Four North Ballarat Rebels will carve out new AFL careers at Fremantle, Western Bulldogs and Adelaide.
Nick Suban and Tim Ruffles will be teammates with the Dockers, Jordan Roughead will renew family ties at the Bulldogs and Will Young is the first Rebel to become a Crow after being selected in the AFL national draft on Saturday.
Each listened to the draft with family members at home - Suban at Bacchus Marsh, Roughead in Ballarat, Young at Dunnstown and Ruffles at Narrandera in southern New South Wales.
Suban was the first of the quartet picked up, with the Dockers taking the two-time All-Australian under-18 player at selection 24.
Then came Roughead at 31, Ruffles at 68 and Young at 72 in a draft which featured a maximum of 85 opportunities.
The three interstate-bound boys have already left home.
Suban and Ruffles made their way to Fremantle yesterday, while Young had the shorter trip to Adelaide and begins training with the Crows today.
Roughead, who has the relatively quick drive down the Western Fwy to his new football base, will have his first training session tomorrow.
The bulk of the Western Bulldogs senior list is on a training camp in the United States.
Until they return Roughead will train under the guidance of development coach of Brad Gotch.
Roughead will get the rare treat of playing with the team he has barracked for all his life and his father played a handful of reserves games.
He is the first North Ballarat Rebel ever drafted by the Bulldogs.
Young is in a similar situation as the first Rebel to join Adelaide through the draft.
In contrast, Suban and Ruffles will join other former Rebels Adam Campbell and Clayton Hinkley at Fremantle, which has now drafted six players from North Ballarat.
Campbell was among the first of Ruffles' new teammates to ring him and welcome him to the Dockers.
Rebels regional manager Phil Partington is delighted with the draft outcome, with the team's main contenders being picked up.
"It's good to see the youngsters get a chance.
"It's a credit to each of them . . . a reward for the work they've put in," he said.
Partington said other boys on the Rebels list would now get an opportunity to take the next step through the rookie draft on Tuesday.
Last Modified on 31/01/2009 23:30