Turner is one of the Central Highlands Football League’s premier midfielders but was left out of the 22-man representative team, named late last week, after sustaining a shoulder injury in round one.

However, Turner’s progress coming back from injury has been quicker than CHFL coach Greg Middleton thought.

Middleton told The Courier on Monday that Turner was shaping as a good candidate for promotion should one of his named midfielders be injured ahead of the CHFL’s clash with Horsham District in the AFL Victoria Country Championships on May 23.

Springbank midfielder Tim Malone has a slight hamstring strain coming off the Tigers’ 56-point win against Creswick on Saturday, but Middleton was confident Malone would be cleared by the time interleague training starts next week.

The CHFL team has included just six players to have previously represented the league at senior level: Beaufort defender Damien Day, Newlyn forward Will Young, Bungaree pair David Benson and Chris O’Keefe, Buninyong joint coach Jarrod Morgan and Gordon utility Luke Gunnell.

CHFL representative debutants include North Ballarat Roosters premiership players and Springbank stars Paul McMahon and Michael Searl.

The CHFL and Horsham District will share double billing at Horsham’s City Oval on country championship day with the Wimmera and Bellarine leagues.