Charles Sturt University have set up a grandstand finish to the home-and-away season next Saturday after a percentage-boosting victory against the Northern Jets, which has them on the brink of a finals appearance.
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The Bushpigs put paid to the Jets' season with an emphatic 19.5 (119) to 8.6 (54) win at Ariah Park and took control of their own finals destiny in the process.
The win moved CSU to sixth on the ladder, one win behind Coleambally, who they host in the final round.
The 65-point margin, combined with the Blues' loss at Marrar, gives them a superior percentage, and makes the final equation simple: win and you're in.
"It's pretty much the start of finals for us, it's basically an elimination final," CSU coach Pat Noonan said.
"I thought (our finals hopes) were done after the Marrar game (two weeks ago), to be honest. I didn't realise the last three weeks could come down this way."
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Having said that, Noonan knows the real task remains ahead.
"I think we're playing good footy, that's for sure. But next week is going to be really tough. We lost to Coly over there and we need to go into next week like we've been going into the last five or six weeks and come out on top."
Down by eight points at quarter-time, the Bushpigs didn't look back after kicking the first goal of the second term, through former backman turned key forward, Jack Thompson.
They piled on another eight unanswered goals by half-time for a 46-point lead, then weathered a four-goal third quarter from the Jets before finishing it off in the last.
"It was just a super effort. The weather was pretty terrible, as everyone knows, but to kick 19.5, with the wind and the rain, it was really good to see," Noonan said.
"We've been working well as a team. There's individual efforts here and there but we're linking up really well and working hard around the ground for each other."
One of those individual efforts was from centre-half-forward Angus Blackwood, who starred with six goals.
"Hot foot - it was ridiculous," Noonan said. "He played really well, taking good marks and getting to the right spots. The whole forward line worked well."
Lachy Moore was brilliant in the midfield again and Sam Barrow had one of his best games for CSU.
It's a remarkable turnaround by the Bushpigs, who were second last on the ladder two weeks ago, following three straight losses. But after consecutive wins for the first time this year - both big wins against finals rivals (54 points against The Rock-Yerong Creek last week) - they're a home win away from snatching fifth and returning to finals on the back of a six-win season.
The Jets were led well by Mitch Haddrill and Jack Fisher and Josh Roscarel continues to have a real dig.
But it was a disappointing final home game for the Jets, who were beaten by 101 points at Ariah Park two weeks ago (and by 10 goals at Coleambally last week). Their season will wrap up at North Wagga next week.
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