After last Saturday’s results Dookie United and Girgarre are now both sweating on Murchison-Toolamba beating the Bulldogs this Saturday to tip them out of the top eight for the first time this season.
Girgarre increased its percentage from 101.85% to 112.85% with its big win over Tallygaroopna on Saturday and can give it another hefty boost this Sunday when it tackles the winless Longwood.
This game gives it the chance to eclipse Dookie United’s final percentage if it comes to a percentage shoot out.
Dookie United has the tougher of the final-round assignments tackling the surging Lancaster, which also has a huge incentive to win after moving into third — and a double-chance — spot after crushing Rushworth on Saturday.
If Merrigum and Dookie United are defeated Girgarre will leapfrog them into eighth spot on the ladder and play finals unless it suffers a shock loss to the winless Longwood.
With its season hanging by a thread Merrigum fell short in its clash with Nagambie at Nagambie on Saturday.
The win should also be enough for Nagambie to hold a top-eight spot even though it has to complete the season against Shepparton East, which pipped another finalist Violet Town, on Saturday.
East also has plenty of incentive to win as it would hold a double-chance spot.
Stanhope was the big loser out of Saturday’s round with its two-point loss to Murchison-Toolamba resulting in it slipping from third to fifth.
It is now relying on Lancaster or Shepparton East to falter this Saturday to get back a double chance in the finals.