Springbank v Learmonth
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at Wallace, Saturday, 2.30pm
Last time: Springbank 14.16 (100) d Learmonth 3.3 (21), round 9, 2016
Learmonth has cruised through the early part of the season without too many hiccups and has used its soft draw to good advantage.
But now comes the real test for the Lakies, which clash with reigning back-to-back premiers Springbank in a top-of-the-table showdown this Saturday.
Learmonth has slowly crept its way up to second position on the ladder thanks to wins over many of the competition’s bottom-end sides.
A 20-point loss to Waubra in round one is the Lakies’ only defeat.
Learmonth coach Steve Biggin concedes his team is a little flattered by its current standing in second spot and believes it has plenty of improving to do before it can be rated alongside the Tigers.
“The ladder positions are completely irrelevant from our point of view,” Biggin said.
“We have beaten sides that finished below us last year and still haven’t beaten anyone that finished above us.”
After beating Beaufort to remain undefeated last weekend, Springbank has now lost Mitch Couch and Justin Simpson for the next month or so, with the pair joining Tom Eltringham and Mitchell Keighrey on overseas travel.
This has paved the way for Simon Quinlan and Lochlan Douglas to play their first senior games of 2017.
Preiction: Springbank
Rokewood-Corindhap v Ballan
at Rokewood, Saturday, 2.30pm
Last time: Ballan 19.14 (128) d Rokewood-Corindhap 7.12 (54), round 12, 2016
Ballan coach Jason McNamara admits his team has been well down on its early season form heading into a sequence of winnable encounters.
The Blues have endured a tough start to the new season, with games against six of last year’s finalists inside the opening seven rounds.
Their one and only win came against Dunnstown in round four.
Concerning for McNamara ahead of the clash with Rokewood-Corindhap is the performances during the last two weekends, with heavy defeats coming at the hands of Hepburn and Waubra.
He said this could be a result of playing so many strong teams in consecutive weeks.
“I’m a little bit concerned. Our last couple of weeks teams have got a run-on and we haven’t been able to stop the goals,” he said.
“We have to work on our defensive side of things.”
Ballan will be a little undermanned in this Saturday’s clash, with onballers Jarryd Graham (unavailable) and Sam Sher (shoulder) both out and ruckman Jack Connor – who debuted last round – also unable to play.
Rokewood-Corindhap coach Jarrod Thompson said he is likely to have another week off to recover from a troublesome hamstring, as is key back Jono Willey.
Thompson said this game and the one against Dunnstown the following weekend are fixtures the team needs to win to continue moving forward with its development.
Prediction: Rokewood-Corindhap
Hepburn v Beaufort
at Hepburn, Saturday, 2.30pm
Last time: Hepburn 9.9 (63) d Beaufort 7.7 (49), elimination final, 2016
Nick Dal Santo is set to spend the majority of his Hepburn debut running through the midfield, according to his new coach Jason Olver.
Olver said Dal Santo’s strong fitness base will allow him to naturally roam most parts of the ground, but expected him to play mainly through the middle this weekend.
On Thursday night, the Burras named Dal Santo in the centre and as their sole inclusion to the team that beat Dunnstown on Saturday.
Dal Santo, the former St Kilda and North Melbourne star, trained with the club early this week ahead of his appearance for the Burras in the Central Highlands Football League blockbuster against Beaufort.
Despite the sideshow of Dal Santo, this looms as a huge match for both clubs. Hepburn and Beaufort are fighting for top four spots, with the Crows currently third and the Burras sixth.
Hepburn has won its past four matches, while Beaufort dropped its first for the season in last weekend’s battle with Springbank.
There was a handful of key absentees for Beaufort in that clash, with Michael Foster, Tom Stapleton, Lachlan Pfeifer and Alex Petrie all sidelined with injury.
They weren’t named in the team submitted to The Courier on Thursday night, but it is anticipated some, or all, could line up on the weekend.
Prediction: Hepburn
Clunes v Daylesford
at Clunes, Saturday, 2.30pm
Last time: Daylesford 21.12 (138) d Clunes 10.6 (66), round 7, 2016
Clunes: The Magpies went close to snapping their losing streak last Saturday, but the 10-point loss to Newlyn stretched the winless run to four games.
After winning the opening two games of 2017, Clunes has slipped to 12th on the ladder heading into the battle against Daylesford.
Daylesford: Forward Jack Nulty appears set for a return to the senior side after missing the team's win over Carngham-Linton last weekend.
Coach Marcus Goonan said Nulty had been battling a tight hamstring, but is right to play against the Magpies.
Prediction: Daylesford
Creswick v Gordon
at Creswick, Saturday, 2.30pm
Last time: Gordon 18.11 (119) d Creswick 9.11 (65), round 16, 2016
Creswick: Wickers coach Ryan Knowles had been confident of matching it with Bungaree last weekend, but his team came up well short of a genuine top eight outfit.
The side gets another chance to prove itself against a top-end rival this weekend before the tough battle with Buninyong the following Saturday.
Gordon: The Eagles got just one game out of Tom Langford, with coach Gary Learmonth indicating the Richmond VFL vice-captain has not committed to Gordon for 2017.
Instead, Langford will gain a clearance back to Central Murray league side Woorinen, where he will play when not required at Tigerland.
Prediction: Gordon
Carngham-Linton v Bungaree
at Linton, Saturday, 2.30pm
Last time: Bungaree 42.9 (261) d Carngham-Linton 2.3 (15), round 10, 2016
Carngham-Linton: The improving Saints hit a tough run of matches with close to a full senior list to pick from.
Coach Matt Beaston and his side tackle Bungaree this weekend before tough encounters against Gordon and Buninyong.
Bungaree: Demons coach Heath Pyke says it is likely Mitchell Bowman will spend some time on the sidelines to recover from soreness in his knees.
Pyke said Bowman has been struggling since he played in the CHFL's interleague clash against the Southern competition in May and badly requires a spell.
Prediction: Bungaree
Skipton v Buninyong
at Skipton, Saturday, 2.30pm
Last time: Buninyong 17.16 (118) d Skipton 6.7 (43), round 5, 2016
Skipton: The Emus are fronting from a 200-point drubbing at the hands of Gordon and injury and unavailability continues to hurt the side.
Brett Conroy has been battling a hamstring injury and is set to miss this game, as are key players like Lakota Stranks (unavailable) and Cam Mitchell (hip).
Buninyong: Bombers coach Jarrod Morgan will miss this weekend's game with a sternum injury picked up in last Saturday's hard-fought win over Rokewood-Corindhap.
Meanwhile, ruckman Anthony Ebery was absent for the win over the Grasshoppers, but returns to bolster the big man stocks.
Prediction: Buninyong
Waubra v Dunnstown
at Waubra, Saturday, 2.30pm
Last time: Waubra 7.10 (52) d Dunnstown 5.7 (37), round 4, 2016
Waubra: Forward Jackson Kinna returns to the Roos' side this weekend after a game off due to a nasty finger injury.
Kinna dislocated his finger in the round six loss to Buninyong, but is back to boost a team that will be missing assistant coach Malcom Niblett, who is unavailable due to work commitments.
Dunnstown: The Towners turned in arguably their best display of the season on Saturday, but the 20-point defeat to Hepburn still leaves them winless in a difficult start to the campaign.
This Saturday's clash with Waubra will be Dunnstown's seventh against a 2016 finalist inside the opening eight rounds.
Prediction: Waubra