IT always adds more spice to the conclusion of a football season when sides are still jostling for a spot in the finals.
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Unlike the Horsham District Football Netball League – where the top five has been decided – the Wimmera Football League still harbours plenty of excitement in its final fortnight of matches.
Stawell is undoubtedly the front-runner to pinch the final spot in the top five.
It has the easiest run home of all sides wishing to book their tickets to September.
The Warriors face Warrack Eagles on Saturday in a match that will likely see Stawell claim its sixth win of the season and bolster its percentage too.
In probably the most intriguing clash of round 15, Nhill plays Dimboola at Davis Park with both sides looking to keep their slim finals hopes alive.
Nhill must win to give itself a chance in its round-16 match-up against Stawell.
If the Tigers can close their season with two wins on the bounce, they might sneak into the fray.
For the Roos, Saturday’s match is vital for their hopes of a September reprieve.
They face the toughest test in the Wimmera league in the final round when they face Horsham Saints.
Dimboola will need to rely on more than just a miracle final-round scalp to claw its way into finals calculations – other results will have to fall its way.
While Stawell, Dimboola and Nhill battle it out for the final spot in the top five, Horsham Saints and Horsham will lock horns on Saturday for a chance at the minor premiership and potentially a week off during the first leg of the finals series.
A Saints victory would sew up top spot, while a win for the Demons would make round-16 matches very interesting indeed.
Perhaps the only match with little bearing on anything at the weekend is the clash between Ararat and Minyip-Murtoa.
The Burras have third spot sewn up and the Rats would need an unforeseeable and disastrous finish to drop from the top five.
Both – however – are searching for a much-needed form reversal as the pointy end of the season looms.
The Burras – probably the biggest challenger to the two Horsham sides for the flag – will need a good performance to restore the belief that they can maybe pull it off.
- PEPPE CAVALIERI
