LAKE WENDOUREE v SEBASTOPOL
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at CE Brown Reserve, Saturday, 2.15pm
LAST MET: round 15, 2017 - Lakers 25.18 (168) d Burra 4.3 (27)
STANDINGS
LAKERS (5th): 2 wins, 1 loss, 1 bye
BURRA (10th): 3 losses, 1 bye
Sebastopol will be close to full strength with an influx of top-end players for its Ballarat Football League clash with Lake Wendouree at Wendouree on Saturday.
The Burra has named Brett Goodes, James Richards, Chase Dummett, Michael Powell and Jack Onley to return from injury.
First-year recruit Onley played the first two games before missing with soreness, while Goodes played in the season opener before succumbing to a calf injury.
Richards, Dummett and Powell are yet to play this season.
Sebastopol gets the opportunity to reset its season after two weeks off.
With a bye leading into the break for the AFL Victoria Community Championships, extended time off could not have come at a better time for the Burra after the disappointing start of three losses.
Climbing off the bottom in leaps and bounds is never easy. Melton South went through the same experience last year, coming up well short of expectations.
If Sebastopol is to avoid the same outcome, it needs to get its season going against Lake Wendouree, which has already shown it should not be underestimated.
Of Sebastopol’s defeats, its latest against Ballarat has been the hardest to swallow.
Coach Leigh Hutchinson acknowledges that deep down the Burra might have got ahead of themselves – thinking a win might just happened after a spirited 10-point loss to East Point.
Sebastopol lost to the Swans by 61 points.
Hutchinson said despite this, maintaining confidence would be of the utmost importance against Lakers and down the track.
He said the group remained positive and it was all about getting back to basics – quarter-by-quarter, minute-by-minute.
There will be no shortage of confidence among the Lakers either.
While they lost, they gave Darley plenty to think about in difficult conditions and this is another winnable game for coach Dale Power and his charges.
PREDICTION: Sebastopol
Lake Wendouree
B: W. Henderson, T. Littore, A. Kirby
HB: S. Clifton, L. O'Connell, T. Malone
C: K. Raven, C. Hepworth, H Robertson
HF: T. Nijam, C. McKay, A. Simpson
F: N Nash, L. Hepworth, N Pring
R: T. McKechnie, S. Willmott, B. Edwards
Int: N. Clifton, R. Emerson-Jones, A. Gillett, J. O'Connell
Emerg: T. Salau, X. Schuurs
In: T. Nijam
Out: T. Madden
Sebastopol
B: D. Widgery, T. Petersen, B. Hutt
HB: J. Wilkinson, J. McNab, T. Lockyer
C: B. Trew, M. Austin, J. Morgan
HF: J. Onley, T. Hutt, M. Cain
F: S. Butler, J. Keeble, J. Harvey
R: N. Hausler, L. Cassidy, R. Noether
Int: B. Goodes, J. Richards, C. Dummett, M. Powell
Emg: G. Lovett, D. Furness, J. Grills, T. Currie
In: B. Goodes, J. Richards, C. Dummett, M. Powell, J. Onley
Out: J. Gercovich, G. Lovett, J. Grills, T. Currie, A. Sheridan (knee)
EAST POINT v BACCHUS MARSH
at Eastern Oval, Saturday, 2.15pm
LAST MET: round 9, 2017 - Kangaroos 14.10 (94) drew with Cobras 13.16 (94)
KANGAROOS (2nd): Confident. What else would the unbeaten East be at the moment.
The Roos have come through some really big tests against Sebastopol and Melton.
This will be even bigger, but they are mentally strong and full of self-belief, which will stand them in good stead no matter what the Cobras throw at them.
COBRAS (3rd): One of the first challenges coach Travis Hodgson faced on his arrival two years ago was beating the Eastern Oval Oval hoodoo, with the Cobras unable to beat Roos at the venue in more than a decade.
That run continues after losing there again in 2016 and then last season playing a draw.
Of course the Marsh won a premiership there two years ago, so it is not the ground. It's the match-up. And it does not get any easier with East looking a much better outfit.
A strengthend Bacchus Marsh took a half to get on top of Melton South. It will not want to give the Roos a similar head-start.
PREDICTION: Bacchus Marsh - in a ripper
East Point
B: A. Maconachie, R. Walsh, C. Lovig
HB: C. Bilney, J. Van Meel, D. Tung
C: A. Nestor, M. Johnston, L. Dahlenburg
HF: J. Johnston, B. Whittaker, M. Rotumah-Onus
F: J. Payne, B. McDougall, J. Ottavi
R: P. Kodorenko, J. Brown, D. Semmens
Int: J. Taylor, C. Carson, D. Murphy, R. Monument
Emg: M. Walsh, J. Gallagher, L. Thornton
In: J. Payne, C. Lovig
Out: J. McQueen, M. Walsh
Bacchus Marsh
B: M. Chisari, L. Phyland, D. Velden
HB: J. Chisari, T. Angwin, J. Trowsdale
C: A. Del Papa, T. Shea, H. Coulton
HF: B. Speight, J. Owen, D. Phyland
F: R. Stuhldreier, A. Willitts, B. Griffiths
R: D. Burton, N. Stuhldreier, S. Sherlock
Int: D. Foley, L. Blundell, H. King, D. Bishop
Emg: T. Wardell, M. Sutherland, B. Cracknell
In: L. Phyland, H. King, L. Blundell, D. Velden
Out: L. Mullen, T. Wardell, M. Sutherland, B. Cracknell
DARLEY v REDAN
at Darley Park, Saturday, 2.15pm
LAST MET: round, 2017 - Lions 15.5 (95) d Devils 8.8 (56)
DEVILS (7th): At two wins and two losses, Darley is a long way short of its premiership form of last year and where coach Heath Scotlands wants it to be.
