The champion goal shooter has crossed over to the Lions in the off-season and will start a new chapter of her storied career on Saturday.

Sunbury coach Kim Bailey said she expected it would take some time for Hicks to learn the patterns of her new side, but was excited about what she can bring to a team who made finals in their first year back in A Grade,

"We were really strong within the circle last year, but sometimes you just need that difference," she said.

"We do play a different style to Darley, so hopefully we'll be okay."

"We hadn't had an A Grade team for a couple of years, so we virtually last year just found a team and threw it all together when I came back to the club.

"We had a bit of a rocky start and there were a couple of losses we probably shouldn't have had, but towards the end of the season, we played the way we knew we could play, but came up against our bogie team in the finals, Lake Wendouree."

Bailey said this week's match-up with Redan would be a great test to see how the team stacked up early in the season.

"They are a really tough team, their defence is just awesome with Erin Reilly and Ash Smith, they are really tenacious team.

"They are a team that we have had trouble with in the past as well. We are really tall in the circle and we've got our mosquito fleet in the midcourt,, it'll be a hard game, a first tip to Ballarat for the year and it doesn't look like it will be too cold, so it'll be nice to get the result."

In other matches, Darley will start its charge as it looks to finally break through for a long overdue premiership when it plays host to East Point.

How Darley line-up without Hicks under the goals will be a watch on this one, but they have the talent to get the job done.

Bacchus Marsh is set to start the long climb back-up the ladder when it plays host to Ballarat, while the Melton Derby on paper looks set to be a thriller.

Sebastopol will host Lake Wendouree in the final match of the round in what should be tight contest.