It's a split round this week in the Gippsland League, with four games this week and one next week. Second plays fifth and third plays sixth in a round that will leave us with much to ponder going into the second half of the season. Here's how this round is looking.
Saturday June 4
2:20pm start for all matches
Drouin vs Leongatha
Location: Drouin Recreation Reserve
After a disappointing fadeout last week it's dangerous times for Drouin as they face the league's benchmark in Leongatha this week.
A blistering six-goal first quarter seemed to set the Hawks up for success against Morwell last round, but they could manage just two more goals over the course of the final three quarters.
Drouin were almost completely blanketed by the ferocious Tigers, and could do little as Morwell ran away with the game thanks to a nine goal performance from Brandon McDonald.
It continued a pattern for the Hawks, who so far this year have had patches of truly elite footy, mixed with stretches of time where their skills look subpar.
It means that if opposition teams grind out the periods where Drouin is on top, that they can often find plenty of opportunities to strike.
And if there's one team in the Gippsland League that excels at taking their opportunities to kill off an opposing team, it's Leongatha.
Coming into the halfway mark of the season, the premiership currently looks like it's the Parrots' to lose as they sit undefeated on top of the ladder.
A crushing win over second placed Moe last week highlighted what appears to be a major gap in class between Leongatha and the rest of the teams in the league.
Drouin get some of their troops back this week, including ruck Tom Johnstone and midfielder Callum Tyler, but it will take a special effort to beat a team the Hawks haven't tasted victory against at home since 2008.
Leongatha to win.
Maffra vs Traralgon
Location: Maffra Recreation Reserve
The race for spots in the top five is well and truly on, and this game will have some serious consequences for where teams sit going into the second half of the season.
Maffra's form this season has been patchy at best, unable to string more than two wins together since the first two weeks of the season, and though they remain a good side on their day they appear a far cry from the dominant Eagles side that had the league under its thumb for the better part of a decade.
Still, their solid win over Warragul last week showed that while they may not be the team they once were, they are still more than good enough to beat some of the league's lower ranked teams.
Inconsistent form has also been an issue for Traralgon, who currently sit in third place but could be a lot better off if not for some close results not going their way.
The Maroons have lost three games this season, all of which have been under 10 points, showing a team whose best footy is likely the closest in the league to Leongatha's, but also sometimes showing a lack of consistent application that has been their undoing at times.
On their day they can blow away just about anyone but when things fail to fire they can be dragged into a scrap, which isn't where their strength lies.
John Butcher returns for the Eagles in a major boost to their forward line, while Harvey Neocleous returns from the VFL for Traralgon.
Traralgon got the best of their encounter last year, ending a seven game losing streak against the Eagles, and will be hoping to replicate that result as they fight to keep third, while Maffra will be keen to keep in touch with the top five.
This is a tough one to predict, but if Traralgon can play anything resembling their best it should be enough.
Moe vs Wonthaggi
Location: Ted Summerton Reserve
Moe found out the hard way last week just how difficult it is to be the best in the league this year, and will be keen to bounce back this week in a tough match up against Wonthaggi.
The Lions just looked nowhere near it against Leongatha, and in truth have been in some indifferent form for a number of weeks now after an incredibly bright start to the season.
Still, the sheer magnitude of last round's loss would be a cause for concern, especially given how easily Leongatha exposed the Lions' lack of consistent goalkickers to run away with the match early and never look back.
Wonthaggi, meanwhile, have had their own kind of indifferent form as this year hasn't panned out how officials and fans would have liked.
After a strong showing last season the Power were expected to be one of the top contenders in this year's competition, but simply haven't found any kind of consistency this year as they sit precariously in fifth place.
A big win against bottom-paced Bairnsdale helped to alleviate some of the pressure, but if they want to get their season moving with any sort of conviction this will be the kind of game they'll want to win.
Star goal sneak Harry Pepper is out for the Lions, meaning they're going to have to really get creative to find a winning score, though the return of Riley Baldi will help.
This one is difficult to tip, but the Lions at home will be starting as slight favourites despite their recent form.
Sale vs Morwell
Location: Sale Oval
Morwell will look to keep in touch with the top five this week in this vital match against fourth placed Sale.
The Tigers have enjoyed a bright start to their season as some of their younger stars have stepped up and played important roles for them all across the ground, showing that their rebuild is starting to bear fruit.
They've won their last two matches, including a heart stopping one-point win over Wonthaggi and a Brandon McDonald masterclass against Drouin.
Still, as they travel down the freeway this week it will be a difficult ask against Sale.
The Magpies are a tough football side, and will be stinging after their five-game win streak came to an end against Traralgon.
They boast a plethora of tough contested ball-winners as well as tall marking targets both offensively and defensively, and even though they lost last week they were well in that match for much of the day.
Still, the Magpies were clearly dissatisfied with that loss and as such have swung the axe, making six changes to their side.
Sale currently hold a six-game winning streak against the Tigers and with the home ground advantage in hand should be making it seven in a row.
Saturday June 11
2:20pm start
Bairnsdale vs Warragul
Location: Bairnsdale City Oval
Please note team sheets for this match were not available at the time of writing.
It's a battle between two sides desperate for a win as Warragul makes the long trek to Bairnsdale for the Queen's Birthday weekend match.
Following their first win of the season the Gulls have endured a disappointing stretch that has seen them lose each of their past three matches by 40 points or more.
Warragul has shown a lot of potential in some of their matches, including a thrilling draw against Wonthaggi and a fantastic win against Traralgon, though their forward line remains a glaring issue.
Jed Lamb leads the club's goalkicking by a country mile, and unfortunately just hasn't been able to get much help from his fellow forwards, leading to Warragul often being unable to post a strong score in many of their games.
Bairnsdale have also had their own struggles as injury and illness has prevented them from playing their best team on a weekly basis.
In addition, the Redlegs' form in games has been uneven to the extreme, as they have often found themselves falling victim to letting an opposition dominate them for a quarter and put the game to bed in the span of 25 minutes.
This has led to Bairnsdale currently finding themselves on the bottom of the league ladder, despite the fact that their best is actually quite reasonable.
The Redlegs will also be taking confidence out of the game that they've won their past five games against the Gulls, though it should be noted four of their past six meetings have been decided by under 10 points.
Both teams will be desperate for a win here, and this should be another close game, but Warragul's best footy has been better than Bairnsdale's and if they can get the forward line to click, or if Lamb kicks a significant bag, they can easily claim their second win of the season here.