THE top of the ladder is a hot commodity for four Warrnambool and District league A grade netball sides.
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And the temperature of the highest point on the table is set to get hotter with three of the league's teams within touching distance.
The reigning premier Nirranda currently holds the title of ladder-leaders but fellow powerhouse and this weeks opponent Dennington is just a win behind.
Old Collegians and a resurgent Merrivale are level with the Dogs and poised to strike on any mistake the two teams above them make.
The Blues have accumulated 40 points from 11 weeks - nine wins, one loss and one bye - with the Dogs, Warriors and Tigers four points behind with eight victories, two defeats and one bye.
With the top two battling it out, Old Collegians and Merrivale have a big chance to stay in the hunt for the minor premiership whatever the result of the Blues-Dogs encounter.
The Warriors travel out of Warrnambool to take on seventh-placed Kolora-Noorat while the Tigers are at home to face Panmure, which is in eighth spot.
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Old Collegians mentor Meagan Forth said this was one of the closest years she had been involved in.
"This is the tightest it (the ladder) has been in a while and I predicted it at the start of year with teams strengthening and others coming down I thought it would even out depending on results," the third-year mentor said.
"There is still some unpredictable results that might rock the ladder later in the year like Timboon drawing with East and Allansford only winning by a goal last week.
"In many other seasons the top five has been set early but this year it could come down to the final weeks, which is exciting for the competition, so you can't take any game lightly."
In 2018 only four points separated the top three teams with Dennington (66 points) finishing on top with Nirranda (64) and Timboon Demons (62) not far behind.
The Warriors were 10 points behind in fourth while Russells Creek squeezed in eight behind.
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The year before just eight points split the Blues (64) in first with the Dogs (62) and Kolora-Noorat (56) below them. South Rovers (46) and the Demons (44) were further back.
But between 2014-16 the league's minor premiers were streaks ahead of the rest of the competition.
Old Collegians finished the 2014 and '15 seasons 16 and 14 points ahead of Dennington, which was second on both occasions.
In 2016 Merrivale ended the regular season 10 points clear of the Dogs and Blues, who were locked on 58 points to round out the top three.
South Rovers is eight points back of the top four in fifth with Timboon Demons (26), Kolora-Noorat (20) and Panmure (16) putting pressure on it to perform every week.
Forth said her side would need to continue to play well against the teams lower than them on the table and to find consistency to continue pushing for a high finish.
But now only time will tell how the final ladder will shape up.
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