A North Ballarat side last played as the Roosters in the Ballarat league in 1996 - a premiership year.

This was the same season that North Ballarat Football Club first played in the VFL.

With the VFL commitment, the Roosters pulled out of the BFL in 1997 to put all its efforts into competing at the second tier level.

A North Ballarat side re-entered the competition in 2008, but it was under the umbrella of the North Ballarat Junior Football Club - a separate entity to the NBFC Roosters.

Subsequently, it decided to play as North Ballarat City, while the Roosters continued in the VFL.

North Ballarat's departure from the VFL at the end of 2017 meant the Roosters were no.

North Ballarat Football and Sports Club chief executive officer Scott Seward said the Roosters branding was iconic in Ballarat football and the club believed the time was right to bring it back.

He said adopting the original logo was also important in respecting the club's heritage and strong tradition.

Seward said the feedback right across the North Ballarat football community, including life members and hall of fame members, had been overwhelmingly positive to the move.

North Ballarat president Leon Jones said it would be great to have the Roosters name back to live on and continue what was already a great tradition.

The club is also in the process of formally adopting the title North Ballarat and Netball Club as part of the transformation.

Seward said members' meetings had been planned for earlier in the year, but COVID-19 restrictions on gatherings had forced them to be put on hold.

He said the meetings were constitutionally not able to be held via video hook-ups. Attendees had to be physically present.

Seward said once COVID-19 rules allowed, these would take place to finalise the changes.

North Ballarat City was formed in 2006 to provide a club pathway for juniors and spent two seasons in the Bendigo league after initially before refused entry to the Ballarat league.

The original agreement was for North Ballarat City to play in the Bendigo competition for 10 years.

City won two Ballarat league premierships, going back-to-back in 2013-14.

Former Western Bulldogs senior coach Brendan McCartney will coach North Ballarat in its first year back as the Roosters. He has been appointed for three years.