And Saturday shapes as another.

Taking a look back over the past five seasons, Hepburn has a grand final triumph over Buninyong to its name in 2013, which followed a stirring qualifying final win a few weeks earlier against a previously unbeaten Bombers outfit.

A memorable preliminary final success in the wet came during Hepburn’s flag-winning season of 2010, before Buninyong reversed the result with a come-from-behind victory over the Burras at the same hurdle in 2012.

In another epic, the Bombers finished with a wet sail to topple Hepburn in round 15 last season.

There’s again plenty at stake this weekend.

Hepburn is third following five-straight wins, while Buninyong sits fifth, but on the same points after a string of six successive victories.

Buninyong joint-coach Jarrod Morgan said the clash with Hepburn was always a massive game for the club and believed this was another eight-point match for the two sides.

“I reckon probably the last five years, every time we have played each other it has either been in finals or a play-off for top four game,” Morgan said.

The Bombers didn’t name spearhead Glen Phelps to return from a hamstring injury for the trip to the spa country, but did select fellow forward Adam Bridges to joint the line-up that beat Gordon last Saturday.

Hepburn, meanwhile, is planning for the remainder of the season without key utility Josh Clissold, who coach Clive Raak says has sustained a broken thumb.

Clissold is expected to have surgery to fix the injury he picked up in the Burras’ win over Beaufort.

Raak said his team’s difficult run to finals was ideal for the side, despite its list of injury concerns.

“I think it’s great leading into finals. We are going to be put under the pump every week…,” he said.

PREDICTION: Hepburn by 15 points.

BALLAN (7th) v SMYTHESDALE (18th)

at Ballan, Saturday, 2.30pm

LAST TIME THEY MET: Ballan 48.33 (321) d Smythesdale 1.0 (6), round 5, 2014

BALLAN: The Blues are edging closer and closer to that elusive finals berth.

Ballan has gone five games unbeaten to climb to seventh on the ladder, two games and percentage clear of the ninth-placed Creswick.

Key forward Daniel King is the big inclusion for the Blues after pulling out of the team which got home over Rokewood-Corindhap last weekend.

SMYTHESDALE: Midfielder Steve Smith returns from a week away for the Bulldogs' difficult trip to Ballan.

Smith missed the team's loss to reigning premiers Bungaree last Saturday, where senior coach Stephen Frys made a surprise appearance in the second half.

He isn't planning on playing again this weekend, despite pulling on the boots because of a shortage in numbers against the Demons.

PREDICTION: Ballan easily.

BUNGAREE (1st) v DUNNSTOWN (11th)

at Bungaree, Saturday, 2.30pm

LAST TIME THEY MET: Bungaree 13.14 (92) d Dunnstown 1.9 (15), round 15, 2014

BUNGAREE: Forwards Shaun Finlayson and Luke Mirtschin are likely to return from injury for the Demons' clash with Dunnstown.

The pair missed the win over Smythesdale last weekend, but is set to bolster the attacking options on Saturday.

Coach Heath Pyke concedes this is a danger game for his side, which sits atop the ladder after 12 rounds.

"We are well aware of how well (Dunnstown's) tracking and where they're at," Pyke said.

DUNNSTOWN: The Daville Building Surveying Towners have won just four games, but have certainly shown enough ability over the course of the season to suggest they're capable of an upset at some point in the run home.

And here's another chance at helping shape the finals landscape.

There's unlikely to be any significant changes to the Dunnstown side that went down to Creswick last weekend.

PREDICTION: Bungaree by 35 points.

CLUNES (14th) v ROKEWOOD-CORINDHAP (13th)

at Clunes, Saturday, 2.30pm

LAST TIME THEY MET: Clunes 16.14 (110) d Rokewood-Corindhap 9.3 (57), round 16, 2014

CLUNES: Magpies joint-coach Jason Hill fears forward Ben Newton will miss the remainder of the 2015 season.

Hill said Newton shot a nail through his hand while at work this week and is unlikely to take the field again this campaign.

Clunes is chasing its fourth win of the year and second in a row after getting home over Carngham-Linton last weekend.

ROKEWOOD-CORINDHAP: The Emerald Grain Grasshoppers proved they can cause some headaches for good sides after another competitive display last weekend.

Rokewood-Corindhap pushed finals-bound Ballan into the last quarter, only to go down in the finish by 18 points.

The Grasshoppers still have a string of winnable games in the run home to finals, including Saturday's trip to meet Clunes.

PREDICTION: Rokewood-Corindhap by 22 points.

CRESWICK (9th) v BEAUFORT (8th)

at Creswick, Saturday, 2.30pm

LAST TIME THEY MET: Creswick 5.8 (38) d Beaufort 5.3 (33), round 15, 2014

CRESWICK: Strong defender Paul Hoffman is set to return to the senior side this weekend.

