North Ballarat Rebels squad while Josh Alexander is on the Northern Knights list.

The elevation of the latest batch of youngsters to the elite junior competition continues a strong tradition of Roosters making it to the big time.

Over the course of its history South Warrnambool has produced 29 VFL/AFL players spanning from Colin Watson in 1920 to Louis Herbert, who debuted last season.

South Warrnambool coach Nigel Kol believed a strong grounding at club level and at home had a lot to do with the club being a fertile breeding ground.

“I think it is a combination of factors with quality junior coaching at the top of the list,” Kol said.

“If kids are at the crossroads and decide they want to have a real go at football then South Warrnambool is often a choice because of the great junior coaches we have.

“And I think having parents who have been involved and played the game gives a bit of a head start, it means kids are schooled in the game at an early age and they develop a sixth sense for the game.”

As coach of North Ballarat Rebels, David Loader has benefited from the stream of talent that continues to emerge from South Warrnambool.

This is set to carry on into next season with three of the Roosters, Beks, Jarvis and McCluggage, all bottom-aged players who can suit up for the Rebels again in 2016.

Loader said having so many players at TAC Cup level was a big tick for South Warrnambool.

“People will say that South Warrnambool is just lucky that they had so many good kids coming through at the one time,” Loader said.

“But I believe there is much more to it than that, the club obviously has a very strong junior program in place.

“It is not that the players from South Warrnambool are any more determined to make it than those who come to us from other clubs.

“It is more a case that with the strong junior coaching at the club means the kids are getting the right skill acquisition along the way and they are being trained in the right areas.”

Loader believed South Warrnambool’s rich history of producing players who went on to play VFL/AFL level was also a factor in the large representation from the club at elite junior level.

“Certainly I think that comes into it, it shows the young players there is a pathway there that can be accessed through their own club,” Loader said.

“They can watch boys from South Warrnambool making it at the top level and they can see that two or three years ago those boys were sitting in exactly the same spot where they are now, it makes it all very achievable and within reach.”