Last season’s division two champions are planning for a home fixture against a Ballarat East side that is expected to struggle throughout 2018-19.

The Two Blues had a mass exodus of top players during the off-season and were well beaten by Learmonth in last Saturday’s Ballarat District Bowls Division opening round.

Smeaton also suffered defeat in round one, but put up a solid display against Creswick to take two points from the 23-shot loss.

Skipper Geoff Pickering said a win so early in the new campaign would be a big boost for Smeaton.

“It’d be great. The club would be very exited to get a win under their belts,” Pickering said.

Despite Ballarat East’s struggles, Pickering is remaining wary of a proven division one weekend pennant performer.

“On any one day you could get beaten by anyone. It doesn’t matter who you are,” he said.

Another new side in division one this season is Ballarat Memorial Sports, which suffered a surprisingly heavy defeat against Webbcona last weekend.

BMS, which was relegated from the Geelong-Ballarat Premier Bowls competition at the end of 2017-18, gets back on home greens this Saturday.

The Alfredton-based team will come up against Creswick.

Elsewhere, Ballarat will host Central Wendouree.

Ballarat started the new season in style, landing a big win over Mt Xavier, while the Bears were beaten by 13 shots at the hands of City Oval.

The Hawks are pitted against Webbcona this weekend in a battle of two round one victors.

And in the last game of the weekend, Learmonth is fancied to make it two triumphs on the trot when it meets Mt Xavier.

The Learmonth team took maximum points in the battle with Ballarat East last Saturday, while Mt Xavier failed to win a rink in a heavy loss to Ballarat.