CAMPERDOWN and Port Fairy will be without in-form midfielders for their Hampden league round six crunch clash.
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Magpie Hamish Sinnott will return to Geelong's VFL side following its bye and a best-on-ground performance for his club while Seagull Kaine Mercovich is sidelined with an injury complaint.
The Magpies (1-4) and Seagulls (2-3) understand the importance of the match-up at Gardens Oval on Saturday, May 18.
Sinnott is the only out for Camperdown which has added Luke Kavanagh to its team.
Mercovich (shoulder), George Swarbrick (torn AC joint) and Henry Brooks (hamstring) are all out of the Port Fairy side.
Seagulls coach Dustin McCorkell said Mercovich and Swarbrick were awaiting medical results.
Mercovich is likely to miss between two and three weeks while Swarbrick could miss most of the season.
BJ Dalton, Jett Hopper and Arley Fleming are Port Fairy's inclusions.
Portland will welcome two players back into its side for its clash against Warrnambool at Reid Oval.
Premier ruckman Ben Malcolm returns following a week off with a shoulder complaint.
"I think the really important thing for us is it gave Toby Oakley a chance to play some ruck last week and it was his first look at the ruck for the season and he did a really good job at the contest against Koroit and we came out on top in the clearances," Tigers coach Lochie Huppatz said.
"Having Benny back, you know what you're going to get from him and we're going to get first look at the footy enough times to be really damaging and knowing we can look after Benny and have Toby Oakley play in there as well."
Wingman Brett Uebergang will play his first match of the 2024 season too.
"He's been working away in the mines so it's our first look at him," Huppatz said.
"He obviously played at the club before, been (in the) team of the year for the Hampden league previously."
Zach Stuchbery (away) and Blake Schwartz are the Tigers' outs.
Warrnambool added Tom Ludeman, Steven Lampton, Rhys Jansen van Beek and Anthony McCarthy.
Koroit welcomes back talented duo Paddy O'Sullivan (unavailable) and Talor Byrne (Coates Talent League) for its top-five clash with North Warrnambool Eagles at Victoria Park.
Saints coach Chris McLaren said O'Sullivan would add class.
"He is our most versatile player and he's been huge for us," he said.
"He was clearly our best player last year, he won our best and fairest easily and he's certainly someone we miss dearly when he doesn't play.
"He's had three weeks off now (with our two byes) so it's worked well for him - he has a big workload for us so it's good he gets a big freshen up."
Jack Noonan and Tate Waterson are the Saints' omissions.
Hamilton Kangaroos coach Brad Thomas is excited to see high half-forward Deacon White in action against Terang Mortlake at Hawkesdale.
Injury has limited White's ability to play thus far in 2024.
"It will be his first (senior) game for the years. He played against Portland in the reserves and hurt his ankle at training but I think it's time we let him go for it," Thomas said.
"He's a young kid keen to learn, thrive and keep growing."
White replaces the injured Mick McMeel (hand).
Terang Mortlake will be without the unavailable Max Lower, Scott Carlin, Ryan O'Connor, Dylan Jones and Xavier Moloney.
Josh Slater, 16, will make his Hampden league senior debut for the Bloods while Ned Roberts, Jarryd Hay, Jordan Harris, Isaac Kenna and Tom Arundell also come into the side.
Meanwhile, Koroit teenager Finn O'Sullivan is hopeful he'll be available to represent Vic Country at the back end of the AFL under 18 national championships after having surgery on a broken finger.
O'Sullivan had hoped the injury would heal naturally but it required further treatment, delaying his comeback.
