As the final rounds of the season approach, who will still be fighting for a finals spot following this weekend's action?
Alamein v South Melbourne
3:00 pm, Saturday 15 July, Dorothy Laver West Reserve
In Round 17, Alamein defeated Emerging 3-1 and South Melbourne split the points with Box Hill United.
Alamein will want to stay in touch with the top four, while South Melbourne will still believe they are a chance to claim the premiership from Boroondara.
South Melbourne's forward line of Danielle Wise along with Francesca Iermano, Tayla Christensen, and Laura Pickett may prove too strong for Alamein defenders Chinatsu Shidara and Catherine Renehan.
Alamein's forward half will be led by Rebecca Saber, who has made the most take-ons in the opposition box this season and will be supported by Savanna Anastasopoulos and Elaina Vatcky.
South Melbourne has the second-best defence this season, only behind Bulleen, with full-backs Brianne Reed and Leia Varley having terrific seasons.
Midfielder Sidney Allen (7 goals) has led the scoring for Alamein, while Molly Burke and Ashleigh Lefevre will also play a pivotal role in ensuring South midfielders Dragana Kljajic, Meisha Westland and Janna Lawson don't give their forwards quality looks on goal.
Alamein defeated South Melbourne 1-0 in Round 7 with midfielder Sidney Allen scoring the winning goal.
Can Alamein remain in the finals mix or will South Melbourne extinguish their season?
Boroondara Eagles v Southern United
6:00 pm, Saturday 15 July, Veneto Club
Boroondara defeated Calder United last week, while Southern United enjoyed the week off.
The Eagles will be confident of picking up another victory this week in the top v bottom clash.
Erin Hudson has been a stand-out in goals for Southern since coming into the side mi-season, but she will be up against it this week, coming up against NPLW Golden Boot leader Kurea Okino, who is fresh off another hat trick in Round 17.
Southern defenders Rachel Binning and Antonia Niteros will also need to contend with attacking midfielders Margot Robbine, Emily Sutcliffe, and Ellen Turner.
Rhiannon Kelleher is Southern's most potent forward this season, while Jade Tam and Yuka Sato will be the other goal-scoring options.
Boroondara's midfield is littered with players with the ability to find the back of the net, while Becky Lim and Kristina Hall, also provide the defensive stability.
There is a possibility Boroondara rests some players this week, given their stranglehold on the competition, but with only four points separating them from third, we expect the Eagles to put on a show.
The Eagles haven't lost many games this season and their Round 7 clash with Southern United was no exception with the match ending 3-0 to the away side.
Can Southern United pull off the upset of the season or will Boroondara improve their goal difference against the cellar-dwellers?
Heidelberg United v Calder United
6:30 pm, Sunday 17 July, The Grange Reserve
Calder fell one goal short of the ladder-leading Boroondara Eagles last week and Heidelberg lost 3-0 to Preston.
With both clubs fighting for the final spot in the top four, this clash is massive for both clubs.
The Heidelberg defence of Felicity Georgopoulos, Elly Torre, and Ava Piazza will have their hands full this week with Calder possessing the second-best attack in the league. Calder forward Raquel Deralas leads the way with nine goals for her side this season, while Kiewa Hidea and Larissa Walsh have also proven the capability of finding the back of the net.
The Bergers' forward line has struggled of late, not scoring since their Round 12 victory against South Melbourne.
Calder's defence will make it hard for the Bergers to score once again, with Alana Cerne, Nikola Dakic and Montana Matthews all having standout seasons. In a bid to keep their season alive, Georgia Beaumont will likely play upfront for the home side, while captain Steph Galea, Keeley Lockhart and Katrina Nikpour will provide further options.
Heidelberg will need midfielder Nicole Blackett to return to her early season form alongside Reona Omiya and Kathryn Vlahopoulos, creating an interesting matchup against Calder's Alexis Mitchell, Isabella Sewards and Ava Groba.
Calder defeated Heidelberg 4-2 in Round 7, Larissa Walsh was the difference in the match with a brace.
With everything on the line, who will stay in the hunt for finals football?
Bulleen Lions v Box Hill United
8:15 pm, Monday 17 July, Veneto Club
Bulleen moved up to second place with an impressive victory over Bayside United and Box Hill drew with South Melbourne at home.
This top-four clash should be one for the ages with so much still on the line for both sides.
Maja Markovski stamped her authority of the competition last week, scoring a hat-trick against finals hopeful Bayside United. Alana Jancevski, Tyla-Jay Vlajnic and Aroha Little are also scoring threats for the Lions, creating a headache for Box Hill defenders Emma Langley Olivia Ellis, and Laura Pickett.
Asuka Doi has been Box Hill's most potent forward option this season with eight goals, but the class of Melinda Barbieri, Sofia Saklis, and Sienna Techera should trouble the best defence in the league.
Bulleen goalkeeper Gabbie Garton has the highest save percentage in the competition and is well supported in defence by Katie Beck, Alex Natoli, and Faith Stephenson.
This match will be oozing with midfield talent, with Alana Jancevski, Paige Zois, and Beattie Goad (Bulleen) coming up against Melinda Barbieri, Sofia Sakalis, Rosie Curtis and Kanna Moriya of Box Hill, if either side's superstars can break the game open it will go a long way to securing the three points.
Bulleen defeated Box Hill 1-0 when the two sides met earlier in the season with Alex Natoli scoring the winning goal.
Can Box Hill's superstars overcome Bulleen's all-star defence?
FV Emerging v Preston Lions
8:30 pm, Friday 4 August, Knox Regional Football Centre
This match has been re-scheduled to take place in three weeks time.