FORMER Gold Coast footballer Louis Herbert is preparing for a cold winter after returning from Queensland as a key North Ballarat Roosters’ signing.
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The South Warrnambool export committed to the VFL club on Wednesday night following a two-year stint in the AFL.
Herbert, 21, played three games for the Suns after joining the expansion club as a rookie.
He was delisted at the end of the 2015 season.
New North Ballarat coach Marc Greig said the Roosters were rapt sign the versatile utility.
The North Ballarat Rebels graduate is expected to be a swingman.
“He can use his height and pace to advantage at half-back and half-forward,” Greig said.
“He’s been in a professional environment so we’d like to think, especially at training, that he can set a high standard so the young guys look up to him.”
Greig said the Roosters would strive to help Herbert reignite his AFL career.
He said they would work on his deficiencies.
“We want to have a culture and set up here where we get players on lists,” Greig said.
“We’ve told him over the Christmas break to jot down things he has to work on so us coaches at the Roosters can help him.”
Fellow Hampden exports Tom Schnerring (Warrnambool), Tom Templeton (Portland) and Rowan Marshall (Portland) will join Herbert at the Roosters in 2016.
Another Blue, Luke McLeod, is also training with the Eureka Stadium-based club.
North Ballarat expects to have 30 of its 44-strong list signed by Christmas.
The Roosters will confirm their 2016 squad in February.
Greig said Templeton and Schnerring, on the comebrack trail after a knee reconstruction, were welcome additions.
“(Templeton) is training really well,” he said.
“He was obviously disappointed and unlucky to not get picked up in the rookie draft. He is ready to play senior football with his body shape, playing style and hard running.”