With the turn of Round 10, reverse fixtures begin as we enter the second half of our senior men's competition.
Last time around, Aberfeldie and Maribyrnong Park put on a show on the Nena and Pasadena Match of the Day, a game that saw Aberfeldie victorious by 14 points and Adam Marcon secure his first win as playing coach of the Gorillas.
Since then, the former VFL man has guided his team superbly with only one hiccup in the opening nine rounds to see Aberfeldie sitting nicely at 8-1 on the Strathmore Community Bank Premier Division ladder.
For Maribyrnong Park, it has been a far more up-and-down season for Brad Swain's team with only one set of back-to-back wins for the Lions seeing them going on a pattern of win-loss-win-loss over multiple rounds.
The roller-coaster ride for Marby has left them teetering just outside the top four with a form line of 5-4 after the first nine rounds.
However, a number of close wins against the division's lower teams combined with heavy defeats at the hands of the competition's best sides sees Marby well off the pace with a lowly percentage of 87 per cent compared to Pascoe Vale's 126 per cent as the next worst of the top six sides.
Narrow losses to Aberfeldie and East Keilor, as well as a win over Pascoe Vale, is more than enough evidence to prove that Maribyrnong Park are still a top four contender in this division, but a statement win is required sooner rather than later.
Can the combination of a home fixture and Aberfeldie coming off a tough six-day break be enough for the Lions? Time will tell.
Speaking of sides just outside the top four, Strathmore will see this weekend's fixture against Avondale Heights as an opportunity to keep the pressure on the leading pack.
After an agonising one-point defeat at Windy Hill on Sunday, the Mores will be seeking to bounce back and continue the form they have displayed over the past four rounds.
Kyle Weightman has provided a spark inside forward 50 for Matt Horne in recent weeks after being relieved from Essendon VFL duty, while Athan Tsiatlas made his first appearance for the Mores, albeit in the reserves, and is closing in on a return to senior football.
Their opposition, Avondale Heights, endured a winless first half of the year and will require some key personnel of their own to return if they are to get some wins on the board.
But with Strathmore seemingly getting back to their best football, a competitive effort may be enough of a win for the Heights at Lebanon Reserve.
Elsewhere around the division Keilor, East Keilor and Pascoe Vale will all go in favourites against Greenvale, Essendon Doutta Stars and Glenroy respectively.
With the jostling of spots so tight at the top end of the ladder, don't expect any of the favourites to pull any punches against their opposition.
At home, Greenvale and Douttas know how to play their ground to a tee and are a much tougher prospect than when they are on the road, but both teams would have to play out of their skins to cause an upset against two of the competition's strongest teams.
And on the road at Raeburn Reserve, an injury-depleted Glenroy would have appreciated the week off but will need everything to go right in a tough match-up against a rejuvenated Pascoe Vale outfit.
The Nena and Pasadena Match of the Day van will be making the trip up Pascoe Vale Road on Saturday as we get our first look at Craigieburn in the flesh.
Upon returning to Rookie Me Division One this season, Craigieburn have had some difficulty adjusting following relegation, but we knew from the start this was going to be a steadying period for new coach Justin Sherman.
The Eagles did enough in the first half of the year to see off lower sides Moonee Valley and the Sunbury Kangaroos to bank two wins, but the home side will be looking for a scalp as we turn to the back half of the year.
And what a scalp it would be if it were to come against a top three side in West Coburg.
There have been a few speedhumps along the way for Dale May's team but big wins against some of the top four challengers as well as strong hit-outs against the clear top two in Tullamarine and Airport West have been enough to prove the Burgers are well and truly in the mix and can pull off an upset on their day.
Tune in to the Nena and Pasadena Match of the Day from 2pm on Saturday thanks to Cluch TV and 98.9 North West FM to catch all the action.
Of the other top four hopefuls in this division, Roxburgh Park travel to Shark Park to take on a plucky Hillside line-up.
The Magpies find themselves in fourth position at the halfway mark of the year in what is a great result for Michael Farrelly and his team at the 'Nest up North'.
A form line of 6-3 proves the Pies are one of the true finals contenders in this competition.
A percentage of 88 per cent, that is well below the next lowest percentage of 104 per cent within the top six teams, is the only deterring factor on a near perfect start for Roxy.
On occasion we have seen the Magpies' defence get leaky despite the final result being victory or defeat and that is what makes this a potential danger game for them.
With Josh Covelli getting off the chain in Round 1 and kicking seven goals in a loss, can Roxy find a way to quell the big man's influence and get the four points on the road?
Rupertswood face the tough task of Airport West, but on its home deck up at the Shark Tank, they will give themselves every chance to put in a strong effort.
