Umpires: A. Wright and S. McKinnon.

Last time they met: Round three, 2014. Swifts 11.8 (74) d Edenhope-Apsley 8.8 (56).

SWIFTS can virtually end Edenhope-Apsley’s top three hopes and safeguard its own when it travels to Edenhope Showground on Saturday.

The Baggies are in the midst of a successful season, but are coming off a loss to Kalkee at the weekend.

A win would see them retain second place with a buffer of four premiership points if Harrow-Balmoral beats the Kees on Saturday, and eight if they lose.

The Saints, meanwhile, are hoping for a win and a Harrow-Balmoral loss to put them back in the mix for third place.

Swifts won by three goals when the two sides met earlier this year and Edenhope-Apsley coach Grant Coxon said his side needed to reverse the result.

“When you sit back and look at it, we still haven’t beaten anyone above us on the ladder,” he said.

“Unless we start to do that over the next five weeks, we probably don’t deserve to be in the finals.

“We have to start making the most of our opportunities, because that is what has cost us in every game we have lost this year.”

Coxon said the Saints were relishing the opportunity to take on the Baggies on their home ground, where they have played their best football this year.

Swifts coach Ben Martin said his team needed a win to steady the ship after a loss at the weekend.

“If we drop it, then we’re back in the mix with Harrow-Balmoral, Kalkee and Edenhope,” he said.

“It’s a must-win for us, because when it comes to the end of the season we don’t want to be relying on what other sides are doing.

“We want to go out there and make our own destiny, as opposed to wanting other results to go our way.”

Martin said the Baggies had the game in hand but could not completely finish off the Saints in their previous meeting.

Oscar McDonald will be unavailable and Bart Nolan is still recovering from injury, but Coxon said the Saints were getting near full strength.