EMERGING international ruckman Eric Wallace will join Werribee in the Victorian Football League next season after a roster shuffle at North Melbourne.
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The Kangaroos rookie spent the past two seasons with North Ballarat one in the AFL Victoria development league, the second promoted as the Selkirk Roosters' primary ruckman.
But Kangaroos coaching staff made the call, in consultation with North Ballarat and Roosters head coach Gerard FitzGerald, that Werribee would better fit Wallace's long-term development and bid to play AFL.
North Melbourne will end its alignment with North Ballarat at the end of the 2015 season and the Roosters' team structure had already changed with the return of premiership ruckman Orren Stephenson from the AFL system.
FitzGerald said it was a tough decision for all parties, particularly because the Roosters and their supporters had become attached to Wallace and his development in the game.
"It was a really well-
considered issue ... but it's about what is best for his football and the betterment of the player," FitzGerald said.
"Big E (Wallace) needs lots of ruckwork time and with Orren coming back here, he's our number one ruckman, and that makes it harder.
"New rookie Braydon Preuss is also coming to us as a tall player and he's going to be developed as a tall forward that goes into the ruck."
The Roosters have also signed North Ballarat Rebels graduate Rowan Marshall, who was overlooked in the draft, as a young ruck prospect.
Marshall has already begun to work closely with Stephenson, who will also coach the Roosters' midfield lines in his return from playing stints with AFL clubs Geelong and Richmond.
FitzGerald said it was important the Roosters provided opportunity to develop Marshall.
Kangaroo recruits Jarrad Waite and Shaun Higgins, who both joined Arden Street as unrestricted free agents, and draftee Sam Durdin have been aligned with North Ballarat for next season.
Meanwhile, the Roosters have two more group sessions this week before breaking to individual programs for Christmas.
The sessions will complete a gruelling six-week pre-season training period that FitzGerald said had conditioned players well in fitness and in how the Roosters wanted them to play the game.
melanie.whelan@fairfaxmedia.com.au