Rupo have had a see-sawing few rounds going win-loss-win-loss-win-loss over its last six starts. If the pattern were to continue, could Rupo pull off the ultimate upset?
We've seen Skip Bray's side dramatically improve from last season on the back of standout performances from the likes of Brent Swallow, Jordan Tentonello and Jacob Chahine.
Strong efforts against the top two sides in the first half of the season have seen Rupo well and truly in the finals hunt but a win at the Shark Tank would raise plenty of eyebrows.
At the bottom end of the Rookie Me Division One ladder, the Sunbury Kangaroos and Moonee Valley face daunting tasks against Tullamarine and Westmeadows respectively.
The Kangaroos spent the first of the season winless in a year that has seen Leigh Sporle's team battle with fitness and illness.
With a home crowd at their backs the Kangas will be up-and-about, but Tullamarine is an almighty assignment.
And despite keeping Rookie Me Division One leading goal kicker, Shaun McKernan, goalless in Round One, the Sunbury coaching staff won't have to worry about the key forward's magnet this weekend as he makes a guest appearance for the Balranald Kangaroos.
And at Willowbrook Reserve, it will be the Tigers going in as favourites against the Fog.
Westy has won four of its last five games, the only blemish being a one-goal loss to second-placed Tullamarine and while Moonee Valley have surprised a few in their effort and competitiveness in this higher division, the Tigers have plenty to play for as they loiter outside the top four.
Strathmore Community Bank Division Two offers some of the best fixtures this coming weekend with a number of coin-flip games that could define the season.
At Brookside Recreation Reserve, Burnside Heights will welcome Hadfield to their makeshift Den after knocking off the Hawks at Martin Reserve in Round 2.
It was a result that proved the Bears would be no pushovers in this competition as some suggested and saw a new dawn for the team in the orange and blue.
Hadfield of course bounced back from that result to find themselves sitting in third on the Division Two ladder, one spot ahead of this weekend's opposition.
And those two spots on the ladder are certainly under siege with things at Coburg Districts finally starting to click for Tom Gleeson.
The Districts have won three straight games now, albeit against the bottom three sides in this division, but the personnel have returned and the results are speaking for themselves.
They will face their toughest challenge in recent weeks when they travel to Keilor Park Reserve to take on the first-placed Devils.
Outside of a Round 1 hiccup, the Devils have been ruthless to all coming challengers.
Inaccurate kicking has been seemingly the only opportunity they've given their opposition to be sniff on any occasion Paul Guicas' side has been tested.
With the Devils only 0.34 per cent ahead of the lurking Oak Park, who face bottom side Jacana this weekend, the pressure is coming from below as the minor premiership race heats up.
While week-by-week in the first half of the season we saw improvement from Jacana, a hungry Oak Park team will be hard to contain.
Finally, at Lionheart Reserve, are seasons on the line for both Taylors Lakes and the Northern Saints?
After eight rounds both sides have recorded just the two wins, with the Saints dual victories coming against Jacana.
Taylors Lakes have been far more competitive as whole across the season but a number of excruciatingly close losses and a draw have seen the Lions well behind in the race for finals.
A loss for either side here may just be the indicator that neither are capable of challenging for a top four spot.
THIS WEEKEND’S FIXTURES
GREENVALE v KEILOR
Saturday 2:15pm at Greenvale Recreation Reserve
ESSENDON DOUTTA STARS v EAST KEILOR
Saturday 2:15pm at Nipper Jordan Oval
STRATHMORE v AVONDALE HEIGHTS
Saturday 2:15pm at Lebanon Reserve
PASCOE VALE v GLENROY
Saturday 2:15pm at Raeburn Reserve
MARIBYRNONG PARK v ABERFELDIE
Saturday 2:15pm at Monk Oval
CRAIGIEBURN v WEST COBURG
🎥 Cluch TV
📻 98.9 North West FM
Saturday 2:15pm at DS Aitken Reserve
RUPERTSWOOD v AIRPORT WEST
Saturday 2:15pm at Salesian College - Oval 1
HILLSIDE v ROXBURGH PARK
Saturday 2:15pm at Hillside Reserve
SUNBURY KANGAROOS v TULLAMARINE
Saturday 2:15pm at Eric Boardman Reserve
WESTMEADOWS v MOONEE VALLEY
Saturday 2:15pm at Willowbrook Reserve
TAYLORS LAKES v NORTHERN SAINTS
Saturday 2:15pm at Lionheart Reserve
BURNSIDE HEIGHTS v HADFIELD
Saturday 2:15pm at Brookside Recreation Reserve
JACANA v OAK PARK
Saturday 2:15pm at Jacana Reserve
KEILOR PARK v COBURG DISTRICTS
Saturday 2:15pm at Keilor Park Reserve
