NORTH Ballarat Roosters expect to have more than 20 players on new two-year contracts before the end of the Victorian Football League season.
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Roosters coach Marc Greig said negotiations were underway, but only in the early stages.
Greig and football general manager Gary Buckenara are hoping to name the first of the players to take up two-year contracts over the next few weeks.
Having so many on two-year deals will be a new direction for the Roosters, with only a handful being locked in for more than one year in the past.
Greig said it was important that the Roosters had stability in a period of transition as they moved from the part AFL alignment with North Melbourne, which ended last season, to developing into a force again as stand alone club.
He said two-year contracts also gave security to players – letting them know they had time to develop at VFL level.
Greig said this was particularly important for youngsters.
“The reality is we’re going to have 15 to 20 changes each year. This way we will know at the end of this and next season who we have.
“It’s all about developing a strong core of players. That’s what we need as we build with so many youngsters,” he said.
Greig said having a significant number of players secured for two years would also be a vote of confidence in the club and the football culture at Eureka Stadium.
“It’s very much a learning environment.
“It’s a young list and the longer we can keep it together the better individuals will develop and we’ll develop as a team.”
North Ballarat follows up its second win of the season with a clash with second-placed and reigning premier Williamstown at Williamstown on Sunday.