Clashes at Joe Brown Oval and Overland Reserve this weekend are set to define the Strathmore Community Bank Premier Division finals race.
Keilor have slipped to second place on the Strathmore Community Bank Premier Division ladder after a calamitous draw at Greenvale last week saw the Blues drop points for the first time since Round 4.
As for Strathmore, Matt Horne's men still sit outside the top four in fifth position despite winning four of their last five games.
Both teams were able to welcome back mercurial forwards last week with Dean Galea and Athan Tsialtas returning for their respective sides.
Although neither really troubled the scoreboard, they'll be better for the run and ready to impact in the back half of the season.
The intrigue to the result of this game will also tie in with the proceedings at Overland Reserve when East Keilor play host to Pascoe Vale.
The Cougars are yet to lose at their home venue so far this season but will face their biggest test yet at Cougarland having played all of Aberfeldie, Keilor and Strathmore on the road in the opening half of season 2022.
Pascoe Vale were given a rocket from Digby Morrell following this match-up in Round 2 and have gone on to record a 6-2 form line since.
Matthew Watson, fresh off a bag of eight, now leads the Premier Division goal kicking outright from East Keilor's Nick Grabowski with both players set to provide a handful for the opposition's defence.
With Keilor half a game ahead of East Keilor and Pascoe Vale just four points clear of Strathmore on the ladder, all four teams will have their eyes on the EDFL Live App checking for live scores throughout the day.
Elsewhere around the grounds a few local rivals will be going head-to-head in the Premier Division.
Maribyrnong Park will be heading up the river to Canning Reserve to take on Avondale Heights.
Last time around proceedings were close in this contest, however an inaccurate Marby side kept the Heights in the game with 11 more scoring shots sailing through for 11 behinds, those behinds accounting for the final 11-point margin.
Not only is this game a must win game for the Lions as they look to keep in touch with the top half of the table, Brad Swain's team require a serious percentage boost in the back half of the year with the Lions at least 61 per cent behind the lowest team in top five.
But despite being bottom of the ladder in this division, don't expect Avondale Heights to roll over. The winless Heights have just as much to play for as they seek their first win of the season in a relegation battle.
On the other side of the Maribyrnong River, Essendon Doutta Stars will roll down the hill to Clifton Park to face ladder leaders Aberfeldie.
Douttas have been plucky this season but Adam Marcon has his side travelling nicely and will go in clear favourites in this one.
The potential contest between Daniel Thompson and Karl Brown will be one of the highlights on the day with both in line to be in Team of the Year calculations.
Finally, Greenvale will travel to Sewell Reserve with Glenroy as their task.
Both teams have had their injury issues this season but on the back of a few confidence boosting results for the Jets, Darren Bewick's side will be expected to get the win here.
The race for finals is as equally tight in Rookie Me Division One and with third playing fourth and fifth playing sixth everything is on the line this weekend.
West Coburg have hit a nice patch of form having won its last four games to rally its way into outright third on the Rookie Me Division One ladder, but a fast chasing Westmeadows side is hot on their tail.
After a slow start to the year the Tigers have come good, amplified by a decimating victory last week against Moonee Valley.
Westy were at their ferocious best with George Nabbout and Omar Saad both helping themselves to five goals apiece, proving the ample scoring options Mo Kaakour has forward of centre.
The tall timber of West Coburg will provide an interesting matchup however with Lynden Dunn having one of his best outings of the year last week against Craigieburn.
Jason Kenneth made his Williamstown VFL debut last week and performed admirably so the Tigers may not have one of their key defenders return to handle the likes of Dunn and Daniel Archer.
And after an agonising 1-point defeat at the hands of Hillside last week, Roxburgh Park return home to the Nest up North to take on Rupertswood.
Last week Rupo were able to pull off one of the coups of the year, knocking off the previously undefeated Airport West in a massive boil over at the Shark Tank.
As a result, Skip Bray's team will head into this one full of confidence that not only they can take the win and put pressure on the top four but that their best football is capable of beating anyone in this competition.
The Eagles will have to bounce back against their mascot namesakes Craigieburn this week at the Nest in the West.
It is set to be a massive day of Airport West with a heritage round planned to celebrate 60 years of history as well as the past premierships of the club.
With members of the 1972, 1992, 2002 and 2012 premiership teams in attendance, Trent Roger's team will have plenty of support at their backs in this one.
