Mid-table set for a shake-out in McMahon Shield round 11

With quotient the only thing separating Echuca South, Leitchville-Gunbower and Bamawm-Lockington United and Ky Fire Brigade just a game back from the group, we are in for an interesting end to the home-and-away season.

Tongala appears to be the odd man out, who are two wins better than Nondies, but two wins worse than the middle pack. It would take a herculean effort for the Blues to snatch fourth spot.

This theorising has led us here, the precipice of round 11 and the first of the final four games of the home-and-away season, with so many questions left unanswered.

Moama will be the team sitting out this week, and because of this will slip to second place on the ladder.

There is barely anything separating the top three sides and with Echuca and Rochy to face each other in a day-night contest this week, one of the two will leapfrog the Mowers for top spot.

Rochy has been the pick of the sides this season, winning all but one game so far with only the New South Welshmen able to break them in round six.

Facing the men in green at home bodes well for Rochy as they have yet to lose at Rochester Recreation Reserve so far and it will be a true test of their viability in the competition. Plus, it will be the first ever game under lights at the ground.

If Rochester were to lose to Echuca, it would mean they would have only lost to their contemporaries in record and skill, slotting them in to a comfortable third and a tier below the other two.

On the flip-side, Echuca will have had time to warm back in following the break, having had the bye in round 10, and will look to get back on track after dropping a game to Tonny right before Christmas.

L-G against Ky Fire Brigade is perhaps the game that will have the most significant impact on the competition this round as both are still in the picture for that last top finals spot.

The Flames have a lot more work to do than L-G and having a home ground advantage in the contest will help them out.

This is a must-win game for the Flames as they have the bye next week and then play Echuca and Tonny in the final two rounds.

Realistically, if they lose to L-G this week, Fire Brigade will find it difficult to rescue their season with too many quality teams in front of them.

Alternatively, L-G looks arguably the most likely to make the finals, being almost identical with the Swans on record and quotient, and if they did, would mark a huge turnaround from their wooden spoon campaign last season.

L-G has a kinder run home, playing BLU and Tonny before having the final bye of the season. If they can win two out of three they will look primed to play for the shield.

BLU will desperately want to defeat Tongala this week to keep its season alive, being the lowest placed of the three tied teams in the middle.

Yet, the Lions may run into a side in Tongala that has found a rich vein of form, who are coming off back-to-back wins against Echuca and Nondies and are gunning for a late-season surge.

However, the Blues have a difficult road ahead, so a finals run seems unlikely as they have to face Rochy, L-G and have the bye in the final week.

Lastly, the Swans are almost guaranteed to hold steady in the top four for another week with a match-up against winless Nondies.

But, Echuca South will have to face Echuca and Moama on either side of a bye to finish their competition. It could be a tall order to win either one of those contests against last season’s two grand finalists.