by Davyd Reid
All eyes will be on the clash between Trafalgar and reigning premier Buln Buln in a shortened round of Ellinbank District football on Saturday.
Should the Lyrebirds claim victory in the round 16 clash, the top five will be all but set and interest would shift to a tight race between second and fifth, separated by just four points.
With four to play, the sixth-placed Bloods now sit three games but also a significant percentage gap behind the fifth-placed Crows.
Trafalgar's hopes involve winning its next three and hoping Longwarry fall.
That's feasible against the Crows' higher ranked opponents to come in Ellinbank and Buln Buln, but would require an upset from Yarragon in the penultimate round to set up a round 20 showdown between the Crows and Bloods.
It's still a big ask and an outside chance. Despite an impressive win over Neerim-Neerim South at home a fortnight ago, the Lyrebirds will enter favoured to keep its unbeaten streak alive.
LANG LANG will travel to take on Nilma-Darnum looking to hold second spot on the ladder before heading into their bye.
With the Tigers leading a pack of four all in contention for the double chance, contests such as these against lower-ranked opponents are key to lock away.
Last week produced a strong win, although they were challenged by Catani in the final quarter.
The Bombers will look to compete in a satisfying building year that sees them currently sit at six and sevens on the win-loss ledger.
ELLINBANK will also look to further consolidate their position when they travel to take on the winless Nyora.
The Eagles, who currently boast the third strongest percentage in the competition, could receive a further boost with percentage potentially a factor in the battle for the top three.
CATANI face Poowong in what will likely emerge as an enthralling contest to close out the round.
With both sides looking to build towards next season, the Magpies enter the contest with a slight edge given their record of four wins compared to one.
The Blues have been competitive in patches in recent times and will be determined for a result before a run of difficult matches against the first, third and fourth-placed teams on the ladder.
LONGWARRY, NEERIM-NEERIM SOUTH and YARRAGON all have the bye in a shortened round to equalise the fixture.