by Nicholas Duck
Drouin will look at what may be their final chance for a win this season as they try to end their year on a good note.
Drouin vs Maffra
It's going to be a story of attempted redemption this week for Drouin when they meet Maffra at the Hawks nest.
Coming into their game earlier this year against the Eagles the Hawks looked a strong chance against a side similarly ranked to them on the ladder.
Instead, the Hawks shot themselves in the foot, repeatedly turning the ball over under little to no pressure to essentially play themselves out of the game.
It's not the first time Drouin have lost matches this year due to their own inefficiency with the footy.
They've taken some great strides forward this season as a rebuilding side, but it's largely due to some of their own errors that they remain with just the one win.
On paper, this presents as a great chance to double that tally.
But with a young team like the Hawks, 'on paper' is rarely worth that much.
Their attacking flair has won them plaudits, given that despite sitting last they've lost five games by single digits and, somewhat crazily, are sixth in the league for scoring while having the seventh best percentage.
The Eagles are in the midst of their own rebuild, having seen their at times seemingly endless reign atop the Gippsland League falter.
There's plenty of reason to be positive about them with a sizeable core of young talent having seen senior action this year.
Confidence might be especially high given they've won eight of the past nine encounters with the Hawks.
Still, Drouin will be keenly aware that their final two matches - against Leongatha and Moe - are unlikely to be wins, making this their final realistic chance for a win before what promises to be a busy off-season.
There are just the two changes for the home side this week, as recruit Alex McMillan and Cambell Jolly, with Bailey Stephens and Jackson Clerks making way.
Can the Hawks capture a second win here?
Other games
It's a blockbuster with plenty of finals ramifications as Moe hosts Leongatha.
The battle for top spot and a week off is on, with Wonthaggi and Leongatha now the frontrunners with Moe behind only on percentage.
The Lions got the best of the Parrots away from home last time, bringing to an end the green and gold's historic 34-game winning streak.
While Moe's percentage is significantly worse, a win here would mean that in their matches against their fellow top three sides they would be three wins and one loss - that being a one-point defeat to the Power.
Either way the finals seedings are going to become that much more clearer.
Finally, fourth placed Traralgon will try to keep their slim chances of a top three finish alive when they play Bairnsdale.
With second and third facing off, the Maroons can halve the deficit if they win as expected in this one.
The Redlegs are limping to the line, having won just one of their past 12 games, that being against the similarly struggling Warragul.
It's hard to see them causing an upset.