WATCH VIDEO: IAN WARNER OFFERS UP THOUGHTS ON NEW SATURDAY PENNANT

Sebastopol was the highest-placed Ballarat team in the Geelong-Ballarat Premier Bowls league last season. But Warner said the club would struggle to maintain the same success in the Ballarat District Bowls Division Saturday Pennant premier competition following an exodus of some of its top players.

"We don't have any pretensions for this season," Warner said.

"We've probably lost six of our top-liners from last year and we are very short of depth, so basically we are trying to hold ourselves in the competition and be competitive."

Last season's skippers Rob Baker, Glen Sargent and Scott Roberts were among those to leave the club, which will take a new-look outfit against last year's BDBD division one premiers Ballarat Memorial Sports on Saturday. Warner said it would be a desperate encounter between the clubs, both of which are looking for its first win following defeats in round one.

"Our advantage is the weather and the fact that we are playing on grass," Warner said. "That won't suit them as much because they are a synthetic, quicker green side, but we'll certainly have our work cut out."

The Kookaburras were one of four clubs from the abolished Geelong-Ballarat Premier Bowls league to join the BDBD to form a new premier competition in Ballarat.

Warner said the new league, which features 12 players a side, would strengthen the teams that weren't playing in Geelong last year. "I think there is probably four or five very even teams, you could give a chance to but at this stage I doubt very much that we would be one of them," he said.

Elsewhere this weekend Victoria will face-off against Mt Xavier at home, Buninyong will look to continue its perfect start against Ballarat, Learmonth will take on Central Wendouree and Webbcona will host Creswick.