After two years ruined by the pandemic, the club has returned to its core values of promoting from within as it looks to build a club that is not only a home for Ballarat's talent, but a destination club for those who wish be part of a successful organisation.

Ballarat Miners men's coach Luke Sunderland said to be a good club, it was about offering opportunities where you can to those who make the club.

"It's about giving your youngsters, your youth league players a genuine pathway and that's what we have been doing this year," he said.

"You've got the likes of 'Hynesy' (Will Hynes) stepping up to be a semi-starter, you've got Zac (Dunmore), who's role has changed and he's improved a lot, then you get a guy like Amos Brooks back into the club, he's 22, there are the players that when they turn 25, they are the core of your club."

The opportunity to promote from within, then to recruit for need has led the Miners to a strong first half of the year with the men's team sitting second on the ladder with a run of home game ahead, starting this Saturday night against Hobart.

Signing the likes of West Australian and NBL1 West MVP Nic Pozolglou, NBL and former Hobart player Koen Sapwell to multi-year deals and discussions ongoing with the likes of Preston Bungei, Deng Gak and imports David Crisp and JD Miller, the Miners are hoping to build a team that won't just compete for a title this year, but will be able to stick together for future seasons as well.

And it's not just in the men's game that the plan is there to promote as many of Ballarat's youngsters as possible.

Club chief executive Neville Ivey said the club's priority is to nurture local talent at all levels.

"That's the great thing about running junior elite programs right through to the bottom ages, you're able to set styles of play, be consistent, so when the youngsters are trying out at higher levels, there's no surprises, everyone is working off the same play book," he said.

"The talent we've got coming through in both programs is exceptional, with the girls program you see the likes of Millie Cracknell who's a great example of that. We see her as a 10-year player and no better example of what we've achieved in that space over the years is the Kristy Rinaldi example.

"Then you've got the Milly Sharp, Jemma Amoore's of the world. You always have a risk of these types of players that they'll get to a certain level and decide college is the way they want to go, but that's exactly what we want, it's a measure of success of the program.

"Ideally what we're hoping is that 60-70 per cent of the rosters in all the programs at NBL1 level are locals and that's where you build the successes.

"You go back to the 1990s, the success of the girls program, they were all local girls, their reunion was recently, some of them might have moved away, but for the most they are all Ballarat born and bred athletes."

Ivey said discussions were ongoing about securing much of the women's squad. While it is expected star guard Jade Melbourne will pursue an WNBA opportunity next season, the addition of the man regarded as one of Australia's top women's coach in David Herbert is seen as one of the biggest pluses working in the club's favour.

"We are hoping the experience we are creating and maintaining here is such that many want to come back," he said. "Having David Herbert as our coach, his reputation is that a lot of people want to play with him.

"While that's obviously how you have a chance of bringing your externals in, most importantly it's having the locals saying 'hey, I want to learn from the person regarded as the best in coaching women in Australia'.

"It's about building the right culture, the strength and conditioning, the health and well-being programs we offer, it's really important we show them the best we can offer and we hope that's something that will entice people back."

Ivey said the club was undergoing its annual mid-season review where it will begin opening up dialogue with players on one-year deals about their thoughts of returning for future seasons.

"We know, like VFL clubs, you're not always the number one destination at this level," he said.

"We saw in the boys last year with the likes of Matt Kenyon, Jock Perry, Will Hickey, they received great opportunities to go to a higher level. But if you've got a good reputation, good coaching, good facilities, you can always be a club for those types when they go up, but also when they come back."

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