As we reach the pointy end of the year, round 15 presents as a weekend that will be looked back upon as the Saturday that shaped the season, as all current top six sides are set to face off.
The results of this weekend’s affairs could have genuine ladder-altering implications, whether that is evident immediately after the round or by season’s end.
Two games between clubs outside finals calculations are also vital and, should results fall in their favour, they could be placed inside the September equation by the closure of round 15.
After a heavyweight top-of-the-table clash a fortnight ago, unbeaten Shepparton is tasked with top-four opponent Mooroopna this weekend.
The Bears did enough to evade defeat in round four, recording an 11-goal win where they did not trail throughout the entire contest.
The win came despite Mooroopna’s Ashley Lancaster scoring her highest amount of goals in a loss this season with 34.
Additionally, since that round four defeat the Cats have only lost two further games and enter the round 15 clash on a six-game win streak, creating a tantalising fixture and the potential to end Shepparton’s flawless run.
Mooroopna coach Di Hanslow said the Cats had “nothing to lose” against the unbeaten outfit.
“When you take on an undefeated side you have nothing to lose and we’re looking to take a win,” Hanslow said.
“We weren’t far behind last time, it was a good high quality game from both sides.
“They had a couple key players we didn’t shut down early and allowed too much defensive turnover.
“Shepparton have been building, but we’ve been building through the season as well.
“They’ve become the yardstick, so facing them at this time of the year is valuable to see where we’re at.”
Third-placed Seymour has the opportunity to close the gap on Euroa, which suffered its first defeat for the season in round 13.
While Euroa bounced back convincingly against Rochester last week, the Lions can still smell Magpie blood and are ready to pounce on a potentially vulnerable outfit as the black and white faces its first finals contender since its initial loss.
A win for Seymour would close the gap between second and third, increasing the Lions’ hope of securing a double chance, while a Euroa victory all but guarantees its place in the top-two come season’s end.
Although standing as the bottom two sides in the league’s current top six standings, Shepparton Swans’ clash against fifth-placed Tatura could have the greatest ladder implications in the long run.
The Swans may be 14 premiership points behind the Bulldogs, but history suggests this will be a match-up to keep an eye on.
In their round four meeting, Tatura trailed by six at the 41 minute mark of the game.
With a quarter and four minutes left to play, the Swans were in the box seat to claim their second win of the season, but the Bulldogs rallied eight consecutive goals to pull ahead and would ultimately stave off any late challenges by the Swans to win by two.
However, it demonstrates the Swans can match it with the Dogs and that an upset win on Saturday is not out of the realm of possibility.
Although coming off a heavy defeat to Mooroopna, the Swans nearly stunned Seymour in round 13, giving up two final minute goals to squander their chance at an all-time boilover.
If the Swans get up and firing this weekend at their home court, they could secure their sixth-place spot for another week.
However, a loss could mean they relinquish their finals opportunity.
Seventh and eighth-placed sides Shepparton United and Echuca have the same 6-8 record as the Swans, outside of the top-six purely by percentage.
The Demons head to Kyabram to take on the Bombers, which own a lowly 2-12 record, while Echuca faces current wooden spoon favourite Benalla.
Both clubs recorded commanding victories in their round four fixtures against their respective opponents, meaning even if United pulls off an upset over Tatura, a percentage boosting win could still have either the Demons or Murray Bombers surpass the Swans on the table.
Should the Swans lose though, they’re likely to fall a game behind in the race for sixth, requiring a positive win-loss record in the final three rounds to re-enter the finals equation.
A thriller can also be anticipated in the dead-rubber match too, as Mansfield and Rochester’s previous encounter went the distance, decided by four goals after being tied at three-quarter time.
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