Hepburn will go into its vital clash with Newlyn in the CHFL on Saturday without a marquee recruit.
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Young mid/forward Izaac Grant will miss with a leg injury.
Joint coach Shane Fisher said the Burras had hoped to get him through to the club's extended mid-season break with a bye to follow the King's Birthday long weekend.
He said they had made the call though to put Grant on ice now to ensure he was right for the second half of the season.
Grant is a big loss for Hepburn in a game against one of the competition's form sides.
His absence comes on the top of Hepburn already being without ruckman Sean Tighe, versatile Jackson Carrick, recruit Matt Davis and Dan O'Halloran.
Carrick and Davis are yet to play.
Ned Johns and Jack Blackburn return as important inclusions.
In contrast, the unbeaten Newlyn is close to full strength.
Mitch McGrath is back after being managed for one round to protect a shoulder issue.
Cats coach Jarrett Giampaolo said they had been fortunate with injuries so far.
He said he was "super keen" about the match-up with Hepburn, with this being the first time he has coached against he had watched have success far afar during his BFNL career with Redan.
Giampaolo said everything was falling into place for the Cats.
"This is a chance to test everything we have in place against a proven team."
GORDON will be without experienced duo Luke Gunnell and Mick Nolan against Daylesford at Daylesford.
Each is unavailable. Frank Violi (ankle) is also out.
Dual premiership midfielder Tye Murphy returns, having played just the one game in round four.
Daylesford will take a depleted line-up into the game with Matt Dean (calf) and Andrew Panayi (hamstring) out of the team which defeated Dunnstown.
Mitch Steen (calf) also could not be considered.
Toby Maher and Lee Johnston have recovered from injuries, while Tasmanian-based Jake Briggs makes his first appearance for the season after being suspended in the pre-season.
BUNGAREE regains Clay Bilney, John Butler and Mitch Comben for its clash with Springbank at Bungaree.
Butler and Comben have each been sidelined with hamstring injuries since round three, while Bilney played one game after signing.
The Demons will be without Isaac Quick (unavailable) and Max Lawless, who suffered concussion late in the victory over Gordon.
Springbank, which is still missing big names such as Todd Finco and Chris Quinlan, has selected recruit Harry Segrave from St Mary's under18s in Geelong and youngster Archie Geyle back after injury.
Experienced defender Jacob White playes his first game for the season
KEY forward Brad Whittaker is welcome for Dunnstown, which takes on Buninyong at Buninyong.
This will be his first appearance since straining a calf in round three.
He will be a major asset in attack as will Tom Wardell, who returns after being unavailable.
Small forward Austin Murphy has recovered from a strained hamstring suffered in round three to add further goalkicking potency.
Youingster Archie Eichler has been recalled by the Bombers.
NEW signing Mitch Thar will make his debut for Clunes against Ballan at Ballan.
The half back makes the move from Lara, where he played a handful of games last year.
He had previously played with Avoca in 2021, and before that with Werribee Districts in the WRFL and VAFA.
Thar is linking up with Clunes assistant coach AJ Bourke, who he knew while at Avoca.
The Magpies have lost Brandyn Davidson with a knee injury.
WAUBRA has lost tall forward Dean Robertson and Riley Pestrascu to hamstring injuries for its encounter with Rokewood-Corindhap at Waubra.
The Roos regain Ryan Gavin.
The Grasshoppers will be without forward Matthieu Brehaut (knee) as they search for a second win.
EXPERIENCED Tim Hughes makes his first senior appearance for Skipton for the season against Learmonth at Skipton.
Declan Phillips also returns after a week off, while big defender Ben Krol is unavailable.
Learmonth has regained Nick Willox and defender Monty Judd, but will miss James Laidlaw and Jason Rae.
CARNGHAM-Linton has lost important forwards Josh Pound (calf) and Brad McDonald for Saturday's clash with Creswick at Creswick.
