North Ballarat Roosters and Ballarat Swans plan to make a pitch for the services of discarded West Coast Eagles defender Mitch Brown.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The VFL and Ballarat Football League clubs are hoping to attract Brown back to his hometown after he missed getting picked up in the AFL rookie draft on Monday.
Brown 27, played his junior football with Ballarat Swans before being recruited via North Ballarat Rebels by the Eagles with selection 16 in the 2006 national draft.
Brown, who has played 94 AFL games, was offered a contract by the Eagles, but was delisted when he decided to pursue opportunities in Victoria, where his wife Shae will play with Collingwood in the new National Netball League.
Roosters coach Marc Greig said with Rowan Marshall having been recruited by St Kilda as a rookie, securing key position players – forward or back – were recruiting priorities.
Greig said Brown would be undoubtedly shattered to have missed out on getting to a new AFL club.
He said the Roosters would certainly be throwing their hat in the ring to see whether Brown would be interested in playing on at VFL level in Ballarat.
Ballarat Swans president Darren Fraser said while no formal approach had been made, the club would get in touch about the possibility of Brown returning to Alfredton reserve.
Bacchus Marsh is another BFL with close ties to Brown.
Cobras premiership player Jackson Bolton is a brother of Brown’s wife Shae.
NORTH Melbourne's famous No.20 jumper will be put in mothballs next season after Drew Petrie's departure to West Coast Eagles.
Petrie, who like Brown started his football with Ballarat Swans, wore the number in all of his 316 games at Arden Street from 2001.
Petrie is confident he can make a significant contribution for the Eagles next year.
‘"I still think I've got enough to give, enough to offer another footy club," Petrie told the West Coast website.
"Last year wasn't my best year, but the previous five years have been really consistent and really solid.
"My body's been sound, I've played every game, trained every session, so I've got a hardened, resilient body capable, I feel, to go into my 17th season."