Beaufort v Buninyong
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at Beaufort, Saturday, 2.30pm
Last time: Buninyong 12.9 (81) d Beaufort 9.7 (61), round 11, 2016
There’s some important players back in the Buninyong side for its tough road trip to Beaufort on Saturday.
Ruckman Anthony Ebery was absent for last round’s win over Dunnstown, but has been named to play against the in-form Crows, as has gun recruit Fraser Russell, who was sidelined against the Towners because of some nagging injury concerns.
Onballer Alec Wiltshire has also been called in for his first senior game of the 2017 season.
Meanwhile, North Ballarat Roosters-listed player Hayden Walters is serving a one-match suspension, but with his side’s VFL clash against Footscray played on Friday night, he looks likely to line-up for his home club on Saturday.
Walters, a midfielder, was cleared to Buninyong from East Point before the season and can play for the Bombers when not required at VFL level.
Buninyong takes on a red-hot Crows outfit, which easily accounted for Gordon last weekend.
Selectors have named an unchanged line-up to the one that beat the Eagles by 25 points to continue the unbeaten start to the campaign.
After this encounter, Beaufort’s super tough start to the year gets somewhat of a reprieve.
The Crows travel to take on bottom side Ballan in round five.
Prediction: Beaufort
Skipton v Newlyn
at Skipton, Saturday, 2.30pm
Last time: Newlyn 8.13 (61) d Skipton 3.4 (22), round 14, 2016
Newlyn’s sluggish start to the 2017 season has disappointed many, including new joint-coach Chris Dwyer.
The Cats recruited strongly during the summer months, but have been unable to secure victory from the opening three rounds of the year.
Newlyn was beaten by likely finals contenders Hepburn and Waubra, before it was upset by Rokewood-Corindhap last weekend.
Dwyer, who shares the top job with key onballer Dan Wehrung, admits he’d hoped for a better beginning to his time at the helm.
“We are a bit disappointed where we sit, but in reality we haven’t got a lot of depth,” Dwyer said.
“If we haven’t got our best 22 out there, we are going to struggle a bit.”
Newlyn backman Wes Carter suffered a fractured cheekbone last Saturday against the Grasshoppers, and while he will miss this game against Skipton, he could be back for the round five battle with Creswick.
Among other changes, forward/ruckman Declan Lourey is back for this game, while onballer David Richardson is unavailable.
The Emus, which were thumped by more than 200 points against Learmonth last Saturday afternoon, have submitted an unchanged line-up, but senior coach Greg Middleton told The Courier on Thursday that he expected forward Mitchell Weadley to be away for the clash with the Cats.
Prediction: Newlyn
Hepburn v Gordon
at Hepburn, Saturday, 2.30pm
Last time: Gordon 6.8 (44) d Hepburn 2.11 (23), round 14, 2016
Umpires have thrown out Gordon star Cam Richardson’s striking charge, freeing him up to play in this Saturday’s Central Highlands Football League clash with Hepburn.
Richardson was reported for intentionally striking Beaufort’s Joseph Mason during last round’s 25-point defeat, but umpires withdrew it after seeing vision of the second-quarter incident.
Ballarat Football Umpires Association senior field coach Roger Le Grand said after receiving the footage and watching it with the reporting umpire, the decision was made to scrap the case against Richardson.
“I can understand why he (the umpire) reported him (Richardson), but when you watch back – and we watched back multiple times and it’s very clear vision - we think it wasn’t enough to warrant taking it to the tribunal,” Le Grand said.
While Richardson is free to play for the Eagles this weekend, the team will be without key defender Adam Toohey after he suffered a broken collarbone in the loss to the Crows.
Matt Raworth is the important inclusion for the trip to battle Hepburn, which is fronting from back-to-back defeats.
Burras coach Jason Olver said important backman Segifili Asa Leausa has overcome concussion issues that kept him out of the clash against the Demons and will make his return to the team this weekend.
Prediction: Gordon
Daylesford v Rokewood-Corindhap
at Daylesford, Saturday, 2.30pm
Last time: Daylesford 13.11 (89) d R-C 5.7 (37), round 15, 2016
Daylesford: The Bulldogs were left to lick their wounds after a heavy defeat at the hands of Waubra, with a handful of players set to undergo fitness tests before Saturday's clash with Rokewood-Corindhap.
Coach Marcus Goonan said Kane Trimble and Max Risstrom will be among those to miss with respective groin and shoulder injuries.
R-C: The Grasshoppers have been forced to shift their home game to Daylesford this weekend due to works on the netball courts at Rokewood.
The senior side will be high on confidence after beating Newlyn last weekend to register its first win under new coach Jarrod Thompson.
Prediction: Daylesford
Dunnstown v Ballan
at Dunnstown, Saturday, 2.30pm
Last time: Dunnstown 11.7 (73) d Ballan 9.6 (60), round 14, 2016
Dunnstown: The winless Towners have lost young utility Matt Djordjevic to overseas travel, with coach Justin Abrams unsure if he will play again this season.
Onballer/defender Tim Stubbs is also unavailable this weekend, while key forward Joe Stefani returns to battle Ballan.
Ballan: Top onballer Jarryd Graham is back to boost the Blues for their winnable clash at Dunnstown.
Graham played in the round one defeat against Gordon before returning to his home in Townsville. He joins a team that will be without key midfielder Darren Tanti, who has a hamstring issue.
Prediction: Dunnstown
Springbank v Clunes
at Wallace, Saturday, 2.30pm
Last time: Springbank 26.14 (170) d Clunes 5.7 (37), round 8, 2016
Springbank: The unbeaten Tigers are hoping to welcome back recruit Mitch Couch for the clash with Clunes on Saturday.
Coach Michael Searl said Couch, who was recruited to Tigerland this season, missed last weekend's win over Ballan with a foot injury.
Clunes: The Magpies' cracking start to the season hit a snag last Saturday with a surprise defeat at the hands of Carngham-Linton.
That slip-up followed wins over Skipton and Creswick and handed the Saints their first success since late in season 2015.
Prediction: Springbank
Waubra v Bungaree
at Waubra, Saturday, 2.30pm
Last time: Waubra 10.6 (66) d Bungaree 9.11 (65), round 9, 2016
Waubra: The Roos are on their home ground for the first time this season, with planned works at the venue delayed.
Assistant coach and defender Malcom Niblett is the key out for Waubra, which is out to make it four-straight wins to start 2017.
Bungaree: Recruit Joel Mirtschin will sit out his team's clash with Waubra after accepting a one-week ban for striking.
Mirtschin, who plays forward alongside brother Luke, was booked during the Demons' important win over Hepburn last Saturday.
Prediction: Waubra
Creswick v Learmonth
at Creswick, Saturday, 6pm
Last time: Learmonth 11.14 (80) d Creswick 5.7 (37), round 3, 2016
Creswick: Key talls Clint Robinson and Matt Miller are back for the Wickers' night clash against Learmonth.
Robinson booted five goals in the round one win over Carngham-Linton, but was missing alongside Miller for the round two loss to Clunes. Creswick had the bye after the Easter break.
Learmonth: The Lakies will be high on confidence after a stroll in the park against Skipton last round.
Learmonth booted a whopping 38.19 (247) against the Emus, with Todd Curran kicking a game-high bag of 12 majors.
Prediction: Learmonth