In what are expected to be boggy conditions at the Queen Elizabeth Oval, Fisher believes the key to whoever wins could hinge on the first 30 minutes of the contest.

“The conditions aren’t going to suit either team if it’s a bit of a bog,’’ Fisher said yesterday.

“I wouldn’t have thought there’s going to be much in it at the end of the day, so the main thing for us is we make sure we start well.

“If one team gets on top in the first quarter then that could decide which way the game goes.

“Obviously, when it comes to finals the last thing you want to be doing is playing catch-up footy.’’

Maryborough ended the home and away season with a 9-9 record.

It was an improvement on last year, in which the Magpies won just six games and finished seventh.

The Magpies were forced to work hard though over the past month to secure their finals berth as they were locked in a battle with Kangaroo Flat for fifth position.

Maryborough – which had Matt Johnston win its best and fairest last Sunday – finished ahead of the Roos on percentage

“The pleasing thing about where Maryborough is at now is these young players we have, they’re not kids any more and they’ve got to become senior footballers, and that’s where their careers are at,’’ said Fisher, who in 2008 led the Magpies into an elimination final against Golden Square in his first season at the club.

“The players have stood up over the past month or so when the pressure has been on, so I’m confident the belief is there that if we can play to our structure and to our best, we can certainly be in the game on Sunday and put our hands up to say we want to play a couple more weeks.

“I’ve said to my guys that finals are about playing in September.

“If we want to play in September, that’s next week, not this week.’’

The Bendigo Advertiser understands that Fisher will stand down as Maryborough coach at the end of the season, meaning tomorrow could be his last game.

It’s understood that the travel factor for Fisher, who lives in Ballarat, has taken its toll on him after three years at Maryborough.

If Maryborough is to win tomorrow, it would be the Magpies’ first victory in a final since they defeated Castlemaine by 31 points in the 1999 grand final.