The Swans will be without Sam James for the first time since 2014, with the former skipper heading to Western Australia.

James finished runner-up in Ballarat's best-and-fairest count and polled a 14 votes on Henderson Medal night.

The Swans star averaged 25 disposals and over seven tackles per game last season as Ballarat fell just shy of a grand final appearance.

New Ballarat head coach Chris Maple said James, who played 90 games for the Swans, would be a "big loss" for the club, but knew it was coming when he accepted the role.

"I caught up with Sam when I took the job back in September and he had already flagged then that he was going to Perth," Maple said.

"At this stage, from my last conversation with Sammy, I don't think he's going to play football at all."

James' departure continues an off-season trend for the Swans as they look to younger players to fill the void.

"We're going to be a very young list sprinkled with some experience with the likes of Marcus Powling, Andrew Hooper and Will Garner," Maple said.

"But it is going to be really exciting for those players 21 and under because they finally have the opportunity to show what they are capable of."

James joins a handful of out-going Swans in Lachlan Dawson (Noosa), Jack Blackburn (Barwon Heads), Jake Dunne (Learmonth), Aiden Domic (Buninyong) and Austin McPherson (Carngham-Linton).

Ballarat will however be bolstered by former Collingwood VFL player Callan Wellings.

"We've got Callan Wellings who is obviously going to be a big inclusion. It will be just about developing the youth on offer this season," Maple said.

"We've got some good players that didn't get much footy last year in guys like Angus Bade, Bailey van de Heuvel who are both guys that will make an impact at senior level."

Maple said the club was still unsure on the status of a few more senior players in Nicholas Weightman, Grant Baldwin and Josh Gibson as the Ballarat Football Netball League season approaches.