An upset win would pretty much guarantee the fourth-placed Bloods a finals berth and give South Bendigo its first win over a top-three team this season.

The Bloods lost to the Storm by one-point in a thriller at the QEO in round seven.

"If we could manage to snatch this one and Square dropped a game that they shouldn't have, then we could still pinch third spot,'' South Bendigo coach Nathan Horbury said.

"The main thing is we need to cement ourselves in the top five. If we lose a game that we shouldn't in the final two rounds then it puts us in a tough spot because our percentage is so low compared to Sandhurst, Eaglehawk and Kyneton.

"We'd really love to play well and beat them. Two years ago they beat us by about 150 points (at Strathfieldsaye), so our development in that time has been really pleasing.

"I know the Strathfieldsaye side this week is probably not as strong as the side that beat us by 150 points, but we're excited to go out there and have the opportunity to play them.

"We're looking forward to it, there's a really good feeling amongst our group at the moment."

The round seven battle was a war of attrition.

The Storm lost star duo Lachlan Sharp and Kal Geary to injuries during the game, while the Bloods didn't have the services of key midfielder Cooper Leon.

South made a strong run in the final quarter, but just fell short.

"When we play our brand of footy we think it can stand up against them,'' Horbury said.

"If we can win the contested ball at the stoppage and then work our way from there...we know that's a driving factor.

"We know they're younger now through the middle, but Jake Moorhead and some of those other boys are high-quality. If we can win the contested footy and play our brand from there it will go a long way to us winning the game.

"Putting pressure on them as they move the ball will be really important. We found at the QEO that we made it hard for them to score because their forward 50 entries were not as clean as they had been against us in the past.

"Contested footy and pressure, particularly if it is as wet as everyone is saying it's going to be, will be the two key factors for us."

The revolving door that is selection at Strathfieldsaye continued this week.

Kal Geary (hamstring) has been named on an extended interchange bench, while forward Harry Conway and defender/back-up ruck Joe Mayes also return.

Jake Hall, Caleb Sheahan and Caleb Ernst are three of the Storm's better players that are on the sidelines this week, but will return before the finals.

Three weeks out from the finals, the Bloods have mixed news on the injury front.

Blake Poyser and Riley Walsh should return from injury against the Storm.

Classy half-back/midfielder Isaiah Miller (broken hand) has resumed training and is expected to return for the Bloods' final home and away game against Kangaroo Flat.

Tom Brereton could also return in the final round after a long-term injury.

Unfortunately, Joel Swatton (broken thumb) is out for six weeks and his season is more than likely done and dusted.

STRATHFIELDSAYE v SOUTH BENDIGO

2.20pm Saturday at Strathfieldsaye.

STRATHFIELDSAYE

B: P. Blandford, B. Lester, H. Lawrence

HB: L. Ratcliffe, R. Wilson, M. Hallinan

C: L. Gill, J. Moorhead, B. Slater

HF: J. Schischka, H. Conway, J. Mayes

F: T. Bennett, R. Clarke, L. Sharp

R: M. Pilcher, C. McCarty, D. Clohesy

Int: J. Reinheimer, K. Geary, B. Hore, B. Alexander, S. Geary, J. Neylon

SOUTH BENDIGO

B: D. Johnstone, Z. Hare, C. Taggert

HB: C. Leon, A. van Heumen, N. Horbury

C: L. Byrne, W. McCaig, O. Simpson

HF: A. Smith, W. Keck, S. Langley

F: N. Leed, B. Torpey, B. Harvey

R: W. Allen, M. Herlihy, K. Antonowicz

Int: M. Long, R. Walsh, S. Maher, J. Sheahan, J. Sheean, L. Furness

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