by Rob Popplestone
When building a team and a lot of work to do, it can be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
For Hill End, the first step will be to keep fronting up and fighting hard.
This is especially true in front of your home crowd, as Hill End will attempt to do on Saturday against a talented Yinnar team.
Hill End v Yinnar
The Hillsmen have hit the very best in the MGFNL over the past month. To their credit, they have not baulked at any challenge or taken a short step in any contest.
But, they can expect the Magpies to be doing much the same - maybe even more - on Saturday after a bye.
"We're just hoping to have a few players back from injury this week against Yinnar," Hill End coach Ambu Uliando said.
"They are looking like one of the teams to beat this year," Uliando added. "It will be our third game in a row playing a top side, so keen to get this one out of the way and enjoy a bye to recover."
Yinnar coach Sam McCulloch said his team had looked forward to, and enjoyed, a weekend off.
"It gave us the opportunity to refine parts of our game and reset for our next block of tough games," McCulloch said.
Just two seasons ago, Yinnar managed to pull off one of the great grand final wins in recent history.
They had secured a place in the final six by just percentage in the last round of the year. A memorable month of football followed that saw them win the ultimate prize.
You get the feeling those possibilities will come flooding back if what we've seen so far from the Magpies continues over the next block of games.
Toora v Thorpdale
Toora will enter this round five match against Thorpdale with a certain degree of confidence.
A couple of wins is as good a start to the year as the Magpies have had in quite a while.
That said, the bar will certainly be lifted as they host the Blues, a side that appears to have lost nothing from the good form they showed just 12 months ago.
Toora coach Jack Weston said last year's preliminary finalists, who sit on three wins, "look to be travelling nicely".
"I'd imagine the side who wins the contested footy sets the game up for their side," Weston said. "So hoping we can be up for the contest and give ourselves a chance."
And, that's the key. If the entire team is ready for the contest across the entirety of the game, the Magpies could be a silly chance.
Thorpdale coach Jason Winderlich said his team is up for another trip to South Gippsland to face Toora, who he described as "much improved".
"They will be full of confidence coming off another good win," Winderlich said. "We will be looking to start well to give ourselves the best chance."
Toora are deserving of a big crowd to see what they are capable of against a team tipped to be near the top.
There will be nowhere to hide this weekend and we are almost certainly assured of seeing some good old-fashioned football.
Foster v MDU
Just when you thought Foster might be a little fragile, the Tigers give their most impressive performance of the season by getting the better of Tarwin on the Sharks' home deck.
The victory was rated highly given the number of first-choice players unavailable for Foster.
"It only gets harder though," Foster coach Sam Davies said. "This week, we front up to an in-form MDU team who have great ball skills and really try to grind teams apart."
Davies added it was a big day for the club as his team look forward to playing in front of the 1984 premiership team.
It seems the Tigers are at their best when the odds appear to be stacked against them or when there's a special occasion. That spells danger for the visiting Demons.
Coming off a good day of footy, MDU coach Nathan Allen is looking forward to the challenge of a red-hot Foster.
MDU are slowly fine tuning the improvements needed on a respectable season last year.
They will be aiming to play an even bigger role this year and, winning clashes like this one, are part of that progress.
Morwell East v Fish Creek
The Hawks have managed to take all before them with four impressive victories. But, there is little doubt that this round five clash against the reigning premiers, will show coach Paul Henry whether his team is the real deal.
"Huge game by our players last week against the 2023 runners-up Newborough," Henry said. "We're back home this week against last year's premiers. Can't get any bigger than this."
There is a buzz starting to build around the Hawks, not only from their loyal supporters. A growing group of past players are liking what they see from their team.
Fish Creek coach Jarrod Walker said this week was a big test.
He said the Hawks "look like the team to beat this year".
"With a few players coming back and starting to get close to our full side, it will be good to see how we go," Walker said.
The Kangaroos with a full side will be as tough as the Hawks have faced this year. However, last week's impressive win over Newborough, is probably the perfect stepping stone leading into this top of the table clash.
Stony Creek v Tarwin
It is not always the case for teams to be confronted with a "fork in the road" so early in the season. But, you get the feeling that this weekend's round five clash between the Lions and Sharks might be just that.
One road capable of taking - and the desired location - is a potential finals spot. The other, a much tougher road to travel with no guarantee of reaching the same destination.
So even is the competition, every game is crucial. Some, like this one, even more so.
Looking to the game hosting Tarwin, Stony Creek coach Chris Verboon reported "we will have a couple of players returning from injury, which will give us good depth".
The Kangaroos were good, even in a loss last week. With a few familiar and experienced faces coming back to the starting line-up, Stony Creek wouldn't want to - nor can they afford to - lose two in a row.
Moving forward to this clash, Tarwin coach Jason Kennedy reflect on "a lot of learnings have come from the game against Boolarra".
A case could be mounted for both of these two teams to be part of the action later in the year. It will be up to the team who is ready to go, that wants it more and who is unwilling to give an inch, that will be the one better placed at the right time.
Mirboo North v Newborough
As much as footy is - and should be - fun, winning gives the reward for the hard work that players, coaches, volunteers and supporters give for long periods throughout the year.
Mirboo North give no less than others but currently have nothing to show for it on the MGFNL ladder.
That could quickly be forgotten if they could manage an upset of monumental proportions this weekend against Newborough.
Mirboo North coach Damian Turner said it would certainly be a tough task.
"We will work on some things during the week, regroup and look to bring a consistent brand of footy in front of our home crowd," Turner said.
The community of Mirboo North has certainly been challenged in the off-season. In some ways, that has brought them even closer together than they already were.
But, an unlikely victory this week might be too much to ask. Certainly the visiting Bulldogs won't be doing them any favours.
Beaten fairly and squarely by the in-form Morwell East last week, Newborough coach Craig Skinner said the game "gave us a good early guide as to what's required to finish in the top half of the draw".
"The trip this week to Mirboo North is a good opportunity to reset and get back on the winners' list," Skinner said.
Bye: Boolarra