The Central Highlands Football League (CHFL) delivered in more ways than one, with an action packed six rounds before the unfortunate snap lockdown announcement.

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Former AFL stars graced the field, teams broke long droughts, the all-time goals kicked in a game record was nearly broken and some clubs had the best start to a season in over a decade.

CHFL manager Diane Ryan said it was exciting to be back.

"There was a lot of anticipation there from all grades of football and netball," she said.

The Courier looks through the biggest storylines of the season to date, as we wait patiently for the return to action.

The CHFL has been blessed in season 2021 to welcome five former AFL players to the league.

Gordon gained the services of Geelong premiership players Shannon Byrnes and James Kelly.

Byrnes had signed on for 2020 but didn't play a game owing to the pandemic.

He returned this season, and brought good mate Kelly along with him.

Both players are hoping to play as much as they can throughout the season and finals.

Collingwood premiership player Dale Thomas was next, making a one off appearance for Ballan in its round four loss to Daylesford, kicking a goal.

Creswick quickly followed when it confirmed the services of Brownlow medalist Dane Swan were locked in for its round six clash with Skipton.

He couldn't get the Wickers over the line, however, did kick three goals and play down back for a half, taking three intercept marks in a quarter.

Club president Phil Judd said the game and sportsman's night was a booming success.

"I think we probably had about 1500 people here (at the game)," he said.

"We had a full house, as many as we could with Covid obviously, I think we had 160 (at the sportsman's night)."

Josh Cowan, a former Geelong player, returned to his junior club Daylesford, co-captaining the side alongside Emlyn Nettleton.

He went down in round one with a broken leg, an unfortunate start to his second senior stint with the club, where he won a premiership in 2007.

For some sides around the fringe of the top eight or top four, 2021 was the year to make the jump and challenge the contenders above them.

Rokewood-Corindhap was one, which started 3-0 for the second straight season. What it knew, however, was that in 2019 it only won a further three games and missed the finals.

Hence when round four rolled around and reigning premiers Waubra was waiting for it, whom it had never beaten since entering the league in 2011, the lead into the game was massive.

They trailed by 15 points at half-time and 25 points at three-quarter time, that elusive first ever win over Waubra seemingly slipping away.

Fast forward 25 minutes and as the final siren sounded, Rokewood found itself in front by three points after a six goal to one final term.

Hoppers' co-coach Brad Macgowan told The Courier at the time the win meant a lot to the club.

"We had people coming up after the game shaking our hands and the old guys with tears in their eyes," he said.

"It's just a sign of the fact that Waubra has been such a strong team for so long, so for a team like Rokewood to be able to have some success against them, they were rapt."

Dunnstown, which missed the finals in 2019 by one game, has already broken two hoodos to start 2021.

It defeated Bungaree by 59 points for the first time since round nine, 2011. It had lost eight straight games to the Demons, by an average margin of 68.5 points.

Three weeks later the Towners went one better and beat Buninyong for the first time since 2010, a side they hadn't beaten in 10 tries.

Coach Glenn Wilkins said it was a great result for the players and other members of the club.

"It's just probably good for people around the club that have obviously experienced defeat for so many years against these sides, to finally get a win is a good reward," he said.

It wasn't a great start for Sam Dunstan and Hepburn, their round one game against Daylesford called off due to an ambulance taking 90 minutes to attend to Josh Cowan, who was stuck on the ground with a broken leg.

It meant Dunstan, who was runner-up in the 2019 league goal-kicking, could only bag one major in the early stages of the first quarter before the stoppage.

He more than made up for it the following week, kicking 20 goals as Hepburn smashed Carngham-Linton by 215 points.

The haul was one goal short of the league record, but was six better than his 2019 best of 14 goals.

"It was rewarding to reach that number of goals but also very frustrating as it was one shy of the league record," Dunstan said.

One of the major talking points to this point is that of Clunes' start to the season.

It's 4-1 record is the best it's begun a season since 2005, 16 years ago.

It's a far cry from its 2019 campaign, where the Magpies won just one game and claimed the wooden spoon.

Coach Johno Leoncini said the good form is owing to the committed group at hid disposal this year.

"It's just nice to have good personnel there willing to learn," he said

"The locals that have been there for a while, they're starting to feel really comfortable in actually doing it."

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