Moving parts remain numerous as Saturday brings the Haisman Shield’s regular season finale

Kyabram appeared near-invincible before consecutive setbacks left the reigning premiers reeling and, stunningly, not 100 per cent assured a ticket.

Of course, it looks different for all money now, but so do a great many things heading into the very last Saturday of home and away play.

With the current fourth to seventh ranked sides all in different encounters, heads will be turning many a different direction even as some outcomes become clearer than others following day one’s swings and roundabouts.

Most positions are still up for grabs, but the top spot is under no serious threat:

1. Central Park-St Brendan’s (57pts) - 1st

There’s really nowhere to go for the ladder-leading Tigers due to a vastly superior run rate, which is the best possible news.

It’s not as if day one painted a pretty picture for Tyler Larkin’s men in one of the toughest fixtures going around away at the Redbacks, though.

There’s every chance this matchup repeats again - maybe on the biggest stage of all - and the Deakin Reserve natives need to get everything in a row for a serious crack at avoiding coming up short when it counts most.

2. Nagambie (51pts) - 2nd-3rd

The equation, in practical terms, is also fairly simple for the second-placed Lakers.

A lot of that is down to a bevy of good work done on day one away at notoriously bowler-friendly Howley Oval last weekend, where Mark Nolan and friends put Tatura to the sword.

However, there is an obvious elephant in the room that will follow Nolan’s charges for a while following their one-day capitulation.

Sitting at 1-87 after bowling out Tatura for 110 wouldn’t invoke a second thought in any other circumstance, but on a deck known as the opposite of a batsman’s paradise, Saturday represents a perfect opportunity to exorcise some demons and make a big-time statement with the weight of finals expectations looming.

3. Kyabram (45pts) - 3rd-5th

The defending champions technically approached the final round of play without the mathematical certainty of finals, if you can believe it.

Sure, Central Park would have probably had to outright them on day one with other results providing probably somewhere close to a 1000-run swing to affect the run rate, but it was enough to wonder.

Now, though, Jackson McLay’s side has firmly put paid to those speculative questions with a towering assault on a typically stingy Tigers side, those efforts led reliably by Kyle Mueller, and it all feels considerably more in place for the Redbacks than how the picture looked 12 months ago.

Even if a miracle unfolded at Howley, there’s no hope of catching Nagambie’s run rate, so third is looking comfortable for the time being.

Should Central Park catch fire at the crease, though, it might be all eyes on Mooroopna Recreation Reserve to see if the Cats can preserve a home final for Kyabram.

4. Waaia (43pts) - 3rd-7th

Now we’re getting into the big-time stakes.

The Mitch Cleeland-led 2023-24 runaway minor premiers have battled right in the pack for pretty much this whole campaign, even sitting outside finals completely for a brief period around the festive break.

The Bombers have had it far from on their own terms with an inconsistent run of form in 2025 thus far, but have done enough to at least have a say in their own destiny.

With that said, some more bowling heroics from Liam Evans could not prevent fierce rivals Mooroopna - a side playing for little other than schadenfreude - from putting an imposing total on the board for the red and black to chase.

Sure, Tatura shouldn’t allow Waaia to free fall out of finals entirely, but Numurkah and Katandra’s current advantages in their respective games - though by no means decisive - could leave Cleeland and co no other choice but to tangle with the Tigers in enemy territory.

5. Tatura (42pts) - 3rd-7th

Oh, the complications.

From the lofty heights of December, it’s been tough going for Daniel Coombs’ men, and the final round is poised to deliver more of the same.

Of any side with consequences to play for, Tatura would undoubtedly be the most nervous once it takes the field to try and pull off the near-unthinkable on the Lakers.

In the overwhelming likelihood that doesn’t happen, the task of moving up hardly gets any easier with the need to achieve a two-inning result, otherwise there’s going to be a lot of nervous PlayCricket refreshing happening on the other side of the fence.

A finals drought spanning well over the past decade would still reach its merciful end if either Old Students or Shepparton Youth Club United can achieve a result elsewhere, but neither walks into Saturday in favouritism.

6. Numurkah (39pts) - 4th-7th

The Blues hold sixth by an extraordinarily slim margin and there can truly be no room for error this weekend.

Ragu Aravinthan had himself a day out to put Numurkah well on top in its current tie with Old Students, and remains poised to contribute just as strongly on day two.

The competition’s unluckiest outfit last season will be counting its lucky stars that Nagambie has been handling its business to the west, but will likely need to keep an eye on events in Katandra no matter how its own affairs are playing out.

Given their last three results have featured all the highs and lows against finals-bound opposition, there will be plenty to atone for even if the Blues qualify.

7. Katandra (39pts) - 4th-7th

Traditionally, you would say the side sitting outside finals places has the simplest equation. Win and in, right?

Not necessarily.

The Eagles will obviously strive to the bitter end against Shepparton Youth Club United, and hold a slight advantage in the balance of power.

Sure enough, though, with a run rate split of just 0.022 from Numurkah, Katandra could pull off the ultimate feat of chaos even in defeat, if Old Students can swing a decent enough margin that Numurkah can still crash out - it doesn’t even have to be a belting.

Should that come to pass, you have to assume some kind of supernatural curse exists on the Numurkah Showgrounds.