Ricky Henderson, Louis Herbert on South Warrnambool's injury list

Roosters coach Mat Battistello said the former AFL utility was easing his way back into full training.

The Hampden league flag fancy starts its season against six-time reigning premier Koroit on Good Friday in a standalone match which precedes round one on April 10.

Battistello said Henderson, fellow recruit Louis Herbert (heel) and tough midfielder Nick Thompson (shoulder) were all on the mend after serious injuries.

"We have players we are managing," he told The Standard.

"Some of our more mature and experienced players, we are managing their loads at the moment but we have plenty of time on our hands and if they are not ready for rounds one, two or three, that's OK. We'll play them when their bodies and their health allows them too."

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Battistello said former Adelaide and Hawthorn footballer Henderson, who has joined country football ranks straight out of the AFL system, was completing 50 per cent of the Roosters' training load.

"Ricky has gone through some wrist surgery but his contribution to the footy club already can't be measured," he said.

"He gets along with all the players extremely well and he's got a lot of knowledge to impart. He also goes about it the right way in that he is certainly building relationships and earning respect at the same time too."

Herbert, who played three games for AFL club Gold Coast, is making inroads too.

"Louis had a serious heel injury he sustained a couple of years ago in Geelong," he said.

"I think it was a broken heel; I don't know specifically the bone. He is getting back towards full running in the next two weeks.

"We are extremely excited about that one. He has set a good standard with his professional application off the field."

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Battistello has assembled a strong side with Josh Saunders - another with AFL experience, Joe Dalton and James Hussey returning and Liam Mullen joining from Bacchus Marsh. Only two of its list - Dalton (Melbourne) and Hussey (Geelong) - will travel back for games in 2021. Both are builders in their respective home towns.

"The players are South players so in terms of their cohesion and integration, they're only stepping back into their own friendship groups," Battistello said.

"There is not a big gap in terms of the footy IP (intellectual property) that we need to bring the players up to speed on."

Battistello expects the bulk of the Roosters' improvement to come from players aged between 22 and 23 and wants to field a flexible team which can keep opponents guessing.

He said premiership talk was firmly for those outside the club to speculate on.

"We are extremely enthusiastic about our playing group and always have been, even two years ago. We just knew it was a matter of time," the non-playing mentor said.

"There might be that external hype but we're more concerned about doing the work.

"We're not overly concerned with what anyone else is saying, we're more concerned with what's said inside our walls."

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