The Devils have had some injuries to important players, but it is more than that and Scotland is not willing to accept any excuses or allow anyone to stray from what he knows it takes to be number one.
He has already taken an opportunity to reward some youngsters and this will continue as Darley works to rediscover form which again makes it a contender.
LIONS (11th): When it comes to the modern era, Redan is in unfamiliar territory as a cellar dweller.
However, it does not come as a surprise given the player turnover and injuries it has had and the tough start it has had against the likes of unbeaten duo Sunbury and East Point.
There have still been some good signs and as its on-field stocks improve, including the rention of VFL-listed Nathan Horbury, Redan will get better.
It does catch Darley off the boil, but it is still a tall ask.
PREDICTION: Darley must and should win
Darley
B: C. Cullen, D. Leonard, A. Azzopardi
HB: T. Stone, L. Delahey, J. Zeestraten
C: L. Spiteri, S. Page, T. Evans
HF: M. Young, M. Hanson, J. Carrick
F: D. Robson, H. Inglis, S. Kennedy
R: D. Reid, B. Graham, L. Baker
Int: L. Herring, J. Cadman, M. Ward, J. Bewley
Emg: D. Cadman, J. Edwards
In: T. Stone, L. Herring, J. Bewley, H. Inglis
Out: J. Spiteri, J. Pattison, A. Kur, R. Closter
Redan
B: J. Giampaolo, P. Britt, D. Okely
HB: A. Gercovich, J. Short, Z. Jenkins
C: S. Carr, N. Horbury, T. Douglass
HF: D. Mathews, G. Bell, J. Jess
F: L. McLean, W. Madden, A. Harvey
R: C. Inglis, B. Schiltz, L. Hoy
Int: M. Coon, T. Hamilton, X. Curran, Z. Wilson
Emg: H. Edwards, K. Hayes
In: C. Inglis, X. Curran, T. Hamilton, Z. Wilson,
Out: J. Toulmin, O. Stephenson, L. Phillips, P. Fitzgibbon
MELTON v BALLARAT
at MacPherson Park, Saturday, 2.15pm
LAST MET: round 3, 2017 - Bloods 15.9 (9) d Swans 12.6 (78)
BLOODS (6th): There has been no more stable combination with Melton having used just 23 players in four rounds - ensuring everyone is well and truly on the same page.
That increases marginally this round, with Liam Carter getting the call-up to Williamstown in the VFL.
First-year coach Aaron Tymms is confident the Bloods can go on with the job after getting through the toughest draw of anyone with two wins.
SWANS (9th): More effort. This is what coach Shane Hutchinson will be asking for.
Hutchinson is perplexed by the fact that the Swans dropped away so dramatically after giving Sebastopol a hiding and not kicking a goal against North Ballarat City.
Ballarat has had to throw its team around. Already without Chris Prockter, the Swans lose forward Hayden Hughes (work commitments).
Mitch Martin (quad) should be right, but Ballarat is going to have find something extra against a likely finalist.
PREDICTION: Melton
Melton
B: L. Heaney, R. Carter, L. Ericson
HB: B. Crofts, B. McIntyre, L. Walker
C: J. Hickey, J. Walker, R. Walker
HF: J. Cotter, D. Haby, J. May
F: B. Kight, L. Carter, R. Davis
R: B. Archard, C. Griffiths, M. Denham
Int: K. Wilson, D. Walker, M. Beck, L. Hickey
Emg: T. Button, B. Mawson, M. Brockwell, N. Gale, C. Armstrong
In: D. Walker
Out: T. Button
Ballarat
B: A. Stepnell, M. Bishop, L. Wynd
HB: D. Kennedy, M. Bowman, B. Fraser
C: N. Garner, S. Hutchinson, P. Vivian
HF: M. Martin, T. Conroy, C. Prendergast
F: J. Blackburn, J. Sutherland, B. Van de Heuvel
R: M. Powling, K. Mellington, W. Garner
Int: J. Wall, J. Marshall , J. Antonio, S. James
Emg: A. McPherson, B. Hobbs, L. Hodgetts, T. Sutton
In: S. James, M. Martin
Out: T. Constable, H. Hughes
NORTH BALLARAT CITY v MELTON SOUTH
at Mars Stadium, Saturday, 2.15pm
LAST MET: round 15, 2017 - City 16.13 (109) d Panthers 9.15 (69)
NORTH (4th): City is possibly the toughest to assess to date. Three wins have provided an ideal start, but this record must be kept in perspective given they have been against teams with one win between them.
All any team can do is win though and it has North in a much better spot than the same time last season.
One of its biggest assets so far has been the firepower of forwards Will Young and Sam Dunstan. And they could continue to dominate given Melton South's lack of tall defenders.
PANTHERS (8th): The season is only young but already the year is potentially on the line for the Panthers, which are desperately in need of a first win.
They have some outstanding individual talent. Coach Ash Manning just has to find the key to having everyone hit top form together.
There were some good signs in the first half against Bacchus Marsh, but Melton South fell away too easily - pulled away from their structures and dictated terms. It has badly missed Brendan Fevola (suspension/injury).
The Panthers recruited to bolster their midfield. If this can click, this is a winnable game.
PREDICTION: North Ballarat City
