It’s one thing to gun for top spot, but it’s another thing completely to defend it.

Consistency has seen Wangaratta leapfrog their closest rivals into first on the ladder, a game clear of the Rovers with a trio of clashes left before the cutthroat finals series.

This weekend’s clash at the Wangaratta Showgrounds against Corowa Rutherglen is the perfect chance for the Magpies to further their ambitions and take that crucial next step towards a strong position in finals.

‘Pies coach Jason Heatley said the resilience shown through the season, but particularly over the last two weeks, was encouraging to see as finals loom ever closer.

“To be fair, when we talk about the recent couple of games, Yarrawonga and Lavington played for a lot over the last two weeks, and to be resilient against probably their best in patches of the game was pretty good,” he said.

“I’m really proud of the way the players got things back on our terms and how we wanted to game to look.

“That’s how we’ve been maturing, we’re still not the finished product by any stretch.

“We empower guys to make decision if they need to which I think is really important, and we’ve been getting better.

“That’s the consistency of being able to show up every week.”

While their opponents this weekend sit one rung above the bottom of the ladder, Heatley said they were a much better team than that, and would bring the fight this weekend.

“This is a damn good competition - if you’re off your guard, Raiders have shown they can win, even Albury, that was a win for their program last week [over Rovers],” he said.

“If you’re foolish enough to take your eye off what’s in front of you, the upcoming game, it could bite you on the bum.

“We want to deny them the footy as much as we can.

“They’ve got one of the best key targets in the comp in [Kaelan] Bradtke and [Deagan] Purcell who can pop up and hit the scoreboard and hit the scoreboard with volume, so to deny them around the footy is key.

“Contested footy and pressure, they’ll have a go, there’s no doubt about it.”

The Magpies host Corowa Rutherglen at the Wangaratta Showgrounds this Saturday, with thirds football from 10am, reserves from 12pm and seniors from 2pm.

Meanwhile, the Wangaratta Rovers will have to head to Birallee Park to take on Wodonga Raiders without some of the most important magnets on their board.

Swingman Nathan Cooper has been ruled out for the rest of the season, a cruel blow for the Rovers’ three-peat aspirations.

Cooper came from the ground in the fourth quarter of their recent match with Albury with a suspected dislocated knee.

Subsequent scans confirmed Cooper had done his ACL, putting a line through his 2026 season and most likely the entirely of 2027.

It’s a huge out for the Rovers, with Cooper the second most prolific forward the side has, having booted 31 goals from 14 matches and named in the best on seven occasions.

Injury clouds also swirl around gun midfielder and coach Sam Murray, who reaggravated a hamstring concern on the weekend which he sustained in round 11’s derby match with the Magpies.

While the Rovers will be favourites to break their two-game losing streak and defeat the struggling Raiders, questions will be asked of their depth and resolve to perform without key players.

The senior Rovers take on Wodonga Raiders from 2pm at Biralee Park.