Who will come out on top come September?

NIRRANDA (8-1, 300%)

The Blues have been clinical to say the least, but dropped their first four points to the Bulldogs. Our opinion is a win is always needed as not to get complacent and Brayden Harkness' side now has a prime opportunity to fine tune parts to its game.

The side was wasteful going inside forward 50 against Panmure, but if they can tidy up that in future performances they'll be hard to stop come finals time.

New recruits have added a spark in the likes of Ethan Harvey and Jeremy Stacey while experience and consistency across the ground is one of its strong suits.

PANMURE (8-1, 217%)

Ball movement has stood out in Panmure's performances with coach Chris Bant crediting the work gone into that part of their game. Their ability to link up by hand and foot is catching teams off guard, while they have a great ability to go slow and change angles but play fast football.

While there is experience through the ranks, exciting youth is also forming the basis of this side. Jacob Moloney is having a great season and can be used in a number of positions while Lachlan McLeod stepped up in the absence of key forwards through injuries.

Ticked off the challenge of Nirranda at Nirranda. Are they now premiership favourites?

RUSSELLS CREEK (7-2, 184%)

The dark horse among premiership contenders, on its day Creek can beat any top team. They've shown that with wins against Kolora-Noorat and Merrivale, while finishing impressively close in games against Nirranda and Panmure.

Dylan Herbertson and Danny Chatfield have done a great job with this group, one player crediting their ability to bring both experienced and young players together.

Could be one of the most even teams in the competition. Dan Nicholson having a massive season, as is Taylem Wason but overall the Creekers seem to just gel as a team. The only criticism at this point is not stringing together many four-quarter performances, bar Kolora-Noorat in round six. They will need to rectify slow starts because there is limited space for errors in finals.

MERRIVALE (6-3, 165%)

Defeated Panmure on the road in round three, which is arguably the toughest assignment in WDFNL footy, and should have knocked off Nirranda so Merrivale's best is certainly good enough.

Jack Gleeson is putting together a consistent season while the team has a good mix of experience and youth through its side. Keeping up pressure across four quarters is key for Merrivale, who can pale in patches.

KOLORA-NOORAT (6-3, 119%)

The Power has not been anywhere near full strength all season but just keeps ticking along. Can argue they're being pushed down the pecking order with Nirranda and Panmure leading the way, which is likely how they would want it.

When the Power get the Boyd boys in the same team (Lucas and Sam) their forward line will be scary to match up, with Lucas' return from an ankle injury expected after the bye. The club's ability to blood younger guys throughout its injury struggles may also pay dividends long term.

Have not been as dominant as past seasons, but no-one would be underestimating the Power come finals time.

SOUTH ROVERS (4-5, 82%)

The Lions have been hit hard in recent rounds with unavailability/injuries, which halted most of the momentum they garnered in early rounds. Have needed to get the train back on the rails, but a tough stretch of games limited the side to just one win in its last five games.

There is the workings of a really strong forward line with Tim Ryan as its focal point. Kurt Lenehan and Trent Harman also enjoying strong seasons.

DENNINGTON (3-6, 62%)

The Dogs have definitely exceeded expectations so far this season. With its last win back in August 2019, the Dogs showed its growth by stringing together three wins in a row. Belief has been the biggest thing so far for the Dogs, but they have been hijacked in recent weeks with the injuries mounting up.

They need ruckman Reggie Barling back quickly as well as forward Josh Stapleton. It's sure to be a testing little period coming up for the club's depth.

ALLANSFORD (2-7, 74%)

The Cats have plenty of upside but so far have been unable to string full games together. Have shown they can match good sides for periods of play, though the wheels inevitably fall off late in games.

Boasts one of the best forwards in the competition in Robbie Hare, with a chorus of young talent and new faces starting to integrate into the group. Coach Tim Nowell believes the Cats' camaraderie is really high despite the lopsided win-loss record and is using the top teams as inspiration.

OLD COLLEGIANS (1-8, 47%)

The Warriors are undoubtedly youthful with 12 debutants this season, including four juniors. The road back to grand final glory may be winding, but there has been some bright moments so far this season.

Mitch Riddell has slotted in well, and you can see the side working on their ball movement as they try to be direct with how they move the footy. Decision-making has been its biggest hurdle, though that arguably comes with experience.

TIMBOON (0-9, 19%)

It was always going to be a tough year for Timboon, who appear to be struggling with numbers/injuries.

Despite the rough stretch, there is talent standing up, such as the form of Jordan Fowler.

The club's junior teams are also right up there so development continues to flow through.

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