The Hawks are 3-2, with the highest-ranked opponent they have beaten the seventh-placed Kyneton.

Gisborne - which has the added incentive of winning for club legend Ollie Messaoudi in his 200th game - travels to Canterbury Park undefeated and second on the ladder.

"It's a great challenge. If you look at results this year against sides who are around the mark of where we want to be... we've lost to Strathfieldsaye and to Kangaroo Flat, so this is our next chance to take on a side that is playing really good football," Eaglehawk coach Luke Monaghan said on Friday.

"Gisborne is obviously in good form and playing really good football and has its confidence up, but we feel as though we're getting better each week and we'll be up for the challenge."

The Hawks last week belted Castlemaine by 110 points, which included a 12-goal final quarter blitz.

The Hawks have made four changes to the winning side, with captain Luke Button, midfielder Josh Ketterer, full-forward Matt Gilmore and ruckman Cody West all coming in.

"They are very handy ins in terms of experience and structure for us," Monaghan said.

"Nico (Tim Nicolson) has been doing a really good job in the ruck for us over the past few weeks, but getting Cody back gives us the chance to use Nico in a few different spots.

"Button as our captain leads the whole side really well, particularly the backline; Ketterer's ruggedness and hardness around the ball is important; and Gilmore obviously straightens us up forward."

Gisborne's forward line will be bolstered by the return of Matt Knox, while there's also a blast from the past, with the inclusion of Bulldogs' premiership ruckman Jason Duff-Tytler.

Saturday will be Duff-Tytler's first senior game since Gisborne's 2009 qualifying final disaster against Golden Square.