Friends become foes as Rangers and Warriors meet in third place playoff in the final round of the Victory League.
Northern Rangers vs Olympia FC Warriors – 2:00PM/Saturday 30 August 2014 (NTCA 2)
Glen McNeill and Tim Lunnon work together as Co-Coaches of the senior state team but this weekend the pair will square off as rival coaches, as Northern Rangers host Olympia FC Warriors in the final round of the Victory League.
The pair will face off in their final Victory League game of 2014 in a matchup that will decide third spot on the Victory League table, and could also prove to be a preview for a possible Victory Cup showdown next week.
While it is not the end of the road for either team, with the top four knockout Victory Cup competition to be played next Saturday the match holds major significance for the winner with an opportunity to lay claim to third position in the state’s premier competition.
Northern Rangers form has been steady recently with their last loss coming in Round 17 against South Hobart.
Northern Rangers will finish in the top four of the Victory League for the first time after missing out on such honours last year, Lunnon is proud of the achievement and believes his club has made some major strides in 2014.
Olympia were smashed by South Hobart last week but will need to put behind their poor recent form and lift their intensity ahead of the Victory Cup.
McNeill believes judgement on his squads improvement can be cast after the result this week and their performance in the upcoming Victory Cup.
South Hobart vs Launceston City - 1:30PM/Saturday 30 August (Darcy St)
Launceston City will chase an unlikely upset against Champions South Hobart to dodge a second consecutive Victory League wooden spoon.
There is no taller task in the Victory League than the bottom team facing South Hobart, but Launceston City will hope to make the improbable a reality on Saturday.
South Hobart are coming into the clash in explosive form, off the back of a comfortable 4-0 win against rivals Olympia.
South Hobart will look to sign off a very successful Victory League season with a win at home, against a team Coach Ken Morton has seen significant growth from.
South Hobart will also take the opportunity to get some run into the legs of some players ahead of the Victory Cup and NPL Finals Series.
As a sideshow to the clash, South Hobart's strikers may be competing in the final round for the PFD Golden Boot, with Andy Brennan four goals adrift of his partner in crime Brayden Mann.
Glenorchy Knights vs Tilford Zebras – 2:00PM/Saturday 30 August (KGV Football Park)
Glenorchy Knights and Tilford Zebras face off at their shared home ground KGV Football Park to finish off their League seasons.
Knights will hope to claim a result and finish off a disappointing year on a bright note, a game that could be Glenorchy Knights Coach Chris Hey’s final in charge with Glenorchy deciding to open the position to applicants at season's end.
Glenorchy will look to recapture the spark that saw them draw with Olympia two weeks ago, but the task won't be easy against a team Hey believes is the League's best on form.
Despite it being their final league game for the season, Tilford Zebras Coach Jed Donoghue is looking for greater focus and improvement ahead of the Victory Cup.
Kingborough Lions vs Devonport City - 2:00PM/Saturday 30 August 2014 (Lightwood Park)
For some clubs in the Victory League, Round 21 will be their last taste of football for 2014, for the Kingborough Lions Round 21 is an opportunity to get their home fans roaring with what would be their first home win for the season.
For Devonport, Round 21 will give the north west club an opportunity to send off some valuable contributors from their first two seasons of Victory League football.
Casey Eaves has had a stellar season in goal for Devonport, a season that will be his last at Victory League level. Devonport will also have a new coach in 2015, with Nick Owen not taking on the top job next season.
Click here for a full preview of all the weekend's matches.