by Nicholas Duck
Finals will begin early for Warragul Industrials this week when they face off with another top six team.
Warragul Industrials vs Cora Lynn
The last two weeks of the home and away season provide teams with a great chance to tune things up heading into the finals, and that's exactly what awaits these two teams.
Both the Dusties and the Cobras both look to be coming into form at the right time of year, having both just recently knocked off a premiership contender in Phillip Island.
The Dusties are back to their defensive best that saw them storm their way to a prelim last year, while the Cobras' fearsome forward line is exploding into life.
It makes for an interesting game here in many ways - one that could see the winner come into finals with a head full of steam.
The key match-up here will be, to the surprise of nobody, whoever ends up playing on Cobras full forward Nathan Gardiner.
Gardiner is the lynchpin of the Cora Lynn machine, leading the league's goalkicking with a whopping 92 goals from his 16 games - 41 ahead of second place.
Stop him and the Dusties are a red hot chance. Fail that and it'll be lights out.
The Cobras were much too good for the Dusties earlier this year, securing a 42-point win, but Warragul Industrials will be hoping their improved form in the second half of the season can stand up to the pressure.
Expect a finals-like atmosphere here, with plenty to play for just weeks left before the post-season.
Bunyip vs Dalyston
Bunyip has perhaps their final realistic chance of a win this year when they welcome Dalyston to the Bunyip Recreation Reserve.
It's been a long, challenging year for the Bulldogs. They've endured one of the worst seasons you'll see in local footy, being thumped by just about every team in the competition.
Flashes of competitiveness have been just that - flashes. Bright, but extremely brief.
And with a final round confrontation with finals-bound Nar Nar Goon to come next week, they either win here or they'll finish 2023 without any points to their name.
Dalyston's form in recent weeks has hardly been flattering. They've won just one of their past nine games, and even that was a spluttering victory over Koo wee rup.
Still, on paper they should win this comfortably.
But with a team as desperate as Bunyip, you just never know.
Tooradin-Dalmore vs Garfield
Following a missed opportunity last week Garfield travels away to face the reigning premiers in a big test.
The Stars were made to pay for a slow start against Kilcunda Bass. Though they threatened to steal the game at various times, it was a bridge too far, forcing them to settle for a 10-point loss.
That's about summed up Garfield this year.
They're a much better outfit than last season's edition, but the poor stretches have led to their undoing on numerous occasions.
But this week promises to be an entirely different challenge, given the Stars have bene found wanting in their encounters with the best.
The Seagulls may no longer be at the top of the pecking order following last week's loss to Inverloch-Kongwak, but they have all the tools here to get the job done.
More than likely they'll be getting it done handily.
Other games
Phillip Island will look to bounce back from two straight losses when they play Koo wee rup.
The Bulldogs haven't tasted back-to-back defeats in quite some time, so expect them to play with a vengeance here.
The Demons better watch out.
Kilcunda Bass host Nar Nar Goon as they look to cause an upset.
It was a solid enough win for the Panthers last week, but the Goon have much higher aspirations with finals on the horizon.
It's going to take an almighty effort to upend them.
Finally, Korumburra Bena are staring down the barrel as the ladder leading Inverloch-Kongwak comes to town.
The disparity between the two on the ladder is stark, making anything other than a big Sea Eagles win difficult to see.