We have hit the pointy-end of the season and every game seems to have something on the line, this week will be must-watch for any NPLM fan!
Melbourne Knights v Avondale
7:30 pm, Friday 30 June, Knights Stadium
Melbourne Knights were defeated by Altona Magic 3-2 last week and Avondale easily accounted for Green Gully.
The Knights will be desperate to avoid three defeats in a row, to keep their grip on the top four, while the Avengers are searching for their eighth straight victory.
In Round 19, the Knights found themselves ahead of the Magic 2-1 at half-time, with forwards Ciaran Bramwell and Gevaro Nepomuceno finding the back of the net, but weren't able to finish the job.
Ivan Franjic assisted his first goal for the season last week but will need to be at his defensive best alongside Josh Phelps, Corey Sewell, and Jack Morton if the Knights are any chance of getting a result against the record-breaking Avondale forward half.
The Knights' defensive united faces their toughest test yet against the all-star Avondale attack which has only been strengthened with the edition of George Ott from St Albans. Liam Boland continued his rich vein of form against the Cavaliers last week, scoring his tenth for the season to equal teammate Stefan Zinni.
Over the past fortnight, the Knights have lost control of the match through midfield, making this a big clash for midfielders Gian Albano, Steve Whyte, Anthony Duzel, and Luka Kolic. This week they come up against Avondale's Joey Katebian, George Mells, and Kristian Trajceski who scored his sixth goal for the season and made his ninth assist against Green Gully.
In Round 7, Avondale defeated the Knights 3-0 with Liam Boland scoring a brace.
Can the Knights avoid making it three straight losses?
St Albans Saints v Bentleigh Greens
7:45 pm, Friday 30 June, Churchill Reserve
Heading into Round 20, Bentleigh finds themselves in last place on the table despite picking up a point against Heidelberg, and St Albans isn't far behind after losing to South last Tuesday night.
In the absence of striker George Ott, Brian Summerskill and Sean Timmins played up front for the Saints, however, the Saints found themselves scoreless for the second straight week.
Striker Tom Strickland will play up front for the Greens and will be full of confidence after scoring a fortnight ago. Mario Barcia has been the Greens' most lethal scoring option with three goals for the season, including last week's first-half strike which handed his side a crucial point.
Bentleigh may be able to take charge of this matchup with Scott Hilliar, and Ben Carrigan taking charge of the defence, while Stefan Brecevic, Alec Mills, and Dean Lucente should be too much for Zelfagar Nazary and Joey Monek through midfield.
Bentleigh Greens defeated Hume City 4-1 in Round 7, with the second-half onslaught too much for the Saints.
Can Bentleigh jump off the bottom of the table with a victory over the Saints?
Green Gully v North Geelong Warriors
8:00 pm, Friday 30 June, Green Gully Reserve
Green Gully was defeated by Avondale in Round 19, as North Geelong picked up its fourth victory of the season over Moreland City.
North Geelong is riding a wave of momentum and their first back-to-back victory since the opening two rounds of the season.
Following match-winning performances over the past fortnight, Luka Jurkovic and Lochlann McGrath will play up front for the Warriors and will be hoping to trouble the Cavaliers after they conceded four goals in Round 19.
Green Gully will look to their reserve keeper this week after Liam Driscoll was given a red card last week against Avondale.
The Cavaliers midfield may pose too much of a challenge for the spirited North Geelong side with Aden Gardner and Ryan Opperman facing a tall order against Josh Hope, Luc Jeggo, Gianluca Ianucci, and recruit Danny Kim.
Defenders George Ellis and Anthony Banovac played a major role in last week's victory and will need to lift to another level if they are going to contain the NPLM Golden Boot leader, Pierce Waring.
The striker scored a brace against the Warriors earlier in the season, but the Cavaliers also have Alan Gerez, Adolph Koudakpo and Josh Hope who are all capable of finding the back of the net.
Green Gully won the last encounter between the two sides 7-0 in Round 7, Josh Hope was best on the ground with two goals from midfield.
Can North Geelong produce something special for their third win on the trot, or will Green Gully bring them crashing back down to earth?
Port Melbourne v Heidelberg United
5:30 pm, Saturday, 1 July, JL Murphy Reserve
Port Melbourne collected a point against Dandenong in a scoreless draw last week, while Heidelberg also came home with a point on the road against Bentleigh.
The Sharks missed out on a chance to move into third place last weekend, but with the Knights taking on Avondale they will get a second chance at leapfrogging their rivals.
Despite having the third-best goal difference, Port Melbourne has only scored one goal in its past three matches, with leading goal scorer Chris Duggan (8 goals) coming off the bench in the past fortnight.
Heidelberg's defence led by Ajdin Fetahagic will need to contend with Jackson Courtney-Perkins (3 goals) who played up front last week, while Jamal Ali will be given the hard task of containing Luca Tevere who has been amongst Port Melbourne's best this season.
