BUNINYONG joint-coach Jarrod Morgan is an important inclusion for the big clash with Waubra on Saturday.

Morgan rested himself for last weekend’s huge win over Skipton because of a calf injury, but returns for the important encounter against the league’s ladder-leaders.

He comes into a side that is without ruckman Anthony Ebery, who has been left out after aggravating his hamstring injury against the Emus.

Even this early in the season, Morgan admitted another loss would make reaching the top four difficult, despite doing so from a 4-2 win-loss ratio after six rounds in 2015.

“They don’t have a lot of standouts. They seem to be pretty even across the park,” Morgan said of the Roos.

Waubra coach Grant Luscombe has described his side’s impressive win over Beaufort as its best display of the season.

The Roos toppled the highly-fancied Crows with a big last quarter to greet round five unbeaten for the second-straight campaign.

Coming in for the trip to Buninyong is Josh King and Billy Douglass, who have been called in from the reserves for their first senior games of the season.

“They recruited really well, they’ve got a really good midfield so this one’s going to be a pretty tough game, especially at their place,” Luscombe said about the Bombers.

Prediction: Buninyong

at Ballan, Saturday, 2.30pm

BALLAN was lucky to escape with the result after a tight battle against Learmonth last weekend.

The three-point victory helped keep the Blues ahead on the win-loss ledger and in touch with the top eight.

And here’s another encounter that shapes as vital for Ballan’s aspirations of reaching back-to-back finals series.

Coach Justin McConnell and his men host a Daylesford side that has faced an extremely tough start to the season, but one that has the top-end class to win its fair share of matches in 2016.

McConnell knows the Bulldogs’ talent and is still hoping his team can put together a more consistent four-quarter display.

“This week hopefully can be the catalyst to start the synergy within the group for longer periods,” McConnell said.

The Bulldogs are fronting from a hiding at the hands of Bungaree, which was their fourth loss to a 2015 finals participant this year.

Daylesford coach Marcus Goonan described the team’s early-season run as a “shocker”.

“It’s been very tough and certainly difficult to teach a new game plan and run confidence into the boys when we’re playing essentially the top five sides in the first six weeks,” he said.

The return of key position player James Evans is a boost for the side, with the former captain missing since round one with a rib issue.

Prediction: Ballan

at Bungaree, Sunday, 2.30pm

THIS is about as good as it gets in the Central Highlands Football League.

Reigning premiers Springbank come up against a Bungaree side that is undefeated after a sensational start to the season.

Add in the rivalry between the two clubs and a standalone Sunday fixture, and you’ve got a blockbuster of epic proportions.

“Both sides have had some pretty good tussles just in the last two years, let alone the history that comes with it as well,” Demons coach Heath Pyke said.

Pyke’s men are in blistering form and approach this round six match on the back of a huge win over Daylesford.

Returning to the team is key defender Mitchell Bowman, however, the Demons are still missing a host of important figures through injury.

Meanwhile, the Tigers have hit form in recent weeks with dominant displays against Buninyong, Hepburn and Creswick.

And to boost their chances this weekend, the visitors get back joint-coach Nick Couch after he sat out the victory against the Wickers.

Couch’s sidekick Michael Searl believes the loss to Bungaree in round six last season was a turning point in a campaign that eventually ended with the flag.

“They’re playing great footy and winning well, (but) I think we’ve got to be confident as well,” Searl said.

Prediction: Bungaree

at Beaufort, Saturday, 2.30pm

Last time: Beaufort 21.22 (148) d Carngham-Linton 2.3 (15), round 6, 2015

Beaufort: Humbled for the first time this season last Saturday, the Crows should bounce back from their loss to Waubra in this fixture.

However, they will have to do so without key defender Damien Day, who is set for a stint on the sidelines with a hamstring issue.

Carngham-Linton: The Saints are likely to be without backman Daniel White for the rest of 2016 after confirmation his knee injury is a serious one.

Coach Aaron Braekmans said White, who hasn't played since round three, has hurt his anterior cruciate ligament.

Prediction: Beaufort

at Clunes, Saturday, 2.30pm

Last time: Learmonth 20.10 (130) d Clunes 11.9 (75), round 6, 2015

Clunes: The Magpies host Learmonth on the back of another heavy defeat.

Clunes remains winless and on the bottom of the ladder after a crushing defeat at the hands of Gordon, but could get back skipper Jesse Baird from injury this Saturday.

Learmonth: Key figure Jacob Werts has been called up to the North Ballarat Roosters and will miss the Lakies' encounter with Clunes.

Meanwhile, this weekend will see the Learmonth faithful celebrate veteran Paul Rogan's 200th club game when he skippers the reserves side.

Prediction: Learmonth

at Creswick, Saturday, 2.30pm

Last time: Newlyn 12.5 (77) d Creswick 9.11 (65), round 6, 2015

Creswick: The Wickers will be without defender Jacob Dalli for the first clash against arch-rivals Newlyn at Doug Lindsay Reserve.

Dalli hurt his knee in the heavy loss to Springbank, which has left Creswick just percentage clear of the Cats in 14th spot on the ladder.

Newlyn: There is some more bad news for the Cats, with midfield recruit Josh Barker's knee injury confirmed as an anterior cruciate ligament problem.

It's a further blow to the senior group, which slipped to its fourth defeat of the season at the hands of Hepburn on Saturday.

Prediction: Creswick

at Dunnstown, Saturday, 2.30pm

Last time: Dunnstown 10.12 (72) d Rokewood-Corindhap 9.4 (58), round 6, 2015

Dunnstown: Jarrod McArdle is an important inclusion to the Towners' engine room for Saturday's crucial round six encounter.

McArdle missed last weekend's thrashing of Carngham-Linton with concussion, but has been picked to return for this fixture.

Rokewood-Corindhap: Grasshoppers coach Mick Hynes believes there's one spot up for grabs inside the top eight and knows games like this are vital if his team hopes to snatch it.

Rokewood-Corindhap is 10th on the ladder, but has the same win-loss record as the eighth-placed Towners.

Prediction: Dunnstown

at Hepburn, Saturday, 2.30pm

Last time: Hepburn 13.8 (86) d Skipton 4.7 (31), round 6, 2015

Hepburn: Steve Carman won't play in the clash with Skipton after he was rushed to hospital in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Burras coach Jason Olver said Carman is still recovering from a split windpipe, which he sustained during the hard-fought victory against Newlyn on Saturday.

Skipton: The Emus have again left out the experienced Danny George, who hasn't played since round one because of a calf injury.

Key duo Austin Jones and Adam Romey are unavailable and among four changes to the team that lost to Buninyong last weekend.

Prediction: Hepburn

at Smythesdale, Saturday, 2.30pm

Last time: Gordon 69.22 (436) d Smythesdale 1.1 (7), round 6, 2015

Smythesdale: This game will bring back some awful memories for Bulldogs supporters that watched their team trounced by an epic margin 12 months ago.

But Smythesdale is a much-improved outfit in 2016 and can get a gauge on just how far it has come against an Eagles side again expected to challenge for the flag.

Gordon: Utility Brad Hallam has been named as the sole inclusion for the Eagles this weekend.

Key forward Steve Nicholson was also included in the team for Gordon's trip to Smythesdale despite battling a leg issue during the week.

Prediction: Gordon