at Wallace, Saturday, 2.30pm

Last time: Springbank 16.14 (110) d Newlyn 6.4 (40), round 10, 2017

Newlyn isn’t planning for Brad Sewell to make his reappearance any time soon, but the club still expects the former Hawthorn star to qualify for the Central Highlands Football League finals series.

Since making his return to the club against Waubra in round two, Sewell has not featured for the Cats and still needs to play two more games to be eligible for the knockout phase of the season.

Newlyn president Simon Dwyer said Sewell’s media commitments made it tough to confirm games that he could play, but said he would “definitely” start at least another two before finals.

The Cats are top of the ladder ahead of this Saturday’s battle with Springbank, but have suffered a major blow with news gun onballer Steve Clifton will miss with a hamstring injury.

Cats joint-coach Dan Wehrung expected Clifton to sit out the next two games because of the strain.

The GJ Gardner Tigers have made two changes to the side that beat Hepburn last round.

The big inclusion is former coach and key position player Michael Searl, who was absent against the Burras because of a finger injury sustained at training on the Thursday night.

Searl is joined as an inclusion by Kieran Maher, with Jaaron Mahar and Darcy Haintz making way for the pair.

Prediction: Springbank

Waubra v Hepburn

at Waubra, Saturday, 2.30pm

Last time: Hepburn 12.6 (78) d Waubra 9.12 (66), round 10, 2017

Reigning premiers Hepburn could slip two games adrift of the Central Highlands Football League top eight with defeat on the weekend.

The Burras have dropped their past two games to be ninth, four points behind the eighth-placed Gordon.

And while the team does have a good run home with a number of games against lowly situated opponents, the pressure will certainly be on for coach Segifili Asa Leausa and his men if they fall to the Roos.

This game has been shifted to Waubra given the terrible condition of the Hepburn ground following last weekend’s league under-12 carnival.

Hepburn president Jason Dooley didn’t want to elaborate on star Andy McKay’s injury concerns, but said it was unlikely he’d play against the Roos and confirmed he will then be heading overseas for a holiday. Dooley said this is likely to keep the Geoff Taylor Medal winner out until the last couple of rounds before finals.

Waubra coach Matt James believes key forward Dean Robertson will miss between four and six weeks after going down with a knee injury during last weekend’s two-point win over Beaufort.

He said fellow forward Travis Parsons was set for a spell with an AC joint problem, but is pleased to get back important onballer Nick Dinsdale and winger Dylan Payne for this game.

Prediction: Waubra

Daylesford v Learmonth

at Daylesford, Saturday, 2.30pm

Last time: Daylesford 13.13 (91) d Learmonth 9.9 (63), round 10, 2017

Learmonth is set to be without vice-captain and experienced winger Brodrick Campbell for a vital period of its 2018 Central Highlands Football League season.

Campbell went down with a nasty knee injury in the dying minutes of last Saturday’s loss to Newlyn and is set for a six-week stint on the sidelines according to Lakies coach Nick Willox.

Willox said Campbell was understood to have injured a medial ligament and admitted it was a big blow to the side, particularly given his leadership role within the group.

“It hurts our structure a bit so we will just have to look at who can replace him there (on a wing),” Willox told The Courier.

Learmonth is a game behind where it was after nine rounds last year, meaning this clash is crucial to its hopes of playing finals in 2018.

The Lakies lost to Daylesford last year, but will be confident of turning the tables against an opponent that has won just twice this season.

However, Daylesford is in good form, with its two victories coming in the lead-up to last weekend’s bye.

Before the break, the side beat Carngham-Linton and Clunes.

Bulldogs coach Zac Tisdale has flagged the returns of Will Austin and Seb Eyles this Saturday, but revealed Jack Nulty and Jesse Browne would be missing through unavailability.

Prediction: Learmonth

Ballan v Creswick

at Ballan, Saturday, 2.30pm

Last time: Creswick 7.10 (52) dw Ballan 7.10 (52), round 10, 2017

Ballan: The Blues let slip one of their better chances for victory at Skipton last round, but get another good opportunity this weekend.

Ballan will host a Creswick outfit on the back of a six-point loss to the Emus, which has left the team 16th on the table, a game clear of bottom side Clunes.

Creswick: The Wickers have been competitive against some of the better teams in the competition in recent weeks, but haven't got any reward for effort.

Coach Ryan Knowles and his men were well beaten by Buninyong last Saturday, but showed good signs against Bungaree and Gordon before that and should chalk up win number four for the season this weekend.

Prediction: Creswick

Beaufort v Rokewood-Corindhap

at Beaufort, Saturday, 2.30pm

Last time: Beaufort 25.10 (160) d Rokewood-Corindhap 5.3 (33), round 10, 2017

Beaufort: The Crows are set to be without key players Jarrod McCorkell and Scott Howard for Saturday's battle with Rokewood-Corindhap.

Beaufort coach Rohan Brown is reporting a shoulder injury for McCorkell and a finger issue for Howard, both of which occurred in last weekend's two-point loss to Waubra.

Rokewood-Corindhap: The Grasshoppers are in the midst of a long run of defeats and it doesn't look like they'll break the streak in the coming weeks.

Coach Damon Delaney and his charges have lost their last five games and now have battles with premiership contenders Beaufort, Hepburn, Waubra and Springbank in a tough month ahead.

Prediction: Beaufort

Buninyong v Carngham-Linton

at Buninyong, Saturday, 2.30pm

Last time: Buninyong 21.13 (139) d Carngham-Linton 6.7 (43), round 10, 2017

Buninyong: Star ruckman Liam Rigby is back on the sidelines after suffering an ankle injury in last round's win over Creswick.

Rigby has been battling groin problems in 2018 and might now be missing until after the Buninyong bye, which comes up in round 12.

Carngham-Linton: Saints coach Matt Beaston says important forward Ross Waters will be missing for the team's difficult assignment at Buninyong.

Beaston said Waters, who kicked three goals in last weekend's loss to Gordon and has booted a team-high 17 this year, was sore and would sit out the battle against the league powerhouse.

Prediction: Buninyong

Dunnstown v Skipton

at Dunnstown, Saturday, 2.30pm

Last time: Dunnstown 17.20 (122) d Skipton 5.9 (39), round 10, 2017

Dunnstown: The Towners might only be 10th on the ladder, but can really start climbing up the table over the next month with a string of games they should win.

The Towners accounted for Rokewood-Corindhap last Saturday and are favourites to beat Skipton, Creswick, Carngham-Linton and Clunes before the round 14 bye.

Skipton: The Emus will be up and about after recording a confidence-boosting third triumph of the campaign on Saturday.

That success against Ballan means the club has shown huge improvement on the winless 2017 season in coach Greg Middleton's first year at the helm.

Prediction: Dunnstown

Gordon v Clunes

at Gordon, Saturday, 2.30pm

Last time: Gordon 31.15 (201) d Clunes 8.6 (54), round 10, 2017

Gordon: The Eagles are already missing a host of important players through injury and can add recruit Matt Hayes to that list.

Hayes suffered what appears to be a season-ending knee injury during Saturday's win over Carngham-Linton. He is a key out for this game alongside onballer Tye Murphy, who is unavailable.

Clunes: The Magpies have welcomed back top player Jesse Baird from travel as the side goes in search of its breakthrough win under new coach Johno Leoncini.

Missing Baird, Clunes suffered a 76-point loss at the hands of Bungaree last weekend to leave it as the only winless team in the competition after nine rounds.

Prediction: Gordon