It is first playing second in Strathmore Community Bank Premier Division this week as East Keilor visits Joe Brown Oval to take on Keilor.
After stumbling at the hands of Aberfeldie in Round 4, the Blues have put the competition on notice with three monster wins over the division's lowest placed clubs.
Success against Avondale Heights, Essendon Doutta Stars and Glenroy saw an average winning margin of 97 points in favour of Keilor in those three games.
Nick O'Kearney has been in fine form for Mick McGuane's team this season, having only missed the one game to start the year, while Matthew Clark has been consistently hitting the scoreboard to find himself equal first on the Strathmore Community Bank Premier Division goal kicking table, alongside Pascoe Vale spearhead Matt Watson.
It will be a good test for the Cougars' defence against the league's most prolific forward line with the likes of Marc Lock, Brandon Coletta and of course Heath Shaw all providing plenty of grit down back for Tim Bongetti.
Chris Stewart will also be available for selection after serving his two-week suspension in what will be another boost for the away team.
At the other end of the Strathmore Community Bank Premier Division ladder, the Nena and Pasadena Match of the Day will get a good look at the competition's bottom half as Glenroy face off against Essendon Doutta Stars at Sewell Reserve.
Despite winning just one game apiece, both these teams have been up to their necks in a number of contests to start the year.
Glenroy tasted success a fortnight ago against Avondale Heights after an agonisingly close loss to Maribyrnong Park in Round 4, while Douttas have started games well to lead East Keilor and Aberfeldie at half time in their matches before falling short.
But on the back of heavy defeats last week, both these sides will see this game as an opportunity to put another win on the board and, depending on other results, a real chance to go two games clear of last place.
A crucial game at Monk Oval will see Maribyrnong Park and Strathmore going head-to-head as the two teams fight to keep in the hunt of the top four.
Strathmore's healthy percentage is all that separates the teams as they sit at 4-3 on the ladder, one game behind Pascoe Vale in fourth.
After a slow start to the season, the Mores have seemingly steadied with back-to-back wins to keep them in the mix despite key personnel still missing from their best line-up.
Floyd Bollinghaus has provided a nice target up forward, kicking nine goals in the last two weeks, in an attack that at times has struggled to get going this season.
As for Marby, they also secured back-to-back wins for the first time this season after a seesawing start to the year.
At home, Brad Swain's side will believe they are right in this contest with the some of the Lions' top operators, Tom Baravi, Brandon Ryan, Jonah Horo and Nick Prowse all playing good football.
In what was once billed as the EDFL's El Clásico, Greenvale travel to Clifton Park with the stakes in this game much lower than usual.
Aberfeldie will be looking to get back on the winners list after faltering to Pascoe Vale last week and will go into this contest as clear favourites.
And while Greenvale are no longer the team they used to be, the history of this rivalry may still fire up the Jets as they look to put further distance between themselves and the bottom sides in this competition.
Lastly, at Canning Reserve, Pascoe Vale will want to back up last week's strong performance against Aberfeldie when they take on last placed Avondale Heights.
With the Panthers one game clear of fifth and one game behind third, Digby Morrell's side will see this as the perfect opportunity to not only create a gap between themselves and the chasing pack but also keep the pressure on the top echelon of teams in this competition.
Unlike seasons gone by, the Heights have proven far more competitive than some of the other bottom placed sides in this division.
However, time is ticking for Patrick Bryne and his team with honourable losses not enough in this competition.
The first official weekend of the 'Rookie Me Division One' competition will have a number of telling contests on display come Saturday.
Roxburgh Park will get another chance to prove themselves in this competition as they welcome another of the key contenders of this division to Lakeside Oval.
After a disappointing outing against ladder leaders Airport West, Michael Farrelly and his team will have their sights set on Tullamarine as the Demons travel to the Nest up North.
While the 5-2 start for the Magpies bodes well to their credentials, we've seen this season that they are prone to leaking big scores even when they are winning.
The Pies have featured in a number of high scoring shootouts against the likes of Hillside, Rupertswood, Craigieburn and West Coburg.
With Shaun McKernan and a potent Tullamarine team coming to town, the Roxy backline will have their hands full.
With Roxburgh Park having conceded bags of seven, nine and 11 already this season, McKernan will be looking to his already healthy 27 goals from the opening seven rounds.
Another of the leading forwards this competition, Ned Gentile, may also be on the end of another bag this weekend as Airport West play the Sunbury Kangaroos.
In a game that sees top play bottom, it doesn't get any easier for the luckless Kangaroos.
The Kangas have had a large portion of key personnel missing in recent weeks but have put together extremely competitive performances to only go down by 12 and eight points respectively the last two games.
They'll face a much tougher task at Hansen Reserve, though, with the Eagles the clear favourite in this competition now on the back of wins against second placed Tullamarine and third placed Roxburgh Park.
Westmeadows have clawed their way back to sit fifth on the Rookie Me Division One ladder after slumping to 1-3 in the early stages of the season.
A stirring four-point win against Rupertswood on the weekend was the pinnacle of the Tigers' comeback, with Mo Kaakour's side winning three on-the-trot now.
