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BALLARAT (10th) v BACCHUS MARSH (6th)
at Alfredton Oval, Saturday, 2.15pm
LAST TIME THEY MET: Bacchus Marsh 14.12 (96) d Ballarat 13.6 (84), round 5, 2015.
BALLARAT: Two massive inclusions for the Swans this week as they look to finish a forgettable season on a high.
North Ballarat Roosters-pair James Lukich and Liam Youl come into the side.
Fielding arguably their strongest team for the year, Ballarat will go in with a very realistic chance of knocking off Bacchus Marsh, especially if it brings the same intensity that dominated Melton after half time last week.
Should they manage to win, it will go a long way to keeping the Cobras out of finals.
Not that coach Ash Baker is phased by the situation, especially with his side most likely going to finish ninth.
"It doesn't change our minds, it doesn't affect us at all," he said.
"We just want to finish the year on a positive note."
BACCHUS MARSH: Without being over-dramatic, it is almost fair to say Bacchus Marsh's finals hopes rest on this game.
If the Cobras win, they can all-but lock in their first finals berth in 14 years.
Should they lose, it is most likely Sunbury will replace them in the top six.
A few weeks ago it you woul have almost considered Bacchus Marsh a certainty to put this one away, but given the form of the both sides, it is now far from that.
The Cobras have lost four out of their last five as they limp towards finals, while Ballarat is coming off a thumping win over Melton.
The question is: can the Cobras break a finals hoodoo that has haunted Maddingley Park since 2001?
PREDICTION: Ballarat with the big inclusions and home advantage.
SUNBURY (7th) v SEBASTOPOL (11th)
at Clarke Oval, Saturday, 2.15pm
LAST TIME THEY MET: Sunbury 19.18 (132) d Sebastopol 4.8 (32), round 11, 2015.
SUNBURY: The bye is usually used to help freshen up a side and regain some numbers but for Sunbury it did no such thing.
Ben Guthrie underwent surgery on a broken nose on Wednesday and will miss this week, Tom Donoghue has been ruled out of the season due to illness and Matthew Parker has failed to recover from a injury.
However, Anthony Sammut will return from suspension and Jack Landt is back from injury.
Knowing his side can still make finals has given coach Rick Horwood hope, but in reality his side's destiny is out of its hands.
Even if it wins its last two games, a victory by Bacchus Marsh tomorrow can virtually end all hope.
"All we can do is control the controllables and if it works out that's great, but there's no point wasting our time thinking about it," Horwood said.
SEBASTOPOL: The Burras will look to extreme youth and speed this week as coach Shane Snibson looks to adapt to the wide expanses of Clarke Oval.
Sebastopol will blood 15-year-old Ben Hutt, younger brother of senior player Toby, for his senior debut, while reserves player Nathan Doonan will also play his first game in the ones.
Snibson said the pair would add much-needed dash to the firm Sunbury ground.
"We need leg speed back in the side, last week against Darley on our muddier ground we deliberately went in a bit bigger," Snibson said.
"We want to replicate our first quarter against Darley this week, but do it for longer."
Dan Widgery is back from suspension and Dan Cuthbertson comes back in but Luke Parker has played his last game for the season with a shoulder injury.
PREDICTION: Sunbury won't drop this one.
NORTH BALLARAT CITY (2nd) v MELTON (8th)
at Eureka Stadium, Saturday, 2.15pm
NORTH BALLARAT CITY: Second position and a subsequent second chance come finals times is certainly not locked away for North City yet.
But it almost could be with a thumping victory here.
The Northies are one win and 19 percentage points clear of third-placed Darley with just two rounds remaining, meaning a decent victory would make it near impossible to drop down on the ladder, even with a loss next week.
Coming in fresh after a week off, expect North to show no mercy against the Bloods.
Star goalkicker Derick Micallef is a chance to return after almost two months off with a hamstring injury, while coach Rob Waters rates fellow forward target Marcus Darmody as a certainty to play.
Micallef has been named as emergency.
"It's still pretty tight at the top, Darley and Lakers still want to push up the table, so there is pressure below us," he said.
MELTON: There are no two ways about it, Melton is in a world of pain at the moment.
And coach Brad Murphy is the first to admit it.
With the Bloods' reserves set to feature heavily in finals, Murphy said it was disappointing many players had begun to feel seniors was no longer a priority.
"I think a lot of the guys are half looking forward to next year," he said.
"I think the seniors have taken a backwards seat to the reserves and under-18s, which isn't what you want.
"There are a few guys who are willing to keep playing seniors even though it will rule them out of reserves finals, which I have a lot of respect for. There are some that take the opposite approach though."
Murphy himself will be out of action with a knee injury this week.
"We're just down on confidence and belief at the moment, it will probably go down as the worst year I've had as a coach."
PREDICTION: North City easily, possibly triple figures.
MELTON SOUTH (9th) v REDAN (1st)
at Melton Recreation Reserve, Saturday, 2.15pm
LAST TIME THEY MET: Redan 22.22 (154) d Melton South 2.7 (19), round 7, 2015.
MELTON SOUTH: "We are after respect."
Those are the words of Melton South coach Mark Pedersen as his side prepares to host the league juggernaut.
More than aware his side is most likely going to be outclassed against Redan, Pedersen called for a similar effort to what his side put in a week ago against Darley.
They lost that match by 79 points but were only 20 points down late in the third quarter.
"It's not so much about the scoreboard for us, it's about teaching guys how to play," Pedersen said.
"I want these guys to learn defend without necessarily flooding the backline. I'm still trying to teach these guys an attacking brand of football."
Angus Storey is a chance to return from a fractured eye socket, although Brodie Sullivan will miss out with a broken thumb.
REDAN: The long season has taken its toll on some of the older bodies at Redan, who will sit out this week's clash with Melton South
Leigh Ryall, Brenton Riordan and Nathan Blomeley (all of which are into their 30s) will be rested for the clash as they look to prime themselves for the finals series.
Injury-plagued Joel Mathews will come in for his first senior match for the season after recovering from a knee injury, having played the previous two games in the reserves.
Should he play on Saturday, he will qualify for finals.
"It will be good to have Joel back and get a couple of games into him before finals, he's very handy for us" Lions coach Eammon Gill said.
Nick Sullivan will also play reserves as he recovers from injury.
PREDICTION: Redan to romp home.