PLAYING coach Jessie Hardess concedes Lockington-Bamawm United will need some results to fall its way if it is to break its long A-grade finals drought this season.
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But she insists there is only one way for her players to approach the challenge ahead and that is to control the things they can control.
The Cats enter their round 15 clash against Mount Pleasant in sixth spot on the ladder on four wins, just one win behind fifth-placed Huntly.
Heathcote is seventh, also on four wins, as is eighth-placed Leitchville-Gunbower.
Definitely working in the Cats' favour, their percentage (88.62 per cent) is superior to all three other contenders for fifth spot, in particular Huntly, which has the lowest (81.48 per cent).
But that will count for nothing unless the Cats can find a way past the Hawks, which will take anywhere from one to four wins, depending on how results fall.
Complicating matters for LBU is a final round showdown against second-placed Elmore.
Huntly, which will start as favourite against North Bendigo on Saturday, faces a tough final three weeks against Colbinabbin (fifth), Elmore and top-ranked White Hills.
Refreshed from a bye, LBU's immediate focus is on this weekend's clash against Mount Pleasant, which beat the Cats by 21-goals earlier in the season at Toolleen.
"You never know what's going to happen, the results for most teams have been all over the shop, but for us coming off the bye it will be interesting to see how we go against Mounts," Hardess said.
"We have a few (players) out for the rest of the season, but we'll just have a crack.
"Chelsea Hicks had a planned surgery, so she is out for a few weeks, and then Tracey Ogden is going to the US for a few weeks, just little things like that.
"I think we can still scrape into finals, but when you look at the draw, we'd still need to see at least one upset, which isn't asking much this season.
"Maybe not so much us, but someone else - if we can win the games we should, we could be right."
Hardess believed last week's bye had come at an opportune time following narrow losses to Leitchville-Gunbower and Huntly and had given the Cats an opportunity to refresh and reset.
"It gave us a chance to look at a few different things and the girls have come back pretty raring to go," she said.
"There were a few injuries and things creeping in, but it was a chance to strengthen things up a bit.
"It would be great to make finals, but even if we don't, this year has been phenomenal.
"You look at what we've done and it offers hope for next year. Last year there was absolutely nowhere to go but up and we have gone up."
The loss Hicks and Tracey Ogden have presented a chance for defender Abi Sergienko to step back up into A-grade, while Hardess confirmed Brodie Jardine from the Cats' 17-and-under team would make her A-grade debut against the Blues.
A win for Mount Pleasant would put the Blues one step closer to clinching the double chance.
They start the weekend two wins ahead of fourth-placed Colbinabbin, with games against North Bendigo and the Grasshoppers to follow LBU.
In other games, Leitchville-Gunbower will be aiming to keep its finals hopes alive against Colbinabbin, Heathcote will be looking to do likewise against Elmore, while Huntly hosts North Bendigo.
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