The two clubs in the geographic centre of the Mallee league, the Sea Lake-Nandaly Tigers and Woomelang-Lascelles, have enjoyed a tremendous rivalry in recent years.
The Tigers and Cats have met in the past two senior footy grand finals, both of which were drag 'em out, knock 'em down affairs.
Woomelang-Lascelles caused a massive upset when they won the 2013 decider by two points, thanks to a last-gasp goal. The Cats had come from fourth place on the ladder to reach the grand final.
The Tigers then gained revenge last year, edging away in the last quarter to win by 18 points.
Just three weeks ago, the teams played out another enthralling contest, with the Tigers taking the honours by three points.
But if the recommendations contained in AFL Victoria's North West Structural Review come to fruition, the footballers and netballers from Sea Lake-Nandaly and Woomelang-Lascelles will next year be playing for the same club.
"It's been a pretty fierce rivalry," said Mallee league president Mick Brown. "When you ask one club about the other the usual response is, 'We don't like them.' But they might have to like them."
AFL Victoria's review of footy in the north-west was largely brought upon by the decline of the Mallee league.
This year the competition has just five clubs, following the off-season merger of Beulah and Hopetoun and the departure of Jeparit-Rainbow to the Horsham District league.
AFL Victoria's review team has recommended that the Mallee league be disbanded at the end of this season. In addition, it has proposed two mergers.
Walpeup-Underbool is being encouraged to merge with its arch-rival, Ouyen United, and compete in the Mildura-based Sunraysia league, a move that both clubs appear likely to embrace.
The Southern Mallee Giants (the club formed by the amalgamation of once fearsome rivals Beulah and Hopetoun) will be granted admission, as requested, into the Horsham District league.
Finally, Sea Lake-Nandaly and Woomelang-Lascelles are being encouraged to put their rivalry aside, join forces and transfer to the Swan Hill-based Central Murray league.
"We're very open to a merger," Sea-Lake Nandaly Tigers president Paul Summerhayes said. "We had had preliminary talks with Woomelang-Lascelles before this even came out. But it did stall, that's for sure. They went a bit cold on it."
All clubs have been asked to submit their feedback on the recommendations by May 29, and there will be plenty of it.
The Sea-Lake Nandaly Tigers are preparing to contest the notion that they should join the Central Murray league.
Their preference is to join the North Central league, a lesser-standard competition that includes clubs like Donald, Birchip-Watchem, Wycheproof-Narraport and St Arnaud.
"We wanted the Mallee league to keep going, but that won't happen, which is a real shame," Summerhayes said. "So our preferred option, which was passed at a meeting [on Tuesday] night, is to push to join the North Central league as a stand-alone club, while leaving the gate open for a merger as well.
"How well that will be received is unknown."
AFL Victoria's position is that allowing any clubs into the North Central league would only be a short-term fix, as that competition's future is also in doubt, pending an expected review into central Victorian footy next year.
Leaving aside those differing views, however, mergers are nothing new in Mallee. Ouyen United, for instance, is an amalgamation of more than a dozen old clubs, including Tempy, Gorya, Patchewollock, Kiamal, Tiega and Ouyen Rovers.
The Sea Lake-Nandaly Tigers are a similar mash-up of former foes. In fact, it was only 12 years ago that the Tigers were formed by a merger of Sea Lake-Nandaly and Berriwillock-Culgoa.
"We've merged very successfully before," Summerhayes said. "Some really serious rivalries have been put to bed. Some blokes we thought were no good have become our good mates."
Even now, the Tigers are in the midst of a restructure of sorts. This season they are playing their last matches at the rustic grounds in Berriwillock and Culgoa.
"I've always enjoyed going to those grounds," Summerhayes said. "There are just too few volunteers to keep those venues going, and the netball facilities aren't up to scratch."
There will be some tense times throughout the Mallee in the coming months as AFL Victoria's recommendations are debated.
And the members of the Sea Lake-Nandaly Tigers and Woomelang-Lascelles clubs are in a particularly intriguing position.
They are having to ponder ending their rivalry at a time when their senior footy teams are a good chance to meet in a third successive grand final.
"There's a big chance that they'll play off again," Brown said. "But I think that long-term the merger will prove to be the right thing to do."
FOOTBALL IN THE MALLEE
The Mallee league started with 12 clubs in 1997 but now has just five. It has been shrinking since Yaapeet folded in 1999.
Other former Mallee league clubs include Brim, which merged with Warracknabeal prior to 2001 season, and Manangatang, which merged with Tooleybuc prior to the 2004 season.