by Rob Popplestone
As entertaining as the Mid Gippsland football season has been, the work of 13 clubs has quickly been cut down to just six.
The finals promise a tantalising array of possibilities, with a realistic case to be made for each of the remaining six sides.
Four will play this weekend whilst two - Newborough and Fish Creek, first and second respectively - will clash the following week for direct entry to the grand final.
This Saturday's elimination final at Mirboo North between the third placed MDU and the sixth placed Morwell East will be followed by Sunday's elimination final at Fish Creek to be fought out between the fourth positioned Thorpdale and fifth placed Foster.
The winners of the elimination finals will then meet the following week in another do or die clash for the right to play in the preliminary final.
MDU v Morwell East
Saturday at Mirboo North
The Demons have been dancing around the top part of the ladder for most of the year, and seem to have what is required to be a real contender.
However, this weekend they need to suppress the enthusiasm and excitement of a young Morwell East team that can be hard to stop once they have momentum and confidence.
MDU coach Nathan Allen said he was looking forward to the final.
"They have been in really good form to finish off the year and have a lot of talent on their list," Allen said. "Going to be a lot of fun and, hopefully, we are good enough on the day to move on."
The Hawks have been studying the possibilities of where they might finish for a month or so now. They probably couldn't have expected any better than where they are.
But, make no mistake, there is nothing wrong with where they are. They will be rewarded the same privileges as their third placed opponents this week and, from there, anything can happen.
Morwell East coach Paul Henry said "the season starts again".
"We lost to MDU the first time round," Henry said. "Barring the result, it was a great game to watch. Finals are a time to rewrite the endings."
The greatest and most memorable victories sometimes come from the most unlikely of places. Yinnar proved this last season, coming from sixth position to win the premiership.
Thorpdale v Foster
Sunday at Fish Creek
Football at any level has stories of many types. There are hard luck, inspirational, heartbreaking, successful and courageous moments and stories, all of them worthy of being told.
This weekend is no different, with the fourth placed Blues earning an opportunity they might not have been thought possible just 12 months ago.
Thorpdale has no intention of stopping the fairytale in week one of the finals.
"Our focus now turns to Foster," Thorpdale coach Jason Winderlich said. "We feel they are one of the top three teams in the competition this year, which is backed up by their percentage for the season."
"They play a good brand of footy and have hit good form, again defeating Stony by nine goals who we rate highly."
"All we can do is head down south and give it a crack," Winderlich added. "Our players will do everything possible to get the win."
The Blues' success hasn't happened by chance. The savvy recruiting of Winderlich to lead the club has been the foundation from which recruiting, game style and self belief have all been built.
As good as all of that has been, make no mistake, it will be tested this weekend.
"We play the feel good story of the year in Thorpdale this weekend," Foster coach Sam Davies said. "Jason will be very well planned and have his elite mids ready to fire. We can't wait!"
The excitement and, at the same time, nervousness for players and coaches is what finals create.
The adrenaline of the occasion means that some players find another level, but some don't. For coaches, having their players mentally ready can be just as crucial as having them physically ready.
Game schedule:
Saturday at Mirboo North:
Seniors: MDU v Morwell East at 2.20pm.
Reserves: Newborough v Stony Creek at 12.30pm.
Under 18s: Newborough v Yinnar at 10.45am.
Sunday at Fish Creek:
Seniors: Thorpdale v Foster at 2.20pm.
Reserves: Toora v Yinnar at 12.30pm.
Under 18s: Fish Creek/Tarwin v Foster at 10.45am.