Ground: Anzac Park, Warracknabeal, Saturday, 2.20pm.
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Last time they met: Round six, 2014. Warrack Eagles 11.9 (75) d Ararat 11.8 (74).
WARRACK Eagles can all but make certain of a top-three finish with a win against Ararat at home on Saturday.
The Eagles, fresh from a nine-point win against Horsham Saints, will face a Rats side in desperate need of a win to stay in the top five.
Eagles coach Tim Inkster said his side would be wary of the visitors after escaping with a one-point win in their last meeting.
“They’re really dangerous – if you give them enough time and space they can really cut you up,” he said.
“They obviously started the season really well and they’ve got plenty to play for, but we have plenty to play for as well.”
Inkster said Jayden Werner would miss, while midfielder-defender Kyle George was a likely inclusion for his first senior game this season.
Ararat coach David Hosking said his side would have to cope without a number of key players, including talls Zach Louder and Xavier Vearing.
Zander Laidlaw, hamstring, James Laidlaw, hand, and Mick Fratin, ribs, will all miss the rest of the season, but defender Peter Thompson could return.
“The reality is we’re going to be undermanned and we have been now for a couple of weeks,” Hosking said.
“We just need to get back to playing good footy all over the ground. We have to approach it with a positive mindset.”
Inkster said shutting down the Rats’ potent tall forwards – including Beau Cosson – without injured defender Ben Harrison would be critical.