The Mallee Football League pushes on to round 12, and some potentially ladder shaping matches await.

The first game, and arguably match of the round, sees the undefeated Beulah host the second place Sea Lake-Nandaly Tigers. A win to the Tigers would see them shift back to equal points with the Blues, but another win to Beulah would cement their top 2 finish and would go a long way towards securing the coveted top of the ladder finish.

Last time these two sides met, Beulah got an early jump on the Tigers, and never let their foot off the accelerator. Despite a number of
injuries to key Beulah players, there are plenty of danger men for the Tigers to keep a close eye on. Dennis Redden has been nothing short of dominant in front of the goals for the Blues this year, and coach Lachy Foott is also starting to provide some headaches to opposition back men.

Luke Martin has been terrific for the Tigers down back this season, and he will need to really clamp down on one of these two if the Tigers are to stand a chance. There is plenty of fire power in the Sea Lake forward line with Cliff Ryan, Simon Weekly, and Jarred Arentz. Sam Martin has been holding down full-back well for Beulah but will need plenty of support from Tim Sandford and Fabian Dorbolo this week. Tom Summerhayes has put in some strong performances this year and will have a big opportunity this week coming up against
the class Beulah midfield, lead by the mercurial Shaun Monohan.

There is plenty to play for in this match, and bragging rights are on the line.

The second match of the round sees Hopetoun host Jeparit-Rainbow. After Hopetoun's disappointing performance last week, the Lakers will be looking to record their first win of the season. Jeparit-Rainbow were good in their first half against Beulah last week, with their pressure around the ground a real highlight. They need to find a few more avenues to goal in order to put some pressure on the scoreboard
as well.

Elliot Bath is using his speed around the ground well, and if not watched by Hopetoun defenders, is capable of kicking a bag. Jackson Fisher has been solid so far this season for the Devils, but not dominant. This game presents a good opportunity for him to find some form along with many other young Devils who are in a similar situation.

The final match of the round is between Walpeup-Underbool and Woomelang-Lascelles. The Roos are coming off a good win last week and will be taking that momentum into the match this week. The Cats have been flying very much under the radar this season, but should not be written off just yet. Coming off the bye, the Cats will be keen for a big win in order to keep them in touch with the top 2 on the ladder.

Kane Munro has had a good couple of weeks up forward for the Roos and David Piasente is continually in the best. The Cats have had plenty of contributors this season, but they will be looking towards Corey Kelly and Jayden Lonergan to put in a big performance, as the team starts to sharpen up for their run at the finals.

Ouyen United have the bye.

By Daniel Huttig