Saturdays round of clashes are as appetising as they come, with the make-up of the top six set to be shaken and stirred once again with the victors set to make a move on breaking the grid lock at the top of the premiership ladder standings.
Four points - one win, separates the top two from the remaining top six and with four of the competitions top sides facing off against one another the stage is set for an early prelude to finals.
ROSEDALE and SALE CITY will headline the match of the round when the competitions top two sides face off in a contest which will hand the winner a one game buffer over their nearest rivals in second position.
Outplayed from the opening bounce in their round one encounter, Rosedale are a different prospect with coach Ben Macreadie confident that the improvement from within his side will place them in good stead against the second ranked Dogs.
"I feel that we are better placed this time around having played more footy together and becoming familiar with the way we want to play," Macreadie said.
"We have learnt lessons from not only the Sale City game but from every game that we play and continue to put those learnings into use to improve us as a team. I am happy with the improvement we have been making each week."
Both sides come into the contest sitting equal pegged with a win loss ledger of 7-2, City claiming the scalp of Yarram in round nine while Rosedale come into the top of the table clash on the back of a four game winning streak which includes convincing wins against both of last year's grand finalists, Heyfield and Churchill.
Macreadie is fully aware the challenge the up and about Dogs will pose but likewise knows that his side's best is a dangerous proposition for opposition clubs.
"There is no specific area that I could pin point that we would have an edge over Sale City but I do believe that our best footy will be a handful for most," Macreadie said.
"If someone said to me at the start of the year that at the halfway mark of the season you would be sitting at 7-2, then yes I would take that."
Enduring the force of the competitions front runners in what has been a tough fortnight, COWWARR will host GLENGARRY a side who have endured lean picking with the Magpies yet to sing a rendition of the club song this season.
Starting strongly in round nine, the Saints took a slender lead into quarter time before feeling the full effects of the Blues at their best which killed the contest ahead of the main change. This week the home side will need to refocus on the challenge ahead with Glengarry providing strong resistance in the opening round with a six goal final term among the highlights for the black and white army.
With both sides desperate for a win to get the second half of the season off on the right footing expect a dogged contest between two hungry line-ups.
WOODSIDE returned to the winners circle following a tough month which saw the Wildcats draw three of the competitions top five sides in consecutive weeks.
The going won't get any easier when they host neighbours and foes YARRAM whose costly goalless second term against Sale City came back to bite the Demons in the closing stages of the contest.
Hosting the third placed Demons on the back of a loss won't deter Woodside coach Daniel Risol whose young side can draw on the confidence gained from their 17 point victory over Gormandale.
"It was great to bounce back after a poor performance against TTU the round before," Risol said.
"We emphasised before the game last Saturday that a win on the weekend would be a big lift going into this week's game to help build our confidence."
Suffering a hefty defeat in their opening clash, Risol will field a vastly different line-up that went down to the Demons by 85 points.
"It is a different team completely to what turned up to Yarram in round one. The younger players have more games under their belt, and as such were expecting a much more complete performance," Risol said.
Blooding a number of youth through the senior ranks Risol is happy with where his side sits at the half way mark with a win loss ledger of 3-6.
"Now that a lot of the juniors have eight or nine senior games experience, I now expect the same or even more wins in the second half."
Yarram are leading from the front as one of the competitions in form sides with their hard brand of football serving them well in the opening half of the fixture which saw them claim the prized scalps of fellow top five contenders Heyfield and Rosedale.
It's a daunting prospect for the young Wildcats who last season battled out a number of classic contests against Yarram, but this time around they will need to be at their best to counteract the visiting Demons.
Seven weeks may have passed since they claimed a fellow top five aspirant's scalp, but on Saturday TTU worked hard for the points as they knocked over the fourth placed Kangaroos on their home turf for the first time in over five seasons.
The Bombers sixth win of the season saw the side firm their grip on fifth position and a possible return to the finals fold. Deadlocked with Yarram, Heyfield and Churchill on 24 points spread from third through to sixth position this week's result is crucial in ensuring that the Bombers remain in the box seat come the point end of the season.
But the can ill afford to get too far ahead of themselves, while victory over Heyfield sent a statement of intent this week's opponent GORMANDALE have long been known as a thorn in the Bombers side and while the Bombers may have romped home with a 18 goal winning margin eight weeks ago when the sides met the Tigers have also been giant slayers in past weeks accounting for former top side Sale City.
This is just the start of a tough three week assignment for the fifth placed Bombers, with an away trip against Yarram on the cards next week followed by ladder leaders Rosedale. It may just signal if the side has what it takes to match it with the competitions best, while confirming the Bombers standings on the premiership ladder. This week victory will be worth more than just the four points, with an opportunity presenting to break clear of the loser of the Heyfield versus Churchill contest.
With both sides hungry for the four points the stage is set for an enthralling contest, with the Bombers home ground advantage to have a major impact in ensuring TTU remain in the finals equation.
HEYFIELD dual coach Damien Birss will be fully aware of the prospect the reigning premiers pose, and will know that his side's 31 point winning margin in the grand final replay is not likely to be repeated with CHURCHILL to be a much tougher proposition.
Any meeting between the Kangaroos and Cougars guarantees top billing, and while the match will be played in the shadows of the top of the table showdown the stakes are just as high with both sides end of season ambitions hinging on the outcome of the clash.
Despite a percentage boosting win on Saturday, the Cougars still find themselves placed precariously outside the top five some nine percentage points from TTU. For Heyfield they have been perched in fourth positon for a number of weeks despite losing to Rosedale and TTU in the past month.
A win this week elevate Churchill into the five as they leap frog their opposition and for Heyfield a loss could see them slide outside of the five. With the stakes high on the home stretch to finals, little will separate the two long-time rivals come the final siren.
By Lauren Carey