Round Four marks the second consecutive week of zero games involving highway travel, and what a belter this one is shaping up to be. It's a bit strange, given recent times, that one of these teams will have had two losses this early in the season. North Ballarat Coach Brendan McCartney made the point pre-season that, ‘It's going to be a very even season, which is terrific for the competition’.

I couldn't agree more. Well, where do you start picking away at this game with just the small sample size of three rounds in? I guess the broader picture speaks highly enough of these two sides, who have sustained periods of excellence - East Point 2018, 2019 flags and North Ballarat Minor Premiers 2021. While both sides are coached well, it will test even McCartney and Jake Bridges' skillset to get over the line today.

Despite the loss last week, North Ballarat remains deserved favourites heading in. The 'underdog' tag won't be what Bridges and the Kangas are used to - how they go about it will be enthralling. Any footy purest would concede this match-up to be one of the marquee games of the year.

Can the x-factor talent of East Point get it done against the even spread of North Ballarat? It was good to see the Kangas bounce back with confidence after a disappointing loss to Sebastopol, but the Roosters loom a different prospect altogether. McCartney will have pinpointed the reason for their loss and be confident there will be a correction from his players. We'll have a better idea at the end of the game whether seven days was enough for that message to sink in. Can't wait!  

Come 5 pm Saturday, one of these teams will be winless at the bottom of the McDonald’s Ballarat Senior Men’s ladder. Sunbury has had two tough road trips (and a bye last week) from North Ballarat to Melton and wouldn't be the only team to come home empty-handed against those teams. 'Home' may be the operative word of the day for the Lions as the match looms as the perfect opportunity to kickstart their season. The planning that Heath Pritchard’s Melton South would have put into their more fancied opposition would have been a head-scratcher, given Sunbury has been arguably the most unsettled line-up at Thursday night selection.

VFL affiliate availability, health protocols, and injury are three reasons to justify the nature of the 29 players used already. But what isn't lacking at Sunbury is depth – they just need to settle on a cohesive group that can play together over a period and get the job done. That is what they're after. The Panthers will need to be smart with their ball use on the big ground and avoid the rebound of Tyson Lever in particular.

His distribution is crucial for Sunbury, as he is the primary feeder to the pacy Lions on the spread. Sure, the Panthers have some leg speed of their own, but I'm not convinced their 'bottom half' can match it with the Lions. Gun forward Dylan Conway will warrant his usual and deserved attention (tipping James Cree gets the gig) while the Panthers' biggest concern is likely the running ability of Daniel Toman - another 50 possession game would not surprise.

Both sides are coming off confidence-building wins on two different fronts after Round Three. How that unfolds will set the scene for compelling viewing. Can Jarret Giampaolo's Lions repeat their four-quarter performance against one of the spruik teams for '22? Can Joe Carmody's Swans reproduce the effort and execution that wore down 'the system' of North Ballarat?

Just who can return from the clouds the quickest and hit the scoreboard is sure to make it difficult for whoever isn’t in front. It's ironic that Ballarat faces Redan this round, the same opposition they faced after coming so close to North Ballarat last year.

What eventuated after the Swans realised they could match it with the best? They were brought back to earth with a 54-point loss against the Lions at City Oval. Both sides have their weapons, and their new additions over the offseason are beginning to have an impact. This won't be an easy game for either side nor will it be treated as such. Given it's only Round Four, the result is likely to tell us more about each club’s on-field headspace than who potentially is the real deal.    

The undefeated Bloods are set to host an improved Devils line-up in front of an (expected) bumper crowd. Both sides will look a little different than at their last meeting (Rd 4, 2021). Expect the Bloods to have at least seven changes to the Devils’ 12. Two of those 12 ins for the visitors include marquee signings Brett Bewley (Fremantle AFL) and Nick Rodda (Williamstown). Both have played significant roles in the Devils' fortunes so far, with Bewley featuring in the best players each week and Rodda brimming with confidence on the back of five- and eight-goal hauls.

But the Devils will need every bit of their influence if they're to upset a well-drilled, system-based Bloods. The ladder leaders are a tough match up with an even spread of aerial, speed, and ground ball ability - the yardstick essentially so far. Ryan Carter is flying as a mobile key option forward for the Bloods. Carter averages 10 shots on goal per game, while Captain Braeden Kight looks as dangerous as ever, averaging two goals a game in 2022.

The two have combined for near 40 per cent of the Bloods' total goals this year (19/49). While these two are renowned finishers, it's fair to say they are the beneficiaries of a body of work. It often starts with the rebound off half-back and the work rate of the midfield led by reigning club Best and Fairest Jack Walker. A 'month in' footy audit awaits the Devils, who are likely to be bolstered by the return of Shane Page, Darren Leonard and the Cadman brothers.

Jack Fitzpatrick's Lake Wendouree couldn't wish for a better time to meet a vulnerable Sebastopol, who has been cruelled by injury. Lachie Cassidy, Jack Bambury, James Keeble (all hamstrings), Riley O'Keefe (shoulder) and Jai Harvey (foot) are all doubtful pending a miracle recovery leaving the door ajar for the Lakers to get their second win of the season.

But Fitzpatrick, given his time in the game, will be wary of the wounded, and the 2019 Grand Finalists on the rebound. The Burra have already shown they're dangerous off a loss, beating East Point in Round
Two. But how many injuries to top end players at this level is too many? Surely half a dozen is pushing it.

The Lakers need only resemble something of their opening round win against Redan to be a real chance. But with no bonafide superstars, they will need a collective buy-in from nearly all 22 players to get it done.

The Burra, regardless of who takes the field, will have genuine options. Up forward through the midfield, and not to mention arguably the best halfback in the comp in Tony Lockyer. So, I expect an even contest from two young teams. The fortunes of youthful teams at this level can have contrasting results. When youth are up and about, they're hard to stop, but when denied the game on their own terms, the minimal impact can be often contagious.

There's more to play out here - both sides will fancy their chances.