A SPOT in the Ovens and Murray grand final is up for grabs for Wangaratta on Sunday.

The Magpies will be looking to play in a fifth straight decider after featuring on the season’s biggest day in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022.

It won’t be an easy task though with Albury standing in their way, the team that downed Wangaratta two weeks ago in the qualifying final by four goals.

Wangaratta coach Ben Reid said the occasion would not be lost on the players.

“It’s a great opportunity to make another grand final and go back-to-back,” Reid said.

“We know what’s on the other side of this game and it’s definitely an exciting position for us all to be in.

“We’re going to have to bring our best footy and our pressure and contest work will have to be at a premium.”

It’s the fourth time the two sides have played this season with Albury grabbing a buffer with two wins from their three games.

“It’ll be the fourth time we’ve played them so I don’t think there will be any surprises from either team,” Reid said.

“By this time of year most clubs have shown how they want to play and Albury and ourselves are definitely in that position.

“Albury have only lost three games all year so they’re a quality outfit and after losing to Yarrawonga in a pretty scrappy game last week they’ll be breathing fire.”

Albury’s Riley Bice will need to be kept on close watch after racking up 23 disposals, two goals and five tackles in last weekend’s loss, while he also kicked four majors against the Magpies in the first final.

“We’re definitely going to have to watch Bice, he tore us up in that first final,” Reid said.

“In terms of match winners he’s as good as anyone in the competition.

“He can turn a match off his own boot so we might have to give someone a job on him.”

Reid admitted his side weren’t at their best in the four goal loss to the Tigers two weeks but believes it’s an easy fix.

“The team that brings pressure and does the basics better for longer will win it,” he said.

“We had a 20 minute patch when we were down against them two weeks ago and it ended up costing us which will happen against any good side in this competition.

“They made us pay in that 20 minutes so we can’t let it happen again.”

The game is shaping up to be a great spectacle with a predicted sunny 25 degrees only set to enhance the quality of football on a big Birallee Park deck.

“The bigger ground will mean there’s more space so it’ll make defending a bit more challenging,” Reid said.

“But a bigger deck will bring an exciting game because both teams like to move the ball fast.

“For us we’re used to playing on a big ground because Norm Minns Oval is one of the bigger decks so we’re definitely confident that it will suit our game.”

The Magpies are hopeful of welcoming Michael Newton back into the fold after missing last weekend’s win with a tight hamstring.

Newton’s absence saw Matt Grossman step up to the plate in the forward 50 booting four majors along with taking 10 marks.

“We’re hopeful we’ll get ‘Juice’ (Newton) back in, he just needs to get through training and a captain’s run on Saturday,” Reid said.

“Everyone else pulled up really well so we might only have the one change which will be nice because we’ve had three or four (changes) every week for the past three or four weeks.

“We’ll have to weigh up what we do with ‘Grossy’ (Grossman), we can start him forward, back or even on a wing which is what we love about him.

“I’m just happy to see him back playing good footy after a few injuries this year.”

Sunday’s clash kicks off at 2pm.