For the third time in four seasons the Suns and Roos will contest the first XI grand final this weekend at the Queen Elizabeth Oval, with the ledger split 1-1 in their previous two flag battles.

The Roos beat the Suns in last year's grand final, while in 2021 it was Strathdale-Maristians that proved too strong for Kangaroo Flat.

Here's how the two teams have made their way to this season's decider.

Strathdale-Maristians is certainly no stranger to the grand final stage.

In what has been a remarkable run of sustained success this weekend will be the Suns' 13^th grand final in the past 16 seasons, with this weekend presenting the chance to win a ninth flag through that timeframe.

Although grand finals and Strathdale-Maristians go hand in hand, skipper Cameron Taylor says the excitement levels around the group at the opportunity to add to the club's dynasty remain as strong as every other year the Suns have contended for the BDCA's Sir John Lienhop Shield.

"We were talking earlier this week that everyone is really excited for it," Taylor said this week.

"You spend all year working towards trying to get to this weekend and it's a great opportunity in what should be a really good game of cricket.

"It's a great match-up between these two sides at the moment; it's fairly evenly balanced for both teams.

"There's a good healthy rivalry between the two teams and a lot of mutual respect."

The Suns, who finished on top of the ladder, won their opening eight games of the season before suffering a pair of back-to-back losses to Kangaroo Flat and Sandhurst in rounds nine and 10.

After those two slip-ups the Suns have won their past three, including a 93-run victory over Bendigo United in their semi final last week that was highlighted by a knock of 79 from coach Grant Waldron on Saturday and 7-49 off 28 overs from leg-spinner Taylor on Sunday.

"I feel that we've ticked all the boxes in terms of trying to build for the right time and as I said, everyone is really keen and excited and that's when we're at our best... when everyone is eager to be out there," Taylor said.

"We know Kangaroo Flat has a really good bowling attack and can keep the pressure on for the full 85 overs, so you can never get comfortable against them, but we look forward to the challenge as a batting unit.

"We'll be working hard to make sure we can either post a big score batting first or chase down what is set for us."

The Suns have made one change ahead of the grand final.

Middle-order batsman James Vlaemnick, who missed last weekend's semi final win over Bendigo United through illness, returns to the side for Wil Gilmore.

The Suns' grand final side of 11 players features 10 players who have all played in a flag with the club previously.

The only grand final player yet to win a first XI flag for the Suns is young bowler Tom Purcell, who has shown just what an X-factor he can be when up and about with his hauls of 5-11 against Golden Square in round one (including a hat-trick) and 6-17 against White Hills in round five.

At the other end of the scale, team-mate Ben DeAraugo can win his ninth flag for the Suns this weekend, Taylor his eighth and the duo of Jack Neylon and Sam Johnston their sixth.

One of the revered strengths of the Suns through their dynasty of dominance has been their incredibly deep batting line-up.

That has again been evident this year with nine of the grand final 11 having made scores of 50-plus led by coach Grant Waldron, who heads into the grand final in sparkling form.

Waldron, who has 592 runs at an average of 59.2, has scores of 79, 84, 84, 61, 17, 53 n.o. and 63 in his past seven innings.

Waldron will bat at No.3 behind the opening pair of Taylor (397 runs) and Daniel Clohesy (279).

The bulk of the Suns' wickets over the course of the season have been taken by the trio of leg-spinner Taylor (41) - a two-time grand final Taylor Walsh Medal winner - and the new-ball pair of Johnston (29) and Jack Pysing (27), with 97 between the three of them.

Pysing's 27 wickets include the scalps of 19 top-five batsmen and he was the Suns' standout bowler in their home and away game against the Roos in round nine when he picked up 4-68.

Opportunity beckons for Kangaroo Flat to win back-to-back premierships, just like it did in 2004 and 2005.

After ending an 18-year flag drought last year there has been no premiership hangover from the Roos and they will hit the grand final at the top of their game and riding a strong wave of momentum.

Starting the last game before the mid-season break, the Roos have strung together eight wins in a row, the last of which was an annihilation of Sandhurst inside one day in their semi final last weekend when they bowled the Dragons out for 79 having one stage had them 9-45.

