The Swans’ chances of toppling a decimated North Ballarat at Alfedton Oval are 'very real'.

Forget their Round 9 meet.

Ballarat aren't the only side to leave Mars after a failed mission and won't be the last.

The Swans have won their last three games on the trot and have sewn up sixth spot already ahead of finals and could finish as high as fourth.

Let's hope the realisation of finals has the Swans continuing to build on the messaging from outgoing coach Chris Maple.

The Swans are a better side around the ball and look more structurally sound than the group we saw at their previous meeting with the Roosters 49 days ago.

Doesn't seem very long I know, but maybe the penny has dropped at the Swans, boys are becoming men.

The Roosters test will serve as a timely footy audit for Maple and his finals bound Swans.

Can they make an impression with a win at home in front of their loyal and faithful or will they be considered as just making up the numbers come September? 

Guarantee, the Roosters will make you earn the premiership points or any point for that matter regardless of who is missing.

Coach Brendan McCartney has had no choice than to focus on the 'what haves' over a luckless season on the injury and availability front.

The current Roosters’ list is loaded with progressive young talent, not shy on cracking in.

Sure, they're lacking the A-Grade assets at the moment to upset a Melton or East Point, but they will be confident taking the down the Swans in the meantime.

This result will tell us more about the Swans than it will a skeletal version of the Roosters’ best 22.

Scoop’s tip
Ballarat

With finals now seemingly beyond reach of these two, this match could pose as the unofficial decider as the best team outside of the six!

Finding motivation should be easy for these two proud clubs but the Burra are hosting their Sponsors Day lunch and will look to impress in front of a big crowd at Marty Busch.

For visitors Redan, coach Gary Learmonth, while disappointed the reality of finals is now all but off the table, he will see the occasion as another opportunity to develop his young group.

The Burra on the other hand, despite excuses, it's felt too much like trying to make up for lost ground given the club hasn't missed the September action since 2018.

Both sides have had their struggles hitting the scoreboard, so I’m not expecting the heights of their entertaining returns in Round 4 but we can wish for a similarly tight affair.

No Luke Kiel for the Burra is a big out. They missed him last week against the Devils having left the ground in the first quarter with a hyper extension of the knee.

It couldn't have come at a worse time for Tony Lockyer's group aiming to keep their season alive.

Expect Lockyer, Lachie Cassidy, Bailey Medwell and Jack Bambury to pick up the slack in the absence of Kiel to get the job done in front of fans desperate for a second 'home' win of the season.

Redan's troops should hold no fears for the Burra and arrive with every intention of leaving with the premiership points ahead of a night long celebration at their Mid-Year Ball.

There's nothing in this match, just leaning to the hosts spoiling the Lions’ party ahead of their version of the big dance on Saturday night!   

Scoop’s tip
Sebastopol

Sunbury will look to capitilise on their 'double up' meeting with Melton South consolidating the four premiership points on offer and likely percentage boost that comes with it.

Expect livewire Lions’ forwards Jake Sutton and Mitch McLean to be given every opportunity to 'fill their boots' despite the efforts of a 'recently resistant' Panthers. 

Fresh off the bye, Sunbury will welcome a solid hit out ahead of two big games against Darley and East Point.

I'm not sure what Lions coach Matty White will define as success in the aftermath given the inevitable nature of this result, but resembling more of the Sunbury we saw in the opening six weeks of the season is surely on the Lions’ radar.

Needless to add, getting through unscathed would be a bonus for the Lions given some minor setbacks to key personnel in recent weeks.

Jake Egan, Mitch Lewis, Jack Hannett and Nathan Wood have all missed some footy and will look for some continuity in the lead up to finals.

Star mid and Coburg VFL listed player Ben Cameron is arguably the Lions’ best player and will be a welcoming inclusion at finals time if he indeed misses more games at local club level.

It wouldn't take Einstein to predict the Panthers best players named ahead of the game - the sheer weight of dependence is a heavy load to carry.

The unenviable rotating bottom five or six scenario at the Panthers is likely to continue for another week adding further degrees of difficulty to the task at hand.

Tipping Panthers’ coach Travis Hodgson will have one eye on the Sunbury score as a measurement of their ability to contain while the other will be a little more ambitious, a view to the Panthers own inside 50 count and what that can amount to on the goal front.

Either way you look at this game - mini wins loom potentially for the hosts while big wins lie in waiting for the visiting party.

Scoop’s tip
Sunbury

Fresh off the bye, expect a rejuvenated Kangas outfit to hit the ground running and extend on an unbeaten run of 11 games when they host the Lakers.

The Kangas are the real deal and have been for some time.

They've won more games than any other side from their last 17 that included a Preliminary Final appearance in 2023.

East Point have won 15/17, ahead of Melton and Darley both 13/17 for the period.

The experience of last year’s two finals wins will hold them in good stead especially with the proven returns of key pair Jacob Brown (in best 6/10) and Mickitja Rotumah-Onus (5/12) to the club, and arrival of new coach Joe Carmody who has taught this group how to defend (comp rank #2).

There's a gulf in class that will be on show at Eastern Oval, but nobody needs to tell Lakers’ coach Rohan Brown.

For the here and now, they're just names on paper.

That's the attitude a combative Lakers unit will want to take into the game to unsettle any class differential.

Brown will surely demand the effort and the work rate, that's a given.

But do the Lakers have what it takes to deny the Kangas a blow out, or a real surge in momentum of back-to-back goals? That lies their greatest challenge, a 'mini win' if you will to take from an otherwise (expected) spirited loss.

The Lakers have some good cattle that will ask questions of East Point early, but the sheer quality of depth in the Kangas’ squad will prove too overwhelming.

Their stars are all in form posting big numbers or hitting the scoreboard.

The Kangas by definition are proving 'more than a handful'.

I expect the trend to continue and Carmody's all conquering Kangas will make it 12 wins in a row.       

Scoop’s tip
East Point