Bacchus Marsh has two very good reasons to earn the premiership points when they host North Ballarat at Maddingley Park.

Favourite son Tyson Shea will play his 300th game over a career spanning 20 years at the level in the red, yellow and black as the club prepares for their most important game in the context of their season.

Cobras’ coach Dennis Armfield will be fully aware of the stakes and has every reason to be blooming with confidence on the back of four of his young guns playing a significant role in the BFNL’s win over the Hampden League last week.

Silky mover Josh Huxtable (Under 23 Men’s Interleague Best on Ground), Rye Penny, Isaac Nixon and Jack Kovacevic all hit the scoreboard and were instrumental in many other chains that led to scores. 

Add those four to the more experienced hand of Jake Owen, Luke Goetz, Jake McCreery, Jamie Fulton and Shea, the Cobras line-up reads every bit formidable and capable of earning a finals berth.

Confidence and belief are a contagious variable - with it there's no ceiling, without it you're vulnerable, cherry ripe for the picking.

Starting well is a must for these two sides stimulating those variables.

The Cobras are in form, beat the Roosters at their previous meet in round five and should hold no fears, let alone motivation getting up for the milestone occasion.

Ironically Shea played his 200th against North Ballarat at Maddingley Park in 2018 but it was the Roosters who won comfortably.

So, what say of the 2025 version of North Ballarat under new season coach Clint Proctor.

Enigmatic is a word that springs to mind.

Clearly their best is very good, having finished within three points of Melton.

The Roosters’ four season wins have come by no less than 26 points, but losses of 48 points (Sunbury) and 78 points (East Point) suggest the gap between their best and worse is significant.

Unfortunately for Proctor, he will have to get the job done without Jamie Quick (jaw) and Brock Leonard (concussion) whose seasons are done while Denver Grainger Barrass services will be required at Carlton VFL this week on the back of his recent good form

Both sides have spent time outside the top six and have managed to work their way back into the finals conversation currently 5th (Bacchus Marsh) and 6th (North Ballarat).

Consolidation awaits the winner, and much needed breathing space from a swarming pack all wanting to feature at the business end.      

Scoop’s tip

Bacchus Marsh

Melton will look to narrow the focus enroute to finals aiming to amp up their connection and efficiency when they host Redan at MacPherson Park.

Unfortunately, the Bloods will have to do it without key mid Jaycob Hickey (lower leg) who sustained a potential season ending injury at training ahead of the Interleague weekend.

While it's disappointment for Troy Scoble and his clan, spare a thought for Redan coach Gary Learmonth who has had no luck at the selection table since the season began.

While there is less external expectation on Redan's chances featuring beyond the home and away series, they should provide an ideal hit-out for the reigning premiers who are travelling a little shy on last year’s lofty returns.

For example, we're not even 12 rounds in and the Bloods have already lost 18.5 quarters (58%-win rate per quarter), a far cry from their 53/64 (83%) success rate in 2024.

Take the numbers with a grain of salt if you like, but there's no denying the Bloods are gettable.

On the flipside, Learmonth is sick of the honourable loss conversation and has been on the front foot voicing his disappointment having not taken a top four scalp yet despite their lowly ladder position.

The Lions led the Bloods at half time of their first meeting this year in Round 5 and will look to replicate that for longer as they welcome back Lachie George, Harry Lawson, and Rudie Forde.

Learmonth’s young group are 0-5 in games against the top four at the moment, averaging a reasonable 32-point loss per game - hardly a hiding.        

Scoop’s tip

Melton

Stakes loom large for the winner of Saturday's Match of the Round in the form of third place on the BFNL table.

Host East Point currently sits third (36pts, 132%) and Sunbury fourth (32pts, 151%)

Given what we know of the top six pathways come the business end, one could be forgiven preferring to finish third instead of one or two on degrees of difficulty alone.

Needless to add, finishing fourth makes it extremely tough for ultimate success.

The Lions had their way with the Kangas back in Round 5 on the back of an eight-goal final quarter blitz that saw Jake Sutton boot five goals over a 30-minute period!

It was a remarkable conclusion to the game given the Kangas led narrowly at three-quarter time.  

Gun midfielders Mikitja Rottumah-Onus (East Point) and Josh Guthrie (Sunbury) will miss the top four clash but essentially cancel one another out given they're similar impact players, for one reason or another.

