A decorated Central Highlands Football League premiership player is changing leagues.
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Beaufort premiership player Michael Foster has told the club he is off to the North Central Football League in 2020.
Foster, who skippered the Crows to a long-awaited flag in 2018, will play for Donald next season.
The onballer is a multiple club senior best and fairest winner and has been a leading player in the Central Highlands competition for some time.
Foster started his early football with the Crows before moving into the North Ballarat Rebels' system, where he won a best and fairest in 2003.
He also played in a senior flag with Lake Wendouree in 2010 and returned to Beaufort from Newtown and Chilwell ahead of the 2015 campaign.
Crows spokesperson Nick Franc wished Foster well at his new club.
"He was going to retire but has decided to have a year at Donald," Franc said.
"He leaves with our blessing... he doesn't owe our club anything."
The gun midfielder's departure is a further blow to a Crows outfit that has lost a number of key figures following the completion of the 2019 campaign.
Among those to move are flag winners Lee Marshall, Josh McDermott and Lachlan Pfeifer.
Marshall has transferred to Taylors Lake in the Horsham District competition, while McDermott and Pfeifer have made the shift to Ballarat league side Lake Wendouree.
Joe Mason, who has been a regular senior player over the years, has also gone to the Lakers.
Just last week it was announced that fellow premiership player Nick Sullivan had left Beaufort for a return to old club Waubra.
Sullivan won a Geoff Taylor Medal and flag with the Roos, where he last played in 2014.
Franc said despite some key departures, a strong group of premiership players remained at the club, which has been getting solid numbers to early pre-season training.
Following the exit of Rohan Brown from the helm, Mitch Jenkins and Brendan Howard are sharing coaching duties and will look to improve on the Crows' semi-final exit this year.
Meanwhile, it's understood the Central Highlands Football League board is close to finalising the 2020 fixture and it could be released as early as Friday.