The Maroons are among three teams – along with Marong and Pyramid Hill – jostling for the last two spots in the top five, with seven wins shaping as potentially the key number to making finals.

The Maroons sit fifth with a 6-8 record, but have a tough two games to finish against the Demons and Bridgewater, before a bye in round 18.

Fourth-placed Marong (7-6) already has seven wins, while sixth-placed Pyramid Hill (6-7) will start favourites in its game on Saturday against Bears Lagoon-Serpentine that would get it to seven wins if it prevails.

“We’re looking at this week as probably our last chance to try and sneak into the five come finals,” Dillon said on Friday.

“We’ve put ourselves in a position where we are looking at other teams results, which is not a spot you want to be in, so we need to make sure we go to Calivil on Saturday and get the four points.”

The Maroons have been one of the form teams of the competition, having won four of their past five games after one stage languishing at 2-7.

Key to the Maroons’ chances against the Demons on Saturday is producing more of the second half of last week, and less of the first.

The Maroons were outscored eight goals to one in the first half by Mitiamo last week, before hitting back and kicking eight goals to three in the second half in what was a 25-point defeat.

“If we can go there on Saturday and play as we want to for close to four quarters then we will give ourselves every chance,” Dillon said.

“It was fairly tight last time we played them (19-point loss in round seven) when we let them get away to a good start, so we don’t want that to happen again.”

Saturday’s games: Calivil United v Newbridge, Inglewood v YCW, Mitiamo v Marong, BL-Serpentine v Pyramid Hill. Bridgewater bye.

Ladder: Bridgewater (14-0, 290%), Mitiamo (11-2, 143%), Calivil United (9-4, 140%), Marong (7-6, 101%), Newbridge (6-8, 93%), Pyramid Hill (6-7, 91%), Inglewood (4-10, 72%), YCW (3-10, 55%), BL-Serpentine (0-13, 37%).