LAKE WENDOUREE (1st) v DARLEY (6th)
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at Wendouree, Saturday, 2.15pm
LAST TIME: Lake Wendouree 14.19 (103) d Darley 14.9 (93), round 4, 2016
LAKE Wendouree has had the perfect start to the Ballarat Football League season.
Ten wins in 10 outings has the Lakers three games clear on top of the ladder and rightly premiership favourite.
Right now though Lake Wendouree is looking vulnerable. A four-point win over Melton last round confirmed that.
If ever Darley had a chance to make a major statement, its clash against the Lakers at Wendouree on Saturday is it after a confidence-boosting win over East Point.
The Lakers have taken a hit with injuries and suspension.
Nick Peters is the latest out, having been suspended for one match by the AFL Goldfields independent tribunal on Wednesday night.
He is a big loss considering Tom Littore and Lucas Anderson have had season-ending knee injuries, Ben Hayes (hamstring) and Nathan Pring (ankle) are still sidelined, and Ash Simpson and Angus Kirby unavailable.
Darley has also taken its share of hits, so from that point of view the ledger looks square.
Rhys Ellis (ankle) is the latest Devils casualty, joining long-term losses Shane Page and Harley Inglis. On top of that Jake Ancrum is still suspended, while Luke Delahey is representing Vic Country under-19s and Jake Edwards returns to Geelong in the VFL.
Lakers coach Gavin Webb said their depth was certainly being tested, but it was something they just needed to work through.
He said with Darley playing for a place in the top six and their season, it was up to the players getting an opportunity to step up - especially on their home deck.
Darley coach Jarrod Edwards said the Devils' season was now in their own hands. He said he remained confident that at its best Darley could still match it with the best.
Edwards said they had certainly taken confident out of the performance against East Point - bouncing back after kicking 1.12 in the first half.
PREDICTION: Lake Wendouree
SUNBURY v BALLARAT
at Clarke Oval, Saturday, 2.15pm
LAST TIME: Sunbury 27.11 (173) d Ballarat 9.15 (69), round 4, 2016
SUNBURY (5th): Sunbury has to go way back to June 4 to last time it won, and that was against lowly Sebastopol. Lake Wendouree, East Point and North Ballarat City have since been too good. The Lions might have lost three on end, but they are not about to lose a fourth. Ballarat has had some good days. David Kovacekic, Tom Donoghue, Alik Magin and Nathan Wood will ensure this is not another as will important inclusions Joe Redfoern and Adam Short, who add plenty of size.
BALLARAT (9th): running into an angry Sunbury is not something the Swans will enjoy. Coach Ash Baker said the Sunbury trip was always a daunting one and this would be another big test for his young outfit, which has lost teeanger Bailey Fraser to a hamstring strain.. Baker is satisfied with the way his youngsters have been coming on, but will not want a repeat of an early season blowout.
PREDICTION: Sunbury
BACCHUS MARSH v MELTON SOUTH
at Maddingley Park, Saturday, 2.15pm
LAST TIME: Bacchus Marsh 24.12 (156) d Melton South 4.10 (34), round 4, 2016
BACCHUS MARSH (2nd): the Cobras, which regain veteran Tyson Shea as a replacement for VFL-listed Quade Butt, have their noses in front in the battle for second and a double chance and that is not about to change in this match. Bacchus Marsh knows how good its top end players are. They have shown what they are worth time and time again. This fixture, which should provide a big win, gives players down a few rungs in the pecking order the chance to make a mark in readiness for testing assignments against Darley and East Point.
MELTON SOUTH (11th): the Panthers were disappointing against Ballarat. That was a game that gave them a chance to open their account - something Bacchus Marsh is not about to do. Melton South has made four changes, including Brendan Binek, Dean Van Heemst, Nilcholas Wilson and William Dao, but it is impossible to see it getting near Bacchus Marsh.
PREDICTION: Bacchus Marsh
MELTON v SEBASTOPOL
at McPherson Park, Saturday, 2.15pm
LAST TIME: Melton 14.20 (104) d Sebastopol 4.11 (35), round 3, 2016
MELTON (8th): the Bloods have trekked an intriguing path this season. East Point is the only team above them that they have beaten and yet they still sit just one game outside the top six. Melton made everyone sit up and take notice in its narrow loss to the Lakers six days ago, but as good as it was it will still be kicking itself for not grabbing the opportunity. The Bloods, with coach Brad Murphy and Lachlan Hickey back among three changes, are not about to let this one go though and could be back within percentage of sixth by the end of the round.
SEBASTOPOL (10th): the Burra's biggest challenge at the moment is putting four quarters together. They have been having their moments, but the class and depth of Redan and Bacchus Marsh over the past few weeks has been too much. They keep trying different players around the group group of Marshall Cain, Brett Goodes, Ben Trew, Tom Peterson and James Richards, and this is probably all they can do right now against the better class opposition.
PREDICTION: Melton
REDAN v NORTH BALLARAT CITY
at City Oval, Saturday, 2.15pm
LAST TIME: North Ballarat City 14.11 (95) d Redan 13.15 (93), round 2, 2016
REDAN (4th): seven wins in their past eight games. That says it all. Sunbury shaped as the sleeping giant early in the year, but Redan well and truly holds that title now. The Lions will stack up much stronger for this big game too with Brenton Riordan, Ryan Waight, Leigh Ryall and Dan Watson all back and adding experience to a combination which knows as well as anyone in the BFL how to win the big ones. Chris Giampaolo will be missed after not recovering from a knock to a calf against Sebastopol before its bye.
NORTH BALLARAT CITY (3rd): North will go into this big game without Josh Bromley-Lynch, who dislocated a shoulder late against Sunbury, and Keenan George (ankle) - big losses to its midfield - but does get back Mitch Gilbert and calls up Matt Coon Aaron Sedgwick and Garang Bulkoch. There were touches of brilliance from North Ballarat last round. This promises to be a different style of game, but coach Jordyn Burke says as usual it will come back to execution if they are to get the upperhand.
PREDICTION: Redan