The Reds welcome Moreland Zebras to town for the National Premier Leagues 2 opener, before a round two encounter with Moreland City, also in Ballarat.

Ballarat hits the road for the first time in round three when it travels to take on St Albans Saints and then returns home for two more clashes in a good start to the campaign.

After 28 rounds, the NPL2 season finishes in early September.

Ballarat will be looking to improve on its 2015 performance, which saw the team finish in fourth place on the table with 14 wins.

Those results came under the care of manager James Robinson, who stepped down from the role last month.

The club is yet to appoint a replacement for the former A-League player.