It’s a simple equation for South Morang in the final round of the Northern Football League division 3 season – win and play finals, lose and probably finish fifth.
The division has been close all season and with one round to go only two games separate the top five teams.
Watsonia and Epping will play finals but their positions and who will join them have yet to be decided.
South Morang, Mernda and St Marys are fighting for the final two spots in the top four.
Four successive wins have kept the Lions in the mix, with victory against Epping on Saturday moving them back to fourth.
Lions coach Dean Grainger said the side needed to keep doing what they had been doing over the past month to make finals.
Their opponent in the final round is Mernda, which is also in a must-win situation.
If the Lions lose, they must rely on Kilmore to beat St Marys, and Kilmore has won just two games for the season.
“There’s a bit more consistency and belief in the team,” Grainger said.
“The group is a lot of young kids mixed with some experience.
“It was always going to be a long process to gel and it would not happen overnight.
“It’s been a week-by-week process.”
Against the Pingers on Saturday, the Lions jumped out of the blocks with six goals to one in the first quarter to lead by 29 points at the first break.
It proved to be the difference as the Lions went on to win 17.3 (105)-14.9 (93).
“I could tell from the opening bounce they were on,” Grainger said.
“There was something at the end of the match and it dangled a carrot in front of them.
“We knew what was at stake and we got off to a great start.”
Daniel Watson, who started the season in the under-19s, starred up forward with seven goals.
Mitchell Hicks, Daniel Caruso, Luke Shelton and Jason Kelly were the best for the Lions.
For the Pingers, Aaron Willitts kicked six goals.
The push for finals spots in the two divisions will also go down to the final rounds.
The top four in division 2 has been sorted, but the order is not set.
In division 1, there’s one game splitting fourth and sixth, with two rounds to go.
Bundoora, which is fourth, leads that pack after losing to Macleod 13.12 (90)-9.7 (61) on Saturday.
Whittlesea made sure it will remain in division 1 next season by defeating Lower Plenty by 20 points in Roy Dyson’s 200th match.
The Eagles are three games clear of bottom-placed Lower Plenty with two rounds remaining.