Hoffman has played two games in the reserves in the comeback from a knee injury and has been named to take his place against the Crows.

Creswick begins an awfully tough run to finals on Saturday, which includes games against Beaufort, Buninyong, Hepburn, Gordon and Bungaree.

"We have just got to win every game. That's all we can do right now," coach Damian Lubeek said.

BEAUFORT: The Graintech Crows are certainly winning plenty of admirers for their much-improved 2015 campaign.

But tight losses must be tough to take.

Beaufort was on top of the ladder after round nine, but has slipped to eighth after narrow defeats at the hands of Gordon, Buninyong and Hepburn.

PREDICTION: Beaufort by two goals.

DAYLESFORD (16th) v WAUBRA (2nd)

at Daylesford, Saturday, 2.30pm

LAST TIME THEY MET: Daylesford 13.9 (87) d Waubra 10.8 (68), round 17, 2014

DAYLESFORD: The Bulldogs are close to full strength, but are awaiting the return of important back pocket/onballer Luke Said.

Said suffered a bad thumb/wrist injury and has not played since the game against Springbank late last month.

Daylesford is fronting from a victory for just the second time this season after travelling to Skipton and landing the points last Saturday.

WAUBRA: The Roos have named an unchanged side for the trip to Daylesford.

Waubra sits second on the ladder after a strong win against nearby rivals Learmonth last Saturday and will be expecting big forward Mark Nunn to return from injury for the important encounter with Springbank in round 14.

Games against Newlyn, Skipton and Gordon then round out the home and away season.

PREDICTION: Waubra by eight goals.

GORDON (6th) v NEWLYN (10th)

at Gordon, Saturday, 2.30pm

LAST TIME THEY MET: Gordon 30.16 (196) d Newlyn 9.10 (64), round 6, 2014

GORDON: Key defender Mark Gunnell is back to boost a Hyundai Eagles outfit on the rebound from two successive defeats.

Gunnell returns from Victoria Country duties and slots into a Gordon side that has dropped to sixth on the ladder after losses to Springbank and Buninyong.

Forward Jye Cousins is also back from what coach Corey Grills described as a calf issue, while Grills himself is aiming for a return before finals after discovering he has a cracked tibia.

NEWLYN: Important Cats midfielder Adrian Chew slots back into the side for the difficult trip to Gordon.

Chew has missed the past few matches, including the loss to Springbank last weekend, which leaves the team 10th on the table.

Following the game against Gordon, Newlyn will start favourites against Skipton before another tough assignment with Waubra.

PREDICTION: Gordon to bounce back.

LEARMONTH (12th) v CARNGHAM-LINTON (17th)

at Learmonth, Saturday, 2.30pm

LAST TIME THEY MET: Learmonth 17.9 (111) d Carngham-Linton 10.8 (68), round 1, 2014

LEARMONTH: Injuries have struck again at Learmonth.

Hotondo Homes Lakies coach Brenton Powell has reported Dyson George - who is likely to be right in contention for the club's best and fairest - has injured a hamstring, while defender Edward Sinnott is a likely out with a corked thigh.

Matt Jackson looms as an important inclusion after missing last weekend's loss to Waubra.

CARNGHAM-LINTON: The Saints have named just the one change to the team that went down to Clunes last Saturday.

Half forward Sam Cosgriff has replaced Chris Hannah, who is dropped to the reserves.

Carngham-Linton put up a good fight against the Magpies for one of their closest defeats of the year and will be eyeing off a round 14 game against Daylesford to land a second win if they can't get it here.

PREDICTION: Learmonth too good.

SPRINGBANK (4th) v SKIPTON (15th)

at Wallace, Saturday, 2.30pm

LAST TIME THEY MET: Springbank 13.11 (89) d Skipton 10.4 (64), round 12, 2014

SPRINGBANK: The GJ Gardner Tigers are flying at the moment and are warm favourites to land a seventh-straight victory on Saturday.

Springbank coach Terry Simpson said dangerous onballer/forward Bill Driscoll would return after missing the win over Newlyn through "general soreness", while the dangerous Jesse Galea has been named to return from an ankle issue.

SKIPTON: It was a disappointing initiation for stand-in coaches Tyrone Ross and Kiernan Molloy last weekend as the team went down to Daylesford.

And you'd be surprised if it got any better this weekend.

Ross said the Emus will be without ruckman Nick Stevenson, forward Dylan Creed and key position player Cam Postlethwaite for the game against the Tigers, but was hopeful defenders Michael Slater and Danny George would be amongst those to return.

PREDICTION: Springbank by a big space.