Kangas’ duo Liam Howard (hamstring) and Jack Jeffrey (glute) were late outs for the BFNL Interleague game last week and will be a watch on the track proving their fitness.

Expect Coburg VFL listed forward Daniel Johnston to be available for the Lions despite a three-goal return at the penultimate level last week.

Coburg have the bye leaving the Kangas with a double headache in their back half, not mentioning the goalkicking ability of Jake Egan who dominated their Round 5 meet.

Johnson, Sutton and Egan make up 53% of all Sunbury goals in 2025.

Kangas coach Joe Carmody will need to spend some time orchestrating a response to the last quarter fade out of Round 5.

Does Jordy Johnston (19 goals, in best 10/11) play forward or will the Kangas opt with Jacob Brown (21 goals) to provide an alternative threat alongside Bryson McDougall (26 goals).

While it's a nice problem to have, only hindsight will tell us whether they got it right!

Scoop’s tip

East Point

Despite a 10-game winning streak for the travelling Devils, coach Dan Jordan won't be taking any result for granted when they take on the Swans at Alfredton Oval.

'Complacency' and Jordan simply don't get along as the 2023 premiership coach looks to take his group to another level as we approach the final third of the home and away season.

If the Swans are going to threaten, they will need to recapture their run and carry brand that has deserted them in recent weeks having lost four of their last five games by an average of 40 points.

It's a big ask for Swans’ coach Ash Baker to implement a plan at the coalface denying inform Devils trio Brett Bewley, Nick Hind and Luther Baker.

One of the biggest improvements to the Devils arsenal has been the ability of their midfield hitting the scoreboard.

The trio and pinch hitter Andrew Azzopardi make up 32% of all Darley goals in the opening 11 rounds.

The Swans task will be made more difficult in the absence of marquee recruit Biggie Nyuon (syndesmosis) who could of provided the aerial means forward to test the competitions number one ranked defence.

Hitting up Jack O'Brien (10 goals) and Andrew Hooper (18) has been a clear focus of the Swans in Nyuon's absence, but the quality of supply has denied them.

Scores of 50, 38 and 41 in reasonable conditions validates the Swans struggles of late.

The Devils better start getting used to playing footy in Ballarat with three of their remaining seven games played up the highway, let alone finals.

Time for the Devils to get back to work and the Swans to earn back the respect that took them to within a whisker of landing a berth in last year’s preliminary final.

Scoop’s tip

Darley

Sebastopol must win, and win well, to keep their finals hopes alive when they head to CE Brown Reserve for a meeting with the winless Lakers.

The Burra will look to cash-in, despite the predicted cold conditions, with the intent to narrow the gap between their points for and against variable.

Currently their percentage sits at 86%, 14% shy of North Ballarat (6th) and 22% adrift of Bacchus Marsh (5th).

Given the Roosters and the Cobras go head-to-head this Saturday, the Burra could be just two points away from North Ballarat or a game behind the Cobras by the end of the round.

But let's not forget a three-win team in the name of Sebastopol should not be taking anything for granted.

Sure, the Lakers haven't won a game, but they have won 7/44 quarters this season so the importance of the Burra putting this game to bed early is paramount.

Not dissimilar to North Ballarat, the Burra has had their fair share of peaks and troughs on the result front but cannot afford to faulter.

In fact, failing to take care of the Lakers will mean season over for Tony Lockyer's men as a number of crucial unofficial elimination finals present in the back half of the season.

While the fortunes of Sebastopol to date have been subject to injury and availability, the scenario is not dissimilar to that of the Lakers.

Unfortunately, it has denied the Burra a game or two and impacted the 'better for longer' ambition of Rohan Brown's Lakers.

Both sides have a quality spread of impact players, but you can't deny the depth of the Burra group.

The calibre of O'Keefe, Cassidy, Bambury, Lockyer, Papst, Forbes, Littlehales, Toby and Ben Hutt, Hommelhoff, Wilkinson and Widgery are an adequate dozen that just roll off the keyboard suggesting their best is more than capable matching it with the best.

The Lakers won't be handing the premiership points over without a fight.

Tom Zampatti, Joel O'Connell, Angus Gove, Jaydo Wright, Lincoln Koliba, Kyle Anderson and Bailey Ryan, not to mention a proud coach, will lead a group that will make sure of it.  

Scoop’s tip

Sebastopol