JAMES Tsitas is somewhat a rare glimpse of a near-extinct Rooster. His new Sun-ny disposition is a nod to the not-so-distant past and is a distinct reminder of what we are sorely lacking.
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The 26-year-old earned his spot, the final one up for grabs, on Gold Coast Suns' AFL list earlier this week via the league's supplemental selection period.
He even nearly missed a flight home to his wedding in Victoria when trying to make a strong impression in training.
Tsitas spent two years with North Ballarat Roosters, straight out of the AFL under-18 talent pathways, building his game in the Victorian Football League before moving to Geelong then SANFL club Woodville-West Torrens. He kept pushing his game to the next level and never really lost sight of his AFL dream.
A proud and decorated Geelong junior product, Tsitas arrived at Northern Oval to develop his on-field trade while continuing his studies with Deakin University.
This was, until the start of the Roosters demise, to be his potential springboard into an AFL career.
He is the first player drafted to an AFL club, having spent time on the Roosters' VFL list, since St Kilda ruck Rowan Marshall in 2017.
Tsitas' path was not direct from North Ballarat - neither was Western Bulldogs' premiership player Liam Picken who was drafted via Williamstown - but was still a crucial point along his journey.
We had a club that also exported the likes of AFL premiership players Darren Jolly (Collingwood and Sydney) and Brad Sewell (Hawthorn) and returned Redan veteran Orren Stephenson (Geelong, then Richmond).
The Roosters, who won a VFL premiership in 2008-2010, folded in 2017. Two years later North Ballarat was knocked back re-entry into the VFL.
What was left, in a complex club arrangement, was what has evolved into the North Ballarat arm still playing in the Ballarat Football League today. But that critical talent pathway is broken.
A fundamental feature of the Roosters was program for the region's best players to push their game to the next level, playing alongside and against AFL-listed players and the state's best footballers. This is the same with Miners and Rush in NBL1 and when we had a squad in the Victorian Netball League.
This was about giving country players the chance to stay living, working and studying in regional Victoria and still take their games to the next level and for some the chance to still be considered a full-time professional prospect.
Tsitas, while from Geelong, chose to start his VFL journey here.
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We are still fortunate to have a wealth of players with VFL experience from the Roosters still sharing their skills in Ballarat's major grassroots leagues. Some of our top players continue to seek other VFL clubs.
Tsitas took his game to South Australia to keep at state level during the pandemic - last season he even shared the SANFL's Magarey Medal with former Carlton star Bryce Gibbs.
Such as move might not necessarily practical for many, but he will not be left ruing what might have been or how far he could push his game.
But it is not the same as having VFL exposure and access in our own backyard.
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