It's the John I Dent Cup fairytale that's been 15 years in the making, but the Uni-Norths Owls say they won't be making up the numbers in Canberra's premier division finals if they can advance.
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The Owls are on the cusp of their first play-off appearance since 2001 as they enter a blockbuster last round of the regular season with everything going on the line.
The Owls need to beat the Gungahlin Eagles at ANU on Saturday and then rely on cross-town results in the grand-final rematch between the Tuggeranong Vikings and Royals.
If defending premiers Royals win, they will secure a finals berth and keep alive their hopes of consecutive premierships.
If Tuggeranong win, they will secure their fifth minor premiership in a row and simultaneously knock Royals out of title contention if the Owls beat Gungahlin.
The last match of the round is Easts and Wests battling it out in a bottom-of-the-ladder clash as Easts chase their first win of the season.
The stakes are much higher for the Owls, who are in finals contention for the first time in years.
None of their players have experienced first-grade finals action and the five survivors from their 2009 Colts grand final team – Sam Irwin, Tom Gilmore, Dave Bennett, Charlie Fairfield-Smith and assistant coach Sam Rolfe – are the club's longest-serving players.
"It's definitely not out of reach. Making it would just take a weight off everyone's shoulders, it's certainly been a bit of a drought," Irwin said.
"Everyone at the club would love to see first grade make it. Everyone would get a benefit out of it because everyone in our second grade and third-grade tams are all involved.
"It does get tough when you keep missing out. But you've got a strong group of core guys who stick their hands up every week. It's the players that keep you coming back every year."
Royals face a tough battle just to stay in the competition with Tuggeranong needed to win to finish the regular season at the top of the ladder.
If the Vikings fail to collect a bonus point in defeat, the Queanbeyan Whites, who have a bye, will jump ahead of them on the table.
The permutations and cliff-hanger results set up a tantalising end to what many have described as the closest season in recent history.
The Vikings and Whites have lost just two games so far this year while Gungahlin has emerged as a genuine contender and Royals are leaving their charge until the last minute.
The Owls have been the real surprise packet given their student player base is constantly changing and the club hasn't been in finals contention since the turn of the century.
When coach Dan Hooper arrived at the club there were just seven or eight players turning up for first-grade training.
Now the Owls have a solid base to be able to lay the platform for a finals charge.
"This is our biggest game for a long time and hopefully things are looking up," Hooper said.
"We don't know about finals and what it's like, but whether that's a good thing or bad thing I don't know.
"Royals finished fourth last year and then went on to win the competition. It all starts again ... if we do make the finals, the pressure won't be on us.
"To actually have a shot in the last round ... win or lose, we'll take a lot out of this."
JOHN I DENT CUP ROUND 17
Saturday: Uni-Norths Owls v Gungahlin Eagles at ANU North, 3.05pm; Royals v Tuggeranong Vikings at Phillip Oval, 3.05pm; Wests v Easts at Jamison, 3.15pm. Bye: Queanbeyan Whites.
