Ballan's reigning best and fairest Darren Tanti has moved to Queensland, but will stick with the Blues in 2020.
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The zippy midfielder has been a great servant of the Central Highlands Football League club since his arrival in 2016 and is planning to fly back and forth for games early in the season.
Ballan coach Tristan Batten said the club's board had already made flight bookings for Tanti, who has been a real standout for the senior side during his 55 games in navy blue.
Tanti has a transfer request in for Kedron Football Club where he is contemplating playing while in Queensland.
If that is approved, he would need to be cleared back to Ballan to play in the CHFL.
Batten said Tanti was an extremely loyal player of Ballan and was pleased to have him stay on board in 2020.
"He has showed a lot of faith in a team that hasn't been going too well," he said.
He has showed a lot of faith in a team that hasn't been going too well.
- Ballan coach Tristan Batten
"Hopefully we can perform well in the first half of the year and he stays on board for the rest of the year."
Batten said Tanti, who was with Essendon District league club Keilor before joining Ballan, was such a dangerous player when at his best.
"When he is up and firing, the opposition have to sit players on him because he is too damaging. He's quick and strong and only little but breaks the lines," he said.
Tanti polled 15 votes in last season's Geoff Taylor Medal count and was third in The Courier footballer of the year award.
Ballan will be coached by Batten for the second season in 2020 and the side is out to improve on last year's 14th-placed finish.
The Blues have a bye in round one and won't start their new campaign until April 26 against Clunes.
