Stewart Crameri will again be a cornerstone of a North Ballarat premiership tilt in the Ballarat Football Netball League next year.
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The former Essendon, Western Bulldogs, and Geelong player has recommitted to a second year under guidance of Roosters senior coach Brendan McCartney.
Crameri was a linchpin in North Ballarat reaching this year's grand final - kicking three goals in the one-point loss to Darley.
McCartney said Crameri had everything you wanted - a good player, a good teammate, a good club person and a fantastic person.
"The players love being around him.
"Everyone wants to play with him," he said.
McCartney said he was always confident Crameri would play on with North Ballarat."
The Maryborough-based Crameri provided an enormous amount of experience and physical presence in attack.
McCartney had a big part in getting the 35-year-old signed as a marquee recruit for 2023.
He was an assistant coach at Essendon during Crameri's time with the Bombers and was later his head coach at the Western Bulldogs.
McCartney said player retention had been a focus for North Ballarat.
He said the team profile would remain largely the same as last season, with the young list having the benefit of another year's experience and being a year older.
MEANWHILE, Beaufort premiership player and former senior coach Brendan Howard is returning to North Ballarat.
He will have a development coaching and playing role with the Roosters' reserves team.
Howard played in BFNL premierships with North Ballarat City in 2013 and 2014 before making the move to Beaufort.
He was a member of the Crows' 2018 CHFL premiership side.
Howard joined forces with North Ballarat teammate Mitch Jenkins as joint coaches at Beaufort for 2020.
With that season abandoned owing to COVID-19, they coached the Crows for 2021 and 2022, before the injury-hampered Howard stepped aside to play only.
NORTH Ballarat has also confirmed Tom Hotchin will fill an assistant coaching role next season, while he continues his rehabilitation from a serious knee injury. He will oversee the defensive half.
Hotchin, who has played with North Melbourne in the VFL, started out with the BFNLwith made three senior appearances with North Ballarat this year after four in 2022.
