As a familiar face threatens to pull away from the pack in weekend pennant, plenty remains up for grabs across the rest of the table on a match day that sits under a weather cloud.
With seven rounds down and seven to go, perennial premiership fancy Shepparton Golf (7-0) is yet to taste defeat this season after knocking off cross-town rival Shepparton Park (5-2) to move two games clear at the top.
However, beneath it sits three sides locked in a nearly inseparable tussle to try and capitalise on any Golf slip-ups.
Two of those will meet on Saturday at Kyabram Bowling Club when the Bombers (5-2) entertain Shepparton Park.
Shepparton Park was sent back to the chasing pack with the defeat to Golf and will seek to assert itself as a clear second contender once more.
Meanwhile, Kyabram has found the first consistent momentum of its campaign, getting over the line at home to Tatura-Hill Top and consolidating a comfortable top-four place.
Two weeks ago, Kyabram’s Brent Reiner highlighted the “youth policy” he adamantly believed would see the club start to generate results.
In the time since, picking up two straight victories, this stance has been paying off superbly.
“We’re a pretty young side and someone like Josh Cartwright has been going very well in his first year skipping,” Reiner said.
“We’re just trying to teach the young kids and they’ve performed well holding their own.
“It’s a super important game that will put a gap between us and Park.
“We just have to win this one; it’s a non-negotiable for us.”
Repercussions will be significant, with the result of Tallygaroopna (5-2) and Tatura-Hill Top (3-4) under Friday night lights set to be pivotal in shaping the top four race.
“I rate Tally right up there as the team to beat and probably more of a chance to win than Golf,” Reiner said.
“The top three are a step above the rest and to go out and beat Tally with the kids in those positions was great and a real positive for the club.
“We just need to keep the train going, and we really need two more Ws going into the Christmas break.
“I’m confident we can fight with Tally for the double chance. Only two sides can beat Golf, in my opinion, and it would have to be them or us.”
Tallygaroopna, as mentioned, opens the weekend’s action on Friday night with the Bulldogs, marking a return to its home green for the first time in season 2023-24.
Euroa (2-5) has the unenviable task of keeping the rampant Shepparton Golf at bay and has its own faint lingering chances of a finals berth to try and maintain.
Sides in the table’s bottom rungs will also collide, with East Shepparton (0-7) out to avenge last week’s humiliation at the hands of Tallygaroopna as the club welcomes Mooroopna (1-6).
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