Following his step away from the role, the door has opened for Brooke Brown to take the job as regional talent operations lead.

She will be welcomed back to Mars Stadium by two former colleagues, Damian Ross and coach David Loader.

Ross took on the role vacated by Partington in an interim facet during the second-half of this season, helping the Rebels through to the end of the season and assisting in Brown's transition once she was appointed.

With Brown now appointed, Loader can't wait to get to work.

"Looking forward to her coming in and being a really added addition to support what's in place with our program," he told the Ballarat Courier.

It's been quite the journey for Brown in footy circles, but she is excited to be back at the Rebels where her elite talent pathway journey began.

"I'm so excited to be back ... they gave me my start in the elite pathways programs," she said.

Listen to the latest episode of our weekly podcast The Main Break:

"To first come in as a statistician way back when and then as a team manager and well-being manager, to be able to come back and give back to the community that got me my first start in the program, I'm really excited to be able to do that."

Having been involved with the Rebels when Partington was there and having led the Bendigo Pioneers in the same role in 2021, Brown is looking forward to taking the Rebels' program forward.

"It's daunting because I know the level that Parto has had in the region, but I'm excited about the prospect of developing the next Hugh McCluggage, the next Jarrod Berry ... the next Kaitlyn Ashmore," she said.

"I guess I had to be my own leader (in Bendigo) and be my own person, to be able to go away and do that outside the Rebels' program has really been beneficial for me again both personally and professionally.

"I think I needed that year to get out and experience what the program but also the role was about, in order to be a better leader and be able to develop the region better in the future."

Loader said for Brown to experience a different program was beneficial.

"It's going to be a great opportunity for Brooke when she comes back to look at a different program, every region's so very different," he said.

"To get a little bit of experience up at Bendigo and have a look at how those things run ... and then to come back to a program that she was involved with for a fair period of time, will be great for her."

Have you signed up to The Standard's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in the south-west.