While the Suns are renowned for their deep batting line-up the Roos are revered for their bowling unit headed by the quartet of stalwart Adam Burns, coach Brent Hamblin, Dylan Klemm and Luke Stagg, a first-time Victoria Country representative earlier this year.

All four bowlers have more than 20 wickets each this season - Burns and Klemm with 32 each, Hamblin with 24, including 5-23 in the semi final win over Sandhurst, and Stagg with 21.

As well as their impact with the ball, the trio of Burns, Klemm and Hamblin have also combined for 941 runs.

Throughout the Roos' eight-game winning streak they have taken 89 wickets for 1068 runs - an average of just 12 runs per wicket.

"We've got full belief in everyone in the group to be able to go out and do what they do well," Kangaroo Flat captain Jake Klemm said this week.

"Our bowlers have been firing lately, our top-order batting not so much, but the boys through the middle-order like Matt Dwyer, Dyl Klemm, Campbell Smith and Adam and Riley Burns have been really good."

One of the unique opportunities this game presents for the Roos is the chance for a father-son premiership with Adam and Riley Burns.

One of the all-time greats of the BDCA, Adam Burns is the only three-time first XI premiership player for the Roos having played in their back-to-back flags of 2004 and 2005 and last year's triumph.

If 42-year-old Burns - who won both the BDCA's batting and bowling average awards this season - can win a fourth flag this weekend he will do so alongside son Riley, who was 12^th man last year.

While Adam just keeps on keeping on, Riley heads into the grand final as one of the Roos' in-form batsmen having made scores of 13 n.o., 55 n.o., 81 and 47 in his past four innings.

"It has been really good this year the way Riley has come on and been able to cement his spot in the middle-order," Klemm said.

"He is in some good nick at the moment and it has been good to see him get a couple of scores over the past few weeks.

"And as for Burnsy (Adam)... I don't know what more you can say about him; he's super human."

Adam Burns' 378 runs at an average of 63.0 are the most for the Roos, while the duo of No.4 Dylan Klemm (372) and opener Daniel Barber (353) have both over 350.

No doubt what the Roos - who have eight of last year's premiership team backing up this weekend - would dearly crave is a strong contribution from opener Chris Barber (190 runs) and skipper Jake Klemm (263).

The two starred in last year's grand final win over the Suns with Barber earning the Taylor Walsh Medal for his 86, while Klemm made 60, with the pair putting on 118 for the second wicket.

Neither have hit their straps fully yet this season, but if one or both could fire again on the big stage it will certainly hold the Roos in good stead as they strive to avoid a repeat of one of their deficiencies this year of regularly losing early wickets.

CAMERON TAYLOR (C)

Runs: 397 Average: 30.5

Highest score: 75*

Wickets: 41 Average: 16.8

Best bowling: 7-49

Fielding: 11 MVP: 1327

........................................

JAMES BARRI

Runs: 486 Average: 44.1

Highest score: 109

Wickets: 1 Average: 158.0

Best bowling: 1-48

Fielding: 6 MVP: 571

........................................

DANIEL CLOHESY

Runs: 279 Average: 27.9

Highest score: 82

Wickets: 1 Average: 10.0

Best bowling: 1-10

Fielding: 5 MVP: 354

........................................

BEN DeARAUGO

Runs: 239 Average: 29.8

Highest score: 85

Wickets: 5 Average: 25.2

Best bowling: 2-13

Fielding: 9 MVP: 429

........................................

SAM JOHNSTON

Runs: 194 Average: 32.3

Highest score: 76

Wickets: 29 Average: 16.5

Best bowling: 6-54

Fielding: 3 MVP: 809

........................................

JACK NEYLON

Runs: 177 Average: 17.7

Highest score: 52

Wickets: 0 Average: -

Best bowling: 0-2

Fielding: 5 MVP: 227

........................................

TOM PURCELL

Runs: 6 Average: 6.0

Highest score: 4

Wickets: 19 Average: 13.5

Best bowling: 6-17

Fielding: 1 MVP: 401

........................................

