Keeble, who was last year aligned with Boort in the North Central Football League, has agreed to make Sebastopol his home club, in what new senior coach Shane Snibson has labelled a crucial development for the club.

Keeble, a versatile forward flanker/midfield, has been in the VFL system for five years, originally starting with the Roosters reserves back in 2010.

Since then, he has gone on to play 37 senior VFL games with North Ballarat, including 30 in the last two seasons.

Although it is unlikely Keeble, 23, will be a regular in Sebastopol line-up due to his VFL commitments, having somebody of his calibre around the club will still be extremely important, Snisbon says.

"James is highly regarded in the VFL system and we're happy to help him with his VFL aspirations," he said.

"His values line up with ours and he will be an integral part of what we are trying to achieve."

Keeble's signing follows that of new assistant coach Leigh Marriott, who comes across after being part of Redan's coaching panel for 2014.

Marriott has also previously been involved in recruiting for Geelong, been a runner for Carlton and has spent time on the Roosters' coaching panel under Gerard FitzGerald.

Snibson said installing quality characters, not just top footballers, at Sebastopol was crucial for the long-term future.

He stressed people should not expect a rapid turnaround in fortunes, after all, Sebastopol had not won a match since 2012.

"It will be a slow burn but it has to happen in a sustainable way," he said.

"We're not after a quick-fix, it's about creating a strong program that will work in the future."

Keeble joins Michael Powell and Tony Lockyer as fellow Burra players who were on the Roosters' list in 2014.