Beaufort v Gordon
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at Beaufort, Saturday, 2.30pm
Last time: Beaufort 15.9 (99) d Gordon 11.8 (74), round 3, 2017
New Gordon coach Ron Watt said he isn’t concerned by his team’s start to the Central Highlands Football League season.
The Eagles battled to get past Ballan in round one before falling to a four-point defeat at the hands of Dunnstown last weekend.
Watt said he had no issues about the side’s capabilities, but that it was just a matter of putting all the pieces together.
He also pointed to personnel issues, with the likes of ruckman Luke Gunnell, forwards Steve Nicholson and Mick Nolan and onballer Tye Murphy all missing from last weekend’s line-up.
READ MORE: BFL and CHFL selected sides
“We are far from the make-up of the team you would expect we would have,” Watt said.
That quartet has been named to return to the side for the blockbuster clash with Beaufort this Saturday, but recruit Adam Richardson is among those out after hurting a hamstring last weekend.
Beaufort welcomed former VFL star Daniel Venditti to the line-up last Saturday in the win over Bungaree and he has again been named in the side.
Crows coach Rohan Brown said defender Lee Marshall would return to the backline after being unavailable for selection against the Demons, but revealed the side would be without ruckman Josh McDermott, who is interstate.
Prediction: Beaufort
Dunnstown v Buninyong
at Dunnstown, Saturday, 2.30pm
Last time: Buninyong 19.19 (133) d Dunnstown 5.6 (36), round 3, 2017
Dunnstown’s depth will be put to the test this weekend with a string of players missing for the battle with Buninyong.
The Towners are upbeat following an upset victory against Gordon last weekend, but coach Justin Abrams has forecast a host of forced changes to the team that will host the Bombers.
He said Riley Adams, Matt Bulluss, Tom Botter and Harry McKimmie were all unavailable, while big man Aaron Brennan went down with a hamstring injury in the win over the Eagles. Kyle Andrews is also out with a calf issue that he picked up in the same game.
Among the ins is talented recruit Will Short, who is back from a knee problem, and forward Lachlan Poulter, who returns from a week away.
“For us to have a realistic crack at Buninyong, we just have to bring a lot of defensive pressure,” Abrams told The Courier.
The Bombers won their first game of the Central Highlands Football League season against Ballan on Saturday.
That result followed a disappointing loss against Springbank in round one.
At the selection table on Thursday night, the Bombers kept the same side as the one that defeated the Blues by 64 points on the club’s brand new oval.
The $500,000 revamp of the ground will see the CHFL’s interleague clash against Riddell District played there on May 19.
Prediction: Buninyong
Skipton v Learmonth
at Skipton, Saturday, 2.30pm
Last time: Learmonth 38.19 (247) d Skipton 4.2 (26), round 3, 2017
Skipton was walloped by more than 200 points at the hands of Learmonth last year, but Emus coach Greg Middleton believes his team can reverse the result this time around.
After an impressive victory over Clunes in round one – the club’s first win since late 2016 – and a round two bye, Middleton said he felt the Banongill Aggregation Emus could beat the Lakies.
“We’ve got to be at our best obviously, but I think it’s a winnable game for us,” he said.
Middleton said the senior group trained in Geelong on Saturday to keep in good touch ahead of the clash with the Lakies.
The Emus will be keen to collect another victory ahead of a tough run of games that include Newlyn, Daylesford, Bungaree and Gordon in the upcoming rounds.
Learmonth opened its account for the new Central Highlands Football League season with a big win over Rokewood-Corindhap last weekend.
The Lakies got the result without the services of coach Nick Willox, who was at a wedding.
Willox is the major inclusion for the clash with Skipton.
If the Lakies can win this fixture, the side could well greet the Smythesdale bye with a win-loss ratio of 5-1 given it has winnable matches against Creswick, Carngham-Linton and Clunes on the horizon.
Prediction: Learmonth
Hepburn v Bungaree
at Hepburn, Saturday, 2.30pm
Last time: Bungaree 12.8 (80) d Hepburn 9.13 (67), round 3, 2017
Hepburn: The Burras are ready to tackle a Bungaree outfit that was the last team to beat it in early 2017.
While utility Joe Clarke is out with a leg issue, coach Segifili Asa Leausa is set to return after missing last weekend's win over Daylesford through injury.
Bungaree: Defender Jason Linke looms as a major inclusion for the Demons, with the premiership player selected for his first game of the season.
Bungaree coach Heath Pyke said major recruit Ryan Waight trained lightly on Tuesday and he remains a chance of overcoming a hip issue to debut for the club on Saturday.
Prediction: Hepburn
Carngham-Linton v Clunes
at Linton, Saturday, 2.30pm
Last time: Carngham-Linton 9.19 (73) d Clunes 7.11 (53), round 3, 2017
Carngham-Linton: This looks a good game for the Saints to kick-start their campaign with victory on home soil at Linton.
Carngham-Linton has suffered defeats at the hands of Creswick and Springbank in recent weeks, but has been competitive in the early part of the season.
Clunes: Defender Callum Newton will be given a spell on the sidelines this weekend due to an ankle injury sustained in round one.
The Magpies are looking to open their account under new coach Johno Leoncini after early defeats at the hands of Skipton and Creswick.
Prediction: Carngham-Linton
Rokewood-Corindhap v Newlyn
at Rokewood, Saturday, 2.30pm
Last time: Rokewood-Corindhap 12.4 (76) d Newlyn 8.5 (53), round 3, 2017
Rokewood-Corindhap: The Grasshoppers are preparing for their first home fixture of the season and will be out to repeat the performance that saw the side beat Newlyn in 2017.
That 23-point win was one of just four for the Rokewood-Corindhap side, which was well beaten by Learmonth in its first senior game of the year last Saturday.
Newlyn: Brad Sewell is the glaring out for the Cats after his exciting return to the club last Saturday helped secure the first victory of the year.
The big inclusion for the trip to Rokewood is midfielder Dylan McLachlan, who has completed a premiership-winning season in the Northern Territory.
Prediction: Newlyn
Springbank v Ballan
at Wallace, Saturday, 2.30pm
Last time: Springbank 15.16 (106) d Ballan 4.6 (30), round 3, 2017
Springbank: Big guns Paul O'Shea and Chris Graham are the key inclusions for the GJ Gardner Tigers, which will celebrate the 100th senior game of decorated onballer Joel Maher on Saturday.
O'Shea was ill and Graham unavailable through work for Springbank's convincing win against Carngham-Linton last weekend, which leaves it fourth on the ladder.
Ballan: Blues coach Jason McNamara said it's unlikely recruit Tristan Batten will play on Saturday due to ongoing quadriceps soreness.
McNamara said there was also concerns for ruckman Pat Graham, who experienced delayed concussion after the weekend's loss to Buninyong.
Prediction: Springbank
Waubra v Daylesford
at Waubra, Saturday, 2.30pm
Last time: Daylesford 8.11 (59) d Waubra 7.7 (49), elimination final, 2017
Waubra: The Roos are finally set to welcome the return of Glen Coleman for his first game since rejoining the club.
Coleman has been missing due to a hamstring injury he sustained during the pre-season and comes into a side that lost to Newlyn by 25 points on Saturday.
Daylesford: The Bulldogs have started the season with two defeats against the grand finalists from last year in Beaufort and Hepburn.
That leaves the Daylesford boys at the bottom of the ladder moving towards a clash with the side they beat in an elimination final in 2017.
Prediction: Waubra