The league leaders will start heavy favourites against Barnawartha-Chiltern at Barnawartha this weekend, who sit second bottom with just one win this campaign.

Captain Shane Streeter will return to the line-up this weekend after missing last Saturday’s win against Howlong, while Jason Bartel is also available.

“It hasn’t been too bad of a start. We’ve had a pretty friendly draw, but you’ve still got to get the wins on the board,” Streeter said.

However, Streeter knows his side can’t get too complacent with plenty of teams in the chasing pack behind them.

“The competition has changed a lot in the last two or three years. We’ve seen that with Dederang who have gone from the bottom half to premiership contenders,” he said.

“It’s better for everyone to have a close competition.”

Ryan de Vries’ stunning season with the ball has been a huge factor in Kiewa’s success.

He has 21 wickets from six appearances at 5.24, which is four more scalps than Bethanga’s Kieren Salome has claimed at 12.12.

“It’s kind of to be expected from Ryan. He’s definitely one of our strengths,” he said.

“Zach Mona has also been good with the ball and Damien Morrison, who played in the B grade grand final year, has taken nine wickets in the last three weeks.

Kiewa also has the leading run-scorer after six rounds with Sean Taylor notching up 277 runs at 55.40, including two half-centuries.

But their next best is Jacob Barber with 95 runs.

“He (Taylor) is doing a really good job, but we have been relying on him a lot,” Streeter said.

In other matches, Wodonga will be after its third win of the season when it travels to Howlong, Eskdale hosts Bethanga, Barunduda takes on Dederang at Willow Park, while the highly-anticipated clash between the fourth and fifth-placed Yackandandah and Mount Beauty at Yackandandah will shuffle up the ladder.