Kaine Sheppard registered his fourth goal for the season and Kenny Athiu continued to provide a vocal point up forward for the Bergers last week, creating a tough matchup for Port defenders Ross Archibald and Kristian Bombaci.
With midfield star George Mells moving to Avondale, more responsibility with fall on Valli Cesnik and Dan Edwards, while Anthony Ianchello will need to stand up in his absence.
Heidelberg youngster Shunsuke Murakami has impressed through the midfield for Heidelberg in recent weeks, while Sean Ellis and Anthony Lesiotis will look to exploit the hole in the Port Melbourne midfield.
Heidelberg and Port Melbourne drew 2-2 in Round 7, and Shigeto Masuda saved the day for the Bergers with two late goals.
Can Port Melbourne move into third on the ladder or will the Bergers continue their top-six charge?
Hume City v Moreland City
6:30 pm, Saturday, 1 July, Hume City Stadium
Hume City fell just short of Oakleigh Cannons last week and Moreland City lost to North Geelong on the road.
Moreland would have been disappointed with their efforts last week, however, if they can tighten up defensively, they may be able to get a result.
Defender Michael Tzoutzidis will lead the defensive charge for Moreland against Josh Bingham up front for Hume, while Jaiden Brown will get the tough job of containing Jewad Rezai who leads the scoring for Hume with five goals for the season.
Moreland may have only scored one goal from its past four matches, but its attack can score on any given day with Hume defenders Tomas Maricic and Birhan Elibol having their hands full with strikers James Hooper and Fletcher dangerous.
Hume City's Matthew Lazarides, Mark Ochieng, and Ben Bowler will look to control possession through midfield but will need to be wary of Moreland's Jamie Latham and Apai Ukuno's ability on goal.
Hume City defeated Moreland City 5-2 in Round 7, Jewad Rezai was the star of the show with two goals.
Can Moreland climb out of the bottom two with a victory over Hume City?
Dandenong Thunder v Altona Magic
7:15 pm, Saturday, 1 July, George Andrews Reserve
Altona picked up an impressive victory over the Knights in Round 19, while Dandenong was held to a scoreless draw against Port Melbourne.
This is a huge seventh v eighth battle with both sides still having finals aspirations, but a loss could almost be season over.
The Thunder has only managed two draws from its past five matches with a win needed to stay in touch with the top six.
Dandenong's Kasper Hallam should play upfront and will come up against Altona full-back Charlie Leech, while Josh Karantz and Kieran Dover will face Alex Castiello and Johnny Stojcevski on the wings.
Grad Damen (7 goals) has been the Thunder's best-attacking option this season and will lineup in the midfield alongside Scott Lochhead and Ibiyepribo Davies. Dandenong's engine room will have their work cut out for them as they face Ashton Ahluwalia who has been amongst the league's best this season and the creative Cian Cuba.
Dandenong keeper Majak Mawith made the Round 19 NPLM Team of the Week for his efforts in last week's draw but will need to be at that level once again to keep out Tommy Semmy and the NPLM Golden Boot leader Jonas Markovski.
Josh Markovski proved he was also a threat last week, scoring his second goal for the season, while Cian Cuba has also found the back of the net three times this year - creating plenty of headaches for Thunder defenders Harry Ascroft and Mersim Memeti.
In Round 7, Altona defeated Dandenong 3-2 at Paisley Park with Jonas Markovski starring.
Can Altona make it two wins in a row or will Dandenong escape their form slump and return to the top six?
South Melbourne v Oakleigh Cannons
3:00 pm, Sunday, 2 July, McIvor Reserve
Oakleigh defeated Hume in a tight contest on Saturday night, and South has enjoyed a descent break after defeating St Albans on June 20.
This clash is a teaser of what is to come in the post-season with both sides only enduring three losses between them all season.
South Melbourne forward Max Mikkola continues to turn heads with his explosive play tearing matches apart week after week. The goalscorer was best on the ground last week and will be a difficult matchup for Oakleigh's Brodie Boyce.
The forward mix has become even more unpredictable with striker Yagoub Mustafa joining the ranks. The forward scored three goals for Hume City before making the move to Lakeside Stadium mid-season.
Alex Salmon was the forward who stepped up last week for Oakleigh, but South defenders Marco Jankovic and Jake Marshall will need to be on their toes as the Cannons have goal-scoring options all over the park, with six players who have scored 5+ goals so far this season.
Joe Guest has been in fine form for Oakleigh of late, however, South's Ali Sulemani and Josh Wallen will do their best to quell his influence. South Melbourne's Pat Langlois showed his forward craft last week when he scored in the 4-0 victory, while Connor Hampson, Stefan Valentini, and Cam McGilp are all renowned goal scorers.
South Melbourne defeated Oakleigh 1-0 in Round 7 with Josh Wallen scoring the winning goal from a set piece in the second half.
This clash will put two of the best NPL Victorian sides against each other and with stars across all lines, who will walk away in second place on the ladder?