Pound was injured in the Saints' latest outing two weeks before, with not even a week off with a bye enough time for him to recover.
McDonald will not make the trip from Queensland, despite kicking six goals in round five.
The opened the door for Jack Faull and Hudson Palmer to force their way into the line-up for the first time this year.
Creswick loses Pat Taranto (unavailable) and Michael Booth (shoulder) from the side which defeated Springbank.
The Wickers have named Tynan Haintz for his first senior game since 2022.
ROUND 7 AT A GLANCE
INS AND OUTS, WHO IS IN BEST FORM
NEWLYN V HEPBURN
at Newlyn, Saturday, 2.30pm
Last met: round 6, 2023 - Cats 12.14 (86) d Burras 7.9 (51)
Newlyn 3rd (4 wins, 1 draw, 0 losses, 1 bye)
Hepburn 7th (3 wins, 3 losses)
Selection: Cats
CHANGES INCLUDE
NEWLYN
In: Mitch Mcgrath
Out: Dan Mizzeni
HEPBURN
In: Jack Blackburn, Ned Johns
Out: Izaac Grant (leg), Leigh Loving
THE COURIER AWARD - LEADING VOTEGETTERS
NEWLYN
23-Sean Willmott
18-Chris Giampaolo
16-Tom Carey
HEPBURN
26-Brad McKay
19-Sean Tighe
9-Andy McKay
CRESWICK V CARNGHAM-LINTON
at Creswick, Saturday, 2.30pm
Last met: round 7, 2023 - Saints 11.13 (79) d Wickers 3.3 (21)
Creswick 12th (2 wins, 4 losses)
Carngham-Linton 8th (3 wins, 2 losses, 1 bye)
Selection: Saints
CHANGES INCLUDE
CRESWICK
In: Tynan Haintz, Adam Lovett
Out: Pat Taranto (unavailable), Michael Booth (shoulder)
CARNGHAM-LINTON
In: Jack, Faull, Hudson Palmer
Out: Brad McDonald (unavailable), Josh Pound (calf)
THE COURIER AWARD - LEADING VOTEGETTERS
CRESWICK
18-Marcus Hottes
12-Geoff Lovett
10-Ben Dolan
CARNGHAM-LINTON
24-Kynan Raven
19-Nick O'Brien
18-Tyson Scoble
BUNGAREE V SPRINGBANK
at Bungaree, Saturday, 2.30pm
Last met: qualifying final, 2023 - Tigers 15.8 (89) d Demons 12.3 (75)
Bungaree 1st (6 wins, 0 losses)
Sprinngbank 16th (9 wins, 5 losses, 1 bye)
Selection: Demons
CHANGES INCLUDE
BUNGAREE
In: Clay Bilney, John Butler, Mitch Comben, Jack Walter
Out: Isaac Quick (unavailable), Max Lawless (concussion), Dillon Benton (under-18s), Robbie Emerson-Jones
SPRINGBANK
In: Archie Geyle, Harry Segrave (debut - St Mary's under-18s), Jacob White
Out: Sam Duggan (under-18s), Ned Gordon (under-18s), Jack McCann
THE COURIER AWARD - LEADING VOTEGETTERS
BUNGAREE
22-Tom Wakefield
19-Mitch Comben
16-Ben Simpson
SPRINGBANK
14-Brant Haintz
8-Pat Glanford
5-Fletcher Toose
DAYLESFORD V GORDON
at Daylesford, Saturday, 2.30pm
Last met: round 1, 2023 - Eagles 19.20 (134) d Bulldogs 9.7 (61)
Daylesford (6 wins, 0 losses)
Gordon (4 wins, 1 loss, 1 bye)
Selection: Eagles
CHANGES INCLUDE
DAYLESFORD
