WHILE many North Ballarat Roosters players are taking a break this weekend and getting set for the round nine clash with Box Hill, three big names of the club will fly to South Australia for state representative duties.
Roosters coach Marc Greig and star players Nick Rippon and Luke Kiel will be part of the club’s blockbuster against the SANFL on Sunday.
Greig will serve as an assistant to the VFL’s head coach Andy Collins, with Rippon and Kiel named in the starting line-up.
Rippon has been selected on the wing, while Kiel is named on the ball.
While Greig represented the VFL three times as a player, this will be the first senior game in a VFL jumper for Rippon and Kiel.
Rippon, who won last season’s JJ Liston Medal as the league’s best and fairest, has enjoyed a good start to the campaign with four appearances in the Roosters’ best.
“Any time you pull on the Victorian jumper it’s always a good experience and I’m really looking forward to it,” Rippon, 22, said.
Kiel, who claimed the Allen L Stott Medal as the Roosters’ best and fairest last year, has also been in the best four times at club level this season.
“I’d always take a premiership over representing your state, but it’s a privileged,” Kiel, 25, admitted.
Greig was part of the last VFL side to beat the SANFL way back in 2002 and said the match meant a lot to both teams.
The Vics have trained twice this week and will meet again on Saturday before flying to Adelaide for the match.
Graham Cornes is coach of the SANFL side, which has trained as a group since the start of the month.
Sunday’s clash will begin from 1.40pm at the Adelaide Oval.
