The Northern Blues will be aiming to return to the winner’s list when they make the trek to Eureka Stadium to face North Ballarat on Sunday.

After losing their last three games prior to last weekend’s bye, the trip to play the 14th-placed Roosters provides a big opportunity for the Blues to return to winning ways or slip further down the ladder.

Some much-welcomed AFL experience has been injected to the side from a Blues perspective, headlined by the return of Carlton veteran Andrew Walker.

The other Carlton-listed inclusions of David Ellard (calf injury), Tom Fields and Brad Walsh brings the AFL contingent to 12, with Ciaran Byrne (hamstring) and Clem Smith (AFL selection) the outs from a fortnight ago.

Sean Bolger, Daniel Watson, Lachie Kilpatrick, Garrett McDonagh and Ben Walton round out the inclusions into the squad, with McDonagh confirmed to be making his VFL debut as 23rd man.

McDonagh could be joined in his debut by Manly recruit Kilpatrick, who may still be named in the 23 to take on the Roosters this Sunday given the extended squad is yet to be cut down.

However, the Blues will be without captain Brent Bransgrove, who is out for the season with a hamstring injury, while Kieran McGuinness is still unavailable with a shoulder complaint.

The conventional forward three of Matthew Watson, Liam Jones and Blaine Johnson have all been named, while Kristian Jaksch could yet be swung forward with Jayden Foster potentially swung down the other end.

Walker’s inclusion alone adds more AFL experience (186 games) to the side than the whole Carlton contingent a fortnight ago, who had a combined 132 games of senior footy behind them against Casey last time out.

With the Blues going down in their three games prior to the bye, the Roosters will be looking to complete the 2015 double over Northern, having defeated them earlier this season in Round 5 at Etihad Stadium.

North Ballarat have been a bogey side for the Blues in recent years. Including their consecutive triumphs in the 2009 and 2010 Grand Finals, the Roosters have come out victorious against the Blues on seven of the last nine occasions.

The Roosters notched up their fourth win of the season last week when they comfortably disposed of the winless Frankston by 103 points, seeing them behind the Blues on the ladder by percentage only.

Andrew Hooper and Aaron Black have been the chief instigators on the scoreboard for the Roosters this season, kicking 25 goals and 20 goals respectively to date.

The returning Fields looms as the likely match-up for Black, having restricted the North Melbourne forward to two goals in Round 5.

The ever-present Myles Sewell was best afield for the Roosters last time out, and has been one of the prime movers for his side in midfield this season alongside Luke Kiel.

With finals all but ruled out for the Blues, Sunday’s game provides an opportunity to return to winning ways ahead of the final month of VFL football to come.

The Round 16 clash against the Roosters commences at 1:30pm on Sunday from Eureka Stadium in Ballarat.

PLAYER WATCH

Andrew Walker: The high-profile inclusion of the week, the Carlton veteran returns from injury on Sunday for the first time in six weeks. Walker last featured as sub in Carlton’s stirring Round 12 victory against Port Adelaide, but has struggled to muster any continuity in the last two seasons with a troublesome knee complaint. He adds some much needed experience to the side, while his versatility means he could feature in any position on the ground come the bounce on Sunday.

Brad Walsh: After being given a fleeting taste of AFL football in the last fortnight, Walsh returns to the VFL line-up with a big task ahead of him. Walsh was one of the Blues better performed players in the loss to the Roosters in Round 5, and will be central in the contested battle in midfield on Sunday afternoon. With the forwards bereft of supply in recent weeks, they’ll be relying on the likes of Walsh and Mark Whiley to launch the Blues forward.

Dillon Viojo-Rainbow: The Carlton recruit has been given more time in midfield in recent weeks, finding himself situated on a wing after featured both down back and up forward to start the season. Viojo-Rainbow has starting getting his hands on the footy in recent weeks, and has been consistently building after a steady start to his first year on an AFL list.