In: Toby Maher, Lee Johnston, Jake Briggs
Out: Andrew Panayi (hamstring), Mitch Steen (calf), Luke Said, Adam Leonard, Matt Dean (calf)
GORDON
In: to be confirmed
Out: Frank Violi (ankle), Mick Nolan (unavailable), Luke Gunnell (unavailable)
THE COURIER AWARD - LEADING VOTEGETTERS
DAYLESFORD
25-Chris Molivas
22-Alex Boyse
16-Jordan Schroder
GORDON
11-Luke Gunnell
8-Bailey Veale, Ethan Crackel, Jordan Clampit
BUNINYONG V DUNNSTOWN
at Buninyong, Saturday, 2.30pm
Last met: round 1, 2023 - Towners 13.9 (87) d Bombers 11.11 (77)
Buninyong 4th (4 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss)
Dunnstown 10th (2 wins, 4 losses)
Selection: Bombers
CHANGES INCLUDE
BUNINYONG
In: Archie Eichler
Out: Keelan Fejo
DUNNSTOWN
In: Tom Wardell, Brad Whittaker, Austin Murphy
Out: Damon Simpkin, Lewis Hodgins, Ethan Forbes
THE COURIER AWARD - LEADING VOTEGETTERS
BUNINYONG
21-Jack Robertson
20-Jacob Coxall
13-Joel Ottavi
DUNNSTOWN
14-Will Henderson
10-Brad Whittaker
9-Flynn Stevenson
WAUBRA V ROKEWOOD-CORINDHAP
at Waubra, Saturday, 2.30pm
Last met: round 8 - Grasshoppers 16.14 (110) d Roos 7.10 (52)
Waubra 13th (2 wins, 4 losses)
Rokewood-Corindhap 14th (1 win, 5 losses)
Selection: Grasshoppers
CHANGES INCLUDE
WAUBRA
In: Ryan Gavin, Max Marro, Jason Parker
Out: Dean Robertson (hamstring), Riley Petrascu (hamstring), Oliver Randall
ROKEWOOD-CORINDHAP
To be confirmed
THE COURIER AWARD - LEADING VOTEGETTERS
WAUBRA
23-Harry Roscoe
11-Bailey Colligan
10-Dean Robertson
ROKEWOOD-CORINDHAP
16-Michael Lockyer
9-Mack Rivett
7-Michael Searl, Matt Aikman, Matthieu Brehaut
SKIPTON V LEARMONTH
at Skipton, Saturday, 2.30pm
Last met: round 6, 2023 - Emus 14.7 (91) d Lakies 11.12 (78)
Skipton 5th ( 4 wins, 1 loss, 1 bye)
Learmonth 9th (3 wins, 3 losses)
Selection: Emus
CHANGES INCLUDE
SKIPTON
In: Tim Hughes, Declan Phillips
Out: Ben Krol (unavailable), Tim Huglin
LEARMONTH
In: Nick Willox, Monty Judd, Joe Neal
Out: Liam Vercoe, James Laidlaw, Jason Rae
THE COURIER AWARD - LEADING VOTEGETTERS
SKIPTON
25-Jacob Maddock
14-Rhys Monument
10-Pat Graham
LEARMONTH
22-Cam Kimber
12-Will Green
8-Brenton Powell
BALLAN V CLUNES
at Ballan, Saturday, 2.30pm
Last met: round 2, 2023 - Magpies 9.12 (66) d Blues 8.9 (57)
Ballan 15th (1 win, 5 losses)
Clunes 11th (2 wins, 3 losses, 1 bye)
Selection: Magpies
CHANGES INCLUDE
BALLAN
To be confirmed
CLUNES
In: Jakob Robertson, Mitch Thar (debut - Lara)
Out: Brandyn Davidson (knee), Mark Paramonov
THE COURIER AWARD - LEADING VOTEGETTERS
BALLAN
22-Blake Colley
14-Lachlan Conlan
9-Harley Bongart
CLUNES
13-Ryan Thompson
10-Jakob Robertson
7-Mark Paramonov
