After all, the Selkirk Roosters are a game clear on top of the ladder - six wins better off than the eighth-placed Carlton-aligned Bullants.

If only it was that easy.

The Northern Bullants are one combination which consistently gives North Ballarat grief.

They have beaten the Roosters five times in their past six encounters.

And since he returned to the helm of the North Ballarat last year, coach Gerard FitzGerald has yet to taste success against the Bullants in three clashes.

The Roosters' early season visit to Preston was nothing less than disastrous.

North Ballarat was thumped by 42 points and was probably fortunate to finish as close as it did.

This time North Ballarat takes a seven-game winning streak into battle, but this is no comfort for FitzGerald.

"They've been a real stumbling block for us.

"It's yet another challenge," he said.

North Ballarat will take arguably its strongest line-up of the season into the match, with Ed Lower returning from North Melbourne, VFL representative Brett Goodes back from a corked thigh and North Melbourne spearhead

Aaron Edwards taking another major step back after a broken leg.

Stephen Owen, Billy Driscoll and Robbie Gregg are the unlucky three to miss out as victims of the Roosters' depth.

FitzGerald said selection came down who could best fulfill particular roles.

Goodes has played his best football running out of defence, where Owen has been doing the job.

And Driscoll and Gregg are victims of a wealth of running forward options such as Jacob Spolding, Stephen Clifton, Dean Chester, Eddie Sansbury, Cruize Garlett, Blake Grima and Ed Lower.

The addition of Edwards gives the Roosters plenty of options up forward, despite still being without Josh Smith with a knee problem.