THE TEAMS - as supplied by the clubs
Port Fairy v Camperdown - 2pm Saturday, Gardens Oval
Port Fairy
B: I.Martin, L.Gunning, J.Bartlett
HB: L.King, D.Gunning, C.McDonald
C: O.Myers, S.Lucardie, R.Hall
HF: M.Sully, R.Mohan, M.Ryan
F: K.Fleming, J.Rowan, J.Moloney
R: K.Mercovich, O.Pollock, T.Macilwain
Int: G.Swarbrick, H.Brooks, B.Dalton, M.Stau
Camperdown
B: J.Place, B.Richardson, S.Bradshaw
HB: A.McBean, R.Arnold, J.Dowell
C: C.Spence, J.Dundon, M.Field
HF: H.Sumner, C.Lucas, A.Gordon
F: E.Guthrie, I.McVilly, S.Gordon
R: L.Kavenagh, W.Rowbottom, T.Baker
Int: L.O'Neil, P.Baker, S.Morgan, D.Absalom
Emg: W.Cheeseman, N.Jones
Warrnambool v Portland
Warrnambool
B: O.Opperman, J.Chittick, A.McCarthy
HB: T.Wason, L.Bidmade, S.Cowling
C: W.Lord, A.Steere, D.Graham
HF: A.Black, F.Timms, B.Cunnington
F: J.Turland, H.Ryan, J.Bell
R: D.Weymouth, J.Turland, J.Walters
Int: J.Wells, J.Foott, R.Warfe, L.Cody
Emg: S.Lampton, T.Ludeman, H.Artz, R.Jansen van beek
Portland
B: L.Evans, T.Oakley, P.Procter
HB: C.Piergrosse, H.Kerr, D.Campbell
C: N.Nicholls, T.Jennings
HF: M.England, W.Hunter, L.Goldby
F: G.Kissane, M.Curtis, J.Wilson
R: L.Huppatz, T.Sharp, B.Malcolm
Int: K.Vallance, B.Field, K.Johnson, H.Reynolds
Koroit v North Warrnambool Eagles - 2pm Saturday, Victoria Park
Koroit
B: A.Campbell, T.Hines, P.O'Sullivan
HB: T.Stephens, M.Petersen, T.Baulch
C: N.Whiting, C.Nagorcka, L.Hoy
HF: D.Mooney, J.Block, M.Bradley
F: H.Noonan, W.Couch, C.Byrne
R: J.Mcinerney, J.Neave, J.McCosh
Int: D.O'Keefe, T.Waterson, T.Byrne
Emg: J.Coghlan west, B.Keane, J.Noonan
North Warrnambool Eagles
B: S.McKinnon, R.Scoble, J.Lewis
HB: J.Johnstone, B.Jenkinson, A.Noske
C: L.Wines, D.Bermingham, J.Bermingham
HF: A.Wines, H.Cobb, F.Jones
F: T.Keast, J.Dillon, T.Batten
R: W.Brennan, N.Vardy, J.Grundy
Int: B.Gedye, A.Jennings, L.Anders, J.O'Brien
Cobden v South Warrnambool - 2pm Saturday, Cobden Recreation Reserve
Cobden
B: L.Darcy, S.Thow, Z.Green
HB: D.Watson, J.Hutt, A.Armstrong
C: J.Williamson, J.Hammond, L.Herschell
HF: H.Robertson, H.Herschell, B.Berry
F: S.Lucas, J.Hickey, K.Baker
R: T.Auckland, C.Smith, B.Mahoney
Int: P.Pekin, L.Robertson, L.Hickey, S.Darcy
Emg: J.Fowler, M.Kemp, C.Darcy
South Warrnambool
B: I.Thomas, T.Williamson, H.Lee
HB: C.Gallichan, S.Thompson, P.Anderson
C: A.Stevens, J.Henderson
HF: J.Folkes, J.Dye, S.Lenehan
F: S.Kelly, W.Owen, N.Thompson
R: M.Irving, M.McCluggage, R.Thomas
Int: N.Kol, O.Smith, D.Nicholson, M.Wollermann, S.Beks
Hamilton Kangaroos v Terang Mortlake - 2pm Saturday, Hawkesdale Recreation Reserve
Hamilton Kangaroos
B: R.Sigley, H.McGinley, J.Donehue
HB: T.Morris, C.Pither, T.Hawthorne
C: R.Gill, L.Barnes, J.Murray
HF: C.Whyte, H.Waldron, W.Povey
F: V.Huf, H.Cook, L.Urquhart
R: J.Whyte, E.Knight, J.English
Int: N.Herrmann, M.McMeel, C.Field, B.Hicks
Terang Mortlake
B: H.Roberts, S.Crawley, I.Kenna
HB: G.Bourke, A.Moloney, J.Arundell
C: D.Hutchins, F.Beasley, K.Johnstone
HF: R.Tanner, X.Vickers, R.Buck
F: J.Fowler, S.Mclean, J.Moloney
R: R.Hutchins, D.Hobbs, J.Hay
Int: S.Carlin, J.Harris, D.Jones, T.Arundell