Both the Sunbury Kangaroos and Moonee Valley had their colours lowered last week and will be desperate to see improved results in Round 11.
However, the Fog face the daunting task of Tullamarine as the Demons travel to Ormond Park.
With Shaun McKernan set to return after a stint up bush, the backline of the black and the white will have their hands full with the key forward looking to take back his place atop of the Rookie Me Division One goal kicking table.
The Kangaroos will take on Hillside in the return fixture of this year's Good Friday clash.
The Sharks got the win that day and will be looking to make it back-to-back wins as Charlie Denaro's young team continues to find consistency and balance in their game.
The Nena and Pasadena Match of the Day van is heading to JP Fawkner Reserve this weekend to get its first good look at premiership fancy, Oak Park.
The Kangas play host to Hadfield, who will be licking their wounds after a tough loss to Burnside Heights last week.
The Hawks are a team that play with plenty of pride though, and will see this as the perfect opportunity to right their wrongs and take it up to one of the best teams in this competition.
But with plenty of talent across the park, Todd Clark's side are a formidable task.
The partnership of Jedd Taylor and Blair Cronin up forward will see the brown and gold backline working overtime but Strathmore Community Bank Division Two leading goal kicker, Mark Sabatino is a tricky matchup himself.
Its a crucial game for Hadfield as they have Coburg Districts breathing down their neck just outside the Division Two top four and the Districts have an interesting game themselves with Burnside Heights heading to Cole Reserve on Saturday.
The Bears got the edge on the Districts earlier this season on the Nena and Pasadena Match of the Day but with the absence of player-coach Tom Gleeson and an injury to Cooper Keogh that day, this time around the Districts will fancy themselves a good chance, particularly on their home deck.
If the Bears are to get the chocolates come Saturday though it would open a forbidding 10-point gap between themselves and the Districts.
After a cruel run of results for Taylors Lakes, the Lions finally got back on the winners list last week and will be looking to make it back-to-back wins against Jacana on the weekend.
Remarkably, despite sitting in sixth position, Charles Cuzzupi's side has the third best percentage in this division.
It goes to show how close the Lions have been to having a far better season that its 3-5-1 form line suggests.
They'll get a chance to better their percentage this week against the Jaguars but the purple and gold are improving week-by-week.
Keeping ladder leaders Oak Park to just 141 points last week would be a jewel in the crown for Glenn McIntyre's team as they produced their best defensive effort of the year.
Finally, the Northern Saints are back at Charles Mutton Reserve for the first time since Round 6 as they welcome Keilor Park to the venue.
Despite only winning two games this year, both against Jacana, we've seen the Saints keep up with a number of sides throughout the year when they are on their game.
It will take an all mighty this week against the second-placed Devils as Paul Guicas' side look to shore up a near certain top two position.
THIS WEEKEND’S FIXTURES
KEILOR v STRATHMORE
Saturday 2:15pm at Joe Brown Oval
EAST KEILOR v PASCOE VALE
Saturday 2:15pm at Overland Reserve
AVONDALE HEIGHTS v MARIBYRNONG PARK
Saturday 2:15pm at Canning Reserve
GLENROY v GREENVALE
Saturday 2:15pm at Sewell Reserve
ABERFELDIE v ESSENDON DOUTTA STARS
Saturday 2:15pm at Clifton Park
WEST COBURG v WESTMEADOWS
🎥 Cluch TV
📻 98.9 North West FM
Saturday 2:15pm at Shore Reserve
AIRPORT WEST v CRAIGIEBURN
Saturday 2:15pm at Hansen Reserve
ROXBURGH PARK v RUPERTSWOOD
Saturday 2:15pm at Lakeside Oval
SUNBURY KANGAROOS v HILLSIDE
Saturday 2:15pm at Eric Boardman Reserve - Oval 1
MOONEE VALLEY v TULLAMARINE
Saturday 2:15pm at Ormond Park
OAK PARK v HADFIELD
🎥 Cluch TV
📻 98.9 North West FM
Saturday 2:15pm at JP Fawkner Reserve
NORTHERN SAINTS v KEILOR PARK
Saturday 2:15pm at Charles Mutton Reserve
JACANA v TAYLORS LAKES
Saturday 2:15pm at Jacana Reserve
COBURG DISTRICTS v BURNSIDE HEIGHTS
Saturday 2:15pm at Cole Reserve
