Cooper clearly buoyed the spirits of the emerging Swans with his crisp handling of the ball at training last night at Alfredton.

There were also dramas a plenty at the Western Oval last night as Redan named a far from full strength line-up.

The reigning premiers Redan and Ballarat do battle at the City Oval tomorrow afternoon for the Dunstan Cup.

The arch rivals are the match-of-the-split-first-round.

While Bacchus Marsh and Darley played last Saturday, there remains four matches over Easter with three on Easter Saturday and one match East Point-Sebastopol at the Eastern Oval on Easter Sunday.

The majority of clubs wasted no time in fielding their top-line new recruits for the first time in the remaining four matches of the first round.

The Lions were unable to name their captain Dru Quinlan and joint vice-captain Mark Kennedy.

Quinlan has suffered a re-occurrence of a troublesome calf injury that almost kept him out of the finals last season while key backman Kennedy is on his honeymoon.

Dangerous forward Justin Rumble is also out with injured ribs.

The Lions included ex-Skipton forward on-baller Kiernan Molloy, Matt McMahon (Woodville-West Torrens), Michael Freak (Horsham United), Nathan Ryan, Ross McInerney (Learmonth) Matt Walsh, Andrew Jones (North Ballarat), Brad McGowan (Clunes), Ryan Emmett (Kyabram) and Adrian Meyer (Casterton).

At the home of the Swans, Ballarat was fit and raring to go with new players including ex-Miners basketballer Dale Larkin and talented junior Daniel Armstrong.

Aaron Nunn is also back from a knee injury suffered in the first round last season. His high marking ability will give the Swans a big lift.

Apart from the Cooper coup, Ballarat included Aaron Nunn's brother, Michael, as an emergency.

Former junior Michael Nunn has been overseas for 12 months but been impressive with pre-season form.

Matt Illsley, on 98 games with the Swans, returns via Learmonth and Sam Turley from North Ballarat juniors is also named an emergency.

Also in the first match line-up is another expected high quality battle at Victoria Park between Daylesford and Lake Wendouree, both sides named strong outfits.

The Demons at home included trump recruit Hayden Cartledge.

The on-baller has come across from Edenhope-Apsley with plenty of wraps.

Ben Beaston and Nathan Skewes from North Ballarat Roosters also bolster the Dees' running brigade while at centre half back big man Leigh Nolan is expected to add another dimension to the in-form pre-season Demons.

Daylesford also included former Creswick player Dean Romeril (emergency) and Ross Waters from Carngham-Linton (forward pocket) in the squad.

Lake Wendouree will also unveil a new-look line-up including Josh Wright, son of new North Ballarat VFL coach Steve Wright.

The Lakers have increased its depth with former 2002 Balranald coach and former Ballarat player Jason Hill, the Nesbitt brothers, Aaron from Hamilton Imperials and Trent from the juniors, the experienced Darrin Findlay from Hamilton as assistant coach and big man Josh Dicketts from Kyabram.

Rian McKee returns after a year off with osteitis pubis and Cameron Landry and Darryl Jarred have returned to the the club _ Landry coming back from overseas and Jarred from Learmonth.

Melton takes on Sunbury at the home of the suburban Lions Clarke Oval.

The Bloods under new coach Darren Stanley have included Williamstown list players Brendan Porter and Jarrod Edwards, Dane Grenfell (Western Jets), Jason Maumill (Rockbank), and under 18 players Chris Commerford and Travis Linton.

Sunbury included Epping recruit Darryl Griffin and ex-Oak Park players Matthew Payne and James Walker.

For the season's first Sunday match between the Kangaroos and the Kookaburras, both sides will be looking for immediate improvement with their new-look sides.

Sebastopol has a massive nine new players listed.

The are Clint Cooper, Matt Hay, Leith Pellissier, Malcolm Niblett, Damien Pearson, and James Carroll all who qualify for the under 18s but several of which have already had senior experience.

The Kookaburras have also included Rokewood-Corindhap recruit Wes Giutteridge at centre half back and Wayne Schultz, of Horsham, in a forward pocket and Michael Hillman, of Cardross in the back pocket.

East Point has also named nine new players in its squad including former Lexton Plains best and fairest winner Marcus Driscoll from Navarre.

Also new to the East Point are Ryan Kent and Ryan Allan (North Ballarat Rebels), Simon Anderson (Hamilton Imperials), Josh Blake (St Arnaud), Clint McLean (Bungaree), Phil Dalton (Navarre) and Xavier Bourke and Jason Delaney from the under 18s.