JACK PYSING

Runs: 31 Average: 6.2

Highest score: 8*

Wickets: 27 Average: 16.7

Best bowling: 5-48

Fielding: 3 MVP: 601

........................................

JAMES VLAEMINCK

Runs: 232 Average: 25.7

Highest score: 63

Wickets: 1 Average: 83.0

Best bowling: 1-20

Fielding: 6 MVP: 317

........................................

GRANT WALDRON

Runs: 592 Average: 59.2

Highest score: 100*

Wickets: 1 Average: 5.0

Best bowling: 1-0

Fielding: 6 MVP: 677

........................................

MATT WILKINSON

Runs: 213 Average: 26.6

Highest score: 56

Wickets: - Average: -

Best bowling: -

Fielding: 24 MVP: 478

JAKE KLEMM (C)

Runs: 263 Average: 20.2

Highest score: 58

Wickets: 4 Average: 38.0

Best bowling: 2-47

Fielding: 6 MVP: 403

........................................

DANIEL BARBER

Runs: 353 Average: 32.0

Highest score: 110*

Wickets: - Average: -

Best bowling: -

Fielding: 19 MVP: 543

........................................

CHRIS BARBER

Runs: 190 Average: 14.6

Highest score: 35

Wickets: 12 Average: 23.0

Best bowling: 3-49

Fielding: 7 MVP: 500

........................................

KENNY BEITH

Runs: 30 Average: 6.0

Highest score: 16*

Wickets: 4 Average: 22.5

Best bowling: 1-6

Fielding: 5 MVP: 175

........................................

RILEY BURNS

Runs: 203 Average: 50.7

Highest score: 81

Wickets: - Average: -

Best bowling: -

Fielding: 2 MVP: 228

........................................

ADAM BURNS

Runs: 378 Average: 63.0

Highest score: 108*

Wickets: 32 Average: 9.4

Best bowling: 5-17

Fielding: 1 MVP: 1028

........................................

MATT DWYER

Runs: 222 Average: 18.5

Highest score: 64

Wickets: 0 Average: -

Best bowling: 0-4

Fielding: 4 MVP: 262

........................................

BRENT HAMBLIN

Runs: 191 Average: 23.8

Highest score: 71*

Wickets: 24 Average: 14.2

Best bowling: 5-23

Fielding: 6 MVP: 731

........................................

DYLAN KLEMM

Runs: 372 Average: 28.6

Highest score: 81

Wickets: 32 Average: 15.9

Best bowling: 6-21

Fielding: 7 MVP: 1087

........................................

CAMPBELL SMITH

Runs: 178 Average: 16.1

Highest score: 31

Wickets: - Average: -

Best bowling: -

Fielding: 32 MVP: 513

........................................

LUKE STAGG

Runs: 13 Average: 6.5

Highest score: 10*

Wickets: 21 Average: 12.2

Best bowling: 5-10

Fielding: 4 MVP: 483

Batting:

Runs per wicket:

SM: 31.74 KF: 24.47

Run-rate:

SM: 3.53 KF: 3.17

Balls per wicket:

SM: 54.00 KF: 46.33

......................................

Bowling:

Runs per wicket:

SM: 18.31 KF: 14.32

Economy rate:

SM: 2.76 KF: 2.75

Strike rate:

SM: 39.81 KF: 31.27

......................................

The toss:

Record batting first:

SM: 4-1 KF: 5-0

Record batting second:

SM: 7-1 KF: 6-2

The two most consistent teams of the home and away season deservedly get the chance to vie for the flag.

Should be a tremendous battle between bat and ball as the Suns' deep batting line-up takes on the competition's best bowling unit.

However, the Roos themselves certainly bat deep considering they have player who won this season's batting average - Adam Burns - coming in at No.9.

Given the red-hot form of the Roos on their eight-game winning streak, their dynamic pace attack and ability to also boast a dangerous batting line-up well into their tail, tipping the Roos to make it back-to-back flags.

Taylor Walsh Medal - Brent Hamblin (KF).