
SPRINGBANK'S premiership defence continues to cop setbacks with more injuries to key players early in the campaign.
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And it's the Tigers' tall stocks that have been hit again, with back-up ruck option Peter Lewis sidelined with an Achilles problem ahead of Saturday's blockbuster against Hepburn.
Lewis had been filling in for last year's starting ruckman Brock Freeman, who is expected to miss the next couple of months as he recovers from knee surgery.
Tigers joint-coach Michael Searl said Lewis had received the results of scans on his injured leg, which revealed a "tear in the Achilles area" that is expected to have him sidelined for the next six or seven weeks.
Given that news, Searl said he, Mitch Keighrey and Lochlan Douglas would now share the bulk of the stoppage duties with no specialist ruckman in the team.
Meanwhile, boom recruit Tyler George won't play against the Burras after sustaining a hamstring injury in the win over Buninyong last weekend.
Searl said George, who crossed to the Tigers from North Ballarat City during the pre-season, will miss one or two matches.
"If someone falls down again this weekend, we are certainly not throwing in the towel or crying or moaning about it - that's just the nature of football," Searl, who missed round one following knee surgery, said.
Springbank has an extremely tough start to the Central Highlands Football League season, with five of its first seven games against teams that made last year's top eight.
The Tigers beat Dunnstown in round one and were well handled by Beaufort before last Saturday's strong win against Buninyong.
A trip to Hepburn awaits this weekend ahead of games against Creswick, Bungaree and Ballan.