Devils coach Heath Scotland deflected hype around the derby, saying that was for supporters rather than the playing group.

He said even though Darley had the opportunity to progress to a grand final the preparation was no different to any other game.

Scotland said there was not too focus on where this game had the potential to take the Devils.

He also played down an advantage Darley might have playing at home.

Bacchus Marsh and Darley go into the game having split their two games, with Cobras avenging a round one loss in round 15.

Scotland said Bacchus Marsh had out-worked Darley in their latest encounter, but he was confident the Devils could bounce back from that.

He says that defeat came as part of a drop off in form – something Darley had now put well behind it.

Bacchus Marsh coach Travis Hodgson said challenge of beating Darley was even bigger given it was at Darley Park.

“The confidence that the boys would be able to take out of that, if they were able to do that, would be enormous,” he said.

When looking for match-winners, ruckman Dean Heta and vibrant forward Jarrah Maksymow fall into this category for Bacchus Marsh.

Scotland and Brian Graham are arguably Darley’s most important players.

In each case Heta and Scotland have the experience and guile to give their teams the frontrunning – not only when things are necessarily going their way.

Then the likes of Graham, who is a ball magnet, and Maksymow are always ready to pull the trigger which sets their teams alight.

And this does not mean just kicking goals, although each is more than capable of winning a game off their own boot.

AT THE SELECTION TABLE

Darley ruckman Abe Cameron will miss another Ballarat Football League final.

Cameron is still to fully recover from a dislocated shoulder suffered in the last home and away round.

Darley can afford be patient with the emergence of late addition Abe Kur, who made his first appearance for the season in the same match Cameron was injured.

While the Devils remain unchanged, they have left their options open with an impressive line up of emergencies – assistant coach Dan Roy, captain Shane Page and Western Jets youngsters Matt Young and Zak Butters.

Roy has not played since injuring a cheekbone and eye socket against the Cobras in round 15. 

Bacchus Marsh has regained defender Trent Angwin (hamstring) and young tall forward Blake Graham, who also returns from Western Jets commitments, to replace the injured Billy Griffiths (concussion) and Simon LaFranchi (knee), who were each injured in the qualifying final.

LINE-UPS

Darley

B: L. Baker, D. Leonard, J. Pearson

HB: J. Carrick, L. Delahey, R. Ellis

C: B.  Graham, L.  Spiteri, T.  Evans

HF: J. Zeestraten, K. Docherty, M. Hanson

F: H. Scotland, D. Grenfell, N. Thacker

R: A. Kur, C. Graham, D. Robson

Int: H. Inglis, J. Ancrum, T. Minns, D. Edwards

Emg: M. Young, D. Roy, S. Page, Z. Butters

No change

Bacchus Marsh

B: M. Sutherland, D. Heta, D. Velden

HB: K. White, L. Phyland, L. Mullen

C: J.  Trowsdale, T.  Shea, H.  Coulton

HF: R. Stuhldreier, R. McNay, A. Del Papa

F: D. Bishop, J. Maksymow, J. Calma-Holt

R: D. Burton, L. Blundell, M. Denham

Int: B. Graham, D. Phyland, T. Angwin, J. Bolton

Emg: T. Hughes, L. Noonan

In: T. Angwin, B. Graham

Out: B. Griffiths, S. Lafranchi