They come up against Craigieburn this Saturday with the Eagles struggling upon their return to this division.
Justin Sherman's side currently sports the worst defence in the competition having conceded 732 points in the opening seven rounds.
With Westy finding their groove through Omar Saad up forward and George Nabbout and Jayden Ranno hitting the scoreboard via midfield rotations, the Tigers would like their chances of notching a fourth consecutive win.
An intriguing game at Ormond Park sees Moonee Valley hosting Rupertswood in one of the longest road trips in EDFL footy.
Both teams have exceeded expectations to different degrees, putting up a number of valiant performances on the board to start the season.
After a hot start, Rupo have come back to the pack a little, but with plenty of talent in their line-up they have done enough to prove they can match it with the top sides in this competition and take the wins from the teams around them on the ladder.
For the Fog, coming up from division two, the backline of Ian Denny's side has battled manfully and keeping themselves in a number of games for long periods of time.
However, the synergy and connection just hasn't clicked up forward for the Valley, kicking just 378 points to open the season, the lowest in this competition.
And at Shore Reserve, West Coburg are back at home to take on Hillside.
The Burgers are desperately holding onto a spot in the Rookie Me Division One top four, with a big pack of teams fighting it out the put themselves below the top two tier of Airport West and Tullamarine.
At their best the Burgers are clearly one of the contenders in this division and close performances against the top two prove that, however consistency has been a trait to elude Dale May's side this season and seasons gone by.
Hillside are part of that chasing pack just behind West Coburg, the youthful Sharks will bring plenty of energy to this contest as they look to cause an upset.
All eyes will be on Martin Reserve this weekend in Strathmore Community Bank Division Two as Hadfield and Taylors Lakes do battle.
With the Division Two ladder in the balance right now, the result in this game could go a long way to deciding final placings in this competition as we near the halfway mark.
After an agonising one-point loss to Keilor Park in Round 5 and a draw on the weekend against Burnside Heights, Taylors Lakes now find themselves six points adrift from the fourth placed Hawks.
A win for the Lions will see the gap evaporate between fourth and fifth but to go down in defeat would open up a significant gulf between the contenders and the chasing pack.
With Hadfield's Mark Sabatino leading the division goal kicking and Taylors Lakes' Luke Nappi just a solitary goal behind him, fans of both sides could be treated to a shootout at either end of the ground.
Keilor Park may well be the new premiership favourites in this competition after dismantling the previously undefeated Oak Park last week.
It was a result the proved the depth that Paul Guicas has been able to assemble within his squad with contributors across the park in the comprehensive performance.
They'll travel to Brookside Recreation Reserve this weekend to play Burnside Heights.
The Bears are looking good this season having come up trumps in a number of close games.
A draw at Taylors Lakes and a 10-point loss to Oak Park in Round 1 is all that separates the Bears' 4-1-1 form line from an unbeaten start.
Putting themselves up against seemingly the competition's best side will give a good indicator to how close to the mark the Bears are this season.
Speaking of Oak Park, they'll be desperate to bounce back against the Northern Saints this week at JP Fawkner Reserve.
Its 86-point defeat at the hands of Keilor Park was the worst defeat the Kangaroos have suffered since 2019, when they down to Craigieburn by 89 points in Round 16 back in Division One.
They'll go in favourites against the Saints, who have now lost five in a row.
And for Coburg Districts, they'll be striving to make it back-to-back wins when they welcome Jacana to Cole Reserve.
It had been a slow start for the Districts but Tom Gleeson's team were back on the winners list with a victory over the Northern Saints in Round 6.
Gleeson himself returned to field in that game, kicking four goals, while 2021 Strathmore Community Bank Division Two Team of the Year ruckman Cooper Keogh was also back in the fold and in dominate form.
THIS WEEKEND’S FIXTURES
GLENROY v ESSENDON DOUTTA STARS
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Saturday 2:15pm at Sewell Reserve
ABERFELDIE v GREENVALE
Saturday 2:15pm at Clifton Park
MARIBYRNONG PARK v ABERFELDIE
Saturday 2:15pm at Monk Oval
KEILOR v EAST KEILOR
Saturday 2:15pm at Joe Brown Oval
AVONDALE HEIGHTS v PASCOE VALE
Saturday 2:15pm at Canning Reserve
MOONEE VALLEY v RUPERTSWOOD
Saturday 2:15pm at Ormond Park
WESTMEADOWS v CRAIGIEBURN
Saturday 2:15pm at Willowbrook Reserve
WEST COBURG v HILLSIDE
Saturday 2:15pm at Shore Reserve
AIRPORT WEST v SUNBURY KANGAROOS
Saturday 2:15pm at Hansen Reserve
ROXBURGH PARK v TULLAMARINE
Saturday 2:15pm at Lakeside Oval
COBURG DISTRICTS v JACANA
Saturday 2:15pm at Cole Reserve
OAK PARK v NORTHERN SAINTS
Saturday 2:15pm at JP Fawkner Reserve
HADFIELD v TAYLORS LAKES
Saturday 2:15pm at Jacana Reserve
BURNSIDE HEIGHTS v KEILOR PARK
Saturday 2:15pm at Brookside Recreation Reserve
